Page:The Autobiography of an Indian Princess.djvu/25

Rh palace came in sight the, youngest brother was in tears; he could think of nothing. 'You will all receive your presents," he said, "I must wait without for you." But when they arrived at the door and the kobal took their message to the Maharajah the youngest brother's face beamed and he followed the others into the ruler's presence.

Each had written his saying upon a piece of paper and it was placed upon a tray. After a while the Maharajah said, " It grows late. Return for your rewards to-morrow, when I shall have read your papers," and the brothers, bowing, retired. Towards midnight the Maharajah awoke and bethought himself of the papers brought by the four poor brothers, and of his promise to read them. He rose from his bed and went towards the window, that looked out upon the terrace of the palace, with the papers in his hand. Now it chanced that just at that moment the kobal (page-boy) was under the window trying to make a hole through the wall through which to enter and murder the Maharajah. Suddenly he heard the voice of the Maharajah. "Silently he picks a hole in the wall." Terrified the kobal left the hole and hopped aross the terrace. "Bump, bump, bump, he jumps," the Maharajah continued. The kobal stopped, looking this way and that in his panic. "Hither and thither he looks," the voice went on. The trembling kobal tiptoed away, but the voice reading the youngest brother's paper followed him: "The kobal walks on