So the Woodrnan and his Wife got the Khichri, the wood, and the coveted pears, but the poor bear got nothing but a very bad stomachache from eating unripe fruit. THE THIEF AND THE FOX By Ramaswarni Raju A man tied his horse to a tree and went into an inn. A Thief hid the horse in a wood, and stood near the tree as if he had not done it. “Did you see my horse?” said the man. “Yes,” said the Thief, “I saw the tree eat up your horse.” “How could the tree eat up my horse?” said the man. “Why it did so,” said the Thief. The two went to a Fox and told him of the case. The Fox said. “I am dull. All last night the sea was on fire; I had to throw a great deal of hay into it to quench the flames; so come to-morrow, and I shall hear your case. “Oh, you lie,” said the Thief. “How could the sea burn? How could hay quench the flames?” “Oh, you lie,” said the Fox, with a loud laugh; “how could a tree eat up a horse?” The Thief saw his lie had no legs, and gave the man his horse. THE FARMER AND THE FOX By Ramaswami Raju A farmer was returning from a fair which he had attended the previous day at a neighboring market town. He had a quantity of poultry which he had purchased. A Fox observed this, and approaching the Farmer, said, “Good morning, my friend.” “What cheer, old fellow?” said the Farmer. “I am just coming from the wood, through which you mean to go with your poultry. A band of highwaymen has been tarrying there since daybreak.” “Then what shall I do?” said the Farmer. “Why,” said the Fox, “if I were you I should stay here a while, and after breakfast enter the wood, for by that time the robbers will have left the place.” “So be it,” said the Farmer, and had a hearty breakfast, with Reynard for his guest. They kept drinking for a long time. Reynard appeared to have lost his wits; he stood up and played the drunkard to perfection. The Farmer, who highly admired the pranks of his guest, roared with laughter, and gradually fell into a deep slumber. It was some time after noon when he awoke. To his dismay he found that the Fox was gone, and that the poultry had all disappeared! “Alas!” said the Farmer, as he trudged on his way home with a heavy heart, “I thought the old rogue was quite drowned in liquor, but I now see it was all a pretense. One must indeed be very sober to play the drunkard to perfection.” THE FOOLS AND THE DRUM By Ramaswami Raju Two fools heard a Drum sounding, and said to themselves, There is some one inside it who makes the noise.” So, watching a moment, when the drummer was out, they pierced a hole in each side of it, and pushed their hands in. Each felt the hand of the other within the Drum, and exclaimed, “I have caught him!” Then one said to the other, “Brother, the fellow seems to be a stubborn knave; come what will, we should not give in.” “Not an inch, brother,” said the other.