XXIII.
HOW THE THREE CLEVER MEN OUTWITTED THE DEMONS.
THERE was once upon a time a very rich man who had a very beautiful wife, and this man's chief amusement used to be shooting with a bow and arrow, at which he was so clever, that every morning he would shoot through one of the pearls in his wife's nose-ring without hurting her at all.[1] One fine day, that was a holiday, the Pearlshooter's brother-in-law came to take his sister to their father and mother's house to pay her own family a little visit; and when he saw her, he said, 'Why do you look so pale, and thin, and miserable? is your husband unkind to you, or what is the matter?'—'No,' she answered; 'my husband is very kind to me, and I have plenty of money, and jewels, and as nice a house as I could wish; my only grief is that every morning he amuses himself by shooting one of the pearls from my nose-ring, and that frightens me; for I think perhaps some day he may miss his aim, and the arrow run into my face and kill me. So I am in constant terror of my life; yet I do not like to ask him not to do it, because it gives him so much pleasure; but if he left off of his own accord I should be very glad.'—'What does he say to you himself about it? ' asked the brother. 'Every day,' she replied, 'when he has shot the pearl, he comes to me quite happy and proud, and says, "Was there ever a man as clever as I am?" and I answer him, "No, I do not think there ever was any as clever as you."'—'Do not say so again,'
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