never really be, because he has to consider so many other people and
to keep so many rules.

After all Putraka did not find the forest so very lonely; for he
had not gone far in it before his sad thoughts were broken in upon
by his coming suddenly to a little clearing, where the trees had
been cut down and two strong-looking men were wrestling together,
the king watched them for a little while, wondering what they were
fighting about. Then he called out, "What are you doing here? What
are you quarrelling about?"

The men were greatly surprised to hear Putraka's voice, for they
thought that they were quite alone. They stopped fighting for a minute
or two, and one of them said: "We are fighting for three very precious
things which were left behind him by our father."

"What are those things?" asked Putraka.

"A bowl, a stick and a pair of shoes," was the reply. "Whoever wins
the fight will get them all. There they lie on the ground."

"Well, I never!" cried the king, laughing as he looked at the things,
which seemed to him worth very little. "I shouldn't trouble to fight
about such trifles, if I were you."

"Trifles!" exclaimed one of the men angrily. "You don't know what
you are talking about. They are worth more than their weight in
gold. Whoever gets the bowl will find plenty of food in it whenever he
wants it; the owner of the stick has only to write his wishes on the
ground with it and he will get them; and whoever puts on the shoes