Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/249

THE BARBER’S CLEVER WIFE 227

his turn, ‘you are all disabled. One man must remain unhurt to protect the wounded, Let us return another night.’—He was a cautious man, you see, and valued his nose.

So they crept away sulkily, and the barber's wife lit a lamp, and gathering up all the nose tips, put them away safely in a little box.

Now before the robbers’ noses were healed over, the hot weather set in, and the barber and his wife, finding it warm sleeping in the house, put their beds outside ; for they made sure the thieves would not return. But they did, and seizing such a good opportunity for revenge, they lifted up the wife's bed, and carried her off fast asleep. She woke to find herself borne along on the heads of four of the thieves, whilst the other three ran beside her. She gave herself up for lost, and though she thought, and thought, and thought, she could find no way of escape ; till,as luck would have it, the robbers paused to take breath under a banyan tree. Quick as lightning, she seized hold of a branch that was within reach, and swung herself into the tree, leaving her quilt on the bed just as if she were still in it.

‘Let us rest a bit here, said the thieves who were carrying the bed; ‘there is plenty of time, and we are tired. She is dreadfully heavy!’

The barber's wife could hardly help laughing, but she had to keep very still, for it was a bright moon- light night; and the robbers, after setting down their burden, began to squabble as to who should take first watch, At last they determined that it should be the captain, for the others had really barely recovered from the shock of having their noses