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sacks were, therefore, delivered to him. He again said," Nature." One day at a banquet he again said," Nature."His neighbour the minister laughed and the king was toldthe reason. He called the man aside and the man said," If the king promise not to kill me I will reveal the secret."The king promised and the man told him that he was notthe son of his reputed father but of one who threshed thecorn and ground it. His mother was asked and she con-fessed the truth of the statement. Great riches were, there-fore, given to the man to keep the secret. Thus wisdomsustains the possessor of it.

373( 69). A fisherman once caught a large fish, and hearda voice saying," Rip me open, gather the blood in threebottles and keep them safely for thou wilt marry, thywife will bear three sons at once and whenever any troubleis about to befall one of them the blood in the bottle willchange colour." He did as he was told. After a time his wifegave birth to three sons who looked so much alike that theycould not be distinguished. The eldest son went away, andcame to a town desolated by a lion, who ate up all the girls.The king promised his daughter to him who would slaythe lion. The young man, not knowing of the promise,killed the lion and went his way. An old man brought thehead to the king and demanded the hand of his daughter.The king consented and this became known. The young manheard of the proclamation, came back, proved the old mana liar and married the princess. One day, looking out of awindow, he saw a place at a distance and was told it wasthe home of a sorceress. No one who went there ever cameout. He went there and found an old woman sitting by abig fire, crying that she was cold. She asked the youngman to get her some of the hair of the dog near her, in orderto throw it into the fire. As soon as he touched the hair,she got hold of him, tied him up and another wizard camewho locked him into a chamber. The father saw the bloodin the first bottle change and sent the second brother insearch of him. The princess believed him to be her husband