eaten it!" And the chief magistrate said that, being a witch, instead of
hanging she was to be burned.

"I have not eaten my child, and I am no witch," said Katipah, as, taking with
her her blue-and-green kite she trotted out to the place of execution. When
she was come to the appointed spot she said to the chief magistrate, "To every
criminal it is permitted to plead in defence of himself; but because I am
innocent, am I not also allowed to plead?" The magistrate told her she might
speak if she had anything to say.

"All I ask," said Katipah, "is that I may be allowed once more to fly my
blue-and-green kite as I used to do in the days when I was happy; and I will
show you soon that I am not guilty of what is laid to my charge. It is a very
little thing that I ask."

So the magistrate gave her leave; and there before all the people she sent up
her kite till it flew high over the roofs of the town. Gently the West Wind
took it and blew it away towards the sea. "Oh, Gamma-gata," she whispered
softly, "hear me now, for I am not afraid."

The wind blew hard upon the kite, and pulled as though to catch it away, so
Katipah twisted the cord once or twice round her waist that she might keep the
safer hold over it. Then she said to the chief magistrate and to all the
people that were assembled: "I am innocent of all that is charged against me;
for, first, it was that wicked Bimsha herself who killed her own child."

"Prove it!" cried the magistrate.

"I cannot," replied Katipah.