possession which she must have or else she would starve herself to
death. The king ordered his servants to bring to him the lad with that
precious stone. When the boy was brought, the king wondered at the
largeness and brilliancy of the ruby. He had never seen anything like
it. He doubted whether any king of any country in the world possessed so
great a treasure. He asked the lad where he had got it. The lad replied
that he got it from the sea. The king offered a thousand rupees for the
ruby, and the lad, not knowing its value, readily parted with it for
that sum. He went with the money to his mother, who was not a little
frightened, thinking that her son had stolen the money from some rich
man's house. She became quiet, however, on being assured that the money
was given to him by the king in exchange for the red ball which he had
picked up in the sea.

The king's daughter, on getting the ruby put it in her hair, and,
standing before her pet parrot, said to the bird, "Oh, my darling
parrot, don't I look very beautiful with this ruby in my hair?" The
parrot replied, "Beautiful! you look quite hideous with it! What
princess ever puts only one ruby in her hair? It would be somewhat
feasible if you had two at least." Stung with shame at the reproach cast
in her teeth by the parrot, the princess went into the grief-chamber of
the palace, and would neither eat nor drink. The king was not a little
concerned when he heard that his daughter had gone into the
grief-chamber. He went to her, and asked her the cause of her grief. The
princess told the king what her pet parrot had said, and added, "Father,
if you do not procure for me another ruby like this, I'll put an end to
my life by mine own hands." The king was overwhelmed with grief. Where
was he to get another ruby like it? He doubted whether another like it
could be found in the whole world. He ordered the lad who had sold the
ruby, to be brought into his presence. "Have you, young man," asked the