Page:Swahili tales.djvu/219

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SULTAN MAJNÚN.

Sultan Majnún married a wife, the daughter of his uncle, and she bare him her first child, a boy; and she bare him a second child, a boy; and she bare him a third child, a boy; and she bare him a fourth child, a boy; and she bare him a fifth child, a boy; and she bare him a sixth child, a boy; and a seventh child was born, the last she bare, a boy. And the sultan was exceedingly glad at getting those lions.

And the sultan lived on, and made a great garden, and planted all the fruits of the world that he knew, and those that he knew not he inquired of people, and got them and planted them. And he planted one date-tree. And he planted all kinds of vegetables. Every day he went three times into his garden: he went there at seven, he went there at three, and he went there at half-past five.

And the sultan dwelt with his children, and put them to school, and they read, and their education was finished, and they were taught to write letters, and learnt.

Now amongst those children his father disliked the seventh. What this child did was, that he did not go out of the kitchen from among the women, he did not go out from under the mortar for cleaning corn among the women. And his father was much vexed because he stayed amongst the women. And he had talked to him a good