13.  When the sun rose he began his journey again.  Hours passed, but still there was no sign of the caravan.  At last he was quite overcome by hunger and thirst.  He fell to the ground, and was too weak to rise again.

14.  Looking around, he saw something black lying on the sand, not far away.  He crawled to it, and found that it was a small bag which had fallen from the back of a camel.

15.  The poor Arab was filled with joy.  He hoped that the bag would contain food of some sort.  With trembling fingers he tore it open.  Alas! it was full of gold and jewels.

16.  “Woe is me!” cried the poor fellow; “had it been dates my life would have been saved.”

[Illustration:  {An Arab dying of thirst in the desert}]

17.  This little story shows you that on the desert dates may sometimes be worth much more than gold and jewels.  I hope you are well and happy.—­Your loving father.

* * * * *

10.  A letter from India.

1.  My dear children,—­Hurrah!  I am on shore again, after nine long days at sea.  Yesterday I reached Bombay, the chief seaport of India.

2.  Soon after I landed a friend came to see me at my hotel.  He drove me round Bombay, and showed me all the sights.  I wish you had been with me to see them.

3.  Here in Bombay I seem to be in a new world altogether.  It is a world of wonderful light and colour.  The bright hot sun floods the streets and dazzles my eyes.  Everywhere I see bright colour—­in the sky, the trees, the flowers, and the dresses of the people.

4.  The streets are always full of people.  They are dark brown in colour; their hair is black, their eyes are bright, and their teeth are as white as pearls.  Most of the people are bare-legged and bare-footed.

[Illustration:  {Busy Bombay street scene}]

5.  The men wear white clothes, with turbans and sashes of yellow, green, or blue.  Yesterday was a feast-day.  In the morning I saw thousands of the people bathing in the sea.  Afterwards they roamed about the streets in their best clothes.  One crowd that I saw looked like a great tulip garden in full bloom.

6.  The women wear a garment of red, blue, or some other bright colour.  This garment covers them from the neck to the knee.  Almost every woman wears rings of silver on her arms and ankles.  Some of them have great rings in their noses, as well as rings in their ears and on their toes.

7.  You would be amused to see the people carrying their burdens on their heads.  Yesterday I saw a dozen men carrying a grand piano on their heads.

8.  From childhood the women carry jars of water or baskets of earth in this way.  They hold themselves very upright and walk like queens.

[Illustration:  {Woman carrying a basket on her head}]

9.  Bombay is a very busy city.  The streets are thronged with carriages, motor cars, bullock carts, and electric trams.  As the people walk in the middle of the road, it is not easy for a carriage to make its way through the streets.