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228 TALES OF THE PUNJAB

sliced off; so they lay down to sleep, while the captain walked up and down, watching the bed, and the barber's wife sat perched up in the tree like a great bird.

Suddenly an idea came into her head, and drawing her white veil becomingly over her face, she began to sing softly. The robber captain looked up, and saw the veiled figure of a woman in the tree. Of course he was a little surprised, but being a good-looking, young fellow, and rather vain of his appearance, he jumped at once to the conclusion that it was a fairy who had fallen in love with his handsome face. For fairies do such things sometimes, especially on moonlight nights. So he twirled his moustaches, and strutted about, waiting for her to speak, But when she went on singing, and took no notice of him, he stopped and called out, ‘Come down, my beauty! I won’t hurt you !’

But still she went on singing; so he climbed up into the tree, determined to attract her attention. When he came quite close, she turned away her head and sighed.

'What is the matter, my beauty?’ he asked tenderly. ‘Of course you are a fairy, and have fallen in love with me, but there is nothing to sigh at in that, surely?’

' Ah—ah—ah!’ said the barber's wife, with another sigh, ‘I believe you're fickle! Men with long-pointed noses always are!’

But the robber captain swore he was the most constant of men; yet still the fairy sighed and sighed, until he almost wished his nose had been shortened too.

‘You are telling stories, I am sure!’ said the pre-

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