As I Had Often Begged The King To Induce His Men, Who Are All
Wonderfully Clever Artisans, To Imitate The
Chair and other
things I gave him, I now told him if he would order some of his
sempsters, who
Are far cleverer with the needle than my men, to
my camp, I would cut up some old clothes, and so teach them how
to work. This was agreed to, and five cows were offered as a
reward; but as his men never came, mine had to do the job.
Maula then engaged the king's attention for fully an hour,
relating what wonderful things Bana kept in his house, if his
majesty would only deign to see them; and for this humbug got
rewarded by a present of three women. Just at this juncture an
adjutant flew overhead, and, by way of fun, I presented my gun,
when the excited king, like a boy from school, jumped up,
forgetting his company, and cried, "Come, Bana, and shoot the
nundo; I know where he has gone - follow me." And away we went,
first through one court, then through another, till we found the
nundo perched on a tree, looking like a sedate old gentleman with
a bald head, and very sharp, long nose. Politeness lost the
bird; for whilst I wished the king to shoot, he wished me to do
so, from fear of missing it himself. He did not care about
vultures - he could practise at them at any time; but he wanted a
nundo above all things.
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