Atondido Stories
he could get anything he wanted; but neither the King nor any of
his people knew this.
When all was ready, Katar burst out of his stable, with the
prince on his back, rushed past the King himself before the King
had time to shoot him, galloped away to the great jungle-plain,
and galloped about all over it. The King saw his horse had a boy
on his back, though he could not see the boy distinctly. The se-
poys tried in vain to shoot the horse; he galloped much too fast;
and at last they were all scattered over the plain. Then the King
had to give it up and go home; and the sepoys went to their
homes. The King could not shoot any of his sepoys for letting his
horse escape, for he himself had let him do so.
Then Katar galloped away, on, and on, and on; and when
night came they stayed under a tree, he and the King's son. The
horse ate grass, and the boy wild fruits which he found in the
jungle. Next morning they started afresh, and went far, and far,
till they came to a jungle in another country, which did not be-
long to the little prince's father, but to another king. Here Katar
said to the boy, "Now get off my back." Off jumped the prince.
"Unsaddle me and take off my bridle; take off your beautiful
clothes and tie them all up in a bundle with your sword and
gun." This the boy did. Then the horse gave him some poor,
common clothes, which he told him to put on. As soon as he was
dressed in them the horse said, "Hide your bundle in this grass,
and I will take care of it for you. I will always stay in this jungle-
plain, so that when you want me you will always find me. You
must now go away and find service with some one in this coun-
try."
This made the boy very sad. "I know nothing about any-
thing," he said.
"What shall I do all alone in this country?"
500