Datta and his family, who were all very happy together. The father
went every day to the forest near his home to get supplies of wood,
which he sold to his neighbours, earning by that means quite enough
to give his wife and children all that they needed. Sometimes he took
his three boys with him, and now and then, as a special treat, his two
little girls were allowed to trot along beside him. The boys longed to
be allowed to chop wood for themselves, and their father told them that
as soon as they were old enough he would give each of them a little axe
of his own. The girls, he said, must be content with breaking off small
twigs from the branches he cut down, for he did not wish them to chop
their own fingers off. This will show you what a kind father he was,
and you will be very sorry for him when you hear about his troubles.

All went well with Subha Datta for a long time. Each of the boys had
his own little axe at last, and each of the girls had a little pair
of scissors to cut off twigs; and very proud they all were when they
brought some wood home to their mother to use in the house. One day,
however, their father told them they could none of them come with him,
for he meant to go a very long way into the forest, to see if he could
find better wood there than nearer home. Vainly the boys entreated him
to take them with him. "Not to-day," he said, "you would be too tired
to go all the way, and would lose yourselves coming back alone. You
must help your mother to-day and play with your sisters." They had
to be content, for although Hindu children are as fond of asking
questions as English boys and girls, they are very obedient to their
parents and do all they are told without making any fuss about it.

Of course, they expected their father would come back the day he
started for the depths of the forest, although they knew he would
be late. What then was their surprise when darkness came and there