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VII. Ahu-Gardani. 



" Figurez-vouz," disait-il, "en plein sahare." 



ALPHONSE DAUDET : Tartarin. 



IN the Persian Book of Kings we read how the 

 hunting monarch Bahram, accompanied by his 

 wife Azadeh, went a-hunting. Four gazelle were 

 spotted, and Bahram asked his lady which of them 

 he should shoot. Azadeh seems to have been a 

 very feminine person, for in reply she set him a 

 very stiff task, promising that if it was successfully 

 accomplished she would call him " Light of the 

 world." This was nothing less than to make a 

 female of the male gazelle and a male of the doe. 

 The first part of the task was managed by the 

 skilful Bahram shooting off the horns of the buck ; 

 the second by shooting an arrow at a doe so as 

 to make it lay its ear on its shoulder and lift a 

 hind leg to scratch it. Another arrow was then 

 launched, which pinned ear and hind leg together, 

 giving the doe the appearance of having a horn. 

 Azadeh thereupon burst into tears of pity, which 



