The female Natika stared at her husband in awe, and said, “How do you know so much about these eggs?” “The entire history of the two pearls,” replied the male, “has been preserved by our race from one generation to another. Most of us know about it, but you do not pay attention to these serious matters, so do not know about it.” “Now tell me, dear husband,” said the female Natika, “If you know so much and you also want to help Hatim, then why don’t you recount the tale to him directly? Why do you tell the story to me and let him hear it in his dream?” “Our clan made a promise that we would never recount the story to anyone outside our clan. So, I cannot tell him directly.” Saying so, the male Natika dropped a few of his feathers on Hatim’s lap and flew away.
Recounting Indirectly
