Page:Indian tales of the great ones.djvu/88

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80
The Dove-Girl and the Prince

dawn-star told them that it was time to go on once more.

One day a baby was born to the wife of the Persian, and he was very cross. "It is only a girl," he said, "and no use at all." So when no one was looking he laid it on the grass by the roadside, and meant to go away and leave it there to die.

Now it happened that a great man known at the Court of the Emperor Akbar, was also travelling with the pilgrims for safety; for there were many robbers in those days, and only if a man travelled with a crowd of people in what was called a Caravan, could he be safe.

And the great man saw the poor little baby lying alone on the grass, and, as it seemed to belong to no one, he said he would take it for his own. And he looked about among the