But he answered : ` What I have said , I can not take back . If I am to die , then I die , but every day I must go and seek for the Nunda . ' And again his father offered him what he would , even the crown itself , but the boy would hear nothing , and went on his way . Many times his slaves came and told him , ` We have seen footprints , and to-day we shall behold the Nunda . ' But the footprints never turned out to be those of the Nunda . They wandered far through deserts and through forests , and at length came to the foot of a great hill . And something in the boy 's soul whispered that here was the end of all their seeking , and to-day they would find the Nunda . But before they began to climb the mountain the boy ordered his slaves to cook some rice , and they rubbed the stick to make a fire , and when the fire was kindled they cooked the rice and ate it . Then they began their climb . Suddenly , when they had almost reached the top , a slave who was on in front cried : ` Master ! Master ! ' And the boy pushed on to where the slave stood , and the slave said : ` Cast your eyes down to the foot of the mountain . ' And the boy looked , and his soul told him it was the Nunda . And he crept down with his spear in his hand , and then he stopped and gazed below him . ` This MUST be the real Nunda , ' thought he . ` My mother told me its ears were small , and this one 's are small . She told me it was broad and not long , and this is broad and not long . She told me it had spots like a civet-cat , and this has spots like a civet-cat . ' Then he left the Nunda lying asleep at the foot of the mountain , and went back to his slaves . ` We will feast to-day , ' he said ; ` make cakes of batter , and bring water , ' and they ate and drank .
And when they had finished he bade them hide the rest XXXXX the food in the thicket , that if they slew the Nunda they might return and eat and sleep before going back to the town .
If at before below like of on through to with