FLYING FOXES 141 



for a " little tea and sugar." I cannot imagine why 

 they should think it necessary to smile when asking 

 for anything, or in announcing a breakage, which 

 they invariably do ; because nothing on earth will 

 make them laugh at a joke. To me it only adds 

 fuel to the fire, to see a vacuous grin accompanying 

 the remains of some favourite vase, and I say 

 sharply : 



"It's nothing to laugh about, why are you so 

 pleased ? " I suppose it is a desire to conciliate in 

 order to escape punishment, but on me it always 

 has the opposite effect. 



This morning I was presented with a " petition " 

 written in English by a professional scribe sitting 

 in the market-place. In it the lamplighter begged 

 me to give him leave to go home to his country, as 

 his brother was about " to do the married," and it 

 was necessary for all the family and relations to be 

 present. The scribes charge the servants a farthing 

 each for these " petitions," which often send us into 

 fits of laughter. 



Just now all the berries are ripe on the Deodars. 

 Every evening at dusk come parties of flying foxes, 

 straight from the direction of the setting sun, and 



