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Updated: May 16, 2025
But the robber would not come down; so Bopoluchi gathered all the sticks she could find, piled them round the tree, and set fire to them. Of course the tree caught fire also, and the robber, half stifled with the smoke, tried to jump down, and was killed.
'Perhaps it would make my hair grow! said the old woman eagerly. 'Perhaps it would! quoth cunning Bopoluchi. So the old, ever so old mother put her head in the mortar, and Bopoluchi pounded away with such a will that the old lady died.
'Uncle! said Bopoluchi, 'that crow croaks funnily. What does it say? 'Pooh! returned the robber, 'all the crows in this country croak like that. A little farther on they met a peacock, which, as soon as it caught sight of the pretty little maiden, began to scream 'Bopoluchi, 'tis a pity! You have lost your wits, my pretty! 'Tis no uncle that relieves you, But a robber who deceives you!
Bopoluchi could hardly believe her eyes, for everything was just as she had foretold, and the robber said he was her father's brother, who had been away in the world for years, and had now come back to arrange her marriage with one of his sons, her cousin.
'Uncle! said the maiden, 'that jackal howls funnily. What does it say? 'Pooh! returned the robber, 'all jackals howl like that in this country. So poor pretty Bopoluchi journeyed on till they reached the robber's house. Then he told her who he was, and how he intended to marry her himself.
But the robber, not recognising her in the old mother's dress, thought she was some strange woman from a neighbouring village, and so to avoid being seen he slipped behind the other hedge. Thus Bopoluchi reached home in safety. Meanwhile, the robber, having come to his house, saw the figure in bridal scarlet sitting on the bridal chair, spinning, and of course thought it was Bopoluchi.
Then Bopoluchi dressed the dead body in the scarlet bridal dress, seated it on the low bridal chair, drew the veil well over the face, and put the spinning-wheel in front of it, so that when the robber came home he might think it was the bride. Then she put on the old mother's clothes, and seizing her own bundle, stepped out of the house as quickly as possible.
So he called to her to help him down with the millstone, but she didn't answer. He called again, but still she didn't answer. Then he fell into a rage, and threw the millstone at her head. The figure toppled over, and lo and behold! it was not Bopoluchi at all, but his old, ever so old mother!
Now Bopoluchi was convinced that the robber would try to carry her off, so every night she begged a new lodging in some friend's house, leaving her own little bed in her own little house quite empty, but after a month or so she had come to the end of her friends, and did not like to ask any of them to give her shelter a second time.
Bopoluchi was wide awake, but pretended to be fast asleep, until she came to a wild deserted spot, where the thieves were off their guard; then she whipped out the bill-hook, and in a twinkling cut off the heads of the two thieves at the foot of the bed.
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