have had! Why, down in that place in the river where you threw me in I
found meadows, and trees, and fine pastures, and buffaloes, and all
kinds of cattle. In fact, I could hardly tear myself away; but I
thought that I must really let you all know about it.'

'Oh, oh!' thought the greedy village people; 'if there are buffaloes to
be had for the taking we'll go after some too.' Encouraged by the
goldsmith they nearly all ran off the very next morning to the river;
and, in order that they might get down quickly to the beautiful place
the goldsmith told them of, they tied great stones on to their feet and
their necks, and one after another they jumped into the water as fast
as the could, and were drowned. And whenever any one of them waved his
hands about and struggled the goldsmith would cry out:

'Look! he's beckoning the rest of you to come; he's got a fine
buffalo!' And others who were doubtful would jump in, until not one was
left. Then the cunning goldsmith went back and took all the village
for himself, and became very rich indeed. But do you think he was
happy? Not a bit. Lies never made a man happy yet. Truly, he got the
better of a set of wicked and greedy people, but only by being wicked
and greedy himself; and, as it turned out, when he got so rich he got
very fat; and at last was so fat that he couldn't move, and one day he
got the apoplexy and died, and no one in the world cared the least bit.

[Told by a Pathan to Major Campbell.]



The Enchanted Wreath