No!' concluded the Parrot, 'I like the society of honest
folk.'
'But why these words, my brother?' I said; 'his Majesty's herald is to
me even as his Majesty.'
'Very fine!' replied the Parrot; 'but--
'Kindly courtesies that issue from a smiling villain's mouth
Serve to startle, like a flower blossoming in time of drouth.'
Needs must that thou art a bad man; for by thy talk war will have
arisen, which a little conciliation had averted:--
'Conciliation!--weapon of the wise!
Wheedled therewith, by woman's quick device,
The Wheelwright let his ears betray his eyes.'
'How came that about?' asked the King. The Parrot related:--
THE STORY OF THE APPEASED WHEELWRIGHT
"There was a Wheelwright in Shri-nuggur, whose name was 'Heavy-head,' He
had good reason to suspect the infidelity of his wife, but he had no
absolute proof of it. One day he gave out that he should go to a
neighboring town, and he started accordingly; but he went a very little
way, and then returning, hid himself in his wife's chamber. She being
quite satisfied that he was really gone away, invited her gallant to
pass the evening with her, and began to spend it with him in
unrestrained freedom.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104