THE STORY OF LITTLE MOUK.

IN Nicea, which is my native place, there once lived a little man, named Mouk. I remember him very well indeed, although I was but a youngster at the time, for I once received a good sound thrashing from my father on his account.

In spite of the fact that he was already an old man, he was but three or four feet in height, and presented a most extraordinary appearance, for although his body was small and delicate he carried a head upon his shoulders that was larger than that of any full-grown man.

Little Mouk.

He lived quite by himself and did all his own work. Had it not been for the fact that every mid-day the smoke rose in thick volumes from his chimney, folks would scarcely have known if he were alive or dead, for he left his house but once in four weeks. It is true that he walked up and down uponthe flat roof of his house most evenings, but he was so short that his body could not be seen, and so the story got about that it was his head alone which promenaded upon the house-top.

I am afraid that I and my playmates were bad boys who loved to tease and worry anyone we could, and we reckoned it rare fun when the time came round for little Mouk to take his monthly walk abroad. We waited outside his house for him, and as soon as his big head, surmounted by an enormous turban, appeared, we threw our caps in the air and shouted for joy. The head and turban always came out first, and the tiny little body which followed was clad in a shabby little cloak, wide trousers and a broad girdle; attached to the latter was a long dagger, so much out of proportion to the size of his body that it was difficult to tell at a first glance whether Mouk was fastened to the dagger or the dagger to him.

In spite of the fact that we naughty boys danced round him like young maniacs, Mouk always bowed to us with great gravity, and walked down the street with a dignified air, dragging his poor little feet, encased in huge loose slippers, laboriously after him.

We had made up a little rhyme which we sang as we danced around him. It was as follows:

“Little Mouk, we know you well,In a great big house you dwell,Only once a month you goFor a walk with footsteps slow.Though you’re but a dwarf, ’tis said,You’ve a mountain for a head,Turn around and take a look,Run and catch us, little Mouk.”

“Little Mouk, we know you well,

In a great big house you dwell,

Only once a month you go

For a walk with footsteps slow.

Though you’re but a dwarf, ’tis said,

You’ve a mountain for a head,

Turn around and take a look,

Run and catch us, little Mouk.”

I am ashamed to say I was one of the worst of the tormentors of the poor little man. I would twitch his cloak, and once I went behind him and trod on his huge slipper, thus causing him to fall. This seemed a fine joke to me; but I ceased to laugh, when I saw him turn towards my father’s house. He went in and remained there some time. I hid myself behind the door and watched until he came out again.

He was accompanied by my father, who held his hand and bowed repeatedly and most respectfully to him as he took his leave.

I must confess that I felt very uneasy upon seeing this and remained a long time in my hiding place, but at length hunger, which I disliked even worse than a thrashing, forced me to come out, and I stole into my father’s presence, shame-faced and with bowed head.

“I hear you have been playing your pranks upon the good little Mouk,” said my father in stern tones. “I am now about to tell you his story, after which I am quite sure you will never wish to mock and annoy him again; but first I must punish you for the offence you have committed, in the usual way.”

The usual way meant five-and-twenty strokes with the stem of his long pipe. Having unscrewed the amber mouth-piece, he used it to give me the sound thrashing I so richly deserved.

He did not spare me a single stroke, but when he had finished he ordered me to pay attention whilst he related the story of Little Mouk.

“The father of little Mouk, whose real name is Mukrah, was a highly respected, though poor man, who also lived here in Nicea.

“He was almost as much of a hermit as his son is. Unfortunately he could not bring himself to love his son, for he was ashamed of his dwarfish figure, and consequently he would not have him educated.

“Little Mouk was still but a merry child when he had reached the age of sixteen years, and his father, who was a stern man, scolded him frequently for being so foolish and full of tricks when he had passed the age of childhood.

“But one day the old man had a bad fall and hurt himself so much that he died, leaving poor ignorant little Mouk to fight his way in the world as best he could.

“His unkind relations, who had lent the dead man money which he would now never be able to repay them, turned the poor little fellow out of doors, advising him to seek his fortune abroad.

“Little Mouk expressed himself as quite ready for his travels; but begged that he might be allowed to take his father’s clothes with him, and to this they consented.

“Now his father had been a fine tall man, so the clothes did not fit little Mouk, but this did not worry him. He cut them down in length and put them on, quite forgetting that they required taking in in the width as well. This is the reason of his extraordinary appearance, for the large turban, the broad girdle, the wide trousers and the blue mantle areall heirlooms of his father, which he has always worn.

“The dagger, too, was his father’s; this he stuck in the girdle when he set out upon his way, with his staff in hand.

“Happy and well content he wandered along. If he spied a piece of broken glass glittering in the sunshine, he put it in his pocket believing it was a diamond.

“If he saw the distant cupolas of a mosque shining like fire, or the sea stretched before him as smooth as a mirror, he hurried along thinking for sure he was coming to an enchanted country. But alas! the magic pictures changed as he approached them, and all too soon his weariness and empty stomach reminded him that he was still in the land of mortals.

“Thus he wandered on for two whole days and nights, hungry, weary, and dejected, in search of a fortune he began to fear he would never find. The wild fruits were his only food and the hard earth was his bed. On the third morning, from the top of a high hill, he saw a large town.

“He could see the glittering crescent and bright coloured flags upon the roofs and it seemed to little Mouk that they beckoned him nearer. He stood a few moments watching the town and its surroundings in surprise. ‘There will little Mouk make his fortune if anywhere,’ he said, and in spite of his fatigue he jumped for joy, then summoning all his strength he began to walk towards the city. But although it appeared so close hedid not reach it until mid-day, for his poor little legs almost refused their office, so that he was obliged to rest frequently in the shade of a palm tree. But at length he reached the city gate. He shook out his mantle, re-arranged his turban, spread out his girdle and set his dagger jauntily in it, then, wiping the dust from his shoes, he strode bravely into the city.

“He had wandered through several streets, but nowhere had a door been opened to him, nowhere had the folks called out to him as he had imagined they would: ‘Come in, little Mouk, come in, eat drink, and rest your weary little legs.’

“But as he glanced longingly at a fine large house opposite him, a window opened and an old woman popped her head out and began calling out in sing-song tones:

“‘Come everyone,The food is done,Decked is the cloth,Come taste the broth,Ye neighbours allCome to my call!’

“‘Come everyone,

The food is done,

Decked is the cloth,

Come taste the broth,

Ye neighbours all

Come to my call!’

The house-door opened and little Mouk saw many cats and dogs enter. He stood a moment in doubt as to whether he should answer the invitation, but at length he took courage and went in. A pair of young cats trotted along before him and he decided to follow them, guessing they knew the way to the kitchen better than he did.

THE STORY OF LITTLE MOUK.“He decided to follow them.”

“When Mouk reached the top of the staircase he saw the old woman who had looked out of thewindow. She looked at him sulkily and asked what he wanted—‘I heard you inviting everyone to partake of your food,’ answered little Mouk, ‘and came in too, because I was so hungry.’

“The old woman laughed: ‘Where do you come from, you queer little fellow?’ she asked. ‘Why, everyone in the town knows that I only cook for my beloved cats, and now and again I invite a few guests to feast with them, as you saw just now.’ Little Mouk told what a hard lot his had been since his father’s death and begged her to let him partake of her cats’ food for once. The old woman seemed pleased with the truthfulness of the little fellow and gave him a plentiful supply of food and drink.

“When he had satisfied his hunger the old woman looked at him for some time and then said: ‘Little Mouk, would you like to enter my service? If you would you shall have little trouble and be well paid for your work.’

“Little Mouk, who had enjoyed the cats’ broth, consented, and entered the service of Madam Ahavzi. His work was light but very curious.

“Madam Ahavzi had in all six cats, and little Mouk was expected to brush their fur and anoint them with sweet-smelling essences. When their mistress was out he had to take charge of them. When they took their meals it was his task to set the dishes before them, and at night he was expected to put them to bed on silken cushions and cover them with velvet coverlets.

“There were also several little dogs in thehouse for him to take care of; but there was not so much fuss made over them as over the cats, which Madam Ahavzi treated as her own children.

“On the whole Mouk’s life was as solitary as it had been in his father’s house, for besides the old woman he saw no living creature but the cats and dogs.

“For some time all went well and little Mouk had plenty to eat and little to do, and the old woman was quite pleased and contented with him, but by-and-by the cats were naughty. When the old woman went out they jumped about the room, upset all manner of things and broke one or two valuable ornaments which happened to be in their way. But the moment they heard the old woman’s step on the stairs they crept back to their cushions and waved their tails to and fro as though nothing had happened.

“Madam Ahavzi flew into a violent rage when she saw what a state the room was in and laid the blame on Mouk, and it was useless for him to excuse himself; she believed her innocent-looking cats rather than her servant.

“Little Mouk was very sad to think that his misfortunes had overtaken him again and he determined to quit his mistress’ service.

“But as he had discovered on his first journey that it is very unpleasant to be without money, he determined to try and help himself to wages, which his mistress had always promised but never yet given him. There was a room in the house which was always kept locked and the interior of which he hadnever seen, but he had often heard the old woman in it, and dearly wished to know what was hidden there. As he now sat wondering where the money for his journey was to come from, it occurred to him that the closed room might contain the old woman’s treasures, but alas! the door was locked and he was unable to get in.

“One morning, when Madam Ahavzi had gone out, one of the little dogs, which had never been treated very kindly by her, but which little Mouk had petted and paid great attention to, came and pulled his wide trousers and made signs to Mouk to follow him.

“Mouk, who had always been fond of playing with the little dog, followed it, and it led him into the bedroom of his mistress and showed him a little door he had never seen before. The door was ajar, and Mouk entering found himself in the room he had so long wished to enter. He peered about in every corner to see if he could find any money, but all in vain. Nothing but old clothes and strangely-shaped vases were lying about. One of these attracted his attention, for it was of crystal and had a number of beautiful figures engraved upon it. He took it up to examine it, but alas, to his horror, it had a cover which he had not noticed and which slipped off and broke into a thousand pieces.

The boy crouches next to a pair of slippersSeeing an enormous pair of slippers, he made up his mind to take them.(P.66.)

Seeing an enormous pair of slippers, he made up his mind to take them.(P.66.)

“For some moments he was rooted to the spot with terror. His fate was now decided, for if he did not run away he was quite certain the old woman would kill him. He took a glancearound to see which of the old woman’s possessions would be most useful to him upon his journey. Seeing an enormous pair of slippers, he made up his mind to take them, for his own shoes were worn out; moreover it was quite certain that with the big slippers on, no one could accuse him of still standing in his childhood’s shoes, so he quickly exchanged shoes, took a fine walking stick, which had a handle carved in the form of a lion’s head, and going to his own room donned the turban and cloak that had been his father’s, and left the house and town as fast as his legs could carry him. Once outside the town he still continued running, for he was afraid the old woman would overtake and punish him; but at length he grew very weary, for his little body had to support such a large head that he was soon overcome with fatigue. But when he would have stopped he could not, the big shoes kept urging him on, and he guessed at length they must be magic shoes. He did not know how to prevent them dragging him along, but, driven to despair, he cried out, as though to a pairof restive horses, ‘Stop, stop, oh! stop,’ and the slippers immediately stopped and Mouk threw himself upon the ground quite worn out.

“He was delighted with the slippers, for, after all, he felt he had gained something for his work which would probably assist him on in the world and help him to make his fortune. But in spite of his pleasure fatigue overcame him and he fell asleep and dreamt. In his dream the little dog, which had assisted him in obtaining the slippers, appeared to him and said, ‘Dear Mouk, you do not seem to quite understand the use of the slippers. Turn round on the heel, when you have them on, three times, and you will then be able to fly wherever you please. With the little stick you will be able to find treasure, for wherever gold is buried it will strike the earth three times and where silver is buried twice.’ Such was little Mouk’s dream, and when he awoke he determined to make a trial in order to discover if the dream had any truth in it. He put on the slippers and, lifting one foot in the air, turned round on the heel of the other. But it was a difficult task and the poor little fellow’s enormous head dragged him sometimes this way and sometimes the other, so that he fell over two or three times before he finally succeeded. But succeed he did, and then, wishing himself to be transported to the nearest town, he found himself raised in the air and flying through the clouds like the wind, and before he could grasp what was happening he was in a market place, where many booths had been set up and where innumerable people were running to and fro.

“He went in and out among them, but presently decided to seek a quieter street, for in the crowded market folks constantly trod upon his big slippers and nearly threw him down, or else his long dagger stuck into the people and he then had some difficulty in avoiding the blows rained upon him.

“Little Mouk now began to set his wits to work as to how he was to earn a piece of money. It is true that he had a staff which could discover hidden treasure, but where could he find a place all in a moment where gold and silver lay hidden?

“He might have exhibited himself in a booth and received money for it, but was too proud to do so. Then it struck him his swift running might be the means of earning him a livelihood and decided to offer his services as a courier.

“Thinking it likely that the king might pay the highest sum for such service, he enquired the way to the palace.

“By the palace gateway stood a guard, who asked what he wanted. Upon replying that he wished for work he was sent to the overseer of the slaves. He repeated his request, adding that he wished for a post amongst the royal messengers. The overseer looked him all over from head to foot and said, ‘How is it possible that you with your tiny little limbs, scarcely a span long, could become a courier? Away with you, I am not here to waste my time with fools.’

“But little Mouk assured him he was not joking and offered to run a race for a wager with their swiftest runner.

“The overseer was amused, and told him to hold himself in readiness to run a race that very evening, then, taking him into the kitchen, he ordered him to be supplied with plenty to eat and drink.

He found himself flying through the clouds.(P.67.)

“Then he went into the king’s presence and told him about the funny little man and the request he had made.

“The king was a merry gentleman and was thereforewell pleased that little Mouk had been kept to make a joke for him.

“He ordered stands to be set up in a large meadow behind the palace, so that the racing could be viewed in comfort by all the royal household, and he also said that the greatest care was to be taken of the dwarf.

“The king told the prince and princess of the spectacle that was to be provided for their entertainment, they told their servants, and so, as the evening approached, everyone was in a state of pleased expectancy and everyone that had a leg to stand upon was hurrying to the meadow to see the boastful dwarf run a race.

“When the king and his sons and daughters had taken their seats, little Mouk appeared and made a deep obeisance to the distinguished company.

“A shout of merriment greeted the uncouth little figure, for the people had never seen such a sight before.

“The little body, surmounted by the huge head, and clothed in the mantle, the wide trousers, the long dagger stuck in the broad girdle, and the tiny feet in the big slippers, oh! altogether he looked too funny for anything, and roar after roar of laughter went up.

“But Mouk was not in the least put out by the laughter. He stood leaning proudly upon his little staff and waited for his adversary. The overseer of the slaves, according to Monk’s request, had selected the very best runner in the kingdom, and he nowstepped forward and placed himself beside the little man and both awaited the signal to start. Then the Princess Amarza waved her veil, which was the signal for the start agreed upon, and, like two arrows aimed at the same target, the runners shot forward across the meadow.

“Mouk’s adversary had the advantage to begin with; but the little man, arrayed in the magic slippers, soon overtook him, passed him, and reached the winning post long before the other came in, gasping for breath.

“The spectators were at first too much overcome with surprise and admiration to give vent to applause, but no sooner did the king commence to clap his hands than the whole multitude followed his example and shouted—‘Bravo, little Mouk, long life to the winner of the race.’

“When little Mouk was brought before the king he bowed to him and said: ‘Sire, I have given you a small proof of what I am able to accomplish, I pray you now grant me a position as courier to your Majesty.’

“‘Your request is granted,’ replied the king. ‘Not only shall you be one of my couriers, but I will grant you a place near my own person and you shall receive a yearly wage of a hundred gold pieces.’

“Mouk now thought his fortune must surely be made. From that time he was employed constantly by the king to undertake all messages of importance and secrecy, and as he performed his duties with conscientiousness and speed he continued to gain theking’s favour. But the king’s courtiers were all jealous of him, for they could not bear that their master should prefer a dwarf to them, and they made many plans to oust him from the royal favour, none of which succeeded.

“It grieved little Mouk that he should be the object of their anger and he made up his mind to perform some act of kindness to them which would reconcile them to him. It was then he remembered his staff, and he thought to himself that if he could discover a hidden treasure that would probably benefit them all, he would surely endear himself to them.

“So whenever he went out he took his staff in his hand, for he remembered to have heard that the father of the present king had buried a great deal of his treasure and had died before he could manage to tell his son where it was hidden.

“One evening chance led him into a part of the palace gardens that was but seldom used, and suddenly he felt his staff strike the ground three times. He knew well what that betokened and so, drawing his dagger from his girdle, he cut signs in the neighbouring trees, so that he might recognise the spot again, returned to the castle, and, as soon as night fell, went back to the spot carrying a spade with him.

“The little dwarf had set himself a weary task, for his arms were weak and the spade was heavy, and he dug for a couple of hours at least before he felt the spade strike against some metal. Jumping into the hole he had dug he found he had unearthed a pot full of golden coins. He was not strong enoughto lift the pot from the earth, but he filled his pockets with as many coins as he could carry and the next day, thinking to please his servants and companions, he distributed the money liberally amongst them.

THE STORY OF LITTLE MOUK“He had unearthed a pot full of golden coins”(p.72)

“Alas! poor little Mouk, he had better have run off with it and left the kingdom, for now he did but rouse their envy.

“One declared he must be a magician, another said he had helped himself from the king’s treasures, for a sum of money had lately been missing, and they one and all agreed that they would conspire together and see if they could not deprive him of the king’s favour.

“So one day the cup-bearer, who was a particular enemy of Mouk’s entered the king’s presence and begged to know how he had offended his royal master.

“The king looked at him in astonishment. ‘You have not offended me,’ said he, ‘I don’t understand what you are talking about.’

“‘Oh pardon me, your Majesty,’ said the man, ‘but do you not load the dwarf Mouk with treasures, whilst to me you have not given a single gold piece?’

“The king was surprised, for he knew he had given Mouk no money; but the treasurer who was present, and who had cause to know that certain sums were missing from the treasury, added his story to that of the cup-bearer.

“They told the king that Mouk always had more money than he knew how to spend, and thetreasurer suggested that Mouk had stolen it from his royal master.

“So the king ordered spies to be set to watch the little man in order that they might try and catch him in the act of stealing.

“The following night little Mouk, who had generously given away all his money, stole out to the garden with his staff and spade to find more treasure.

“It was not long before he discovered another pot of gold, and had just uncovered it and begun to fill his mantle with coins, when his enemies fell upon him, bound him hand and foot, and led him before the king. They unearthed the pot of gold and carried that with them too.

“The king was not in a very good temper, for he had been awakened from his sleep, and so his poor little courier got a very bad reception.

“The wicked men who had caught Mouk now began to accuse him of having stolen the pot of money, declaring they caught him in the act of burying it in the earth. The king asked the accused what he had to say for himself, and bade him tell how he came by so much money.

“Little Mouk, knowing his own innocence, told the king boldly that he had found the pot in the garden and that he had been digging it out, not burying it.

“All present laughed loudly at the impudence of the little dwarf in making such a foolish excuse. But the king was furious. ‘You wretched little thief,’ he cried, ‘how dare you lie to me in this barefacedmanner, after having robbed me, too.’ Then he asked his treasurer if it were true that a sum such as had been found with the dwarf really were missing from the treasury.

“Of course the treasurer declared that not only that sum, but more still had been missing, from time to time, and that he was absolutely certain that it had been stolen.

“The king commanded that little Mouk should be heavily chained and shut up in a prison in the tower, and the king bade the treasurer carry the pot of gold away and count it carefully and put it back into the treasury.

“The dishonest man carried the pot home and counted out the gold, and when he came to the bottom of the pot he found a paper on which was written:—

“‘An enemy has over-run my land and I am forced to bury my treasures. Whoever finds this must carry it to my son or else the curse of a king will rest upon him—Signed, King Said.’

“This paper the treasurer didnotshow to his master.

“Poor little Mouk was in sad straits and wearied his brain trying to think of a way out of his trouble.

“He knew that to rob the king was usually punished by death, and yet he could not make up his mind to tell the secret of his magic slippers and staff, guessing rightly that they would probably be taken from him. His slippers were of no use to him now, for he was chained closely to the wall, andthink as he would he could hit upon no plan by means of which he could escape.

“The following day, however, he was informed that sentence of death had been passed upon him, and he made up his mind that as the magic staff would certainly be of no benefit to him when he was dead, he might as well sacrifice it to save his head. So he asked to be allowed to speak in private to the king and then told him the secret.

“The king had little faith in the story, but he decided to put Mouk to the proof and, unknown to the dwarf, a sum of money was buried in the earth. Mouk was released and shortly afterwards had found the money, for the staff struck the ground three times just over the spot where it was buried. The king knew now that his treasurer had deceived him, and sent him a silken rope, as a hint that if he did not hang himself, he would promptly be seized and led to the gallows, for monarchs in the Eastern countries show their erring servants scant mercy.

“Now the king had promised to spare Mouk’s life if he could prove his innocence; but having discovered the secret of the staff, he began to suspect that there was some magic connected with the marvellous running powers the little man possessed, and so he declared that, unless Mouk instantly disclosed the secret, though he would spare his life, as he had promised, Mouk would be sent to perpetual imprisonment.

“Little Mouk, who had had enough of prison life during the short time he had been shut up in the tower, confessed that his speed had nothing todo with himself, but was given him by the magic slippers. He did not, however, tell him the secret of turning round on his heel three times.

The king slipped into the shoes and commenced running round the garden.(P.79.)

“The king slipped into the shoes and commenced running round the garden like mad. He ran and ran until he was exhausted, for little Mouk could not deny himself this small revenge and did not tell him how to make the shoes cease running,and so the king went on and on until he fell down in a faint.

“As soon as the king regained consciousness he commenced to abuse little Mouk in no measured terms. ‘I promise you life and pardon,’ said he, ‘but unless you are out of my kingdom in less than twelve hours, I will go back upon my word and have you hanged.’

“He then walked off, carrying little Mouk’s magic shoes and wand with him, and these he shut up at once in his treasure chamber.

“As for the poor little fellow, he went out of the country just as poor as he came into it, blaming his own folly in having supposed he was suited to life at court.

“As the country he had been in was not of very vast dimensions he found himself upon the borders of it within a week, but after having been used to the magic shoes he found it very troublesome to be obliged to walk.

“Once across the border little Mouk sought out the woods and took up his abode in the most solitary and forsaken situation he could find, for he was tired of the ways of men and wished to dwell alone.

“He threw himself down upon the soft green grass beside a clear brooklet, in the waters of which were reflected the green fig trees which grew in abundance upon the bank. He made up his mind that he would never taste any food again, for he thought he was tired of life and wished to die. However, he fell asleep, and when he awoke he felt so terribly hungry that he decided that death by starvationwould not be a pleasant one and got up to search for something to eat.

“Delicious ripe figs hung upon the tree beneath which he had fallen asleep and he climbed up it and plucked some fruit. It tasted so good that he had a fine feast, and then climbed down in order to take a drink of water from the stream, but what was his horror when he saw his reflection in the water, for his head was adorned with two enormous ears, and a huge, long, thick nose. He put up his hands to his ears, they were a foot long at least.

“‘It is meet that I should wear asses’ ears,’ he cried, ‘for like an ass have I trampled my good fortune beneath my feet.’

“He wandered to and fro beneath the trees for a long time, until he again felt so hungry that he had no resource but to help himself to some more figs, for there was no other kind of fruit to be had. He plucked the fruit from a different tree, however.

“Having finished his meal, it occurred to him that he might try and tuck his great unsightly ears beneath his turban, but when he put up his hands to touch them they had dwindled down again to their ordinary size.

“He ran to the brook and looked in, and to his great joy discovered that both long ears and huge nose had disappeared.

“He now came to the conclusion that it was the fruit from the first tree which had caused his affliction, and the fruit from the second tree had cured him, and he recognised the fact with joy that he had once more the means placed in his hands to bring him goodfortune. He therefore plucked from both trees as much fruit as he was able to carry and began to retrace his steps towards the country he had so shortly left.

“In the first town he came to he took care to obtain a disguise, which he put on, and then made his way towards the city where the king’s palace was. It happened to be just the time of year when fruit was scarce, and Mouk seated himself by the palace gateway, where he knew the steward of the royal kitchens came every day to buy delicacies from the country people who went there to sell their wares.

“He had not sat long before he saw the steward coming across the courtyard. He looked at the wares spread out for his inspection and presently his eye chanced to light upon Mouk’s basket of figs. ‘Ah!’ said he, ‘fruit is scarce just now, and his Majesty is very fond of it! What will you take for the basketful?’

“Little Mouk named a reasonable sum and the bargain was soon completed. The steward gave the basket to one of the slaves who accompanied him and went on his way, and little Mouk lost no time in making off, for he knew as soon as the figs he had sold were eaten the king would discover the misfortune that had overtaken him and would search for and punish the dealer who had been the cause of it.

“The king was in great good humour that day, for his dinner had pleased him particularly well and he praised the steward for his excellent catering, but the steward, who had kept the figs back as asurprise, smiled knowingly and quoted several wise saws—‘All’s well that ends well,’ ‘A fine evening may sometimes follow a dull day,’ and so on, until the princesses, becoming curious, questioned him eagerly as to what he had still to set before them.

The princess asks about the king's enormous ears and nose“Good gracious, Father,” cried the Princess, “whatever is the matter with you?”(P.84.)

“Good gracious, Father,” cried the Princess, “whatever is the matter with you?”(P.84.)

“Then with a smile of triumph he set the figs upon the table.

“There was a general exclamation of ‘Oh!’ from everyone seated round.

“‘What delicious-looking fruit,’ cried the king. ‘How ripe, how luscious! Steward, you have indeed proved yourself to be a first-rate fellow.’

“As he spoke he drew the dish of fruit towards him and began dealing out the dainty with a sparing hand, for he was inclined to be a little greedy.

“To the princes and princesses he gave two each, but the ladies-in-waiting and the courtiers received but one a-piece, and then the king set himself to finish the fruit left over.

“‘Good gracious, father,’ cried the Princess Amarza suddenly, ‘whatever is the matter with you? You look most peculiar.’

“Everyone stared at the king in astonishment, for he had a couple of enormous ears and a great big nose that stretched far beyond his chin. Next they all began to look at one another in horror and surprise for, more or less, according to the quantity of fruit they had eaten, were they adorned with large nose and ears.

“Imagine the consternation that took possession of the whole court!

“From far and near doctors were sent for, and they ordered all sorts of pills and draughts, but without avail—they could not reduce the size of the noses and ears of the victims, and even an operation upon one of the princes failed, for no sooner were his nose and ears cut off than they grew again.

“Mouk heard from his hiding place the news of the great disaster that had overtaken the court, and deemed that the time had come for him to bargain. With the money he had obtained for thefigs he had purchased a fresh disguise, and now, clad in black robes and wearing a long white beard of goat’s hairs, he approached the palace and introduced himself as a foreign doctor of repute, and offered his services to relieve the king and his court of their strange encumbrances.

“At first no one paid much heed to him, but one of the princes, having eaten one of the figs he brought as an antidote, speedily felt his nose and ears resume their original size, so then everyone came thronging round him to be cured.

“Last of all came the king, and, taking him by the hand, led him into his treasure-chamber and bade him choose whatever he would if he would only free him from the shameful calamity that had overtaken him.

“These words fell like tones of sweetest music upon Mouk’s ears, for he had already spied his slippers and little magic staff upon the floor of the treasure-chamber. He walked about admiring the various treasures until the king was off his guard, when Mouk slipped his feet into the slippers and grasped the magic staff. Then, tearing the false beard from his face, he allowed the king’s gaze to rest upon the well-known features of his little courier.

“‘Faithless king,’ cried Mouk, ‘you who repay faithful service with ingratitude, take as a well-deserved punishment the deformity that you bear. Your long ears and nose will remind you daily of little Mouk.’

“As he spoke he wheeled round quickly upon his heel and at the third turn he wished himself faraway, and before the king had time to call for help Mouk had disappeared.

“Since then the little man has lived here in our town, but he keeps himself aloof from his fellow-men, because he has learnt to despise mankind. Experience has made him a wise man, and his wisdom calls for your respect and admiration, even though his appearance may happen to be somewhat extraordinary.”

This is the story as my father told it to me. I expressed my sorrow and repentance for having so plagued the good little man, and my father gave me another thrashing to keep me from forgetting my manners in future.

I told my playmates the wonderful story of little Mouk and they agreed with me that we would never tease or annoy him any more. In time we came to love and reverence him to such a degree that we vied with each other in paying him every token of respect.

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