Page:Swahili tales.djvu/33

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SULTAN DARAI.

A carpenter arose, and went and married a wife. He dwelt with his wife many years, and they had a child, a girl. His wife was seized with sickness, so that she departed from this world, and he dwelt with his young child.

And he said, "For myself here, I am a man, and one who goes to work; and my daughter whom I have is young. I had better seek for a wife and marry, for the purpose that she may bring up my child. If I have no wife my child will suffer by it."

A kinsman of his told him, "You ought to marry, for you are a full-grown man and the child is young, so you can do nothing; you had better marry a wife who may stay with your child, and you yourself may be able to go to your work." And he said, "Well, your advice is good; now you who have given me this advice, take good advice for me. Is there a wife whom you like, and think her good, that I may receive her?" And he told him, "There is a woman a neighbour of mine, she was the wife of Salih who has found mercy. Now I have thought her disposition a good one, for she lived long with her husband, and I heard no disputing. Now I don't know as to you and your luck,