SOME CURRENT PUSHTU FOLK STORIES. 
39 ] 
The man returned upon the same road, and upon his repeating what he had 
been told, the tree said, “ If you will take out from among my roots this treasure, 
your kindness will be great ; and you will be king (with the riches) of seven kings.” 
The man replied, “ What good to me are riches ? Here is my fortune who now 
has roused up, and she will work for me.” 
Then he came to the horse, which asked, “ What reply do you bring me ? ” 
“That you should take for yourself a master, who will ride you : then will you 
grow strong.” 
“ You are my master,” said the horse, “ take me! ” 
“ Hook out for someone else instead,” said the man. “ My fortune has roused 
up now, and she will bring me many horses.” 
And then he came upon the lion who in turn questioned him, “ What is my 
answer ? ’ ’ 
“ That you should devour a fool,” said the man, “ then you will be restored to 
your former health.” 
“Did you also obtain replies for anyone else ?” asked the lion. 
“ Yes,” said the man, “ there was a horse and also a tree, for both of whom I 
obtained advice.” 
And then he set to, and related the whole story. 
The lion, when he had heard him through, said, “You yourself are a superlative 
fool! ” and, rising up, he killed and devoured him. * * * 
He was a man of no astuteness, who could not recognise his opportunities, so 
his fortune profited him nothing. 
VI. The King’s Tale and the Wazir’s, — A Fairy Story. 
There was a king, and it so chanced one day that one of his wazirs shuddered. 
“ Why ? ’ ’ said the king, “ What is the matter ? You are quivering ? ” 
“A great fear swept over me,” replied the wazir. “Only this minute it recurred 
to my mind ; and therefore I trembled.” 
“ Tell me about it,” said the king. 
“ In such-and-such a year,” began the wazir, “ I went to a far-off country. There 
I was wandering alone in a market when I saw a Faqir. ‘O boy,’ said he to me, 
‘ whither are you going ? ’ I told him my case, and he then said, ‘ Come with me.' 
We set off, and came to a well, and into that well the Faqir cast me. But in the 
midst of the Avell was a ledge, and this broke my fall, and (clinging there), I looked 
below, and there the bottom of the well was filled with vipers and scorpions, whose 
jaws were gaping up at me. 
f If I fall,’ I said to myself, ‘ they will eat me.’ 
Now the next day came a caravan, and some of the people belonging to it let 
down a bucket to draw water. I seized the bucket and cried out to the caravan 
folk, ‘ I am a human being ! Draw me forth ! ’ 
So they drew me forth, and I told them of all that had happened to me. And 
