THE KHANJAN 251 



male also followed in a parallel 

 line, keeping to the house-tops. Occasion- 

 ally, the cock flew down to the female 

 to share with her a particularly dainty 

 eatable. Suddenly, the female left the 

 beach and made straight for the city. 

 The cock noticed this in the midst of 

 its song which came to a sudden stop. 

 It turned its head this side and that, 

 probably to find out the cause of its 

 wife's sudden flight ; and unable to catch 

 sight of any disturbing element any- 

 where, it looked straight ahead at the 

 receding figure of its companion. Then 

 uttering a sharp chirrup, which might 

 have denoted 'Eccentricity, thy name is 

 woman ' — it lefo the place. Its flight 

 was most charmins; and o;raceful. Ifc 

 scudded along in undulating curves, as if 

 progressing on the crests of waves, closing 

 the winofs on the downward motion and 

 spreading them out while swinging up. 

 On the ground, its lio-htnins^ movements, 

 as it catches insects most deftly 6n the 



