Page:Swahili tales.djvu/129

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SULTAN DARAI.
109

faces." And it said, "Fellow-servants! fellow-servants!" And they answered, "Here, father." "Get up and wash your faces." And they said, "We are up, father." And they had food laid for them, gentry and slaves, great and small. "Come then, gentry, open your mouths." And it went and said, "Come then, fellow-servants, open your mouths." And the people ate till they had had enough. When they had finished eating, it was still not very light. "Come then, gentry, let us be going."

And they arose and went on their way. And they went until, when the sun ceased to be overhead, the gazelle saw, and those gentry who accompanied them saw, signs of a house before them. And they called, "Gazelle!" And it answered, "Here my mistresses." And they said, "Before us we see like the signs of houses." And it said, "Ah, mistresses, is not this our town? That is the house of Sultan Darai."

And the women rejoiced much, and the slaves rejoiced much. And they went till, when the space of about two hours had ended, they came to the gate of the town.

And the gazelle said, "Gentry, stay here, gentry and slaves; leave me and Sultan Darai to go on to the house." And they said, "Very good." And the gazelle went off with its master till they arrived at the house.

The old woman who was in the house, when she saw the gazelle, came and jumped with screams and cries of joy, and dancing about and running, till she came to the gazelle's feet, and she took it up and kissed it. The gazelle said, "Old woman, leave me alone; the one to be carried is our master here, and the one to be kissed is our master; for when I go with my master on one road, the first honour should be given to the master, and then it may be given to me too." And she said, "Forgive me, father, I did not know this was our master." And she