But the most mysterious thing about them is yet to be told! Not only are these eggs of most delicious flavor, but two of them are sufficient to throw the eater into a deep sleep, during which the most delightful dreams steal over him! Visions of exquisite loveliness flit before his eyes, and life seems so sweet and satisfactory that waking is really the keenest pain. The cause of this strange effect was for many centuries a mystery and the ancestors of the Umi-Lobas were wont to worship the O-loo-loo bird as a sort of sacred creature. But the mystery was solved at last. It was found that these birds fed upon the seed of the poppy plant, and hence the power of their eggs to cause sleep in those partaking of them.
I ate the two O-loo-loo eggs to test the matter, and in a few moments found myself sinking into a most delicious slumber.
When I awoke I saw light where darkness had lately reigned.
The way to escape from King Gâ-roo’s guards was now clear to me. I at once proceeded to save up my O-loo-loo eggs.
In a few days, they became more plentiful, and it was not long before I had accumulated two dozen of them.
And now, thought I, if I offer them to my keepers as a feast, their suspicions will be aroused; they will refuse to partake of them, and the whole matter will be laid before the king and I shall be shorn of the little liberty I have. Therefore, I must use my knowledge of human nature.
As each man passed on his rounds I called him to me, and showing him four of the O-loo-loo eggs, said:
“I like thee; thou art my favorite, couldst thou be very close mouthed?”
The fellow’s eyes sparkled with delight, and I could see that his mouth was watering at the sight of the dainty morsels.
Upon his assuring me that he would take good care that no one should know how kind I had been to him, I gave him four of the eggs, enough to make him sleep like a log for three hours.