Wondering and frightened , the old woman thought at last that this little baby might be a son to her in her old age , and that he would grow up and in time to come be her comfort and support . So she carried home the baby to her hut , and next day she took a spade to the cave and dug a grave where she buried the poor mother . Years passed by , and the baby grew up into a find handsome lad , as daring as he was beautiful , and as industrious as he was brave . One day , when the boy , whom the old woman had named Nur Mahomed , was about seventeen years old , he was coming from his day 's work in the fields , when he saw a strange donkey eating the cabbages in the garden which surround their little cottage . Seizing a big stick , he began to beat the intruder and to drive him out of his garden . A neighbour passing by called out to him -- ` Hi ! I say ! why are you beating the pedlar 's donkey like that ? ' ` The pedlar should keep him from eating my cabbages , ' said Nur Mahomed ; ` if he comes this evening here again I 'll cut off his tail for him ! ' Whereupon he went off indoors , whistling cheerfully . It happened that this neighbour was one of those people who make mischief by talking too much ; so , meeting the pedlar in the ` serai , ' or inn , that evening , he told him what had occurred , and added : ` Yes ; and the young spitfire said that if beating the donkey would not do , he would beat you also , and cut your nose off for a thief ! ' A few days later , the pedlar having moved on , two men appeared in the village inquiring who it was who had threatened to ill-treat and to murder an innocent pedlar . They declared that the pedlar , in fear of his life , had complained to the king ; and that they had been sent to bring the lawless person who had said these things before the king himself . Of course they soon found out about the donkey eating Nur Mahomed 's cabbages , and about the young man 's hot words ; but although the lad assured them that he had never said anything about murdering anyone , they replied they were ordered to arrest him , and bring him to take his trial before the king . So , in spite of his protests , and the wails of his mother , he was carried off , and in due time brought before the king . Of course Nur Mahomed never guessed that the supposed pedlar happened to have been the king himself , although nobody knew it . But as he was very angry at what he had been told , he declared that he was going to make an example of this young man , and intended to teach him that even poor travelling pedlars could get justice in HIS country , and be protected from such lawlessness . However , just as he was going to pronounce some very heavy sentence , there was a stir in the court , and up came Nur Mahomed 's old mother , weeping and lamenting , and begging to be heard . The king ordered her to speak , and she began to plead for the boy , declaring how good he was , and how he was the support of her old age , and if he were put in prison she would die . The king asked her who she was .
She replied XXXXX she was his mother .
So as by for if in into like that to