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114 pot in. Tejukâ cried out immediately: " Help ! I have been bitten by a serpent that was in this pot." She made a great noise over it, and her husband was very much alarmed. Just at that moment the man disguised as a doctor passed by the house. Tejukâ cried: " Go and get the doctor to ease my pain ! Go and get the wood for my funeral pile, for I shall certainly die." So her husband, seeing this man who he thought was a doctor standing at the door of the house, went and called him in. The pretended doctor looked at the lady's wound, and said to her husband: " This is a very dangerous bite; but you are fortunate in having come across me, for I can certainly cure her." The merchant implored the doctor to save the life of his wife. Then the doctor put some very pungent ointment on Tejukâ, and said to her husband: " Don't be alarmed ! the drug that I have is strong enough to counteract any poison; perhaps you would like to apply it yourself." The merchant proceeded to do as he was asked, but the ointment made his eyes water to such an extent that he was obliged to give it up, and saying to the doctor, " I think you had better put this stuff on yourself," he went out of the room.

In the merchant's absence the doctor and his sweetheart thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and the