SOME CURRENT PUSHTU FOLK STORIES. 
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husband, “There is a promise that I have made with the gardener. If you grant 
me permission, I will go to him, that my promise may be fulfilled.’ ’ 
Her husband replied, “ Very well. Go, and fulfil your promise.’ ’ 
So the wazir’s daughter set out, but scarcely was she upon her way (liter. 
outside), when a lion confronted her, saying, 
“ I am famished. God himself has given you into my hand.” 
“ O lion, cried she, “ for God’s sake leave me, that I may go on my way to the 
gardener. When I return from him, then you may devour me.” 
“ It is well,” said the lion, “ haste you.” 
As the wazir’s daughter continued her way, a robber met her. 
“ Thanks be to Heaven,’ ’ he said, “ that, you have fallen into my power. Over 
(selling) you I shall make many rupees.” 
“ If you will show kindness,” begged the wazir’s daughter, “ give me an hour’s 
grace, that I may even reach to the gardener. Then, when I come back from him, 
you may carry me away.” 
The robber assented. ” Hurry away,” he said. 
When the wazir’s daughter at length arrived to where the gardener was, she 
exclaimed, “ Arise. In fulfilment of your request, I have come.” 
The gardener arose, and made obeisance. He had with him twenty-five ashrafis, 
which were his savings, and these he now presented to the wazir’s daughter, saying, 
“You keep good faith indeed, — that thus you visit me.” 
The wazir’s daughter, when she departed thence, came again upon the robber, 
who had fallen asleep. She cried, “ Rise up ! It grows late, if (your intention is to) 
abduct me.” 
The robber, rousing up, made obeisance, saying, “I am at your service, for 
truly you have fulfilled your promise to me.” He had with him some ashrafis, 
and these he gave to her. 
The wazir’s daughter, proceeding thence, came upon the lion— he, too, was 
slumbering. 
“ Tion ! ” she cried, “ rise up and devour me!” 
The lion arose ; and he gave her greeting. 
“ Well done ! ” he exclaimed, “ You are indeed a woman of your word.” 
Then the princess who had been relating the above story to the three brothers 
(she who had taken upon herself a man’s name), said to them, “ O men, I myself 
consider that the act of the gardener was praiseworthy; but who, in your own 
opinion, behaved well towards the wazir’s daughter ? ” 
“ The gardener,” replied the eldest brother, “ was not so much the one who 
acted well ; it was the husband.” 
“ The good action,” followed the middle brother, “belonged to the lion, that 
an animal (such as he), knew how to appreciate her keeping faith.” 
“ The best conduct,” declared the youngest brother, “ was that of the robber ; 
for he let her go.” 
