Part 4

Now the emperor said that whoever climbs up to his daughter in the house, on horseback, he will give her to that one. And the big-brother said: “Come along, brother, let us see who will climb up to the girl.” And the fool said: “Let me, brothers, see whether I, too, can get there.” And his brothers beat him; they did not let him. And the two brothers took the horses, and off they went. But the foolish brother took the hair, and there was made for him a horse from the hair, and off he went. He overtook his two brothers, he caught them up from behind; and they asked him: “Who are you, man?” He is a hero. And he beats them severely, his brothers; and off he went to the girl. And he climbed up into the house to the girl. And he took the girl for himself; and his father-in-law kissed him, the fool.

And his father-in-law sends his two sons-in-law (the wise sons-in-law) to kill birds. And the fool came to his father-in-law, the emperor, and the fool told him to give him a gun that he too may kill birds. And the fool broke the gun, and went off with his two brothers-in-law. He was the third. And his brothers-in-law walked about, whom he sought, and they did not kill any birds at all. But the fool killed many birds with the stick, without a gun. And his brothers-in-law came and saw the birds; and they say to themselves: “The fool has killed many birds, and we have killed none.” And they beg the birds from the fool, that he should give them to them. And the fool said: “When I cut your bellies with the knife, then will I give you the birds, and I will tell the emperor that you have killed the birds.” And when he has cut their bellies, he gives them the birds, and they went home.

And the emperor saw the many birds, and praises his two sons-in-law. And he asks the fool: “Have you killed none?” And the fool tells the emperor: “It was I who killed those birds. You do not believe me? I cut their bellies with the knife, and gave them the birds.” And the emperor pulled up their shirts, and looked at their bellies. The birds are very good. And the emperor said to his sons-in-law: “Silly fellows! why did they let him cut their bellies?”

I have no more.

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THE END

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Printed by ROBERT MCGEE & CO., Ltd., 34, South Castle Street, Liverpool.

NOTE.

Readers who may be sufficiently interested in these strange yet fascinating people to wish to make a closer study of them and their speech, are referred to the able articles published by Mr. E. O. Winstedt and the Rev. F. G. Ackerley in the _Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society_. Information about the work of this Society and the conditions of membership can be obtained by application to the Honorary Secretary, 21A, Alfred Street, Liverpool.

FOOTNOTES.

{v} It’s not been possible to reproduce the typography of the original. Instead the various groups have been split into separate tables, with the parents coming first, and the row underneath being their children, and the row underneath that the children of the children.—DP.

{vi} The author’s thanks are offered to the editors of _The Bazaar_, _The Manchester Guardian_, and _The Birkenhead News_, who have most kindly permitted him to reprint articles from their respective publications, as well as to Mr. Fred. Shaw, Mr. F. A. Cooper, the Central News and Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd., for leave to reproduce their admirable photographs.

{1} _Manchester Guardian_, Friday, August 30, 1912.

{7} _Manchester Guardian_, Thursday, June 20, 1912.

{13} _Birkenhead News_, Wednesday, March 26, 1913.

{32} From _The Bazaar_, _Pictures_, _Poetry_, _Prose_, a publication edited by Dr. William E. A. Axon and sold for the benefit of a bazaar held at Manchester in October, 1912, in aid of the United Kingdom Alliance, a temperance organization.

{38} _Birkenhead News_, Saturday, March 29, 1913.

{44} _Birkenhead News_, Saturday, March 1, 1913.