Eastern Shame Girl
_EASTERN SHAME GIRL_ _Translated from the French of_ GEORGE SOULIE DEMORANT _Illustrations by_ MARCEL AVOND _New York Privately Printed 1929_
"In the Nerbudda woods, by Camphor-water," replied the Crow. "There is
an old and valued friend of mine lives there--Slow-toes his name is, a
very virtuous Tortoise; he will regale me with fish and good things."
"Why should I stay behind," said Golden-skin, "if thou goest? Take me
also."
Accordingly, the two set forth together, enjoying charming converse upon
the road. Slow-toes perceived Light o' Leap a long way off, and hastened
to do him the guest-rites, extending them to the Mouse upon Light o'
Leap's introduction.
"Good Slow-toes," said he, "this is Golden-skin, King of the Mice--pay
all honor to him--he is burdened with virtues--a very jewel-mine of
kindnesses. I don't know if the Prince of all the Serpents, with his two
thousand tongues, could rightly repeat them." So speaking, he told the
story of Speckle-neck. Thereupon Slow-toes made a profound obeisance to
Golden-skin, and said, "How came your Majesty, may I ask, to retire to
an unfrequented forest?"
"I will tell you," said the King. "You must know that in the town of
Champaka there is a college for the devotees. Unto this resorted daily a
beggar-priest, named Chudakarna, whose custom was to place his
begging-dish upon the shelf, with such alms in it as he had not eaten,
and go to sleep by it; and I, so soon as he slept, used to jump up, and
devour the meal. One day a great friend of his, named Vinakarna, also a
_EASTERN SHAME GIRL_ _Translated from the French of_ GEORGE SOULIE DEMORANT _Illustrations by_ MARCEL AVOND _New York Privately Printed 1929_