. Tales of the Punjab : told by the people . The King gave us each a mango, they replied, and he put yours in the cupboard yonder. But, lo ! when the youngest Queen ran in haste tofind her mango, half of it was gone ; nevertheless sheate the remaining half with great relish. Now the result of this was, that when, some monthsafterwards, the six elder Queens each bore a son, theyoungest Queen had only half-a-son—and that waswhat they called him at once,—just half-a-son,nothing more: he had one eye, one ear, one arm,one leg; in fact, looked at sideways, he was as hand-some a young prince as you w
. Tales of the Punjab : told by the people . The King gave us each a mango, they replied, and he put yours in the cupboard yonder. But, lo ! when the youngest Queen ran in haste tofind her mango, half of it was gone ; nevertheless sheate the remaining half with great relish. Now the result of this was, that when, some monthsafterwards, the six elder Queens each bore a son, theyoungest Queen had only half-a-son—and that waswhat they called him at once,—just half-a-son,nothing more: he had one eye, one ear, one arm,one leg; in fact, looked at sideways, he was as hand-some a young prince as you would wish to see, butfrontways it was as plain as a pikestaff that he wasonly half-a-prince. Still he throve and grew strong,so that when his brothers went out shooting hebegged to be allowed to go out also. 278 TALES OF THE PUNJAB How can .you go a-shooting ? wept his mother,who did nothing but fret because her son was buthalf-a-son ; you are only half-a-boy ; how can youhold your crossbow? Then let me go and play at shooting/ replied. the prince, nothing daunted. Only give me somesweets to take with me, dear mother, as the other boyshave, and I shall get on well enough. How can I make sweets for half-a-son ? wepthis mother ; go and ask the other Queens to giveyou some. So he asked the other Queens, and they, to make PRINCE HALF-A-SON 279 fun of the poor lad, who was the butt of the palace,gave him sweets full of ashes. Then the six whole princes, and little Half-a-son,set off a-shooting, and when they grew tired andhungry, they sat down to eat the sweets they hadbrought with them. Now when Prince Half-a-sonput his into his half-a-mouth, lo and behold ! thoughthey were sweet enough outside, there was nothingbut ashes and grit inside. He was a simple-heartedyoung prince, and imagining it must be a mistake,he went to his brothers and asked for some of theirs ;but they jeered and laughed at him. By and by they came to a field of melons, so care-fully fenced in with thorns tha
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