But what has happened ? Why did they lie to me ? and why did you leave my house where you were safe ? ' And he turned and looked fiercely at his father . ` Let me finish my tale first , and then you will know , ' answered she , throwing back her veil , and she told how her brother had come to the palace and accused her of being a witch , and had tried to persuade the king to slay her . ` But he would not do that , ' she continued softly , ` and after all , if I had stayed on in your house , I should never have met the snake , nor have got my hand back again . So let us forget all about it , and be happy once more , for see ! our son is growing quite a big boy . ' ` And what shall be done to your brother ? ' asked the king , who was glad to think that someone had acted in this matter worse than himself . ` Put him out of the town , ' answered she . From ` Swaheli Tales , ' by E. Steere . The Bones of Djulung In a beautiful island that lies in the southern seas , where chains of gay orchids bind the trees together , and the days and nights are equally long and nearly equally hot , there once lived a family of seven sisters . Their father and mother were dead , and they had no brothers , so the eldest girl ruled over the rest , and they all did as she bade them . One sister had to clean the house , a second carried water from the spring in the forest , a third cooked their food , while to the youngest fell the hardest task of all , for she had to cut and bring home the wood which was to keep the fire continually burning . This was very hot and tiring work , and when she had fed the fire and heaped up in a corner the sticks that were to supply it till the next day , she often threw herself down under a tree , and went sound asleep . One morning , however , as she was staggering along with her bundle on her back , she thought that the river which flowed past their hut looked so cool and inviting that she determined to bathe in it , instead of taking her usual nap . Hastily piling up her load by the fire , and thrusting some sticks into the flame , she ran down to the river and jumped in . How delicious it was diving and swimming and floating in the dark forest , where the trees were so thick that you could hardly see the sun ! But after a while she began to look about her , and her eyes fell on a little fish that seemed made out of a rainbow , so brilliant were the colours he flashed out . '
I should like him for a pet , ' thought the girl , and the next time the fish swam XXXXX , she put out her hand and caught him .
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