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THE STRAND MAGAZINE.

given the task of filling a hundred of our boats with the wings of flies." Then the Queen disappeared.

Zandilli lay down in the canoe, and gave way to despair. This task seemed far more hopeless than even the first had. Never more should he see the sun; never should he hunt the leopard again. Never should he see the tumbling streams and cool brown pools, nor see the great black eyes of his princess smile upon him. He fell asleep at last with these sad thoughts upon him.

The frog heard his saviour's sigh for a sight of the brown pool, and called his brethren and his friends the lizards. Each came with their burden of flies, and soon filled the many boats.

Their busy croaking awoke Zandilli, who found his task performed; and when the Queen and her followers came again, they cried:—

"He has won! The spear is his!"

Then Zandilli ascended the golden steps to take his well-earned prize. But the Queen was loth to let him go. She would have liked to have held this wonder-worker by her side for ever, and she tried to hold him back.

But Zandilli was impatient, and snatched his arm from her grasp. He seized the golden spear, and jumping into the canoe, propelled it with the spear to the edge of the lake, and bounded ashore. In a few short hours he had claimed his bride.