Thou, and the like of thee, may serve a whim, as we chew a betel-leaf and trifle with a flower; but my husband is my master, and can do with me as he will.  My life is wrapped up in him—­and when he dies, alas!  I will certainly die too.  Is it not plainly said—­

    ’Hairs three-crore, and half-a-crore hairs, on a man so many grow—­
    And so many years to Swerga shall the true wife surely go?’

And better still is promised; as herein—­

    ’When the faithful wife,[17] embracing tenderly her husband dead,
    Mounts the blazing pile beside him, as it were the bridal-bed;
    Though his sins were twenty thousand, twenty thousand times o’er-told,
    She shall bring his soul to splendor, for her love so large and bold.’

All this the Wheelwright heard.  ‘What a lucky fellow I am,’ he thought, ‘to have a wife so virtuous,’ and rushing from his place of concealment, he exclaimed in ecstasy to his wife’s gallant, ’Sir I saw you ever truer wife than mine?’

‘When the story was concluded,’ said Long-bill, ’the King, with a gracious gift of food, sent me off before the Parrot; but he is coming after me, and it is now for your Majesty to determine as it shall please you.’

‘My Liege,’ observed the Brahmany-goose with a sneer, ’the Crane has done the King’s business in foreign parts to the best of his power, which is that of a fool.’

“Let the past pass,” replied the King, “and take thought for the present.”

“Be it in secret, then, your Majesty,” said the Brahmany-goose—­

    ’Counsel unto six ears spoken, unto all is notified:—­
    When a King holds consultation, let it be with one beside,’

Thereupon all withdrew, but the Rajah and the Minister.

‘What think you?’ said Silver-sides.

‘That the Crane has been employed to bring this about,’ replied the other.

‘What shall we do?’ asked the King.

’Despatch two spies—­the first to inform and send back the other, and make us know the enemy’s strength or weakness.  They must be such as can travel by land and water, so the Crane will serve for one, and we will keep his family in pledge at the King’s gate.  The other must be a very reserved character; as it is said—­

    ’Sick men are for skilful leeches—­prodigals for prisoning—­
    Fools for teachers—­and the man who keeps a secret, for a King,’

‘I know such a one,’ said his Majesty, after a pause.

‘It is half the victory,’ responded the Minister.

At this juncture a chamberlain entered with a profound obeisance, and announced the arrival from Jambudwipa of the Parrot.

‘Let him be shown to a reception-room,’ commanded the Goose, in reply to a look from the King.  ‘He shall presently have audience.’

‘War is pronounced, then,’ said the King, as the attendant withdrew.

‘It is offered, my Liege; but must not be rashly accepted,’ replied the other—­