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THE ENCHANTED PARROT
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intended, and eventually came back in a great hurry, and without looking into the bundle to see if the wheat was safe inside, picked it up and went home. On arriving home her mother-in-law took the bundle and opened it, when to her astonishment she found nothing but sand. So she said to Rajanî, " What is the meaning of this ? " "My dear mother," replied Rajanî, " Unfortunately I dropped the money you gave me in the middle of the market place, and so it came about that all this sand must have got into the bundle along with the money when I picked it up." Then her mother- in-law hunted about in the sand to try and find the money, of course unsuccessfully; so not being able to make out what it all meant, she held her tongue and said nothing more on the matter.

Story XXXIII

In a town called Sankhapura hved a gardener called Sankara who was very rich. His wife's name was Rambhikâ and he was absolutely devoted to her. One day Sankara had arranged to hold a feast at his house in honour of his ancestors, and it so happened that Rambhikâ had on the same