C053

Have you thought of a scheme whereby the boy might get the pearl for the king? This is what he did. First he collected some very fine sand which he placed in a little pile beside the hole. Next he found a long, slender bamboo twig that was dry and stiff. He put the bamboo twig down in the hole until it touched the pearl. Filling his left hand with sand, he poured a tiny trickle of it down into the hole, while, with the twig in his right hand, he stirred the pearl over and over and round and round. In this way the fine sand was stirred under the pearl, slowly lifting it until the boy could reach it with his fingers. When, with a bow, he returned the pearl to the king, laughter had given way to respect for the lad's cleverness.