The Adventures of Akbar Read online

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  [Transcriber's Note: The following variant spellings used by theauthor were retained as printed: Babar/Baber, Sultanum/Sultanam,gray/grey, Allah/Alah, meaowed/miaowed.]

  THE ADVENTURES OF AKBAR

  _Uniform with this Volume_

  Price 6/-net each

  THE SECRET GARDEN, by FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT, author of "The Shuttle,"etc., illustrated by CHARLES ROBINSON.

  THE FOUR GARDENS, by "HANDASYDE," illustrated by CHARLES ROBINSON.

  ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, by LEWIS CARROLL, illustrated byARTHUR RACKHAM.

  AESOP'S FABLES, translated by V. S. VERNON JONES, with an introduction byG. K. CHESTERTON, illustrated by ARTHUR RACKHAM.

  LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN21, BEDFORD STREET, W.C.

  _On a shelving bank of dry sand Baby Akbar sitting up andrubbing his eyes._]

  THE ADVENTURES OF AKBAR

  by

  FLORA ANNIE STEEL

  ILLUSTRATED BY BYAM SHAW

  LONDON . WILLIAM HEINEMANN . 1913

  _All rights reserved_

  A DEDICATION

  Oft when the house lay silent in the heat My thoughts would be so full of you, my sweet, That dreaming half--I seemed to hear once more Your little fingers fluttering at the door, The pitter patter of your childish feet In joyous rhythm cross the echoing floor.

  Then small, soft hands would nestle into mine, And warm soft arms around my neck would twine, As soft and warm the dream child on my knees, Cuddling so close in clear young voice would tease And tease and tease in mimicked glad young whine For "Just one little story if you please."

  So half in jest and half in earnest, too, Mostly I think to dream my dreaming true, I'd conjure up long tales of lands afar And days gone by that yet remembered are; Shaping my stories with this end in view To gain the verdict "Tell some more, Mamma."

  For I was happy when I had beguiled Into my life the spirit of a child. Thus one by one the weary hours flew And page by page a little volume grew, So--that my dreams with truth be reconciled, Take it, my darling, it was writ for you.

  _April, 1875_

  Long years have sped since that poor book was penned. None read the pages. Therefore at the end Of this world's life I dedicate to two Small boys--her sons--whose question'ng eyes of blue Tell me that dreams of childhood never end _This_ book. So take it boys--'twas writ for you.

  _1911_

  PREFACE

  This book is written for all little lads and lasses, but especially forthe former, since it is the true--_quite_ true--story of a little ladwho lived to be, perhaps, the greatest king this world has ever seen.

  It is a strange, wild tale this of the adventures of Prince Akbar amongthe snowy mountains between Kandahar and Kabul, and though the names maybe a bit of a puzzle at first, as they will have to be learned by andbye in geography and history lessons, it might be as well to getfamiliar with them in a story-book; though, indeed, as everybody in itexcept Roy the Rajput, Meroo the cook boy; Tumbu, the dog; and Down, thecat (and these four _may_ have been true, you know, though they have notbeen remembered) really lived, I don't know whether this book oughtn'tto be considered real history, and therefore

  A LESSON BOOK

  Anyhow, I hope you won't find it dull.