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THE ENCHANTED PARROT
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to leave home on a long journey, and Kubuddhi took advantage of his absence to make love to his wife. After a time Subuddhi completed his business and returned home, when Kubuddhi showed how unreal and deceitful his friendship was. Approaching Subuddhi with a great show of affection, he said: "My dear friend, tell me if in the course of your travels you have seen anything curious or remarkable?" "Yes, I have," replied Subuddhi, "for on the banks of a certain river, near a town called Manoratha, I saw a mango tree bearing fruit out of season." "Is that really so?" asked Kubuddhi. "Yes. it is," rejoined the other. "I am telling you the exact truth." "Well," said Kubuddhi, "if this turns out to be the exact truth, as you say it is, then you shall take away from my house whatever you can carry in your two hands; if not, then I will do the same by you." The bargain was agreed upon, and Kubuddhi the very same night went and picked the fruit off the tree on which it was growing. So when the matter came to be tested, and the fruit could not be found, Subuddhi seemed to have got the worst of it, and as Kubuddhi was very anxious to get possession of his friend's wife, he demanded that the bargain should be carried out. Subuddhi, somehow or other, had