Page:Swahili tales.djvu/35

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SULTAN DARAI.
15

but for myself I think her a good woman, and she has one daughter, who was left by her deceased husband."

And he said, "Well, go and ask her, that you may hear what answer she will make you, and do you come to-morrow and tell me the answer when I come home from work." And he went and told the woman, "There is a man who is come wanting you; give me an answer, that I may go tell him again what you say." And she said, "I cannot refuse him, for here as I am, I am a widow, I and my child, and if I get a husband I shall be more comfortable." He said, "Very well, I will go and give him the answer."

He went to his kinsman's house. He said, "I am come to give you the answer you sent me about yesterday. I told the woman, and she did not answer me ill; she gave me a good message, and one to be acted upon." He said, "Well, I will give you clothes and the dowry; take them to her, and when you go, tell her, 'This dowry is yours, and these clothes are yours; if you have anything else to say, tell me, that I may report it to him.'" The woman said, "I have nothing to say now that the dowry and clothes have reached me; I have nothing more on my part, and I say to my husband, let him come on Wednesday."

He went and gave him the answer: "I took the woman the clothes and the dowry, and gave them to her, and asked her, 'Have you anything more to say?' And she told me, 'I have nothing more to say on my part.' She told me one thing only, 'Let my husband come on Wednesday, that is all.'" He said, "Wednesday is not far off, if God prosper us; to-day is Tuesday, and so Wednesday is to-morrow." He said, "Get your business ready." He said, "I have no further business, my business is finished, I and my daughter are ready; but you, my brother, go and tell the woman to be ready there. If she tells you, we are