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diff --git a/35060.txt b/35060.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3947b3e --- /dev/null +++ b/35060.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4700 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Santal Folk Tales, by A. Campbell + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Santal Folk Tales + +Author: A. Campbell + +Release Date: January 24, 2011 [EBook #35060] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SANTAL FOLK TALES *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg (This book was produced from scanned images of +public domain material from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + + + + SANTAL FOLK TALES. + + + Translated from the Santali + By + + A. CAMPBELL, + + + Free Church of Scotland Santal Mission, + + Santal Mission Press, + + Pokhuria. + + + + + + + Printed at the Santal Mission Press, + Pokhuria. + + 1891. + + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +Of late years the Folk tales of India have been the subject of much +study and research, and several interesting collections of them have +been published. But I am not aware that as yet the folk lore of the +Santals, has received the attention which it deserves. The Santals +as a people, have, to a remarkable degree, succeeded in resisting the +subtle Hinduising influences to which they have long been exposed, and +to which such a large number of aboriginal tribes have succumbed. They +have retained their language, institutions, tribal organization, and +religion almost intact. Their traditions show the jealousy with which +these have been guarded, and the suspicion and distrust with which +contact with their Aryan neighbours was regarded. The point at which +they have been most accessible to outward influence and example, is +in their relations with the aboriginal tribes, who in a more or less +degree have merged themselves in Hinduism. Hindu ideas, customs and +beliefs, filtering through these tribes, became considerably modified +before they reached the Santals, and were therefore less potent in +their effects than if they had been drawn from the fountain head of +Hinduism itself. Still, in respect to their aboriginal neighbours +they are always on their guard, ready to repel any innovation on +their customs or religion with which they may be threatened. In the +folk tales of such a people we may well expect to find something, +if not altogether new, still interesting and instructive from an +ethnological point of view, and this expectation, I believe, would be +abundantly gratified if they were only made accessible to those who, +by training and study, are competent to deal with them. + +Santal folk-tales may be divided into two classes--those apparently +purely Santal in their origin, and those obtained from other +sources. Those of the first class are by far the more numerous, +and besides showing the superstitious awe with which the Santals +regard the creations of their own fancy, they throw a flood of +light upon the social customs and usages of this most interesting +people. The second class embraces a large number of the more popular +tales current among the Hindus and semi-Hinduised aborigines. These, +although adapted and modified by the Santals to suit their language, +modes of thought, and social usages, may generally be detected by the +presence of proper names, or untranslatable phrases which unmistakably +indicate the source from which they have been derived. + +These tales were taken down in Santali at first hand, and are therefore +genuine and redolent of the soil. In translating them I have allowed +myself considerable latitude without in any way diverging so far from +the original as to in any degree impair their value to the student +of Indian Folk-lore. + +It was to be expected that in the popular tales of a simple, unpolished +people like the Santals, expressions and allusions unfitted for ears +polite would be found. In all such cases the changes which have been +made are in accord with Santal thought and usage, so that the tales +are, notwithstanding these alterations, thoroughly Santali. + +I have aimed at making these Santal Folk-tales, in their English dress, +true to the forests and hills of their nativity. I am not without hope, +that in this I have succeeded in some small degree. + +A number of the tales included in this volume have already appeared +in the Indian Evangelical Review, but in this collected form they +are more likely to prove of service to those who take an interest in +the subject. + +This volume of Santal Folk-Tales is offered as a humble contribution +to the Folk-lore of India. + + + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Page. + + The Magic Lamp 1 + The Two Brothers, Jhorea and Jhore 6 + The Boy and his Stepmother 15 + The Story of Kara and Guja 18 + The King and his inquisitive Queen 22 + The Story of Bitaram 25 + The Story of Sit and Bosont 33 + The Story of a Tiger 40 + Story of a Lizard, a Tiger, and a lame Man 42 + The Story of a Simpleton 45 + A Thief and a Tiger 49 + The Magic Fiddle 52 + Gumda the Hero 57 + Lipi and Lapra 62 + The Story of Lelha 65 + The Story of Sindura Gand Garur 89 + The Tiger and Ulta's Mother 93 + The Greatest Cheat of Seven 98 + The Story of Two Princesses 102 + Seven Brothers and their Sister 106 + The Story of Jhore 111 + The Girl who always found helpers 119 + A Simple Thief 125 + + + + + + +SANTAL FOLK-TALES. + +THE MAGIC LAMP. + + +In the capital of a certain raja, there lived a poor widow. She had +an only son who was of comely form and handsome countenance. One +day a merchant from a far country came to her house, and standing +in front of the door called out, "dada, dada," (elder brother). The +widow replied, "He is no more, he died many years ago." On hearing +this the merchant wept bitterly, mourning the loss of his younger +brother. He remained some days in his sister-in-law's house, at the +end of which he said to her, "This lad and I will go in quest of the +golden flowers, prepare food for our journey." Early next morning they +set out taking provisions with them for the way. After they had gone +a considerable distance, the boy being fatigued said, "Oh! uncle I can +go no further." The merchant scolded him, and walked along as fast as +he could. After some time the boy again said, "I am so tired I can go +no further." His uncle turned back and beat him, and he, nerved by +fear, walked rapidly along the road. At length they reached a hill, +to the summit of which they climbed, and gathered a large pile of +firewood. They had no fire with them, but the merchant ordered his +nephew to blow with his mouth as if he were kindling the embers of +a fire. He blew until he was exhausted, and then said, "What use is +there in blowing when there is no fire?" The merchant replied "Blow, +or I shall beat you." He again blew with all his might for a short +time, and then stopping, said, "There is no fire, how can it possibly +burn?" on which the merchant struck him. The lad then redoubled his +efforts, and presently the pile of firewood burst into a blaze. On +the firewood being consumed, an iron trap-door appeared underneath the +ashes, and the merchant ordered his nephew to pull it up. He pulled, +but finding himself unable to open it, said, "It will not open." The +merchant told him to pull with greater force, and he, being afraid lest +he should be again beaten, pulled with all his might, but could not +raise it. He again said, "It will not open," whereupon the merchant +struck him, and ordered him to try again. Applying himself with all +his might, he at length succeeded. On the door being raised, they saw +a lamp burning, and beside it an immense quantity of golden flowers. + +The merchant then said to the boy, "As you enter do not touch any of +the gold flowers, but put out the lamp, and heap on the gold tray as +many of the gold flowers as you can, and bring them away with you." He +did as he was ordered, and on reaching the door again requested his +uncle to relieve him of the gold flowers, but he refused, saying, +"Climb up as best as you can." The boy replied, "How can I do so, +when my hands are full?" The merchant then shut the iron trap door +on him, and went away to a distant country. + +The boy being imprisoned in the dark vault, wept bitterly, and having +no food, in a few days he became very weak. Taking the lamp in his +hand, he sat down in a corner, and without knowing what he was doing, +began to rub the lamp with his hand. A ring, which he wore on his +finger, came into contact with the lamp, and immediately a fairy +issued from it, and asked, "What is it you want with me?" He replied, +"Open the door and let me out." The fairy opened the door, and the +boy went home taking the lamp with him. Being hungry, he asked for +food, but his mother replied, "There is nothing in the house that I +can give you." He then went for his lamp, saying, "I will clean it, +and then sell it, and with the money buy food." Taking the lamp +in his hand he began to rub it, and his ring again touching it, a +fairy issued from it and said "What do you wish for?" The boy said +"Cooked rice and uncooked rice." The fairy immediately brought him +an immense quantity of both kinds of rice. + +Sometime after this, certain merchants brought horses for sale, and +the boy seeing them wished to buy one. Having no money, he remembered +his lamp, and taking it up, pressed his ring against it, and the +fairy instantly appeared, and asked him what he wanted. He said, +"Bring me a horse," and immediately the fairy presented to him an +immense number of horses. + +When the boy had become a young man, it so happened, that one day +the raja's daughter was being carried to the ghat to bathe, and he +seeing her palki with the attendants passing, went to his mother and +said, "I am going to see the princess." She tried to dissuade him, +but he insisted on her giving him permission, so at length she gave +him leave. He went secretly, and saw her as she was bathing, and +on returning home, said to his mother, "I have seen the princess, +and I am in love with her. Go, and inform the raja that your son +loves his daughter, and begs her hand in marriage." His mother said, +"Do you think the raja will consider us as on an equality with him?" He +would not, however, be gainsaid, but kept urging her daily to carry his +message to the raja, until she being wearied with his importunity went +to the palace, and being admitted to an audience, informed the raja +that her son was enamoured of the princess, his daughter, and begged +that she might be given to him in marriage. The raja made answer that +on her son giving him a large sum of money which he named, and which +would have been beyond the means of the raja himself, he would be +prepared to give his daughter in marriage to her son. The young man +had recourse to his lamp and ring, and the fairy supplied him with a +much larger sum of money than the raja had demanded. He took it all, +and gave it to the raja, who was astonished beyond measure at the +sight of such immense wealth. + +After a reasonable time the old mother was sent to the raja to +request him to fulfil his promise, but he, being reluctant to see +his daughter united to one so much her inferior in station, in hope +of being relieved from the obligation to fulfil his promise, demanded +that a palace suited to her rank and station in life be prepared for +her, after which he would no longer delay the nuptials. The would-be +bridegroom applied to his never failing friends, his lamp and ring, +and on the fairy appearing begged him to build a large castle in +one night, and to furnish and adorn it as befitted the residence +of a raja's daughter. The fairy complied with the request, and the +whole city was amazed next morning at the sight of a lordly castle, +where the evening before there had not been even a hut. The dewan +tried to dissuade the raja, but without effect, and in due time the +marriage was celebrated amid great rejoicings. + +On a certain day, some time after the marriage, the raja and his +son-in-law went to the forest to hunt. During their absence, the +merchant to whom reference has already been made, arrived at the castle +gate, bearing in his hand a new lamp which he offered in exchange to +the princess for any old lamp she might possess. She thought it a good +opportunity to obtain a new lamp in place of her husband's old one, +and without knowing what she did, gave the magic lamp to the merchant, +and received a new one in return. The merchant rubbed his ring on the +magic lamp, and the fairy obeyed the summons, and desired to know what +he wanted. He said, "Convey the castle as it stands with the princess +in it, to my own country," and instantly his wish was gratified. + +When the raja and his son-in-law returned from the chase, they were +surprised and alarmed to find that the palace with its fair occupant +had vanished, and had not left a trace behind. The dewan reminded +his master that he had tried to dissuade him from rashly giving his +daughter in marriage to an unknown person, and had foretold that +some calamity was sure to follow. The raja being grieved and angry +at the loss of his daughter, sent for her husband, and said to him, +"I give you thirteen days during which to find my daughter. If you +fail, on the morning of the fourteenth, I shall surely cause you to +be executed." The thirteenth day arrived, and although her husband +had sought her every where, the princess had not been found. Her +unhappy husband resigned himself to his fate, saying, "I shall go +and rest, to-morrow morning I shall be killed." So he climbed to +the top of a high hill, and lay down to sleep upon a rock. At noon +he accidentally rubbed his finger ring upon the rock on which he +lay, and a fairy issued from it, and awaking him, demanded what +he wanted. In reply he said, "I have lost my wife and my palace, +if you know where they are, take me to them." The fairy immediately +transported him to the gate of his castle in the merchant's country, +and then left him to his own devices. Assuming the form of a dog, +he entered the palace, and the princess at once recognized him. The +merchant had gone out on business, and had taken the lamp with him, +suspended by a chain round his neck. After consultation, it was +determined that the princess should put poison in the merchant's +food that evening. When he returned, he called for his supper, and +the princess set before him the poisoned rice, after eating which +he quickly died. The rightful owner repossessed himself of the magic +lamp, and an application of the ring brought out the attendant fairy +who demanded to know why he had been summoned. "Transport my castle +with the princess and myself in it back to the king's country, and +place it where it stood before," said the young man; and instantly +the castle occupied its former position. So that before the morning +of the fourteenth day dawned, not only had the princess been found, +but her palace had been restored to its former place. The raja was +delighted at receiving his daughter back again. He divided his kingdom +with his son-in-law, giving him one-half, and they ruled the country +peacefully and prosperously for many years. + + + + + + +THE TWO BROTHERS, JHOREA, AND JHORE. + + +There were two brothers, whose parents died, leaving them orphans +when very young. The name of the elder was Jhorea, and of the younger +Jhore. On the death of their parents, the two brothers went to seek +employment, which they found in a certain village, far from where +their home had been. The elder, Jhorea, was engaged as a farm servant, +and the younger, Jhore, as village goat-herd. + +After some time, it so happened that one day the brothers had no rice +for their dinner, and Jhorea said to his brother, "Go to the owners of +the goats you herd, and ask them for the hire they promised you. One +will give you a pai, another a pawa, and a third a paila, and so +on, according to the number of animals they have in your charge; +some will give you more and others less, bring what you get, and +cook some for dinner." The boy went as he was ordered, and entering +the first house he came to, said, "Give me a pai." They said: "What +do you want with a pai?" "Never mind what I want with it, give it," +he replied. So they gave him a pai. Then he went to another house +and said, "Give me a pawa." "What do you want with a pawa?" they +said. "Never you mind, give it to me," and they gave him a pawa. He +then went to a third house and asked for a paila. "What do you want +with a paila?" they enquired. "Never you mind, give it to me," he +replied. Instead of bringing rice he brought the wooden measures, and +breaking them into small pieces, put them into the pot to cook. The +elder brother was ploughing, and being very hungry, he kept calling +out, "Cook the rice quickly, cook the rice quickly." His brother being +impatient, he stirred the contents of the pot with all his might, at +the same time exclaiming, "What can be the matter brother? it is very +hard." The elder brother came to see what was wrong, and on looking +into the pot saw only pieces of wood. He became very angry, and said, +"I sent you to bring rice, why did you bring measures?" To which he +replied, "You told me to ask a pai from one, a pawa from another, +and a paila from a third, and I did so." + +The elder then said to the younger, "You go and plough, and if the +plough catch in a root on the right hand, cut the root on the left +hand, and if it catch in a root on the left side, cut the root on +the right side, and in the meantime I will cook." He went and began +to plough, and in a short time the plough caught in a root on the +right, and not understanding the directions given to him, he struck +the left hand bullock a blow on the leg with his axe. The bullock +limped along a short distance. When the plough caught in a root on +the left, he smote the bullock on the right, wounding it as he had +done the other. Both of the bullocks then lay down, and although he +beat them they did not get up. He therefore called to his brother, +"These bullocks have lain down, and will not get up, what shall I +do?" "Beat them," was the reply. Again he beat them, but with no +better result. The elder brother then came, and found that the oxen +had been maimed, and were unable to stand, at which he became greatly +alarmed, and said, "Why did you maim the oxen? The owners will beat +us to death to-day." He then gave him some parched grain to eat, +and sent him to look after his goats. The sun being hot, the goats +were lying in the shade chewing their cud. He sat down near them, +and began to eat the parched grain. Seeing the goats moving their +jaws as if eating, he said, "These goats are eating nothing, they +are lying there mocking me," and becoming enraged, he killed them +all with his axe. Then going to his brother, he said, "Oh! brother, +I have killed all the goats." His brother asked, "Why did you kill +them?" He replied, "While I was watching them and eating the parched +grain which you gave me, I saw them chewing, and as they were eating +nothing I knew they were mocking me, and so I killed them all." The +elder brother became greatly alarmed, and calling to the younger to +come, they quickly ate their dinner, and then went to where the goats +were lying dead. From among them they chose the fattest, and carried +it off to the jungle, where they flayed, and cut it into pieces. + +Jhore then said, "I shall take the stomach as my share," but his +brother said, "No, let us take the flesh." Jhore, however, would not +agree to that, and at length his brother said, "Well you take the +stomach, I shall take the flesh." So each took what he fancied most, +and they set off. After travelling a long distance, they came to a +large tree growing on the side of the road, into which they climbed +for safety. After they had been some time on the tree, a raja on his +way to be married, lay down to rest in its shade, and when he and +his attendants had fallen asleep, Jhore let the goat's stomach fall +down on the raja. The raja having his rest thus rudely disturbed, +sprang to his feet, and calling out, awoke his servants, who seeing +the goat's stomach, and not knowing what had happened, thought the +raja himself had burst. They fled in terror followed by the raja, +and did not halt till they were many miles away from the scene of +the raja's discomfiture. + +After waiting a little while, the brothers descended, and began to +help themselves to the raja's property. Jhore said, "I shall take the +drum." His brother said, "No, let us take the brass vessels and the +clothes." Jhore, however, insisted, and after considerable wrangling, +his brother said, "Well, take the drum if you will have it, I shall +take the brass vessels and the clothes." So each took what pleased +him best, and then they went away and hid in the jungle. + +While walking about in the jungle, they collected bees, wasps, and +other stinging insects, and put them into the drum. Having filled the +drum, they emerged from the forest at a place where a washerman was +washing clothes. Jhore tore all his clothes into strips, and scattered +them about. The washerman went and told the raja that two persons +had come out from the jungle, and had destroyed all his clothes. On +hearing this, the raja said to his servants, "Come, and let us fight +with these two men." So arming themselves with guns, they went to the +tank where Jhorea and Jhore were sitting, and began to shoot at them, +but the bullets did them no harm. When their ammunition was exhausted, +they said, "Will you still fight?" The brothers answered, "Yes, we +will fight." So they began to fire their guns, and beat their drum, +and the bees and wasps issued from it like a rope, and began to sting +the raja and his soldiers, who to save themselves, lay down and rolled +on the ground. The raja, in anguish from the stings of the bees, +exclaimed, "I will give you my daughter, and half of my kingdom, +if you will call off the bees." Hearing this they beat the drum, +and calling to the bees and wasps, ordered them all to enter the drum +again, and the raja and his people went to their homes. The brothers +however, could not agree as to who should marry the princess. One said, +"You marry her." The other said, "No, you marry her." The younger at +length said to the elder, "You are the elder, you should take her, +as it is not fitting that you should beg. If I were to marry her, +I could no longer go about begging." So the elder brother married +the princess, and became the raja's son-in-law. + +The two settled down there, and cultivated all kinds of crops. One +day the elder brother sent his younger brother to bring a certain +kind of grain. Taking a sickle and a rope to tie his sheaves with, he +went to the field. Arrived there, he found that the grain was covered +with insects. So he set fire to it, and while it was burning he kept +calling out, "Whoever desires to feast on roasted insects, let him +come here." When his brother knew what he had done, he reprimanded +him severely. + +Some time afterwards, when the black rice was ripe, he again +ordered him to go and reap some, so getting a sickle, and rope to +bind his sheaves with, he went to the rice field. On looking about +to see where he would begin, he discovered that each stalk of rice +was covered with flies. "There is nothing here but flies. How can I +reap this?" Saying this, he set fire to the growing rice and burnt +it all to the ground. His brother, when he knew what had happened, +was very much displeased and threatened to beat him. + +On another day he was sent to cut jari [1] to make ropes, so taking +his sickle, he set off to the field of jari. As soon as he began +to cut the stalks, the seeds rattled in the pods, hearing which he +stopped and called out, "Who is calling me?" After listening awhile +and hearing nothing he began again, and the same noise issuing from +the plant he was cutting, he said, "These plants are remonstrating +with me for cutting them." So being offended, he set fire to and +burnt down the whole crop of jari. + +On being informed of his brother's action, Jhorea seized a stick, +and ran after him to beat him, but could not overtake him. In the +direction Jhore was running, there were some men flaying an ox, and +Jhorea called to them to lay hold of his brother. They could not, +however, accomplish this, but as he passed, they threw the stomach +of the ox at him, which he caught in his arms and carried away with +him. Finding a drain that was open at both ends, he crept in at one +end, and passed out at the other, but left the ox's stomach behind +him. His brother soon arrived at the drain, and thinking he was still +there, tried to drive him out by pushing in a stick, the sharp point +of which perforated the ox's stomach. On withdrawing the stick, and +seeing the contents of the ox's stomach adhering to it, he thought he +had pierced and killed his brother, but he having passed out at the +other end had run swiftly home, and hid himself among the rafters of +the house. Jhorea returned home weeping, and immediately began to make +the preparations necessary for Jhore's funeral ceremonies. He caused +a sumptuous feast to be got ready, and invited all his relations and +friends. When they were all assembled, he went into the house to offer +Jhore his portion. Presenting it, he said: "Oh! my brother Jhore, I +offer this to you, take it, and eat it." Jhore, from among the rafters +said, "Give it to me brother, and I shall eat it." His brother, not +expecting an answer, was alarmed, and fled to his friends without, +exclaiming, "Do the spirits of dead men speak? Jhore's speaks." + +It now being dark, Jhore descended from his perch, and taking up the +food which had been cooked for his funeral feast, left the house +by another door. Passing on to the high way, he kept calling out, +"Travellers by the road, or dwellers in the jungle, if you require +food, come here." Some thieves hearing him, said, "Come, let us go and +ask some." So going to him they said, "Give us some too, Jhore." But +he replied, "It is for me alone." On their asking a second time, +he give it to them. After they had eaten it all, they said to him, +"Come, let us go a thieving." So they went to a house, and while the +thieves were searching for money, Jhore went and picked up small pieces +of pottery, and tied them up in his cloth. When they met afterwards, +seeing Jhore's bundle of what appeared like rupees, they said, +"You were not with us, where did you get the money?" Opening his +parcel, he shewed them the pieces of pottery, seeing which they said, +"We will not have you as our comrade." He replied, "Then return the +food which you ate." As they could not comply, they agreed to take +him with them. Jhore then said, "Where shall we go now?" They replied, +"To steal cloth." So they went to a house, and while the robbers were +searching for cloth, Jhore began to pull the clothes from off the +sleeping inmates. This awoke them, and starting up, they began to call +loudly for help. The thieves made off, and Jhore with them. Seeing +Jhore had spoiled their game, they said to him, "We will not allow +you to go with us again." He said, "Then give me back the food you +ate." Not being able to do so, they said, "Well, we will allow you +to accompany us this once." Jhore then said, "What shall we steal +now?" The thieves answered, "We shall now go to steal horses." So +they went to a stable, and each of the thieves helped himself to a +horse; but Jhore going behind the house, found a large tiger which he +saddled and mounted. The thieves also mounted each on the horse he +had stolen. As they rode along, Jhore's tiger sometimes went first, +and sometimes the thieves' horses. When the thieves were in front, +Jhore's tiger bit and scratched their horses, so they said to him, +"You ride first, we shall follow." But Jhore said, "No, my horse is a +Hindu horse, he cannot run in front, your horses are Santal horses, +they run well and straight, so you ride ahead." When day began to +dawn, Jhore's tiger evinced a tendency to leave the road and take to +the jungle, but Jhore holding him in, exclaimed, "Ha! ha! my Hindu +steed, ha! ha! my Hindu steed." When it was fully light, the tiger +ran into the jungle, and Jhore got caught in the branch of a tree, +and continued dangling there for some days. + +It so happened that one morning a demon passing that way spied Jhore +dangling from the tree, and seizing him, put him in a bag and carried +him away. Being thirsty, he laid the bag down, and went to a spring +to drink. While he was absent, Jhore got out of the bag, and putting +a stone in instead, ran away. The demon having quenched his thirst, +returned, and lifting the bag carried it home. His daughter came to +welcome him, and he said to her, "Jhore is in the bag, cook him, +and we shall have a feast." He then went to invite his friends to +share it with him. When the demon's daughter had opened the bag, +she found the stone, and was angry, because her father had deceived +her. In a short time her father returned, bringing a large number of +jackals with him. He said to her, "Have you cooked Jhore?" She replied, +"Tush! tush! you brought me a stone." + +The demon was highly incensed at having been outwitted, and exclaimed, +"I will track Jhore till I find him, and this time I shall bring him +home without laying him down." He then left, and before long found +Jhore swinging in the same branch as before. Catching hold of him, he +put him into a bag, the mouth of which he tied. This time he brought +him home without once laying him down. Calling to his daughter, +he said, "Cook Jhore, while I go to invite my friends." She untied +the bag, and took Jhore out, and seeing his long hair, she said, +"How is it that your hair has grown so long?" "I pounded it in the +dhenki," he replied, "Will you pound mine, so that it may become long +like yours," said the demon's daughter. Jhore replied, "I shall do so +with pleasure, put your head in the dhenki, and I shall pound it." So +she put in her head, and he pounded it so that he killed her. He then +possessed himself of all her jewellery, and dressing in her clothes, +cooked her body. + +When the demon returned, accompanied by his friends, he said, +"Well! daughter, have you cooked Jhore?" Jhore replied, "Yes, I have +cooked him." On hearing this, the demon and the jackals who had come +with him, were delighted, and setting to, they devoured the body of +the demon's daughter. + +After some days, the demon went to visit a friend, and Jhore divesting +himself of the demon girl's clothes, went to where the demon had at +first found him, and began to swing as before. Presently a tigress +approached him and said, "Oh! brother, the hair of my cubs has +grown very long, I wish you to shave them to-day." Jhore replied, +"Oh! sister, boil some water, and then go to the spring to bring +more." The tigress having boiled the water, went to the spring. While +she was away, Jhore poured the boiling water over the two cubs, +and scalded them to death. He made them grin by fixing the lips +apart, and propped them up at the door of the tigress' house. On her +return as she drew near, she saw her cubs, as she fancied, laughing, +and said to herself. "They are delighted because their uncle has +shaved them." Setting down her water pot, she went to look at them, +and found them dead. Just then the demon came up, and she asked him, +"Whom are you seeking to-day uncle?" He replied "I am seeking Jhore, +he has caused me to eat my own daughter. Whom are you seeking?" The +tigress replied, "I also am seeking Jhore; he has scalded my cubs +to death." + +The two then went in search of Jhore. They found him in a lonely part +of the forest preparing birdlime, and said to him, "What are you doing, +Jhore?" He replied, "I look high up, and then I look deep down." They +said, "Teach us to do it too." He answered, "Only I can do it." They +asked him a second time, and received the same reply. On their begging +him a third time to teach them, he said, "Well, I shall do it." He +then put some of the birdlime into their eyes, and fixed their eyelids +together, so that they could not open them. While they were washing +their eyes, he ran away. As soon as they had rid themselves of the +birdlime, they followed him and found him distilling oil from the +fruit of the marking-nut tree. They said to him, "What are you doing, +Jhore?" He replied, "I look deep down, and then high up." They said, +"Teach us also." He replied, "Only I can do it." They asked him again, +and he said, "Well I will do it." He then poured some of the oil he +had distilled into their eyes. It burned them so, that they became +stone-blind. + +Jhore was next seen seated in a fig-tree eating the fruit. Some cattle +merchants, passing under the tree with a large herd of cattle, saw him +eating the figs, and asked him what it was he was eating. He replied, +"Beat the bullock that is going last, and you shall find it." So +they beat the bullock till it fell down. In the meantime, the herd +had gone on ahead, and Jhore running after them drove them to his +own house. His brother seeing the large herd of cattle, asked to whom +they belonged. Jhore replied, "They are Jhore's property." Jhorea then +said, "I killed my brother Jhore, what Jhore is it?" He made answer, +"Your brother Jhore whom you thought you had killed." Jhorea was +delighted to find his brother alive, and said to him, "Let us live +together after this." So they lived peacefully together ever after. + + + + + + +THE BOY AND HIS STEPMOTHER. + + +A certain boy had charge of a cow which he used to tend while +grazing. One day the cow said to him, "How is it that you are becoming +so emaciated?" The boy replied, "My stepmother does not give me +sufficient food." The cow then said to him, "Do not tell any one, +and I will give you food. Go to the jungle and get leaves with which +to make a plate and cup." The boy did as he was ordered, and behold, +the cow from one horn shook boiled rice into the leaf plate, and from +the other a relish for the rice into the cup. This continued daily +for a considerable time, until the boy became sleek and fat. + +The stepmother came to know of the relation which existed between +the cow and her herd-boy, and to be revenged upon them she feigned +illness. To her attendants she said, "I cannot possibly live." They +asked, "What would make you live?" She replied, "If you kill the cow, +I will recover." They said, "If killing the cow will cure you, we will +kill it." The boy hearing that the life of the cow which supplied +him with food was threatened, ran to her and said, "They are about +to kill you." Hearing this the cow said, "You go and make a rope of +rice straw, make some parts thick, and some thin, and put it in such a +place as they can easily find it. When they are about to kill me, you +seize hold of my tail and pull." The next day they proceeded to make +arrangements to kill the cow, and finding the rope prepared by the boy +the day before, they tied her with it to a stake. After she was tied +the boy laid hold of her tail, and pulled so that the rope by which +she was secured was made taut. A man now raised an axe, and felled +her by a blow on the forehead. As the cow staggered the rope broke, +and she and the boy were borne away on the wind, and alighted in an +unexplored jungle. From the one cow other cows sprang, in number equal +to a large herd, and from them another large herd was produced. The boy +then drove his two herds of cows to a place where they could graze, and +afterwards took them to the river to drink. The cows having quenched +their thirst, lay down to rest, and the boy bathed, and afterwards +combed and dressed his hair. During this latter operation a hair from +his head fell into the river, and was carried away by the current. + +Some distance lower down, a princess with her female companions and +attendants came to bathe. While the princess was in the water she +noticed the hair floating down stream, and ordered some one to take it +out, which when done they measured, and found it to be twelve cubits +long. The princess on returning home went to the king, her father, +and showing him the hair she had found in the river said, "I have made +up my mind to marry the man to whom this hair belonged." The king gave +his consent, and commanded his servants to search for the object of his +daughter's affection. They having received the king's command went to +a certain barber and said to him, "You dress the hair and beards of +all the men in this part of the country, tell us where the man with +hair twelve cubits long is to be found." The barber, after many days, +returned unsuccessful. The king's servants after a long consultation +as to whom they should next apply to, decided upon laying the matter +before a tame parrot belonging to the king. Going to the parrot they +said, "Oh parrot, can you find the man whose hair is twelve cubits +long?" The parrot replied, "Yes, I can find him." After flying here +and there the parrot was fortunate enough to find the boy. It was +evening, and having driven his two herds of cattle into their pen, +he had sat down, and was employed in dressing his long hair. His +flute was hanging on a bush by his side. + +The parrot sat awhile considering how she might take him to the king's +palace. Seeing the flute the idea was suggested to her, that by means +of it she might contrive to lead him where she desired. So taking it up +in her beak, she flew forward a little and alighted in a small bush. To +regain possession of his flute the boy followed, but on his approach +the bird flew away, and alighted on another bush a short distance +ahead. In this way she continued to lead him by flying from bush to +bush until at length she brought him to the king's palace. He was then +brought before his majesty, and his hair measured, and found to be +twelve cubits in length. The king then ordered food to be set before +him, and after he was refreshed the betrothal ceremony was performed. + +As it was now late they prevailed upon him to pass the night as the +guest of the king. Early in the morning he set out, but, as he had +a long distance to go, the day was far advanced before he reached +the place where his cattle were. They were angry at having been kept +penned up to so late an hour, and as he removed the bars to let them +out, they knocked him down, and trampled upon his hair in such a way, +as to pull it all out leaving him bald. Nothing daunted, he collected +his cows, and started on his return journey, but us he drove them +along, one after another vanished, so that only a few remained when +he reached the king's palace. + +On his arrival they noticed that he had lost all his hair, and on being +questioned he related to the king all that had fallen him. His hair +being gone the princess refused to marry him, so instead of becoming +the king's son-in-law, he became one of his hired servants. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF KARA AND GUJA. + + +There were two brothers named Kara and Guja. Guja, who was the elder +did the work at home, and Kara was ploughman. + +One day the two went to the forest to dig edible roots. After they +had been thus engaged for some hours, Kara said to Guja, "Look up +and see the sun's position in the heavens." Looking up he said, +"Oh brother, one is rising and another is setting." They then said, +"The day is not yet past, let us bestir ourselves, and lose no +time." So they dug with all their might. + +After digging a long time Kara looked up and became aware that it was +night. He then exclaimed, "Oh brother, it is now night, what shall +we do? Come let us seek some place where we can remain until the +morning." After they had wandered awhile in the forest they spied a +light in the distance, and on drawing near they found that a tiger had +kindled a fire, and was warming himself. Going up to the entrance to +the cave they called out to the tiger, "Oh uncle, give us a place to +sleep in." He answered, "Come in." So the two went in, and being hungry +began to roast and eat the roots they had brought with them. The tiger +hearing them eating, enquired what it was. They replied, "Oh uncle, we +are roasting and eating the roots which we dug up in the forest." He +then said, "Oh my nephews, I will also try how they taste." So they +handed him a piece of charcoal, and as he munched it he said, "Oh +my nephews, how is it that I feel it grating between my teeth?" They +replied, "It is an old one that you have got, uncle." He then said, +"Give me another, and I will try it." So they gave him another piece of +charcoal, and after he had crunched it awhile he said, "Oh my nephews, +this is as bad as the other," to which they rejoined, "Oh uncle, +your mouth is old, therefore what is good to us, is the reverse to +you." The tiger did not wish to try his grinders on another piece of +charcoal, so the brothers were left to enjoy their repast alone. + +After they had eaten all the roots, Guja said to Kara, "What shall +we eat now? Come let us eat this old tiger's tail." Kara replied, +"Do not talk in that way, brother, the tiger will devour us." "Not so, +brother," said Guja, "I have a great desire to eat flesh." The old +tiger understood their conversation, and being afraid tried to get +out of the cave, but the brothers caught hold of him, and wrenched +off his tail, which they roasted in the ashes, and then ate. + +The tiger after losing his tail summoned a council of all the tigers +inhabiting that part of the forest, at which they decided to kill and +eat the two brothers. So they went to the cave, but Kara and Guja had +fled, and had taken refuge in a palm tree which grew on the edge of +a large deep tank. Not finding them in the cave the tigers, headed +by him who had lost his tail, went in quest of them, and coming to +the tank saw them reflected in the water, and one after another they +dived in, thinking they would be able to seize them, but of course +they could not catch a shadow. One of the tigers, when in the act +of yawning, looked upwards, and seeing them in the tree exclaimed, +"There they are. There they are." They then asked the brothers how +they had managed to climb up, to which they replied, "We stood on +each other's shoulders." The tigers then said, "Come, let us do the +same, and we shall soon reach them." As the tailless tiger was most +interested in their capture, they made him stand lowest, and a tiger +climbed up and stood on his shoulders, and another on his, and so +on; but before they reached the brothers, Kara called out to Guja, +"Give me your sharp battle-axe, and I shall hamstring the tailless +tiger." The tailless tiger forgetting himself jumped to one side, +and the whole pillar of tigers fell in a heap on the ground. They now +began to abuse the old tailless tiger, who fearing lest they should +tear him in pieces fled into the forest. + +After the tigers had left, the two brothers descended from the palm +tree, and walked rapidly away as they dreaded that the tigers might +yet follow them. Towards evening they came to a village, and entering +into the house of an old woman lay down to sleep. The owner of the +house observing them said, "Oh my children, do not sleep to-night, +for there is a demon who visits in rotation each house in the village, +and each time he comes carries off some one and eats him; it is my +turn to receive a visit to-night." They said, "Do not trouble us now, +let us sleep, as we are tired." So they slept, but kept their weather +eye open. During the night the old woman came quietly, and began +to bite their arms, which they had laid aside before retiring to +rest. Hearing a sound as if some one were crunching iron between his +teeth, the brothers called out, "Old woman, what are you eating?" She +replied "Only a few roasted peas which I brought from the chief's +house." About midnight the demon came, and as he was entering the +house Kara and Guja shot at him with their bows and arrows, and he +fell down dead. Then they cut out his claws and tongue, and placed +them in a bag. Afterwards they threw out the body of the demon into +the garden behind the house. + +Now it so happened that the king had promised to give his daughter +and half of his kingdom to the man who should slay the demon. Early +in the morning a Dome, who was passing, discovered the body of the +demon, and said within himself, "I will take it to the king and claim +the reward." So running home he broke all the furniture in his house +and beat his old woman saying, "Get out of this. I am about to bring +the king's daughter home as my bride." He then returned quickly, +and taking up the body of the demon carried it to the king, and said, +"Oh sir king, I have slain the demon." The king replied, "Very well, +we will enquire into it." So he commanded some of his servants to +examine the body, and on doing so they found that the claws had been +extracted and the tongue cut out. They reported the condition of +the body to the king, who ordered the Dome to state the weapon with +which he killed him. The Dome replied, "I hit him with a club on the +head." On the head being examined no mark whatever was seen, so in +order to arrive at the truth the king ordered all the inhabitants of +the village to be brought together to the palace. He then enquired +of them as to who killed the demon. + +The old woman, in whose house Kara and Guja had passed the night, +stepped forward and said, "Oh sir king, two strangers came to my house +yesterday evening, and during the night they slew the demon." The +king said, "Where are those two men?" The old woman replied, "There +they are, the two walking together." So the king sent and brought +them back, and questioned them as to the slaying of the demon. They +pointed out the arrow-marks on the body, and produced his claws and +tongue from their bag. This evidence convinced the king that they, +and not the Dome, had slain the demon. Kara and Guja were received +with great favour by the king, and received the promised reward. + +The king sentenced the Dome to be beaten and driven from the +village. After receiving his stripes, the Dome returned home, and +gathered the shreds of his property together. He also went in search +of his Dome wife and children, but they mocked him saying, "You went +to marry the king's daughter, why do you come again seeking us." + +Thus Kara and Guja gained a kingdom. + + + + + + +THE KING AND HIS INQUISITIVE QUEEN. + + +There was a certain king known by the name of Huntsman, on account of +his expertness in the chase. One day when returning from the forest +where he had been hunting he found a serpent and a lizard fighting +on the path along which he was moving. As they were blocking the way +he ordered them to stand aside and allow him to pass, but they gave +no heed to what he said. King Huntsman then began to beat them with +his staff. He killed the lizard, but the serpent fled, and so escaped. + +The serpent then went to Monsha, the king of the serpents, and +complained of the treatment the lizard and himself had received at +the hands of king Huntsman. The next day king Monsha went and met king +Huntsman on his way home from the forest, and blocked his way so that +he could not pass. King Huntsman being angry said, "Clear the way, +and allow me to pass, or else I shall send an arrow into you. Why +do you block my way?" King Monsha replied, "Why did you assault the +lizard and the serpent, with intent to kill them both?" King Huntsman +answered, "I ordered them to get out of my way, but they would not, +I therefore assaulted them, and killed one. The other saved himself +by flight." King Monsha hearing this explanation said, "Very good, +the fault was theirs, not yours." + +King Huntsman then petitioned the king of the serpents to bestow upon +him the gift of understanding the language of animals and insects. King +Monsha acceded to his request, and gave him the gift he desired. + +A few days after this event King Huntsman went to the forest, and after +hunting all day returned home in the evening Having washed his hands +and feet, he sat down to his meal of boiled rice. When the rice was +being served to the king a few grains fell on the ground, and a fly +and an ant began to dispute as to who should carry them away. The fly +said, "I will take them to my children." The ant replied, "No, I will +take them to mine." Hearing the two talk thus, the king was amused, +and began to smile. The queen, who was standing by, said to him, +"Tell me what has made you laugh." On being thus addressed the king +became greatly confused, for at the time the gift of understanding the +language of animals and insects was bestowed upon him, King Monsha had +forbidden him to make it known to any one. He had said, "If you tell +this to any one, I shall eat you." Remembering this the king feared +to answer the question put to him by the queen. He tried to deceive +her by saying, "I did not laugh, you must have been mistaken." She +would not, however, be thus put off, so the king was obliged to tell +her that if he answered her question his life would be forfeited. The +queen was inexorable, and said, "Whether you forfeit your life or +not, you must tell me." The king then said, "Well, if it must be so, +let us make ready to go to the bank of the Ganges. There I shall +tell you, and when I have done so you must push me into the river, +and then return home." + +The king armed himself, and the two set out for the river. When they +had reached it, they sat down to rest under the shade of a tree. A +flock of goats was grazing near to where they were seated, and the +king's attention was arrested by a conversation which was being carried +on between an old she-goat and a young he-goat. The former addressed +the latter thus, "There is an island in the middle of the Ganges, +and on that island there is a large quantity of good sweet grass. Get +the grass for me, and I shall give you my daughter in marriage." The +he-goat was not thus to be imposed upon. He angrily addressed his +female friend as follows, "Do not think to make me like this foolish +king, who vainly tries to please a woman. He has come here to lose +his own life at the bidding of one. You tell me to go and bring you +grass out of such a flood as this. I am no such fool. I do not care +to die yet. There are many more quite as good as your daughter." + +The king understood what passed between them, and admitted to himself +the truth of what the he-goat had said. After considering a short time +he arose, and having made a rude sacrificial altar, said to the queen, +"Kneel down, and do me obeisance, and I shall tell you what made me +laugh." She knelt down, and the king struck off her head and burnt +her body upon the altar. Returning home he performed her funeral +ceremonies, after which he married another wife. + +He reigned prosperously for many years, and decided all disputes that +were brought before him by animals or insects. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF BITARAM. + + +In a certain village there lived seven brothers. The youngest of +them planted a certain vegetable, and went every day to examine +it to see how it was growing. For a long time there were only the +stalk and leaves, but at length a flower appeared, and from it a +fruit. This fruit he measured daily to mark its growth. It grew +continuously until it became exactly a span long, after which it +remained stationary. One day he said to his sisters-in-law, "Do not +eat my fruit, for whoever does so will give birth to a child only one +span long." He continued his daily visits to his plant as usual, and +was pleased to note that the fruit was evidently ripening. One day, +during his absence, one of his sisters-in-law plucked the fruit and +ate it. On returning from the field where he had been ploughing, he +went to look at and measure his fruit, but it was gone, it had been +stolen. Suspecting that some one of his sisters-in-law was the thief, +he accused each of them in turn, but they all denied having touched +it. When he found that no one would confess to having taken it, he +said to them, "Do not tell upon yourselves, the thief will be caught +before long." And so it happened, for one of them gave birth to a +baby one span long. The first time he saw his sister-in-law after +the child was born he laughed, and said to her, "You denied having +stolen my fruit, now you see I have found you out." + +When the time came that the child should receive a name, Bitaram [2] +was given to him, because he was only a span in height. Bitaram's +mother used to take food to the brothers to the field when they were +ploughing, and when Bitaram was able to walk so far he accompanied +her. One day he surprised his mother by saying, "Let me take the food +to my father and uncles to-day." She replied, "What a fancy! You, +child, are only a span high, how can you carry it?" But Bitaram +insisted saying, "I can carry it well enough, and carry it I will." His +mother being unable to resist his pertinacity said, "Then, child, +take it, and be off." So she placed the basket on his head and he +set out. Arrived at the field he went up a furrow, but the ground was +so uneven that before he reached his destination, he had lost nearly +all the rice, which had been shaken out of the basket. On his coming +near, one of his uncles called out, "Is that you Bitaram?" He replied, +"Yes, it is I, Bitaram." Climbing up out of the furrow, he put down +the basket saying, "Help yourselves, and I will take the oxen and +buffaloes to the water." So saying, he drove off the cattle to the +river. When they had quenched their thirst he gathered them together, +and began to drive them back again to where he had left his father and +uncles. While following them up the sandy back of the river, he fell +into a depression made by the hoof of a buffalo, and was soon covered +up by the loose sand sent rolling down by the herd as they ascended. + +When the cattle returned without Bitaram, his father and uncles became +alarmed for his safety, and immediately went in search of him. They +went here and there calling out "Bitaram, where are you?" But failing +to find him they concluded that he had been devoured by some wild +animal, and returned sorrowfully home. Rain fell during the night, +and washed the sand from off Bitaram, so that he was able to get up, +and climb out. On his way home he encountered some thieves who were +dividing their booty in a lonely part of the forest. Bitaram hearing +them disputing called out "Kehe kere" at the pitch of his voice. The +thieves hearing the sound, looked round on all sides to see who was +near, but the night being dark, and they not directing their eyes near +enough to the ground to see Bitaram, they could discern no one. Then +they said to each other, "Let us seek safety in flight. A spirit has +been sent to watch us." So they all made off leaving behind them the +brass vessels they had stolen. Bitaram gathered these up, and hid +them among some prickly bushes, and then went home. + +It was now past midnight, and all had retired to rest, and as Bitaram +stood shivering with cold at the closed door, he called out, "Open +the door and let me in." His father hearing him said, "Is that you +Bitaram?" He replied, "Yes, open the door." They then enquired where +he had been, and he related all that had happened to him after he had +driven the cattle to the river. Having warmed himself at the fire, he +told his father of his adventure with the thieves in the forest. He +said, "I despoiled some thieves, whom I met in the jungle, of the +brass vessels they had stolen." His father replied, "Foolish child, +do not tell lies, you yourself are not the height of a brass lota" +(drinking-cup). "No father," said Bitaram, "I am telling the truth, +come and I will shew you where they are." His father and uncles went +with him, and he pointed out to them the vessels hidden among the +prickly bushes. They picked them all up and brought them home. + +Early next morning some sepoys, who were searching for the thieves, +happened to pass that way, and seeing the stolen property lying out +side of the house, recognized it, and apprehended Bitaram's father +and uncles and dragged them off to prison. After this Bitaram and +his mother were obliged to beg their bread from house to house. She +often attributed to him the misery which had befallen them, saying, +"Had it not been for your pertinacity, your father and uncles would +not have been deprived of their liberty." + +One day, as they were following their usual avocation, they entered +a certain house, and Bitaram said to his mother, "Ask the people of +the house to give me a tumki. [3]" She did not at first comply, but +he kept urging her until being irritated she said, "It was through +your pertinacity in insisting upon being allowed to carry the food +to your father and uncles that they are now bound and in prison, and +yet you will not give up the bad habit." Bitaram said, "No, mother, +do ask it for me." As he would not be silenced she begged it for him, +and the people kindly gave it. + +At the next house they came to, they saw a cat walking about, and +Bitaram said, "Oh mother, ask the people to give me the cat." As +before, she at first refused, but he continued to press her, and she +becoming annoyed scolded him saying, "The young gentleman insists on +obtaining this and that. It was your pertinacity that caused your +father and uncles to be dragged to prison in bonds." Bitaram replied, +"Not so, mother, do ask them to give me the cat." As the only way to +silence him she said to the people of the house, "Give my boy your cat, +he will hold it in his arms for a few minutes, and then set it down, +but he carried it away with him." Bitaram then begged his mother to +make him a bag, and fill it with flour, saying, "I am going to obtain +the release of my father and uncles." She mockingly replied, "Much you +can do." She made him a bag, however, and filling it with flour said, +"Be off." + +Bitaram then strapped the bag of flour on the cat's back as a saddle, +and mounted. Puss, however, refused to go in the direction desired, +and it was with great difficulty that he prevailed upon her to take +the road. As he rode along he observed a swarm of bees on an ant +hill, and dismounting he addressed them as follows, "Come bees, go +in, come bees, go in." The bees swarmed into the tumki, and Bitaram +having covered them up with a leaf continued his journey. Before he +had gone far he came to a large tank, which belonged to the raja who +had imprisoned his father. A number of women had come to the tank for +water, and Bitaram taking his stand upon the embankment began to shoot +arrows at their waterpots. After he had broken several, the women +espied him mounted on his cat with his bow and arrows in his hand, +and believing him to be an elf from the forest fled in terror to +the city. Going to the raja they said "Oh raja, come and see. Some +one is on the tank embankment. We do not know who or what he is, +but he is only a span high." The raja then summoned his soldiers, +and commanded them to take their bows and arrows, and go and shoot +him whoever he was. The soldiers went within range, but although they +shot away all their arrows, they failed to hit him. So returning to +the raja they said, "He cannot be shot." Hearing this the raja became +angry, and calling for his bow and arrows, went to the tank and began +to shoot at Bitaram, but although he persevered until his right side +ached with drawing the bow, he could not hit him. + +When he desisted, Bitaram called out "Are you exhausted?" The raja +answered "Yes." Then said Bitaram "It is my turn now," and taking the +leaf from off the mouth of the basket called to the bees, "Go into the +battle, bees." The bees issued from the basket like a black rope, and +stung the raja and those who were with him. No way of escape offering, +the raja called out to Bitaram, "Call off your bees, and I will give +you the half of my kingdom and my daughter, and I will also set at +liberty your father and uncles." Bitaram gathered the bees into the +basket, and after his father and uncles had been released, took them +back to the ant hill from whence he had brought them. On his return +he wedded the princess and received half of her father's kingdom. + +Bitaram and his wife lived happily together, and every thing they +took in hand prospered, so that before long they were richer than the +king himself. One great source of Bitaram's wealth was a cow which +the princess had brought him as part of her dowry. Being envious of +their good fortune, the raja and his sons resolved to kill the cow, +and thus obtain possession of all the gold and silver. So they put +the cow to death, but when they had cut her up they were disappointed +as neither gold nor silver were found in her stomach. + +Bitaram placed his cow's hide in the sun, and when it was dry carried +it away to sell it. Darkness coming on he climbed into a tree for +safety, as wild beasts infested the forest through which he was +passing. During the night some thieves came under the tree in which +he was, and began to divide the money they had stolen. Bitaram then +relaxed his hold of the dry hide, which made such a noise as it fell +from branch to branch that the thieves fled terror-stricken, and +left all their booty behind them. In the morning Bitaram descended, +and collecting all the rupees carried them home. He then shewed the +money to his wife, and said "Go and ask the loan of your father's +paila, that I may measure them." So she went and brought the +measure, which had several cracks in it. Having measured his money +he sent back the raja's paila, but he had not noticed that one or +two pieces were left sticking in the cracks. So they said to him, +"Where did you get the money?" He replied "By the sale of my cow's +hide." Hearing this they said, "Will the merchant who bought yours, +buy any more?" He said, "Yes. I received all this money for my one +hide, how much more may not you receive seeing you have such large +herds of cattle! If you dispose of their hides at the same rate as +I have done, you will secure immense wealth." So they killed all +their cattle, but when they offered the hides for sale they found +they had been hoaxed. They were ashamed and angry at having allowed +themselves to be thus imposed upon by Bitaram, and in revenge they +set fire to his house at night, but he crept into a rat's hole and +so escaped injury. In the morning he emerged from his hiding place, +and carefully gathering up the ashes of his house tied them up in a +cloth, and carried them away. As he walked along he met a merchant, +to whom he said, "What have you in your bag?" He replied "Gold-pieces +only." The merchant then enquired of Bitaram what he had tied up in +his cloth, to which he answered, "Gold-dust only." Bitaram then said, +"Will you exchange?" The merchant said, "Yes." So they exchanged, +and Bitaram returned laden with gold. Not being able to count it, he +again sent his wife to borrow her father's paila, and having measured +the gold-pieces returned it to him. This time a few pieces of gold +remained in the cracks in the paila, and the raja, being informed of +it, went and asked Bitaram where he got the gold. He replied, "I sold +the ashes of my house which you burnt over my head, and received the +gold in return." The raja and his sons then enquired if the merchant, +who bought the ashes from him, would buy any more. Bitaram replied, +"Yes, he will buy all he can get." "Do you think," said they, "he +will buy from us?" Bitaram advised them to burn their houses, and +like him, turn the ashes into gold. "I had only one small house," +he said, "and I obtained all this money. You have larger houses, +and should therefore receive a correspondingly large amount." So +they set fire to, and burnt their houses, and gathering up the ashes +took them to the bazar, and there offered them for sale. After they +had gone the whole length of the bazar, and had met with no buyers, +some one advised them to go to where the washermen lived, saying, +they might possibly take them. The washermen, however, refused, +and as they could not find a purchaser, they threw away the ashes, +and returned home determined to be revenged upon Bitaram. + +This time they decided upon drowning him, so one day they seized him, +and putting him into a bag they carried him to the river. Arrived +there they put him down, and went to some little distance to cook +their food. In the meantime a herd boy came up and asked Bitaram why he +was tied up in the bag. He replied, "They are taking me away to marry +me against my will." The herd boy said, "I will go instead of you. I +wish to be married." Bitaram replied, "Open the bag and let me out, +and you get in, and I will tie it up again." So Bitaram was released, +and the herd boy took his place, and was afterwards thrown into the +river and drowned. + +Bitaram on escaping collected all the herd boy's cattle, and drove +them home. When the raja and his sons returned, they found Bitaram +with a large herd of cows and buffaloes. Going near, they enquired +where he had got them. He replied, "At some distance below the spot +where you threw me into the river, I found numerous herds of cattle, +so I brought away as many as one person could drive. If you all go, +you will be able to bring a very much larger number." So they said, +"Very well, put us into bags, and tie us up as we did you." Bitaram +replied, "It is impossible for me to carry you as you did me. Walk to +the river bank, and there get into the bags, and I will push you into +the river." They did as he suggested, and when all was in readiness, +he pushed them into the river, and they were all drowned. + +Bitaram returned alone, and took possession of all that had belonged +to them. The whole kingdom became his, and he reigned peacefully as +long as he lived. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF SIT AND BOSONT. + + +There was a certain raja who had two sons named Sit and Bosont. Their +mother the rani had been long ill, and the raja was greatly dejected +on her account. From the bed on which she lay, the rani could see +two sparrows who had made their nest in a hole in the wall of the +palace, and she had remarked the great love and tenderness which +the hen-sparrow bore towards her young ones. One day she saw both +sparrows sitting in front of their nest, and the sight of them set her +a-thinking, and she came to the conclusion that the hen-sparrow was +a model mother. The raja also had his attention attracted daily by +the sparrows. One day, very suddenly, the hen-sparrow took ill, and +died. The next day the cock-sparrow appeared with another mate, and +sat in front of the nest with her, as he had done with the other. But +the new mother took no notice of the young ones in the nest, but left +them to die of hunger. The rani, who was greatly grieved to see such +want of compassion, said to the raja, "This is how it is, one has no +pity for those who belong to another. Remember what you have been a +witness of, and should I die take care of the two children." Shortly +after this the rani died, and the raja mourned over her, and continued +most solicitous for the welfare of their two boys. + +Some months after the rani's death, the raja's subjects prayed +him to take another wife, saying, "Without a rani your kingdom is +incomplete." The raja refused to comply, saying, "I shall never +take another wife." His subjects would not, however, be silenced, +but continued to press the matter upon him with such persistency +that eventually he had to accede to their wishes, and take to himself +another partner. He continued, however, to love and cherish his two +sons Sit and Bosont. + +Some time after their marriage the rani took a dislike to the elder +son Sit, and was determined that he should no longer be allowed to +remain within the precincts of the palace. So she feigned sickness, +and the raja summoned physicians from all parts of his dominions, but +without avail, as none of them could tell what the disease was from +which the rani was suffering. One day when Sit and Bosont were out of +the way, and the raja and she were alone together, she said to him, +"Doctors and medicines will not save my life, but if you will listen +to me, and do what I tell you, I shall completely recover." The +raja said, "Let me hear what it is, and I shall try what effect it +may have." The rani said, "If you will promise to do for me what I +shall request, I will tell you, and not otherwise." The raja replied, +"I shall certainly comply with your wishes." The rani again said, +"Will you without doubt, do what I wish?" The raja replied, "Yes, I +shall." After she had made him promise a third time she said, "Will you +take oath that you will not seek to evade fulfilling my desire?" The +raja said, "I take my oath that I shall carry out your wishes to the +full extent of my ability." Having thus prevailed upon the raja to +pledge his word of honour, she said, "Do not allow your eldest son, +Sit, to remain any longer in the palace. Order him to leave, and go +somewhere else, so that I may not see his face, and never to return." + +On hearing this the raja was greatly distressed. But what could he +do? The rani had said, "If you permit him to remain, I shall die, +and if you fulfil my wishes I shall live," and in his anxiety to save +the life of his rani, he had bound himself by an oath before he knew +what it was he would be required to do. After much consideration as +to how he could best communicate the order to leave the palace to his +son, he decided to write it on a sheet of paper and fix it, during +his absence, to the door of his room. When the brothers returned, +they found the paper placed there by the raja, and on reading it, +were greatly troubled. After some time, during which Sit had been +considering the position in which he found himself, he said to his +brother, "You must remain, and I must go." On hearing his brother's +words, Bosont's heart was filled with sorrow, and he replied, "Not so, +I cannot see you go away alone. You have been guilty of no fault for +which our parents could send you away. I cannot remain here alone. I +will accompany you. We are children of the same mother, and we should +not part." His brother replied, "Let us leave the house to-day. We +can pass the night in some place close at hand." So they left their +father's house, and concealed themselves in its vicinity. On the +approach of evening they began to feel the pangs of hunger, and the +younger said to the elder, "What shall we do? We have no food." After +a minute's thought, the elder replied, "Although we have been sent +adrift, we will take our elephants, and horses, and clothes, and +money along with us." So when night had fallen, they entered the +palace and brought out all that belonged to them, and at cock-crow, +set forth on their journey. They travelled all day, and as the sun +began to decline, they reached a dense jungle, and passing through +it they came to a large city where they put up for the night. The +city pleased them much, and they hired quarters in the Sarai. After +they had gained a little acquaintance with their surroundings, Sit, +attired in gorgeous apparel, and mounted on a splendid horse, rode +every evening through the principal streets of the city. One evening +the daughter of the raja of that country, from the roof of the palace, +saw him ride past, and fell deeply in love with him. She immediately +descended to her room, and feigning sickness, threw herself upon +her couch. Her parents, on entering, found her weeping bitterly, +and on enquiring the cause were informed by her attendants that she +had been suddenly seized with a dangerous illness, the nature of which +they did not know. The raja at once summoned the most famed physicians +that could be found, to cure his daughter. One after another, however, +failed to understand her complaint, and she grew worse daily. She was +heard continually wailing, "I shall never recover; I shall die." After +the doctors had retired baffled, she addressed her parents as follows; +"You, who gave me life, listen to my entreaty. There is one expedient +still, which if you will agree to put into execution, I shall recover, +and be as well as formerly, and should you refuse to do as I say, +and call it foolishness, then you shall never see my face again, +I shall depart this life at once." On hearing these words, her +parents said, "Tell us, what it is, we will surely act agreeably +to your wishes." She replied, "Oh! father, promise me that you will +carry them out without reserve." Her parents then promised with an +oath, that they would do all she desired. Then she told her story, +"Of late we have daily seen a young man in dazzling white apparel, +riding and curveting his horse through the city; if you betroth me +to that young prince, I shall enjoy my accustomed health again." + +On hearing this, her parents became greatly distressed, as they +were averse to betrothing their daughter to a stranger of whom +they knew nothing. After consulting together they said, "He comes +this way in the evening, let us look out for him, and see what he is +like." About sunset, Sit, mounted on his horse, rode in the direction +of the palace. The raja had given orders to some of his attendants +to arrest the man who, every evening dressed in white, rode past the +palace. So, on his appearing, they laid hold of him and led him into +the presence of the raja, who being pleased with his appearance, at +once introduced him to his daughter's room. She, on beholding him, +instantly became well, and that same evening the two were married. + +Bosont having charge of the property remained in the Sarai, while +his brother went out riding. Sit not returning at his usual time, +Bosont was alarmed and waited anxiously for his return. At length, +being wearied, he fell asleep. During the night a gang of thieves +entered his room, and began to carry off all his valuables. Bosont +slept so soundly that they had time to take away everything save his +bed-clothes. To obtain possession of these they had to lift him, on +which he awoke and gave the alarm. The thieves beat him with their +clubs till he was half dead; then, senseless and with a broken leg, +they threw him into the dry bed of a river. + +In the morning his servants became aware of the robbery, and also +that their master was missing. His groom found him some time after +in the river bed, and carried him to a doctor who bound up his limb, +and took care of him. He was soon well enough to move about, but +doomed to halt through life. + +The raja of that country was very wealthy, and had ships on the +sea. Whenever a ship left the port on its outward voyage, it was +customary to carry a man on board, who, on the rising of a storm at +sea, was cast over board to appease to wrath of the Spirit of the +mighty Deep. Without such a victim on board, no ship could leave +the harbour. Now, it so happened that one of the raja's vessels was +about to sail to a foreign port, but no man suitable for the sacrifice +could be obtained. At last the raja ordered them to take the lame man, +whom he had seen limping about the city. He, not knowing the purpose +they had in view in asking him to accompany them on their voyage, +gladly embraced the opportunity of seeing foreign lands. No sooner +was he on board than the ship began to move, and to obtain a better +view he climbed up the mast, and sat on the top of it. In twelve +days they reached a port. Bosont, however, did not decend from his +elevated station, but continued gazing on the country lying around. + +The daughter of the raja of that city, while walking on the roof +of the palace, enjoying the cool of the evening, saw Bosont seated +on the ship's mast. She at once fell violently in love with him, +and descending to her room, feigned sickness. Her parents called in +the most famed physicians, but their skill was of no avail, the young +lady's illness increased in intensity. At last, when her parents began +to give up hope of saving her life, she said, "The doctors cannot do me +any good, but if you will do as I direct you, I shall recover." They +said, "Tell us what it is that we can do for you." She replied, +"Before I can make it known to you, you must take oath that you will +not seek to evade the performance of it." To this they agreed, and the +princess said, "If you will betroth me to the man sitting on the top +of the mast of the vessel in the harbour, I shall immediately regain +my health." The raja despatched messengers to the ship, and had Bosont +brought to the palace, and solemnized their marriage that same evening. + +A few days after the above occurrence, the ship was ready to set sail +on her homeward voyage, so they took the lame man on board, his wife +also following. After they had been a few days at sea, the vessel +was in danger of foundering in a storm. The sailors searched for +the victim, but he could nowhere be found. At last one of the crew +looking up, spied him seated on the mast and climbing swiftly up, +pushed him into the sea. His wife had brought a tumba with her, and +seeing her husband in the sea, threw it to him. With this assistance he +was able to swim to the vessel, and laying hold of the stern, followed +swimming all the way to port. When the vessel was brought to anchor, +he climbed up into it, and disguised himself as a fakir. The people of +the city noticed him daily walking on the shore in front of the ship, +and believed him to be in reality a fakir. + +One day the raja seeing Bosont's wife took a fancy to her, and caused +her to be brought to his palace. She had apartments assigned to her +in the best part of it, and was treated with great distinction. On the +raja offering her marriage, she declined, saying, "Speak not to me of +it." After several days the raja enquired, "Why do you still refuse to +become my wife." She replied, "Ask the fakir who is always to be seen +pacing the shore in front of a vessel lying in the harbour." The raja +gave orders immediately to have the fakir brought to the palace. On +his being ushered into his presence, the raja said, "What do you know +regarding the woman, who on declining to be my wife, referred me to you +for an explanation?" In reply Bosont related in the form of a fable, +the history of Sit and himself, and also what befell him after they +were parted from each other. Sit, who was now raja recognized his +brother in the fakir before him, and falling on his neck, wept for +joy. The two brothers continued ever after to live together. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF A TIGER. + + +A certain man had charge of a number of cattle. One day he took them +to graze near a quagmire, and leaving them there went in search of +jungle fruits. It so happened that one of the bullocks was browsing +on the edge of the quagmire when a tiger came creeping stealthily up, +and sprang upon it, but somehow or other missed his mark, and fell +into the quagmire and there stuck fast. When the herd come to drive +his cattle home, he found the tiger fast in the mud, and called a +large number of people to come and see him. The tiger addressed those +who came to gaze upon him as follows, "Oh men, pull me out. I am in +great straits." They replied, "We will not pull you out even to save +your life. You are a ravenous animal." The tiger said, "I will not eat +you." So they pulled him out. When he was again on dry land, he said, +"I will devour you, for it is my nature to do so." They replied, +"Will you really eat us?" "Yes, I will," said the tiger. "Well," +they rejoined, "if you will devour us, what can we do to prevent +you? But let us first ask the opinion of some others as to whether +it is right for you to eat us or not." So they requested the opinion +of all the trees in the forest, and each said, "Human beings are all +bad." On asking the Mohwa tree, it replied, "Men are not good. Behold +every year I give them my flowers to eat, and my fruit from which +to make oil. In the hot weather I give them shade, and on leaving, +when they have rested, they give me a parting slash with their axes, +therefore it is right to eat these people, as they return evil for +good." So said all the trees. + +From this forest they went to another in which they found a cow to whom +they said, "We are come to ask your opinion on a certain matter about +which we are at variance. This tiger was up to the neck in a quagmire, +and we pulled him out. Now he wishes to return evil for good. Is it +right for him to do so?" The cow replied, "Yes, yes, I have heard what +you have got to say. You human beings are not the correct thing. Behold +me, how much I have contributed to the health and comfort of my master, +yet he does not recognize my merit. Now that I am old, he has turned +me out, and should I improve a little in condition, he will say, 'I +will take this cow to the market and sell it. I will at least get a few +pence for it.' Behold, when a man is well to do, he has many friends, +but when he is poor, no one knows him. Verily, you are worthy to be +devoured." The tiger then said to the men, "Well, have you heard all +this? Are you convinced?" They said, "Hold on, let us ask one person +more." So as they walked along they saw a jackal and called to him, "Oh +uncle, stand still." The jackal said, "No I cannot wait, my companions, +who are on their way to see the swinging festival, are far ahead of me, +and I am hurrying to overtake them." They said to him, "Wait a little +and settle this matter for us. We pulled this tiger out of a quagmire, +and now he wishes to devour us." The jackal then said to the tiger, +"Is this true? I cannot believe that a famed individual like yourself +would be fool enough to jump into a quagmire. Come, shew me the place, +and how it happened." So the tiger led him to the quagmire, and said, +"This is the place from which I sprang, and this is how I did it," +and he leaped into the quagmire. The jackal turning to the men, said, +"What are you staring at? Pelt him with stones." So they all set to +and stoned the tiger to death. + + + + + + +STORY OF A LIZARD, A TIGER, AND A LAME MAN. + + +Once upon a time in a certain jungle, a lizard and a tiger were +fighting, and a lame man, who was tending goats near by, saw them. The +tiger being beaten by the lizard was ashamed to own it, and coming to +the lame man said, "Tell me which of us won." The lame man being in +great fear lest the tiger should eat him, said, "You won." On another +occasion the lizard was compelled to flee, and took refuge in an +ant hill. The tiger pursued him, but not being able to get him out, +sat down to watch. + +The lizard seeing his opportunity, crept stealthily up to his +inveterate enemy, and climbing up his tail, fixed his teeth into his +haunch, and held firmly on. The tiger felt the pain of the lizard's +bite, but could not reach him to knock him off, so he ran to the lame +man, and said, "Release me from this lizard." When he had caused the +lizard to let go his grip, the tiger said, "Oh lame man, which of us +won in the encounter?" The poor man in great fear said, "You won." + +The same scene was enacted daily for many days. The tiger always came +to the lame man and said, "Knock off this lizard," and after he had +done so, would say, "Which of us won?" The lame man invariably replied, +"You won." This had happened so often that the lame man began to feel +annoyed at having to tell a lie every day to please the tiger. So one +day after an ignominious flight on the part of the tiger, he being, +as usual, requested to give his opinion as to who won, said, "The +lizard had the best of it." On hearing this the tiger became angry, +and said, "I shall eat you, my fine fellow, because you say the lizard +defeated me. Tell me where you sleep." The poor lame man on hearing +the tiger threaten him thus, trembled with fear, and was silent. But +the tiger pressed him. He said, "Tell at once, for I shall certainly +devour you." The lame man replied, "I sleep in the wall press." When +night fell, the tiger set off to eat the lame man, but after searching +in the wall press failed to find him. In the morning the lame man +led his goats out to graze, and again met the tiger, who addressed +him as follows, "You are a great cheat. I did not find you in the +wall press last night." The lame man replied, "How is it you did not +find me? I was sleeping there." "No," said the tiger, "you were not, +you have deceived me. Now, tell me truly where you sleep." "I sleep +on a rafter," said the lame man. About midnight the tiger went again +in search of him to eat him, but did not find him on the rafter, so +he returned home. In the morning the lame man as usual led his goats +out to graze, and again encountered the tiger, who said to him, "How +now! Where do you sleep? I could not find you last night." The lame +man rejoined, "That is strange, I was there all the same." The tiger +said, "You are a consummate liar. Now tell me plainly where you sleep +at night, for I shall without doubt eat you." The lame man replied, +"I sleep in the fire-place." Again the tiger went at night, but could +not find him. Next morning he met the lame man, and said to him, +"No more tricks, tell me where you sleep." He, thrown off his guard, +said, "In the gongo." [4] + +The tiger then withdrew to his den to wait till night came on, and +the lame man, cursing his indiscretion, with a heavy heart, drove his +goats homewards. Having made his charge safe for the night, he sat down +feeling very miserable. He refused the food that was set before him, +and continued bewailing his hard lot. In the hope of inducing him to +eat, they gave him some mohwa wrapped in a sal leaf. This also failed +to tempt him to eat; but he carried it with him when he crept into the +gongo to sleep. At night the tiger came and lifting up the gongo felt +it heavy, and said, "Well, are you inside?" He replied, "Yes, I am." So +the tiger carried off the gongo with the lame man in it. By the time +the tiger had gone a considerable distance, the lame man became hungry +and said within himself, "I shall have to die in the end, but in the +meantime I will appease my hunger." So he opened his small parcel of +mohwa, and the dry leaf crackled as he did so. The noise frightened the +tiger and he said, "What is it you are opening?" The lame man replied, +"It is yesterday's lizard." "Hold! hold!" exclaimed the tiger, "Do +not let him out yet, let me get clear away first." The lame man said, +"Not so, I will not wait, but will let him out at once." The tiger +being terrified at the prospect of again meeting his mortal enemy, +the redoubtable lizard, threw down the gongo and fled, calling out, +"I will not eat you. You have got the lizard with you." + +In this way the lame man by means of the lizard saved his life. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF A SIMPLETON. + + +There was once a certain simpleton who had never seen a horse, but +had heard that there was such an animal, and that men rode on his +back. His curiosity was greatly excited, and he went here and there +searching for a horse, so that he might ride on its back. On his way +he fell in with a wag, and asked him, what horses were like, where +they could be found, and whence were they produced. The wag replied, +"They are very large, they are to be had at the weekly market, +and they are hatched from eggs." He then asked, "What is the price +of the eggs?" The other replied, "Price! They are cheap, one pice +each." So one day he went to the market and bought four eggs which he +saw exposed for sale, and brought them home with him. He then made +preparations for a lengthened absence from his house, and started +for the jungle, taking with him rice, a cooking pot and fire, to +get the eggs hatched. Having reached the jungle, he placed the eggs +to hatch in what turned out to be a tiger's den, and then went some +distance off and sat down. After a short time he went to have a look +at the eggs, and found one was missing. He was greatly distressed, at +having as he fancied lost his horse, and cried out, "It has hatched, +and run away somewhere. But what has happened, has happened. What +can I do? I'll look out for the next one when it hatches." He then +went to cook his rice, and returning after some time missed another +of the eggs. He was very much grieved over the loss of the two eggs, +and mourning his misfortune, cried, "Where have the two gone, after +they came out of the shell? There still, however, remain two eggs." So +saying, he returned to finish his cooking. After a few minutes' +interval, he went to have a look at the eggs, and saw that another had +disappeared; only one remained. His grief at the loss of three horses, +was intense. He cried out, "Oh! where shall I find them? Three horses +have been hatched, and they have all run away." He then went to where +his cooking had been performed, and quickly ate his rice, and returned +in all haste to look at his egg. It too was gone. On seeing this, +his sorrow and disappointment were acute. He bemoaned his ill luck +as follows, "After all the trouble I was at to procure my eggs, they +have all hatched, and the horses are lost. But what is, must be. I +shall relieve my mind by taking a chew of tobacco." After putting the +tobacco into his mouth he noticed the tiger's den, and said, "It is +in here, the horses have gone." So he went and broke from a tree a +long stick with which he tried to poke his horses out. For some time +his labours met with no reward, but at last he succeeded in forcing +the tiger out of his den. Just as he was coming out, the simpleton +by some chance or other got astride of his back, and called out, +"At last I have found a horse." His delight was boundless. But the +tiger would not go in the direction of his rider's house, but kept +going further into the jungle. The simpleton then struck him about the +head and ears saying, "As ghur ghur, as ghur ghur;" [5] nevertheless +the tiger plunged deeper into the jungle. At last he bolted into a +thicket of trailing plants, where he unseated the simpleton. The tiger +having got rid of his rider fled. Afterwards he met a jackal who said +to him, "Where away, in such hot haste?" "Uh!" he said, "how much +of it can I tell you! I have been greatly harassed, and distressed +by As ghur ghur. It was with great difficulty I succeeded in giving +him the slip, and now I am fleeing for dear life." The jackal said, +"Come along and shew him to me, and I shall soon eat him up." The +tiger replied, "Oh dear! no. I cannot go. If he finds me again he +will do for me altogether." "Nonsense," said the jackal, "lead me to +where he is, and I shall devour him." The tiger was persuaded, and +led the way, and the jackal followed. After some little time they met +a bear, who said, "Where are you two going?" The jackal gave answer, +"This person has somewhere seen As ghur ghur and I am saying to him, +'Take me to where he is, and I shall eat him,' but he will not push +ahead." Then the bear said, "Come let us all go together, and I shall +eat him up." The tiger said, "I will go no further." The jackal then +said, "Listen to me, I will put you upon a plan. Let us hold on by +each other's tails, in this way you will have no cause to fear any +evil." This suggestion pleased them well, and they cried out, "Yes, +let us do that. You have hit upon a first rate expedient." Then the +bear took hold of the tiger's tail, and the jackal that of the bear, +and in this way they pursued their journey. But just as they drew near +the thicket in which the simpleton had been left, the tiger exclaimed, +"Look there, he is coming towards us," and being terribly frightened, +fled at his utmost speed dragging the bear and jackal after him tearing +the skin from off their bodies on the rough stones and gravel. At +length the jackal cried out, "Hold on uncle, hold on uncle, you have +rubbed all the skin off my body." But he would not halt, but kept +dashing on through wood and brake, dragging them after him, until the +bear's tail broke, and the jackal was released. His body by this time +was all raw flesh, and he was swollen into a round mass. However, +he managed to pick himself up, and run for his life. + +Afterwards they met in with a pack of wild dogs who said, +"Hulloo! what's up, that you are fleeing in such a plight?" They +replied, "We are fleeing from As ghur ghur." "Where is he?" said they, +"We will eat him." The tiger said, "There just in front of you, where +you see the dark spot in the forest." So they went in the direction +indicated, and while they were yet some distance off, they saw the +simpleton standing in the shade of the trees. He also saw them, and +being afraid hid himself in a hollow tree. On coming up to the tree +in which he was, they surrounded it, and one of their number essayed +to poke him out of his hiding place with his tail. The simpleton, +however, taking hold of it twisted it round his hands, and pulled +with all his might. The pain caused by his tail being pulled, caused +the wild dog to grin. On seeing this, one of his companions said, +"Oh! Brother, wherefore do you grin." He said, "I have got hold of +him, and I am smiling with pleasure." The simpleton from within +the tree continued to pull, till the tail of the wild dog broke, +and he fell to the ground with a thud. The others on looking at him +noticed that he had lost his tail. So they all became panic stricken, +and fled from the place with all possible speed. + +The simpleton took up his residence in that part of the jungle in +which the above occurred. He is said to be the ancestor of the Bir +hors, or jungle Santals. + + + + + + +A THIEF AND A TIGER. + + +In a certain country there lived a very wealthy man whose cattle +grazed on a wide plain. One day a tiger noticed them, and so did three +thieves. At night the tiger came to where they were lying, and so did +the three thieves, but the tiger arrived first. The night was pitch +dark, and the cows getting frightened fled to their owner's premises, +and all entered the cattle shed. When the tiger saw the cattle flee +he ran after them, and entered the shed along with them. The thieves, +coming to where they expected to find the cattle, and not seeing them, +also went to the cattle shed; but the people of the house not having +yet retired to rest, they hid themselves in the vicinity. When all +became still, they entered the cattle shed, and began feeling for +the largest and fattest oxen. Two of the thieves, each finding one to +his mind, drove them away. But one man being more difficult to please +than his neighbours continued to go from one to another groping for a +good fat one. In this way he laid his hands on the tiger, it seemed a +fat one, but lest there should be one still fatter, he left him for +a little. However, as he did not find one better than the tiger he +returned to him, and felt him all over again. He was without doubt the +fattest in the shed, so he drove him out. On reaching the open field, +the tiger went in the direction of the jungle, and his driver had great +difficulty in getting him to go the road he wished. In this way,--the +tiger going one direction, and the man pulling him another,--they +spent the night. At cock-crow the thief became aware, that it was +a tiger he had been contending with in the dark, and not an ox. He +then said to the tiger, "It is you then, whom I have taken possession +of." He then released the tiger, who fled to the jungle at full speed. + +The thief having been awake all night felt tired, and lying down in +the shade of a ridge of a rice field to rest, fell asleep. + +The tiger as he ran encountered a jackal who exclaimed, "Ho! Ho! uncle, +where are you off to, at such a break-neck pace?" The tiger replied, +"I am going in this direction. A mite kept me awake all night, I +am fleeing through fear of him." The jackal then said, "It is very +strange, uncle, that you did not vanquish him. We eat such as he. Tell +me where he is, and I shall soon snap him up." The tiger said, "He is +over in the direction of those rice fields, asleep somewhere." The +jackal then went in search of him, and soon found him asleep in +the shade of a ridge of a rice field. He then went all round him +reconnoitring, and when he had completed the circuit exclaimed, +"The tiger said he was a mite, but he turns out to be of immense +size, I cannot eat him all myself. I will gather my friends together +to assist me, and then we shall devour him in no time." So he sat +down with his back towards the sleeping thief, so near that his tail +touched his neck, and began to yell as only a hungry jackal can. The +noise awoke the sleeper, and seeing the jackal sitting so near to him, +he quietly caught him by the tail, and springing on to his feet swung +him round and round above his head, and then flung him from him. The +jackal was severely stunned, but picking himself up, fled as fast as +his legs could carry him. After he had gone some little distance he +met a bear, who said, "Where away in such hot haste?" He made answer, +"Uh! What can I tell you more than that that barren tiger grossly +deceived me. He told me he was a mite, I went to see him and found he +was a ghur pank, [6] and without doubt he ghur panked me." The bear +then said, "Oh! I'll eat him. Tell me where he is." The jackal said, +"You will find him over in these rice fields." So the bear went +to find him and eat him. When still some distance off he spied him +laying asleep, and was greatly delighted, exclaiming, "My belly will +be swollen with eating him before long." The thief accidentally lifted +his head, and saw the bear coming straight for him, so he jumped up +and ran to the nearest tree into which he climbed. The bear saw him, +and went up after him, and tried to get hold of him, but he jumped +from one branch to another as the bear followed him. After this had +gone on for some time, it so happened that the bear missed his footing +and fell heavily to the ground. The thief immediately jumped on to his +back. The bear was frightened, and getting to his feet fled as fast +as he could; the thief clasped him tightly round the neck, saying, +"If I let go my hold he will eat me." The bear of course ran to the +jungle, where the thief was caught by the branches of the trees, and +dragged off his back. He did not return to the rice fields to sleep, +as he feared some other animal might come to eat him, but went to +his own home. + +As the bear fled, he again met the jackal who asked him, "Well! did +you eat him?" The bear replied, "You Sir, are a great cheat, you told +me he was ghur pank. He is kara upar chap." [7] The two quarrelled +over the matter, and the bear tried to catch the jackal to eat him, +but he managed to escape. + + + + + + +THE MAGIC FIDDLE + + +Once upon a time there lived seven brothers and a sister. The +brothers were married, but their wives did not do the cooking for +the family. It was done by their sister. The wives for this reason +bore their sister-in-law much ill will, and at length they combined +together to oust her from the office of cook and general provider, +so that one of themselves might obtain it. They said, "She does not +go out to the fields to work, but remains quietly at home, and yet +she has not the meals ready at the proper time." They then called +upon their Bad Bonga, [8] and vowing vows unto him they secured his +good will and assistance; then they said to the Bad Bonga, "At mid-day +when our sister-in-law goes to bring water, cause it thus to happen, +that on seeing her pitcher the water shall vanish, and again slowly +re-appear. In this way she will be delayed. May the water not flow into +her pitcher, and you keep the maiden as your own." At noon when she +went to bring water, it suddenly dried up before her, and she began +to weep. Then after a while the water began slowly to rise. When it +reached her ankles she tried to fill her pitcher, but it would not +go under the water. Being frightened she began to wail as follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles, + Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles, + Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip, + Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip." + + +The water continued to rise until it reached her knee, when she began +to wail as follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my knee, + Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my knee, + Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip, + Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip." + + +The water continued to rise, and when it reached her waist, she wailed +as follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my waist, + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my waist, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip." + + +The water in the tank continued to rise, and when it reached her +breast, she wailed as follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my breast, + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my breast, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not fill, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not fill." + + +The water still rose, and when it reached her neck she wailed as +follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my neck, + "Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my neck, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip, + "Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip." + + +At length the water became so deep that she felt herself to be +drowning, then she wailed as follows;-- + + + "Oh! my brother, the water measures a man's height, + "Oh! my brother, the water measures a man's height, + "Oh! my brother, the pitcher begins to fill, + "Oh! my brother, the pitcher begins to fill." + + +The pitcher filled with water, and along with it she sank and was +drowned. The bonga then transformed her into a bonga like himself, +and carried her off. + +After a time she re-appeared as a bamboo growing on the embankment +of the tank in which she had been drowned. When the bamboo had grown +to an immense size, a Jugi, who was in the habit of passing that way, +seeing it, said to himself, this will make a splendid fiddle. So one +day he brought an axe to cut it down; but when he was about to begin, +the bamboo exclaimed, "Do not cut at the root, cut higher up." When +he lifted his axe to cut high up the stem, the bamboo cried out, +"Do not cut near the top, cut at the root." When the Jugi again +prepared himself to cut at the root as requested, the bamboo said, +"Do not cut at the root, cut higher up;" and when he was about to +cut higher up, it again called out to him, "Do not cut high up, +cut at the root." The Jugi by this time was aware that a bonga was +trying to frighten him, so becoming angry he cut down the bamboo at +the root, and taking it away made a fiddle out of it. The instrument +had a superior tone and delighted all who heard it. The Jugi carried +it with him when he went a-begging, and through the influence of its +sweet music he returned home every evening with a full wallet. + +He now and again visited, when on his rounds, the house of the +bonga girl's brothers, and the strains of the fiddle affected them +greatly. Some of them were moved even to tears, for the fiddle +seemed to wail as one in bitter anguish. The elder brother wished +to purchase it, and offered to support the Jugi for a whole year, +if he would consent to part with his magical instrument. The Jugi, +however, knew its value, and refused to sell it. + +It so happened that the Jugi sometime after went to the house of a +village chief, and after playing a tune or two on his fiddle asked +something to eat. They offered to buy his fiddle and promised a +high price for it, but he rejected all such overtures, his fiddle +being to him his means of livelihood. When they saw that he was not +to be prevailed upon, they gave him food and a plentiful supply of +liquor. Of the latter he partook so freely that he presently became +intoxicated. While he was in this condition, they took away his fiddle, +and substituted their own old one for it. When the Jugi recovered, +he missed his instrument, and suspecting that it had been stolen +requested them to return it to him. They denied having taken it, +so he had to depart, leaving his fiddle behind him. The chief's son +being a musician, used to play on the Jugi's fiddle, and in his hands +the music it gave forth delighted the ears of all within hearing. + +When all the household were absent at their labours in the fields, +the bonga girl emerged from the bamboo fiddle, and prepared the family +meal. Having partaken of her own share, she placed that of the chiefs +son under his bed, and covering it up to keep off the dust, re-entered +the fiddle. This happening every day the other members of the household +were under the impression that some female neighbour of theirs was in +this manner showing her interest in the young man, so they did not +trouble themselves to find out how it came about. The young chief, +however, was determined to watch, and see which of his lady friends was +so attentive to his comfort. He said in his own mind, "I will catch +her to-day, and give her a sound beating. She is causing me to be +ashamed before the others." So saying, he hid himself in a corner in +a pile of firewood. In a short time the girl came out of the bamboo +fiddle, and began to dress her hair. Having completed her toilet, +she cooked the meal of rice as usual, and having partaken herself, +she placed the young man's portion under his bed, as she was wont, +and was about to enter the fiddle again, when he running out from +his hiding place caught her in his arms. The bonga girl exclaimed, +"Fie! Fie! you may be a Dom, or you may be a Hadi." [9] He said, +"No. But from to-day, you and I are one." So they began lovingly +to hold converse with each other. When the others returned home in +the evening, they saw that she was both a human being and a bonga, +and they rejoiced exceedingly. + +Through course of time the bonga girl's family became very poor, +and her brothers on one occasion came to the chief's house on a visit. + +The bonga girl recognised them at once, but they did not know who +she was. She brought them water on their arrival, and afterwards set +cooked rice before them. Then sitting down near them, she began in +wailing tones to upbraid them on account of the treatment she had +been subjected to by their wives. She related all that had befallen +her, and wound up by saying, "It is probable that you knew it all, +and yet you did not interfere to save me." + +After a time she became reconciled to her sisters-in-law, and no +longer harboured enmity in her mind against them, for the injury they +had done her. + + + + + + +GUMDA, THE HERO. + + +There was once a certain fatherless lad named Gumda. His occupation +was to tend the raja's goats. He, and his mother lived in a small house +at the end of the street in which the raja's palace was situated. The +raja's mahout was in the habit of taking his elephant along that +street, and every time it passed, it rubbed itself against the wall +of Gumda's house. One day at noon it so happened that Gumda was at +home when the elephant was being taken to the tank to drink, and as +usual he rubbed his side against the house as he passed. Gumda was +incensed with the elephant for thus destroying his house, and coming +out quickly, said to the mahout, "What although it is the raja's +elephant! I could take hold of any person's elephant by the trunk, +and throw it across seven seas." The elephant understood what Gumda +had said, and he refused to go down into the water, and would not even +drink. On being brought home he would not eat his grain, nor would he +so much as look at water. He continued thus so long that he began to +grow lean and weak. The mahout knew that it was Gumda's curse that had +so affected his charge. The raja one day noticing the altered condition +of his elephant, said to the mahout, "Why has the elephant become +so emaciated?" The mahout replied, "Oh! raja, one day at noon Gumda +abused him. He said, 'If you were not the raja's elephant, I would +take you by the trunk and throw you across seven seas.' 'Every day,' +he said, 'he rubs himself against my house.' Since then the elephant +has refused his food and water." The raja, on hearing this, commanded +that Gumda be brought before him. The messenger found him at home, +and brought him into the presence of the raja who asked him, "Is it +true, Gumda, that you said you would throw the elephant as you would +a stone?" Gumda replied, "Yes, it is quite true that I said so. The +elephant every time it passes along the street rubs itself against +the wall of my house, and being angry, I said these words. Now, do +with me whatsoever you please." The raja marvelled greatly on hearing +Gumda's reply, and addressing him said, "Now my lad, prove your words, +for prove them you must. If you succeed in thus throwing an elephant, +I shall present you with a large estate." The raja appointed the tenth +day following as that on which Gumda should wrestle with the elephant; +and he, after receiving permission from the raja, returned home. + +The raja in the interval caused proclamation to be made to all his +subjects, ordering them to be present on the day when Gumda was to +meet the elephant in mortal combat. On the morning of the appointed +day Gumda was found baking bread. As he did not appear punctually +in the arena, the raja sent a messenger to bring him. On arriving +at Gumda's house, he found him baking bread. He said to him, "Come +along, the raja has asked for you." Gumda said, "Wait a little till I +partake of some refreshment." He invited the messenger to be seated, +and he also sat down as if to eat, but instead of eating the bread, +he began to throw it at the man, and continued doing so until he had +buried him under eight maunds of loaves. The poor fellow cried out, +"Oh Gumda, come and release me, of a truth I am almost crushed to +death under this heap of bread." He removed the bread from above him, +and he immediately returned to the raja. As he was leaving the house +he saw 12 maunds of cooked rice, evidently intended for Gumda's +dinner. Coming into the presence of the raja he said, "Oh! raja, +I saw in Gumda's house twelve maunds of cooked rice, and he threw a +loaf of bread weighing eight maunds at me, which almost crushed me +to death. It is quite possible that he may win." + +At length Gumda came bringing with him a sledge hammer weighing +twelve maunds, and a shield of the same weight. The contest was to +take place on a plain sufficiently large to accommodate an immense +number of spectators. + +Then the fight began. The two combatants attacked each other so +furiously that they raised such a cloud of dust as to completely +conceal them from the onlookers. The elephant could not long sustain +the unequal combat, and when he was beaten, Gumda seized him by the +trunk, and threw him over the seas. Owing to the darkness caused by +the clouds of dust, none of the thousands present noticed the elephant +as he went, flying over their heads high up in the air. + +When the dust subsided, Gumda was found sitting alone, the elephant +was nowhere to be seen. The raja called the victor to him, and said, +"What have you done with the elephant?" Gumda replied "I flung him +early in the forenoon over seven seas." Hearing his answer and not +seeing the elephant, they all marvelled greatly. + +The raja then said to Gumda, "Well, you have thrown the elephant +somewhere. You must now go in search of its bones." Gumda went home +and said to his mother, "Make up a parcel of food for me, I am going +to find the elephant's bones." She complied with his request and he +set out. + +As he hurried along intent upon his quest, he found a man fishing with +a Palmyra palm tree as a rod, and a full grown elephant as a bait. On +seeing him Gumda exclaimed, "You are indeed a great hero." The man +replied, "I am no hero, the widow's son Gumda is the great hero, for +did not he fling the raja's elephant across seven seas?" Gumda said, +"I am he." The fisherman said," I will go with you." Gumda replied, +"Come along!" + +As Gumda and his attendant went on their way, they came to a field in +which a number of men were hoeing, and their master, to shield them +from the heat of the sun, stood holding over them, as an umbrella, +a large Pepul tree. [10] Gumda seeing him said, "You are a hero +and no mistake." The man replied, "No indeed, I am no hero. Gumda, +the widow's son, threw the raja's elephant across seven seas. He is +the hero." Gumda said, "I am he." "Then," said the man, "I also will +go with you." "Follow me," said Gumda, and the three proceeded on +their way. + +As they journeyed they fell in with two men, who were raising water +from a tank for irrigating purposes by merely singing. When Gumda +saw them, he exclaimed, "You two are heroes indeed." They answered, +"What do you see heroic in us? There is one hero, Gumda by name, he +threw a raja's elephant across seven seas." Gumda said, "I am he." The +men exclaimed, "We also will follow you." Gumda said, "Follow." And +the five men went forth to search for the elephant's bones. + +On and on they went until they reached the sea, which they crossed, +and entered the primeval forest beyond. Selecting a suitable place +they encamped, and began the search for the elephant's bones. The +first day the fisherman was left in the camp to cook the food, +while the others went out into the forest. Near by a certain jugi +raja resided in a cave in a rock. He came to the camp just as the +food was cooked, and said to the fisherman, "Give me some rice to +eat." He declined, and the jugi raja then said, "Will you give me +rice, or will you fight with me?" He replied, "I have prepared this +food with difficulty and prefer fighting to giving it up." So they +fought, and the jugi raja was victor. He laid a heavy stone on the +breast of the cook, and then devoured all the food. There had been +twelve maunds of rice prepared, and he left none. After a long time +he released his victim, and then went his way. Being released the +fisherman set about preparing more food, but before it was ready, +his companions returned and seeing the pot still on the fire, they +enquired why he had not made haste with his cooking. He replied, +"I have not been idle, I have spent all the time in cooking." He did +not tell them about the jugi raja having been at the camp. + +The next day another of the company remained as cook, while the +others went out to search in the forest for the elephant's bones. The +jugi raja again visited the camp, and the scene of the previous day +was re-enacted. But he also did not speak of the visit of the jugi +raja to the others when they returned. In this way the jugi raja +encountered each in turn till only Gumda was left, and he remained +in the camp to cook. When he had got the rice cooked, the jugi raja +made his appearance and said, "Will you fight with me, or will you +give up the food?" Gumda replied, "I will not give you the food. I +have spent much time in cooking it, and when those who have gone in +search of the elephant's bones return, what shall I set before them, +if I give it to you now? You have played this trick every day, and +have put my companions to much trouble, but to-day we have met." So +they fought. Gumda overpowered the jugi raja, and killed him with the +stone he used to put upon the breast of those whom he vanquished. He +then espoused the jugi raja's wife, and took possession of his +kingdom. Gumda's companions held him in great awe, because each in +turn had been conquered by the jugi raja, but Gumda had experienced +little difficulty in putting him to death. + +Gumda became raja of that country, and when he had settled his affairs, +he sent for his mother to come and reside with him. The raja, whom +Gumda had previously served, sought his friendship, and withdrew his +command to Gumda to search for the elephant's bones until he found +them. The prowess of Gumda caused him to deprecate his anger. He said, +"If I offend him, he will kill me as he did the jugi raja, and take +my wife and kingdom, as he did his." + + + + + + +LIPI, AND LAPRA. + + +Once upon a time there were seven brothers. At first they were +very poor, but afterwards they became comparatively rich, and were +in position to lay out a little money at usury. The affairs of the +youngest prospered most, so that before long he became the wealthiest +of them all. + +Each of the seven brothers planted fruit trees, and every day after +they returned from their work, before they sat down to meat, they +watered them. In process of time all the trees flowered, but the +flowers on the eldest brother's trees withered and dropped off the day +they appeared. The trees of the other brothers failed to ripen their +fruit, but those of the youngest brother were laden with delicious +fruit which ripened to perfection. Five of the brothers said to him, +"You are very fortunate in having such a splendid crop;" but the +eldest brother was envious of his good fortune, and resolved to be +revenged upon him. + +The youngest brother brought up two puppies, whom he named Lipi and +Lapra. They turned out good hunting dogs, and by their aid their master +used to keep the family larder well supplied. The others were pleased +to see so much game brought to the house. One day they said to him, +"Take us also to where you get your large game." To this he agreed, +and they accompanied him to his usual hunting ground. Game was +plentiful, but they could kill nothing, although every time he shot +an arrow he brought down his animal. Five of his brothers praised +him for his skill, and accuracy of aim, but the eldest brother, not +having succeeded in bagging anything himself, envied him still more, +and was confirmed in his desire for revenge. + +It so happened that one day all the brothers, with the exception of the +eldest and the youngest, went out to their work. The eldest brother +finding himself alone with his youngest brother proposed that they +should go together to the hill for the purpose of procuring fibre to +make ropes. He said, "Come let us go to the hill to cut lar." [11] +His brother replied, "Come, let us set out." He, however, wished +to take his dogs with him, but his brother said, "Why should you +tire them by taking them so far? Leave them behind." But he replied, +"I shall not go, unless you allow me to take them with me. How shall +we be able to bring home venison if they do not accompany us? They +may kill some game on the way." As he insisted, he was permitted to +do as he desired, and they set out for the hill. + +As they went on their way they came to a spring, and the elder said, +"Tie up the two dogs here. I know all this forest, and there is no +game to be found in it." The younger was averse to leaving his dogs +behind him, but as his brother seemed determined he should do so, +he tied them with a stout rope to a tree. His brother said, "See that +you make them secure, so that they may not break loose and run away, +and be lost." + +A low hill lay between them, and the high one on which the trees +grew which yielded the lar. This they surmounted, and descending into +the valley that divided them began the ascent, and soon reached the +place where their work was to be. They soon cut and peeled sufficient +lar, and sitting down twisted it into strong ropes. Just as they had +prepared to return home, the elder brother seized the younger, and +bound him with the ropes they had made. He then grasped his sickle +with the intention of putting him to death. The helpless young man +thought of his dogs, and in a loud voice wailed as follows;-- + + + Come, come, Lipi and Lapra, + Cross the low hill + On to the slope of the high. + + +He called them again and again. The dogs heard the voice, and +struggled to get loose, and at length, by a great effort, they +succeeded in breaking the ropes with which they were bound, and +ran in the direction from which the sound proceeded. Now and again +the cries ceased, and they stood still until they again heard them, +when they ran as before. Having reached the valley that separated the +two hills, they could no longer hear the wailing as before, and they +were greatly perplexed. They ran hither and thither, hoping to catch +it again, but not doing so they directed their course to the large +hill, on reaching the foot of which it again became audible. They +now recognized the voice of their master, and ran rapidly forward. + +When the elder brother saw the dogs approaching, he quickly aimed a +blow with the sickle at his younger brother's head, but he, jerking +aside, escaped. Before there was time for him to strike again, the +dogs had arrived, and their master hounded them upon his assailant +and they quickly tore him to pieces. They then bit through the ropes +with which his brother had bound him, and set him at liberty. He +then returned home accompanied by his dogs, and when they enquired of +him where his brother was, he replied, "He left me to follow a deer, +I cannot say what direction he took. We did not meet again." He wept +as he related this, and they enquired, "Why do you weep?" He said, +"My two dogs lay down on the ground, and howled, and fear possesses +me that some wild beast has devoured my brother." + +The next day a party went in search of him, and found him as the dogs +had left him. When they saw him lying torn and bloody, they said, +"Some wild beast has done this." + +They brought the body home, and committed it to the flames of the +funeral pile, and sorrowfully performed all the ceremonies usual on +such occasions. + +After the death of the elder brother, they all lived together in +peace and harmony. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF LELHA. + + +I. + +There once lived a certain raja, who had three wives. The two elder had +two sons each, and the younger only one, whose name was Lelha. [12] +The four sons of the first two wives were very friendly with each +other, being seldom separate, but they despised Lelha, and never +permitted him to join them in any of their pastimes or sports. + +The raja had a plot of ground set apart for a flower garden, but +there was nothing in it. One day a certain Jugi came to him, and said, +"Oh! raja, if you fill your garden with all kinds of flowering plants, +your whole city will appear enchanting." Having said this, the Jugi +went to his home. The raja was greatly affected by what the Jugi had +said, and was immediately seized with a fit of the sulks. There was +an apartment in the palace set apart for the exclusive use of those +who happened to be in that state of mind. Such an one shut himself +up in this chamber until the fit wore off, or until he was persuaded +to be himself again. + +The raja refused his evening meal, and as was his wont, when in this +frame of mind, retired to the sulking apartment, and lay down. The +two elder ranis having been informed of what had occurred, hasted +to the raja, and said, "Oh! raja, why are you sulking?" He replied, +"This morning a Jugi came to me and said, that if I planted flowering +shrubs in my garden the whole city would appear enchanting. If any +one will do this work for me, I will rise, if not, I shall remain +here." The ranis then addressed him thus, "Oh! raja, rise up, and eat +and drink." The raja replied, "Let the young men come to me, I will do +as you desire." The two ranis then left, and calling their sons, sent +them to their father. Coming into the presence of the raja they said, +"Wherefore father are you sulking?" The raja replied, "If you plant +flowers in my flower garden I shall be comforted, and shall leave +my couch." They said, "Is it on this account you are distressed? We +shall cause the garden to be filled with flowers in a short time." On +receiving this assurance the raja left his bed, and partook of food, +and was refreshed. Lelha's mother now appeared on the scene, and +addressing the raja, said, "Wherefore, raja are you sulky?" He replied, +"Who told you I was sulky?" She replied, "A shopkeeper gave me the +information." Then the raja got angry, and ordered her to leave, +but she said, "If you do not tell me why you are sulking I will not +depart, am not I also your humble maidservant? Unless you tell me, +I will not go, I will die here rather than leave." The raja relented, +and related to her all the words of the Jugi. She then returned home. + +Her son Lelha entered the house soon after her arrival. He had been +engaged in some field sports, and being wearied and hungry, said to +his mother, "Give me some cooked rice." She was annoyed with him +and said, "Although the raja is ill, your first cry is for boiled +rice." Lelha on hearing this went to his father, and enquired what +was wrong. But the raja flying into a rage scolded him, saying, "Go +away Lelha. What do you want here? Never come near me again. Did not I +build a house for your mother and you at the extreme end of the street, +away from here? Be off, or I shall beat you." To which Lelha replied, +"Oh! father raja, am not I also a son of yours? Let me be foolish +or otherwise, still, I am your son, and unless you inform me of what +has grieved you, I shall die rather than leave this." Then the raja +told him also. He said, "It is because I do not see flowers in the +garden." "Oh!" said Lelha, "Is that what distresses you?" He then left. + +The raja's four elder sons caused all manner of flowering shrubs and +trees to be planted in the garden, and in a short time it was in a +blaze of colour, so much so, that the whole city was as if lighted +thereby. + +Just at this time, when every tree, shrub and plant was covered with +blossom another Jugi, named Koema Jugi, came to the city and said +to one and another, "You, the citizens of this city, are covering +yourselves with renown, but if you attach hiras [13] and manis [14] to +the branches, you will add renown to renown." The Jugi's words reached +the raja, and he was so much affected by them, that he immediately +began to sulk, and on being questioned by his two ranis, he replied, +"Do you not remember the words of the Koema Jugi?" They said, "Yes, +we remember. He said, 'if you place hiras and manis in this garden +the whole country will be resplendent'." "On that account then, I am +sulking, and if I do not see hiras and manis, I shall not partake of +any food." At the raja's words the two ranis returned sorrowfully to +their apartments. + +At that moment their four sons entered the house and asked for +food. The ranis were annoyed, and said, "The raja, your father, +is sulking, and you must have food and drink." On learning their +father's state the youths were distressed on his account, and went +to him weeping, and enquired why he was sulking. He related to them +the words of Koema Jugi, and added, "Unless I see hiras and manis +attached to the branches of the trees in my flower garden, I shall +not rise from my couch." His four sons replied, "Is it for this reason +you are grieving? We will search for, and bring them, and if we fail, +then sulk again, and refuse your food, and die of hunger, and we will +not prevent you, only listen to us this time and get up." The raja +was persuaded to rise, and having partaken of food he was refreshed. + + + + +II. + +The raja had planted flowering shrubs in his garden, but the Indarpuri +Sadoms [15] ate up all the flowers as they appeared, and so he again +began to sulk. He said, "I planted bushes, but I see no flowers. What +reason is there for my remaining alive?" And going to the sulking +chamber he lay down, and as usual refused to eat. Then there was +confusion in the household, and running hither and thither. The two +ranis went to him, but he was annoyed, and ordered them to leave, +saying, "I will not rise, by your telling me," so they returned +weeping, each to her own apartment. + +Just then their four sons returned from hunting, and demanded +food. Their mothers were annoyed, and said, "You young gentlemen +are hungry, and must have food, that the raja is sulking is nothing +to you, if you are fasting." On hearing this the sons went to their +father, and enquired, "Oh! father, wherefore are you sulking?" The +raja replied, "Oh! my sons, I am sulking because I see no flowers in +my garden. Unless I see flowers in my garden, I shall not remain in +this world." His sons replied, "Give us three days, and if at the end +of that time you see no flowers, then you may sulk." He was persuaded +to rise, and having bathed, and partaken of food, he was refreshed. + +Just then Lelha arrived, and addressing the raja said, "Oh! raja, +what ails you?" The raja on seeing Lelha was angry, and scolded him +severely. He said, "Has Lelha come here? Drive him away at once." Lelha +left without uttering another word. + +After three days the raja began again to sulk, because there were still +no flowers to be seen in his garden. The Indarpuri Sadoms came about +mid-night and ate up all the buds. The raja's four elder sons when +watching could not remain awake for one hour, and so the Indarpuri +Sadoms came nightly and devoured all the buds that should have burst +into flower in the morning, so that not one solitary blossom was to +be seen. For this reason the raja again began to sulk, and no one +dared to say anything to him. + +At this juncture Lelha's mother went from her own house to a shop +to buy rice. The shopkeeper refused to supply her. He said, "The +raja is sulking, and she comes here to buy rice. I will not weigh +it, so go." Lelha's mother went hastily home, and encountered Lelha +returning from a stroll. Lelha asked for food. He said, "Oh! mother, +give me cooked rice quickly." She rebuked him, and said, "The raja is +sulking. The shopkeeper refused to give me rice, how can I give you +food? I am a prey to grief, and here my young gentleman is hungry. Go +to the raja." + +Lelha did as his mother ordered him, and went to the apartment where +the raja was, and called several times, "Oh! father, get up." At +length the raja asked, "Who are you? Do not irritate me. Go away at +once." Lelha replied, "I am your humble slave and son, Lelha." His +father said, "Wherefore have you come here? Lelha, Go home, or else +I shall beat you. What do you want here? If you go, go at once, +if not, I shall have you chastised." Lelha replied, "Because you, +Oh! raja, are sulking. The shopkeeper in the bazaar refused to +sell to my mother rice, saying, 'something is amiss with the raja, +I cannot let you have it.'" The raja then said, "Go, and bring the +shopkeeper here." To which Lelha replied, "Why are you sulking? If +you do not tell me, it were better for me to die here. I cannot leave +you. I have come here fasting, not having eaten anything to-day." The +raja said, "Your four brothers have not been able to do anything, +and what can I hope from telling you about it, Lelha?" Lelha replied, +"It is still possible that I may accomplish something, but although I +should not, yet I am a son of yours. Do tell me. If you die, I shall +die also. We will depart this life together. I cannot return home." The +raja then thought within himself, I will tell him, and let him go. If +I do not do so, Lelha may die along with me. Then addressing Lelha, +he said, "It is nothing child, only I see no flowers in my garden, +and therefore I am sulking. Although your four brothers watched +three nights, still I see no flowers." Lelha then said, "If my +brothers watched three nights, see me watch one." The raja replied, +"Very good my son, let us leave this apartment." + +The raja went to bathe, and Lelha going to the shopkeeper bought +several kinds of grain, which he carried home and gave to his mother, +saying, "Roast a seer of each, and cook some rice for me. I have +succeeded in persuading my father to rise. He has bathed and dined, +and is refreshed. He was sulking because he can see no flowers in +his garden. It was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him +to get up." His mother said, "What does my Lord want with roasted +grain?" Lelha replied, "Let me do with it as I chose, you prepare +it. I will take it with me at night when I go to watch in the flower +garden." His mother said, "Have you forgotten your brothers' threats +to beat you?" Lelha replied, "My brothers may beat me, but no other +person. What help is there for it?" + +At nightfall, Lelha, having supped, tied up in the four corners of +his plaid four kinds of roasted grain, and entering the garden climbed +up on a raised platform, and began his vigil. + +After a short time he untied one of his parcels of roasted grain, +and began leisurely to eat it, one grain at a time. Just as he had +consumed the last one, an Indarpuri Sadom descended from the East and +alighted in the garden to browse upon the flowers. Lelha seeing it, +crept noiselessly up, and laid hold of it, and at the same instant its +rider, an Indarpuri Kuri, [16] exclaimed, "Hands off! Lelha. Hands +off! Lelha. Touch me not." Lelha replied, to the Indarpuri Kuri, +"Besides touching you, I will bind and detain you till morning. You +have become bold. You have caused my father to fast; but I have +captured you to-night. Where will you go?" "Let me go," she said, +"I will bless you." Lelha rejoined, "You are deceiving me." The +Indarpuri Kuri made answer, "I am not deceiving you. I shall give +you whatever blessing you may desire. Place your hand upon my head, +Lelha." He did so, and a lock of hair adhered to his hand, when he +withdrew it. The Indarpuri Kuri then said, "When you desire anything, +take that lock of hair into your hand, and say, Oh! Indarpuri Kuri, +give me this or that, and instantly you shall receive it. Of a +truth it shall be so. I shall never fail you." Lelha then released +the Indarpuri Sadom, and it mounted up into the air, and he and his +Indarpuri Rider vanished into space. + +By the time Lelha had eaten all the roasted grain from another +corner of his plaid, another Indarpuri Sadom with his Indarpuri Kuri +rider descended from the West. Lelha caught these as he had done the +first. This Kuri was a younger sister of the other, and she gave a +like blessing to Lelha before he released her horse. + +Lelha now began to eat his third parcel of roasted grain, and just as +he had finished it he saw another Indarpuri Sadom with an Indarpuri +Kuri rider descend from the North, and alight in the garden. Lelha +also captured these. The rider was a younger sister of the last. She +also gave Lelha a blessing, and was allowed to go. + +At cockcrow, Lelha, having eaten the last grain of his fourth parcel, +looked up and beheld an Indarpuri Sadom with an Indarpuri Kuri rider +descend into the garden from the North. She was the youngest of the +sisters. Lelha crept stealthily up, and laid hold of the horse's +mane. The Indarpuri Kuri then exclaimed, "Hands off! Lelha. Hands +off! Lelha." Then Lelha replied, "You Lelha greatly this morning. It +is almost dawn, where can you go to escape punishment?" Then the +Indarpuri Kuri said, "Oh! Lelha, We are four sisters, daughters of one +mother, I will give you a blessing." Lelha replied, "In this way three +persons have fled. You also appear the same." The Indarpuri Kuri said, +"We four sisters have one blessing. Place your hand upon my head, and +release me." Lelha did so, and the Indarpuri Sadom on being liberated +sailed off into the sky with his Indarpuri rider. Lelha tied the four +locks of hair of the Indarpuri Kuris each in a corner of his plaid, +as he had before done with the roasted grain. When the day fully +dawned he returned to his home weeping, for his four brothers seeing +the bushes laden with blossom were envious of him, and had hurled him +headlong to the ground from off the raised platform on which he sat. + +On reaching home his mother said to him, "You see your brothers have +beaten you. I warned you against going." Lelha replied, "What help +is there for it? My brothers beat me. No one else did. I must bear +it." His mother said, "Then, why do you let others know?" + +In the morning the raja said, "Last night Lelha was watching. I will +go and take a look at the garden." He went and found a perfect sea +of blossom, the sight of which almost overcame him. + +It so happened that as the raja gazed upon the fairy scene around him, +Koema Jugi turned up, and addressing the raja said, "You are lost +in wonder, but if you hang hiras and manis on the branches the whole +country will be resplendent. Then your wonder and amazement will be +increased twentyfold." + + + + +III. + +The raja's garden was without an equal in the world, but the words of +Koema Jugi had caused him to become discontented with it, and because +there were neither hiras nor manis hanging from the branches he, as +before, began to sulk. They reasoned with him saying, "Do not grieve +over it. We will bring hiras and manis." So he rose, and having bathed +partook of some refreshment. + +About this time Lelha's mother went to a shop to purchase food. On +seeing her the shopkeeper said, "Something is amiss with the raja, +and she is hungry, and comes here giving annoyance. Go away. I will +not weigh anything for you." So she returned home empty-handed. As she +entered the house she encountered Lelha just returned from hunting, +who said, "Oh! mother, give me cooked rice." His mother replied, +"Something is wrong with the raja, and here my young lord is fasting, +and cries for food. He is greatly concerned about his own affairs." + +Lelha went at once to the raja, and enquired "What ails you, +father?" The raja replied, "Is there anything ailing me? Has Lelha +come here? I will beat him shortly." Lelha said, "Do with me what you +please. Why are you sulking? If you do not tell me, although it should +cost me my life, I will not leave, rather slay me here at once." The +raja thought within himself, "He annoys me, I will tell him to get +rid of him." So he said, "Your brothers have gone in search of hiras +and manis, and it is because I do not see the trees in my garden +adorned with these precious stones that I am sulking. Lelha said, +"I will also go." His father said, "Do not go child." But Lelha was +determined, and disregarded his father's command. + +Lelha went to the bazaar and purchased rice and dal, and his mother +when she saw him bringing them home with him, said, "What is wrong? You +are completely out of breath." Lelha replied, "My brothers have gone +to search for hiras and manis, and I also am busy preparing to follow +them." She tried to dissuade him saying, "Although the mean fellows +beat you, still you will not keep away from them." Lelha quickly +replied, "What help is there for it, mother? Let my brothers beat +me or not, what is that to me? I must bear it all." So his mother +prepared food, and Lelha, having partaken of it, set out. + +He went to the stable, and saddled the lame horse, as his brothers +had taken away the good ones, and mounting rode to the outskirts +of the city. He then dismounted, and turned the lame horse loose, +and went into the raja's flower garden, and said, "Oh! Indarpuri +Kuri, give me a horse instantly. My brothers have left me behind, +and gone I know not where. Give me such a horse as will enable me +to reach them at once." Immediately a horse was at his side, and +in a few seconds he was in sight of his brothers. He then alighted +from his horse, and said "Oh! Indarpuri Kuri, I return your horse," +and instantly it disappeared, and he overtook his brothers on foot. + +When his brothers saw him, they said, "He has overtaken us." Some of +them said, "Catch him and beat him," others said, "No, let him alone, +he will do our cooking. We can go in search of hiras and manis, +and leave him to guard our camp. Come let us push on, we have now +got a good guard for our camp." This pleased all, and they said, +"It is now evening, let us pitch our camp for the night." They did +so, and Lelha soon had supper ready, of which having partaken they +all retired to rest. + +In the morning Lelha again acted as cook, and while it was yet early +set breakfast before his brothers, and they having eaten, mounted +their horses, and went in search of hiras and manis. They were now +a month's journey distant from their own home, and the raja of the +country in which they were, had just opened a new bazaar. It was a +large and beautiful bazaar, and an Indarpuri Kuri had a stall it. This +Indarpuri Kuri had given out, that whoever would go and come twelve +kos seven times within an hour should be her husband. + +The four sons of the raja, who had come in search of hiras and manis +hearing this said, "Some one from amongst us four brothers must marry +this girl. Let us exercise our horses, it is possible that some one +of them may do the distance in the specified time." They had left +home in search of hiras and manis, and now were scheming to secure +the Indarpuri Kuri as the wife of one of them. So they returned +to camp, and sitting down began to discuss the subject. They said, +"If our horses are well exercised, no doubt, but that they will be +able to run the distance in the time. Therefore, let us diligently +train our horses, so that they may be able to accomplish the task." + +While they were thus engaged, Lelha said, "What is it, brothers, +that you are discussing?" His brothers rebuked him, saying, "Why are +you eavesdropping? We will beat you." They did not, however, beat him, +as they feared he would return home, and leave them without a cook. So +he cooked the supper and set it before them, and when they had eaten, +they retired to rest. + +In the morning Lelha again prepared the food, and his four brothers +having breakfasted, mounted and rode off to the bazaar, and there +exercised their horses. After they had left Lelha collected all the +brass vessels, and what other property there was, and carefully hid +them away. Then he called to the Indarpuri Kuri, "Oh! Indarpuri Kuri, +give me a horse," and instantly, just such a horse as he desired +stood beside him. He mounted and galloping away soon overtook his +brothers. He saluted them, but they did not recognize him. He said +to them, "Wherefore, brothers, have you brought your horses to +a standstill? Make them race." They replied, "We were waiting for +you. We are tired. It is your turn now." Lelha immediately switched +up his horse, and away it flew at such a pace, that it could scarcely +be seen. That day his horse ran twelve kos there and back three times +within an hour. At the end of the race soldiers tried to lay hold +of Lelha's horse, but he called out, "Do not touch him. He will not +allow you to lay a finger on me." The soldiers said, "The raja has +given orders, that the horse that ran three, or five, or seven times +is to be brought before him." Lelha replied, "Go, and tell the raja, +that the horse bites, so we could not stop him. The raja will not +be displeased with you." He then rode away to the camp, and having +returned the horse to the Indarpuri Kuri he began to prepare the +evening meal, which was ready by the time his four brothers arrived. + +After supper they began to talk over the events of the day, wondering +who owned the horse that had run so well. Lelha drew near, and said, +"What is it, brothers, that you are talking about?" Some said, "Beat +him, what has he got to do listening?" Others said, "Do not beat him, +he cooks for us." So the matter ended, and all lay down for the night. + +In the morning Lelha again prepared the food, and his brothers having +breakfasted, mounted their horses, and rode off to the bazaar, where +they raced as usual. After they had gone, Lelha gathered all their +property together, and hid it as he had done on the day previous. Then, +mounting an Indarpuri Sadom, he followed his brothers, and on coming +up with them saluted them, but they did not recognize him as their +brother. Then a conversation similar to that of the previous day +passed between Lelha and his brothers. This time Lelha's horse ran +the distance, there and back, five times within the hour. The raja's +soldiers again attempted to stop Lelha's horse, but he told them that +it was in the habit of biting, so they allowed him to pass, and he +galloped off to the camp, and returning the horse to the Indarpuri +Kuri began to prepare the evening meal. When his brothers arrived +Lelha set food before them, and they ate and drank. After they had +supped they sat and talked about the wonderful horse, and its feat +that day. Lelha again enquired what they were talking about, but they +rebuked him saying, "Do not listen. It is not necessary for you to +know what we are speaking about." They all then retired for the night. + +Early next morning Lelha set about preparing breakfast, and his +brothers, having partaken of it, set out for the bazaar. After their +departure Lelha gathered everything together, and hid them as before, +and then called upon Indarpuri Kuri for a horse. The horse came, and +Lelha mounted and galloped after his brothers. On overtaking them he +saluted, and then said, "Wherefore, brothers, do you stand still? Race +your horses." They replied, "It is your turn now. We have run, and our +horses are tired." Lelha then started his horse, and it ran twelve kos +there, and twelve kos back, seven times within the hour. The raja's +soldiers again attempted to capture Lelha's horse, but he prevented +them, and so returned to the camp. When he had returned the horse +to the Indarpuri Kuri he resumed his office of cook, and had supper +ready by the time his brothers returned. They sat down together, and +began to discuss the wonderful performance of the horse which had that +day done the distance seven times in one hour. Lelha again enquired, +"What is it that you are talking about, brothers?" Some one said, +"Beat him. He has no right to be listening," but another said, +"Do not beat him, he cooks our food." When the four brothers were +tired talking Lelha set supper before them, and having supped, they +lay down to sleep. + +Next morning Lelha cooked the breakfast as usual, and his brothers +having partaken of it, mounted their horses, and rode off to the +bazaar. After they had left Lelha put everything out of sight, as +usual. Then he desired the Indarpuri Kuri to give him a horse, and +having mounted, he followed his brothers, and on coming near saluted +them as before, but again they failed to recognize him. + + + + +IV. + +On the seventh day Lelha again followed his brothers to the +bazaar. He begged the Indarpuri Kuri to give him a horse that +would do the distance there and back seven times within the hour, +and at the end would fall down dead, and also to have another horse +ready for him to mount. The Indarpuri Kuri gave him his desire and +he rode off to the bazaar, and again saluted his brothers, and at +the same time pushed his horse close up to them. They called out, +"Keep your horse back, he will crush us." Lelha then enquired why +they were standing still. They replied, "We were waiting for you." So +Lelha put his horse to the gallop, and did the distance there and +back seven times within an hour. On his return the last time the +soldiers attempted to lay hold of the horse, but Lelha said, "Let +him alone, I will go myself." At the same instant his horse fell, +and he leapt from it, and having returned it to the Indarpuri Kuri, +he mounted the other, and rode from the race course to the bazaar, +and was united in wedlock to the Indarpuri Kuri. + +After the marriage he informed his bride that he was in search of +hiras and manis for his father's flower garden. She informed him, +that lying on the breast of her elder sister, who had been sleeping +for twelve years, was a large quantity of hiras. "To obtain them you +must first," she said, "buy two bundles of grass, two goats, and a +pair of shoes, and make two ropes each two hundred cubits long. My +sister is guarded by an elephant, a tiger, and a dog. On entering you +will first encounter the elephant, and you must throw him a bundle of +grass. A little farther on you will meet the tiger, you must give him +a goat. Then you will see the dog, and you must throw him a shoe. When +you are returning you must do the same. Throw a shoe to the dog, a goat +to the tiger, and a sheaf of grass to the elephant. You must lose no +time in possessing yourself of the hiras you will find on my sister's +breast. If you delay, her army may take you prisoner." She also said, +"My sister's house is situated on an island in a large lake, and you +can only reach it by hiring a boat. The door of her house is a large +heavy stone, which you must remove before gaining an entrance. On the +island there is a Sinjo tree, [17] with branches on the North side, +and on the South. On the branches of the South side there are the +young of hiras and manis, but on those of the North side there is +nothing. On the South side there are five branches, and within the +fruit there are manis. Do not forget this. The large hira, which +glitters on my sister's breast, is the mother hira." Just as she +concluded the foregoing instructions the cock crew, and she added, +"See that you remember all I have told you." + +Then Lelha left his bride to return to his brothers. As he went he +remembered that they would be sure to abuse him for having been +absent, so he collected a large number of shells, and stringing +them together, hung them round his neck, and went dancing to the +camp. When his brothers saw him, in the dress of a merryandrew they +rebuked him severely. + + + + +V. + +Lelha's excuse for his absence was as follows. He said, "You, +my brothers, always leave me here alone in the camp. Yesterday +several shepherds came, and forcibly carried me away. They kept me +awake all night. They tied these shells round my neck and made me +dance. They also made me drive cattle round and round. I had no rest +all night. They also shewed me hiras and manis." + +Lelha's brothers eagerly enquired, "Where did you see the hiras and +manis? Come, show us the place at once." Lelha replied, "We must first +buy food for the hiras and manis." So they went to the bazaar to buy +food for the hiras and manis. Lelha first bought two goats, and his +brothers abused him, and said, "Will hiras and manis eat these?" Some +one of them said, "Slap him." Another said, "Do not slap him, they +may perhaps eat them." Then he bought a pair of shoes, at which again +they reviled him. Then he bought two ropes, when they again reviled +him. Lastly he purchased two bundles of grass, and having provided +these necessary articles, they went and hired a boat. The horses of +the four brothers were dead, so they had to proceed on foot to where +the boat lay. + +After sailing for some time they reached an island, and landed. They +quickly found the house of the Indarpuri Kuri. It was closed by a large +stone lying over the entrance. Lelha ordered his brothers to remove +it, but they were displeased and said, "How do you expect to find +hiras and manis under this stone." Lelha said, "Truly, my brothers, +they are under the stone." He pressed them to attempt the removal +of the stone, so they, and others to the number of fifty tried their +strength but the stone seemed immovable. Then Lelha said, "Stand by, +and allow me to try." So putting to his hand, he easily removed it, +and revealed the entrance to the mansion of the Indarpuri Kuri. His +brothers were so astounded at the strength he displayed that they +lost the power of speech. + +Lelha then said to his brothers, "Take one of these ropes, and bind it +round me, and lower me down, and when you feel me shaking the rope, +then quickly pull me up. I go to find hiras." His brothers quickly +bound the rope round his body, and he, taking the goats, the pair of +shoes, and the bundles of grass, descended. + +A short distance from where he reached the ground, he found a door, +which was guarded by an elephant bound by the foot to a stake. To +him he threw a bundle of grass and passed on. At the next door he +found a tiger, likewise chained, and as he approached, it opened its +jaws as if to devour him. To it, he gave a goat, and was allowed to +pass. At the third door was a dog. He threw a shoe to it, and when +the dog was engaged biting it, he passed through. Then he saw the hira +sparkling upon the bosom of the sleeping Indarpuri Kuri. Going near, +he snatched it up, and fled. The dog, however, barred his exit but +he threw the other shoe to it, and passed on. The tiger had devoured +the goat he had given to it, and was now alert. To it he gave the +other goat, and hurried on. The elephant then opposed him, but the +remaining bundle of grass was sufficient to divert his attention, +and he passed through the last door. Then violently shaking the rope +his brothers speedily hauled him up. + +Then they went to their boat, and rowed to another part of the island, +where the Sinjo tree grew. They all climbed the tree, but Lelha plucked +the five fruits on the branch to the South, while his brothers plucked +a large number from the North side. + +They then returned to their boat and rowed back to the place from +which they had started. From there they went to the house of Lelha's +bride. When she heard of their arrival she ordered refreshments to be +prepared for them. Her servants also all came, and gave Lelha and his +brothers oil, and sent them to bathe. On their return from bathing, +their feet were washed by servants, and they were then taken into +the house. + +After they were seated Lelha's brothers began to whisper to each +other, saying, "We do not know of what caste these people are, to +whose house he has brought us to eat food. He will cause us to lose +caste." Lelha heard what they were saying, and in explanation said, +"Not so, brothers. This is my wife's house." They replied, "It is all +right then." So they ate and drank heartily, and afterwards prepared +to return home. + + + + +VI. + +The journey was to be by boat. Lelha sent his brothers on ahead in one +boat, and he and his wife followed in another. There was a distance +of two or three kos between the boats. + +Lelha's brothers as they sailed along came to a certain ghat at which +a raja was bathing. He was raja of the country through which they +were passing. He demanded from Lelha's brothers to know what they had +in their boat. They replied, "We have hiras and manis with us." Then +the raja said, "Shew them to me. You may be thieves." They replied, +"No, they are inside these Sinjo fruits." The raja said, "Break one, I +wish to see what they are like." So the brothers broke one, but nothing +was found in it. Then the raja called his soldiers, and ordered them +to bind the four brothers. So the soldiers seized and bound them, and +carried them off to prison. Just then Lelha's boat arrived. He was in +time to see his brothers pass within the prison doors. Having seen the +four brothers in safe custody the raja returned to the bathing ghat, +and seeing Lelha he demanded to know what he had in his boat. Lelha +answered, "We have hiras and manis as our cargo." The raja then said, +"Shew them to me, I would fain look upon them." Lelha said, "You wish +to see hiras and manis without any trouble to yourself. If I show +you them, what will you give me in return? There are hiras and manis +in this Sinjo fruit." The raja replied, "Those who came before you +deceived me. I have no doubt, but that you will do so also." Lelha +said, "What will you give me? Make an offer, and I shall shew you +them at once." The raja replied, "I have one daughter, her I will +give to you, and along with her an estate, if there are hiras and +manis in that Sinjo fruit, and if there are none in it, I will keep +you prisoner all your lifetime." Lelha immediately broke one of the +Sinjo fruits, and five hiras and manis rolled out. When the raja saw +it he was confounded, but what could he do? According to his promise, +he gave him his daughter and an estate. + +The marriage ceremony being over, Lelha was invited to partake of the +raja's hospitality, but he refused, saying, "If you set my brothers +at liberty I shall eat, but not unless you do so." So the brothers +were released, and taken to the bath. After they had bathed, their +feet were washed, and they were led into the palace to the feast. + +The brothers, after they were seated, began to whisper to each other, +saying, "Whose house is this? Of what caste are the people? Does he +wish to make us lose our caste?" But Lelha reassured them by saying, +"Not so, my brothers. I have espoused the raja's daughter." Hearing +this they were relieved, and all enjoyed the marriage feast. + + + + +VII. + +Then they made preparations to continue their journey. Lelha again +sent his four brothers first, and he followed with his two wives. + +After a sail of a few hours they entered the territory of another +raja, and came upon his bathing ghat. The raja was bathing there at +the time, and the boat passing, he enquired what her cargo was. The +brothers answered, "We have hiras and manis on board." The raja said, +"I would see them." They replied, "They are in the boat following +us." The raja was displeased with their answer, and ordered them to +be seized as vagrants. + +Lelha's boat came alongside the bathing ghat just as his four brothers +were led off to prison, and the raja seeing it, asked Lelha what +cargo he carried. Lelha replied, "Our cargo is hiras and manis." The +raja begged Lelha to shew them to him, but he refused saying, "What +will you give for a sight of them? Promise something, and you can +see them." The raja said, "Of a truth, if you can shew me hiras and +manis I will give you my daughter. I have one, a virgin, her I will +give you, and I will also confer upon you an estate." + +Then Lelha, seizing a Sinjo fruit, broke it, and out rolled five +hiras and manis, which when the raja saw he marvelled greatly. He +honourably fulfilled his engagement, and Lelha's marriage with his +daughter was celebrated forthwith. + +The wedding over Lelha was conducted to the bath, and afterwards +invited to a banquet; but he declined saying, "So long as you detain +my brothers in confinement, I cannot partake of your hospitality." So +they were brought to the palace, and their feet bathed, and then +ushered into the banqueting room. After they were seated they began +to whisper to each other, "What caste do these people belong to, +with whom he expects us to eat? Does he intend to make us break our +caste?" Lelha hearing them, said, "Not so, my brothers. This is my +father-in-law's house." Thus were their doubts removed, and they ate +and drank with much pleasure. + + + + +VIII. + +The journey homewards was resumed in the morning, the boats in the +same order as previously. + +Lelha's four brothers were envious of his good fortune, and on the way +they talked about him, and decided that he must be put to death. They +said, "How can we put him out of the way? If we do not make away with +him, on our return home, he will be sure to secure the succession to +our father's kingdom." Having come to this conclusion the next thing +was, how could it be accomplished, for Lelha was far more powerful than +they were. It was only by stratagem that they could hope to accomplish +their purpose, so they said, "We will invite him to a feast and when +he stands with a foot on either boat, before stepping into ours, +we will push the boats apart and he will fall into the river and +be drowned. We must get his wives to join in the plot, for without +their aid we cannot carry it into execution." During the day they +found means to communicate with Lelha's wives. They said to them, +"We will make a feast on our boat. Make him come on board first, +and when he has a foot on each boat you push yours back, and we +will do the same to ours, and he will fall into the water, and be +drowned. We are the sons of a raja, and our country is very large. We +will take you with us and make you ranis." Lelha's wives pretended to +agree to their proposal; but they afterwards told him all. They said, +"Do as they wish, but you will not be drowned. We will remain faithful +to you, and you will reach home before us." + +So the four brothers prepared a sumptuous feast, and the boats were +brought close to each other to enable Lelha and his wives to go on +board. One of Lelha's wives tied a knot on his waist cloth, as a +token that they would remain true to him. He then preceded them in +going into the other boat, and just as he had a foot on each gunwale, +the boats were pushed asunder, and Lelha fell into the water. Having +thus got rid, as they thought, of Lelha, the brothers made all possible +speed homewards. + + + + +IX. + +At the bottom of the river a bell sprang into existence, and Lelha was +found lying asleep in it. Then he awoke and sat up, and loosening the +knot which his wife had tied on his waist cloth, said, "Oh! Indarpuri +Kuri, give me at once food and drink, tobacco and fire," and on +the instant his wants were supplied. So he ate and drank, and was +refreshed. Then he prepared his pipe, and when he had lit it he said, +"Oh! Indarpuri Kuri, give me a fully equipped horse that will carry +me home before the tobacco in this pipe is consumed." The last word +had scarcely escaped his lips when a horse stood beside him. It was +a fierce animal, of a blue colour, and no fly could alight on its +skin. It was fully equipped, and impatient to start. Lelha, still +smoking his pipe, mounted, and his steed at one bound cleared the +river, although it was seven or eight kos broad, and flying like the +wind, landed him at home before the tobacco in his pipe was consumed. + +The hiras and manis were in the possession of Lelha's wives. His +brothers wheedled them into giving them up, saying they will be safer +with us. + +Lelha went to his mother's house and said to her, "Tell no one of my +being here." He had alighted from his horse on the outskirts of the +city, and returned it to the Indarpuri Kuri. + +A period of ten days elapsed before Lelha's brothers and his wives +arrived. The latter declined to accompany the former at once to the +raja's palace. They said, "Let your mothers come, and conduct us, +as is usual when a bride enters her husband's house." The two elder +ranis then came, and the four sons went to the raja's flower garden +and hung the hiras and manis on the branches of the trees, and the +whole countryside was instantly lighted up by the sheen of the precious +stones. The saying of the Koema Jugi was fulfilled to the letter. + +Lelha also sent his mother to welcome his wives, but when the elder +ranis saw her coming, they reviled her and drove her away. They would +not permit her to come near. She returned home weeping. "You told me," +she said, "to go and welcome your wives, and I have been abused. When +will you learn wisdom?" Lelha ran into the house, and brought a ring, +and giving it to his mother, said, "Take this ring, and place it +in the lap of one of them." She took the ring, and gave it to one +of Lelha's wives, and immediately they all rose, and followed her +laughing, to their new home. + +The elder ranis went and informed their sons of what had happened, +but they said, "They are Lelha's wives. What can we do?" + + + + +X. + +The Indarpuri Kuri whom Lelha had robbed of her hira now awoke, and +at once missed her precious jewel. She knew that Lelha had stolen it +from her, and summoning her army to her standard marched upon Lelha's +father's capital, to which she laid siege, and before many hours had +elapsed, the raja was a prisoner in her hands. + +This Indarpuri Kuri said to him, "Will you give up the hiras and manis, +or will you fight?" The raja sent the following message to his four +sons, "Will you fight to retain possession of the hiras and manis, +or will you deliver them up?" They were afraid, so they gave answer, +"We will not. Lelha knows all about the hiras and manis. We do not." + +The raja then sent and called Lelha, and enquired, "Will you shew +fight, Lelha, or will you give up the hiras and manis?" Lelha replied, +"I will fight. I will not part with the hiras and manis. I obtained +them only after much painful toil, so I cannot deliver them up. Ask +them to agree to delay hostilities for a short time, but inform them +that Lelha will fight." + +Lelha hurried to the further end of the garden, and taking the hair of +the first Indarpuri Kuri in his hand said, "Oh! Indarpuri Kuri. Give me +an army four times stronger than the one brought against me, so that +I may make short work of my enemies." Immediately an army of 44,000 +men stood in military array, awaiting his orders. The two armies +joined battle, and Lelha discomfited the host of the Indarpuri Kuri, +and she herself became his prize. She became his wife, and returned no +more to her cavernous home in the solitary island. Lelha thus became +the husband of four wives. + +Then the raja called his five sons together and said, "In my estimation +Lelha is the one best qualified to became raja of this kingdom. I +therefore resign all power and authority into his hands." Lelha +replied, "Yes, father, you have judged righteously. My brothers have +caused me much distress. First, they pushed off the raised platform +in your flower garden, but of that I did not inform you. Then they +caused me, who was the finder of the hiras and manis, to fall into +the river. You saw how they refused to fight, and threw all the +responsibility upon me. They have used me spitefully. They have tried +to make a cat's paw of me." + +So Lelha was raja of all the country, and his brothers were his +servants. One was in charge of Lelha's pipe and tobacco, another +ploughed his fields, and the other two had like menial offices assigned +to them. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF SINDURA GAND GARUR. + + +In a certain village there lived a mother and her son. The boy tended +goats in the forest. One day he found a spot of ground, where he +thought rice would grow well. So he went home, and asked his mother +to give him some seed to sow there. She said, "If you sow rice there +it will all be destroyed. The elephants, or the wild jungle cattle, +will eat it." But he begged so hard that at length she gave him some +seed rice, which he sowed on the small plot of ground in the jungle. It +sprang up and grew luxuriantly. Every day he drove his goats there, +and spent the long hours in driving the birds and insects away from +his little farm. + +When the rice had grown to a good height the raja's son with his +companion came and set up a mark near by at which they shot with +their bows and arrows. The orphan boy was asked to join them, which he +did, and so accurate was his aim, that he hit the mark every time he +shot. The raja's son and his companion were astonished to see such good +shooting, and they said, "The fatherless boy hits the mark every time." + +The boy ran home to his mother weeping, and said, "Oh! mother, where is +my father?" To keep him from grieving, she told a lie. "Your father," +she said, "has gone on a visit to his relations." + +The next day after he had again shown great skill with the bow and +arrow the raja's son and his companion said, "The fatherless boy hits +the mark every time." Hearing this he again went home weeping, and +said to his mother, "Oh! mother, where is my father?" She replied, +"He has gone to visit his friends." Every day the boy came crying to +his mother asking where his father was, so at last she told him. She +said, "Your father, child, was carried away on the horns of a Gand +Garur [18]." + +The boy then said to his mother, "Prepare me some flour. I will +go in search of him." His mother tried to dissuade him, saying, +"Where can you go in such a jungle as this?" He, however, insisted, +and she prepared flour for him, and he set out. + +After travelling many hours he entered the primeval forest, and +presently darkness came upon him. After a short time he came to +the dwelling of Huti [19] Budhi, and requested permission to pass +the night there. This was accorded to him, and he lay down and fell +asleep. During the night he was awakened by the Huti Budhi eating +his bow and arrows. He called out to her "Oh! old woman, What have +you been nibbling at since evening?" The Huti Budhi replied, "It is +only some roasted grain, which I brought a while ago from the house +of the Chief." + +In a short time the nibbling sound was again heard, and he again +enquired what she was eating. She returned the same answer as +before. "Oh! my son, it is only roasted grain which the chief's people +gave me." He did not know that all the time she was eating his bow +and arrows. + +When morning dawned he requested her to give him his weapons, and +on his attempting to string the bow it broke in his hands. The Huti +Budhi had eaten the heart out of the wood, and had left only the +outer shell. He left her house planning revenge. + +During the day he had an iron bow and iron arrows made. All was iron +like the arrow heads. In the evening he returned to sleep at the Huti +Budhi's house. + +During the night he heard the Huti Budhi trying to nibble his bow and +arrows. So he enquired what she was doing. The answer she gave was, +"Do you think the Huti Budhi can eat iron." + +When morning dawned he demanded his bow and arrows, and received +them uninjured, but the lower part of the Huti Budhi's face was all +swollen. She had been trying to eat the iron bow and arrows. Her +lodger strung his bow, and having saluted her, went his way. + +As he journeyed he entered another unexplored forest in the midst of +which he discovered a lake, to which all the birds and beasts resorted +to quench their thirst. He obtained this information by an examination +of its banks, on which he saw the footprints of the various beasts and +birds. He now took some flour from his bag, and having moistened it +with water made a hearty meal, and then sat down to wait for evening. + +As the sun went down the denizens of the forest began to come to the +lake to drink. They came in quick succession, and as each made its +appearance, he sang assurance to it, that he harboured no evil design +against it. + +The quail led the way, and to it he sang, + + + "Oh! quail, you need not fear to drink, + I'll not harm you, I you assure; + But I will slay on this lake's brink, + Cruel Sindura Gand Garur. + + +He sang in a similar strain to each bird as it came, naming it by +its name. + +At length the Gand Garur alighted on the edge of the lake to drink, +and he at once drew his bow, and sent an arrow to its heart, for he +had seen the dried and shrivelled corpse of his father still adhering +to its horns. The Gand Garur being dead, he detached what remained of +his parent's body from its horns, and taking it in his arms pressed +it to his bosom and wept bitterly. + + + +As he wept, Bidi and Bidhati descended from the sky and asked him +the reason of his sorrow. So he told them all. They spoke words +of comfort to him, and said, "Dip your gamcha cloth in the lake, +and cover the corpse with it. And don't you cry, rather bathe and +cook some food. And do not cook for one only, but prepare portions +for two. And when the food is ready, you partake of one portion, +and set the other aside. Then tap your father on the back and say, +'Rise father, here is your food.'" He did as his kind friends bade +him, and the dead came to life again. The father sat up and said, +"Oh! my son, what a lengthened sleep I have had." The son replied, +"A sleep? you must be demented, you were pierced through by the horns +of the Gand Garur, and your dried carcase was adhering to them. See +I have killed it. It is lying here. Bidi and Bidhati instructed me +how to proceed, and I have brought you to life again. + +So they returned joyfully home singing the praises of Bidi and Bidhati. + + + + + + +THE TIGER AND ULTA'S MOTHER. + + +A tiger cub was in the habit of playing under the shade of a certain +tree, in which was a crane's nest with a young one in it. The parent +cranes brought frogs and lizards to their young one, and what it could +not eat it used to throw down to the young tiger, and in this way the +two became greatly attached to each other. After a time the tigress +died, and left the cub alone in the world. The young crane felt much +pity for its afflicted friend, and could not bear the thought of +itself being in a better position. So one day it said to the tiger, +"Let us kill my mother." The tiger replied, "Just as you please. I +cannot say do it, nor can I say do not do it." When the mother crane +came to give its young one food, the latter set upon her and killed +her. The friendship between the two increased so that they could +not be separated from each other. Day and night they spent in each +other's society. + +After a time the two said, "Come let us make a garden, and plant in it +turmeric." So they prepared a piece of ground, and the crane brought +roots of turmeric from a distance. They then discussed the matter as to +which part of the crop each would take. The crane said to the tiger, +"You, my brother, choose first." The tiger said, "If I must speak +first, I will take the leaves." Then, said the crane, "I will take +the roots." Having settled this point to their satisfaction, they +began to plant. The tiger dug holes, and the crane put in the roots, +and covered them over with earth. + +A year passed, and they again said to each other, "Which of us will +take the roots, and which the leaves?" The tiger said, "I will take +the leaves." The crane replied, "I will take the roots." So they began +to dig up the plants, and cutting the leaves from the roots, placed +each by themselves. The tiger collected an immense bulk of leaves, +and the crane a large heap of roots. This done each surveyed the +other's portion. That of the crane was of a beautiful, reddish tinge, +and excited the envy of the tiger, who said to the crane, "Give me half +of yours, and I will give you half of mine." The crane refused, saying, +"I will not share with you. Why did you at first chose the leaves? I +gave you your choice." The tiger insisted, but the crane was obdurate, +and before long they were quarrelling as if they had been lifelong +enemies. The crane seeing it was being worsted in the wrangle, flew in +the face of the tiger, and pecked its eyes, so that it became blind. It +then flew away, and left the tiger lamenting its sad fate. Having lost +its sight it could not find its way about, so remained there weeping. + +One day, hearing the voice of a man near by, the tiger called out, +"Oh! man, are you a doctor?" The man stupefied with fear stared at +the tiger, and gave no reply. The tiger again said, "Oh! man, why +do you not reply to my question? Although you are a human being, +have you no pity?" The man then said, "Oh! renowned hero, what did +you ask me? I am terror stricken, so did not reply. You may devour +me." The tiger replied, "If I had wished to kill you, I could have +done so, but I mean you no harm." The tiger again asked the man if he +possessed a knowledge of medicine, but he replied, "I do not." The +tiger then asked, "Is there one amongst you who does know?" The +man replied, "Yes." The tiger enquired, "Who is he?" The man said, +"There is a certain widow with two sons, the name of one of whom is +Ulta, who possesses a knowledge of medicine, she will be able to cure +you." Having given the tiger this information the man went away. + +The tiger went to the house of Ulta's mother, and hid himself behind +a hedge. He said within himself, "When I hear any one call Ulta then I +will go forward." Shortly after the tiger arrived Ulta's mother called +Ulta, "Ulta, come to your supper." Then the tiger ran hastily forward, +and cried, "Oh! Ulta's mother, Oh! Ulta's mother." But she was afraid, +and exclaimed, "This tiger has done for us to-day." The tiger said +to the woman, "Do you know medicine?" She replied, "Yes, Wait till +I bring it." So hastily running out she said to her neighbours, +"A tiger has come to my house. He is blind, and wishes me to cure +his blindness." The neighbours said to her, "Give him some of the +juice of the Akauna [20] tree. It will increase his blindness." So +she quickly brought Akauna juice, and giving it to the tiger, said, +"Go to some dense jungle and apply it to your eyes. Do not apply it +here, or it will have no effect. Take it away. We are about to sit +down to supper, and then my children will go to sleep. The medicine +will cause you pain at first, but it will effect a complete cure." + +The tiger hurried away to the jungle, and poured the akauna juice +into his eyes. The pain it caused was as if his eyeballs were being +torn out. He tossed himself about in agony, and at last struck his +head against a tree. In a short time, his blindness was gone. He +could see everything plainly, and was delighted beyond expression. + +One day several traders were passing along a pathway through the jungle +in which the tiger hunted. He was lying concealed watching for prey, +and when the traders were passing he jumped out upon them. Seeing +the tiger they fled, and left behind them their silver, and gold, +and brass vessels. The tiger collected all and carried them to Ulta's +mother's house, and presenting them to her said, "All this I give to +you, for through you I have again seen the earth. Had it not been for +you, who knows whether I should ever have been cured or not." Ulta's +mother was delighted with the generosity of the tiger. He had made +her rich at once. But she was anxious to get rid of him, and said "Go +away. May you always find a living somewhere." So the tiger returned +to the jungle again. + +Sometime afterwards the tiger was minded to take a wife, and sought +his old friend Ulta's mother. On arriving at her house he called out, +"Oh! Ulta's mother, where are you? Are you in your house?" She replied, +"Who are you?" The tiger answered, "It is I, the forest hero. You +cured my blindness." So Ulta's mother came out of her house, and said, +"Wherefore, Sir, have you come here?" "I wish you," replied the tiger, +"to find a bride for me." Ulta's mother said, "Come to-morrow and I +will tell you. Do not stay to-day." So the tiger left. + +Ulta's mother then went to her neighbours and said, "The tiger has put +me in a great difficulty. He wishes me to find a bride for him." They +said to her, "Is he not blind?" She replied, "No. He sees now, and it +is that, which distresses me. What can I do?" They said, "Get a bag, +and order him to go into it, and then tie up the mouth tightly, and +tell him to remain still. Say to him, If you move, or make a noise, +I will not seek a bride for you. And when you have him tied securely +in the bag, call us." The next day the tiger appeared, and Ulta's +mother told him to get into the bag, and allow her to tie it. So he +went in, and she tied the bag's mouth, and said, "You must not move, +lie still, or I shall not be your go-between." Having secured him, +Ulta's mother called her neighbours, who came armed with clubs, +and began to beat the helpless animal. He called out, "Oh! Ulta's +mother, what are you doing?" She said, "Keep quiet. They are beating +the marriage drums. Lie still a little longer." The tiger remained +motionless, while they continued to beat him. At length they said, +"He must be dead now, let us throw him out." So they carried him to +a river, and having thrown him in, returned home. + +The current bore the tiger far down the river, but at length he +stranded in a cove. A short time afterwards a tigress came down to +the river to drink and seeing the bag, and thinking it might contain +something edible she seized it and dragged it up on to the bank. The +tigress then cut the bag open with her teeth, and the tiger sprang out, +exclaiming, "Of a truth she has given me a bride. Ulta's mother has +done me a good turn, and I shall remember her as long as I live." The +tiger and the tigress being of one mind on the subject agreed never +to separate. + +One day the two tigers said "Come let us go and pay a visit to Ulta's +mother, who has proved so helpful to us. As we cannot go empty handed, +let us rob some one to get money to take with us." So they went and +lay in wait near a path which passed through the forest in which they +lived. Presently a party of merchants came up, and the tigers with +a loud roar sprang from their ambush on to the road. The merchants +seeing them, fled, and left behind them all their property in money +and cloth. Those they carried to Ulta's mother. When she saw the +tigers approaching her throat became dry through terror. + +Before entering the court-yard they called out to Ulta's mother +announcing their approach. Ulta's mother addressed the tiger thus, +"Why do you come here frightening one in this way?" The tiger replied, +"There is no fear. It is I who am afraid of you. Why should you +dread my coming? It was you who found this partner for me. Do you +not yet know me?" Ulta's mother replied, "What can you do Sir? Do +you not remember that we give and receive gifts on the Karam festival +day? On the days for giving and receiving, we give and receive. Now, +that you are happily wedded, may you live in peace and comfort; +but do not come here again." + +The tiger then gave Ulta's mother a large amount of money and much +cloth, after which the two tigers took their leave, and Ulta's mother +entered her house loaded with rupees and clothing. + + + + + + +THE GREATEST CHEAT OF SEVEN. + + +A great cheat married the cheating sister of seven cheats. One day +his father-in-law and seven brothers-in-law came on a visit to his +house. After conversing with them for a little, he invited them to +accompany him to the river to bathe. He carried a fishing rod with +him, and on arriving at the river cast his line into a pool, saying, +"Now, fish, if you do not instantly repair to my house, I shall not +be able to speak well of you." This he said to deceive the others, +as before leaving home he had given a fish to his wife telling her +to prepare it for dinner. When seated at table he said to his guests, +"the fish we are now eating is the one I, in your presence, ordered to +proceed from the river to my house this forenoon." They were greatly +astonished at the wonderful properties possessed by the fishing rod, +and expressed a desire to purchase it, and offered to pay five rupees +for it. He accepted their offer, and they carried the wonderful +fishing rod home with them. + +Next day they arranged to go a-fishing. They cast the line into a +pool as they had seen the cheat do, and said, "Now fish, if you do +not repair at once to our home we shall not be able to speak well +of you." Having bathed they returned home, and asked to see the +fish. Their wives said, "What fish? You gave us no fish. We have +seen no fish. Where did you throw it down?" They now knew that their +sister's husband was a cheat, so they decided to go and charge him +with having deceived them. + +The cheat had notice of their coming, and quickly taking his dog with +him went to hunt. He caught a hare and bringing it home gave it to +his wife, and said, "When we reach the end of the street on our way +home from hunting, you make the dog stand near the house with the +dead hare in his mouth." + +He invited his visitors to accompany him for an hour's hunting, +saying, "Come, let us go and kill a hare for dinner." So they went +to the jungle, and presently started a hare. The cheat threw a stone +at his dog, and frightened it so that it ran home. He called after +it, "If you do not catch and take that hare home, it will not be +well for you." He then said to his friends, "Come, let us return, +we will find the dog there with the hare before us." They replied, +"We doubt it much." "There is no mistake about it," he said, "We are +certain to find both dog and hare." On reaching home they found the +dog standing waiting for them with a hare in his mouth. + +His brothers-in-law were astonished beyond measure at the sagacity +of the dog, and they said, "Sell this dog to us, we will pay a good +price for it." He demanded ten rupees, which they gladly paid. So +they returned home, and said nothing to him about his having cheated +them in the matter of the fishing rod. + +One day, taking the dog with them, they went to hunt. It caught five +hares, and its masters were greatly delighted with its performance. + +After this the cheat's house was accidentally burnt, and he gathering +the ashes together, set out for the bazaar, there to sell them. On the +way he fell in with a party of merchants who had a large bag full of +silver with them. They enquired what his bag contained, to which he +replied, "Gold." They agreed to pass the night in the same encampment, +so having partaken of their evening meal, they lay down to sleep. At +midnight the merchants rose, and exchanged the bags, and then lay +down again. The cheat saw them, and chuckled within himself. In the +morning the merchants made haste to leave, as they feared the cheat +might find out the theft of his bag. The cheat asked them before they +left to help him to lift his bag on to his bullock's back, saying, +"It was to receive assistance from you that I encamped here last +night." So having helped him to load his bullock they hurried away +lest they should be caught. The cheat carried his treasure home, +but being unable to count so much money borrowed a measure from his +father-in-law, and found he had four maunds of silver. + +On returning the measure he sent along with it five seers of silver, +saying, "For the ashes of my house I received four maunds of silver, +if you reduce your houses to ashes and sell them, you will obtain very +much more." So they foolishly burnt their houses, and collecting the +ashes went to the bazaar to dispose of them. The merchants to whom +they offered them directed them to go to the washermen, saying, "They +will possibly buy." But they also refused, and they were compelled +to return home without having effected a sale. They vowed vengeance +on the cheat, and set out to find him. + +When they reached his house the cheat was on the point of starting +on a journey. After mutual salutations he said, "I have just killed +my second wife. I go to receive eight maunds of silver for her +corpse. Dead bodies bring high prices." They said to him, "How about +the ashes? We could not sell them." He replied, "You did not go far +enough from home. Had you gone to a distance you would have made a +good bargain." + +The cheat's youngest wife having died he washed the body, and anointed +it with oil. He then put it in a large bag, and loaded it on the back +of a bullock, and set out. On the way he came to a field of wheat, into +which he drove the animal, and then hid himself near by. The owner of +the field finding the bullock eating his wheat, beat it unmercifully +with a cudgel. The cheat then came from his hiding place, and said, +"Have you not done wrong in beating my bullock? If you have killed my +wife, where will you flee to? I fell behind, and for that reason my +ox got into your field. My wife, whom I have newly married, is weak +and unable to go on foot, so I put her into a bag to carry her home +on my bullock." + +Having opened the bag the wife was found dead, and her assailant +stood self convicted of her murder. He gave her husband six maunds +of rupees as hush money, so the cheat burnt the corpse and returned +home laden with spoil. + +The cheat next sent for his brothers-in-law, and shewing them the +money, said, "I killed my second wife, and got all this money by +selling the corpse." They enquired, "Who are the people who buy dead +bodies?" He replied, "They reside in the Rakas country." + +Then the seven brothers killed each his youngest wife, and carried +the bodies to a distant country to dispose of them. When the +people of that country knew the object for which they had come they +said to them, "What sort of men are you hawking corpses about the +towns and villages? You must be the worst, or else most stupid of +men." Hearing this the brothers were dismayed, and began to take in +the situation. They perceived that the cheat had again deceived them, +and they retraced their steps homewards bitterly lamenting their +folly. On reaching their village they cremated the remains of their +wives, and from that day had no more dealings with the cheat. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF TWO PRINCESSES. + + +A certain raja had two daughters, who were in the habit of amusing +themselves out side of the palace walls. One day they saw a crow +flying towards them with a ripe Terel [21] fruit in his beak. They then +said to each other, "What fruit is it? It looks nice and sweet." The +crow let the fruit fall in front of them. They ran and picked it +up, and ate it. It tasted deliciously sweet. Then they said, "From +whence did the crow bring such a good fruit?" Then they remembered +the direction from which they had seen it coming, and said, "If we +go this way we shall find it." So they went, but it was only after +they had travelled a great distance from home that they found the +Terel tree with the ripe luscious fruit. + +The elder of the two girls climbed up into the tree, and shook down +a large quantity of the fruit. They then feasted to their heart's +content. Presently they began to feel thirsty, and the elder said to +the younger, "You remain here while I go to drink, and I will also +bring you water in a leaf cup." Having said this she went away to +the tank, and her sister remained under the Terel tree. The day was +extremely hot, and they were very thirsty. + +The elder having quenched her thirst was returning carrying water for +her sister in a cup made of the leaves of a Terel tree, when a bhut +came flying along, and fell into the cup of water. Presently she became +aware that there was a hole in the bottom of her cup through which +all the water had run out. What could she do now? There was no help +for it but to return to the tank, make another leaf cup, and filling +it with water return to her sister. As she was returning with the cup +full of water the bhut again came flying up, and entering the water +passed through the leaf, making a hole by which all the water escaped. + +Again she made a leaf cup, and having filled it with water was +returning when the bhut again came, and destroyed her cup, and caused +her to lose the water. In this way she was detained till very late. + +A raja who happened to be in the vicinity saw a beautiful girl carrying +water in a leaf cup, and a bhut come and make a hole in the cup, so +that it soon became empty. Having seen this several times repeated, +he drew near, and feasted his eyes on her beauty. Then he carried +her away to his palace, where they were joined in wedlock, and the +princess, now the rani, cooked the food for herself and her husband. + +The younger princess remained near the Terel tree, and although she +had given up hope of again meeting her sister, still she continued +to wait. At length a herd of Hanuman monkeys came to feed upon the +Terel fruit. When the girl saw them coming she was terrified and crept +into the hollow of the tree. The monkeys with the exception of an old +frail one, climbed into the tree and began to eat the fruit. The old +monkey remained below and picked up the fruit shells which the others +threw down. + +The old monkey having noticed the girl hiding in the hollow of the +tree called to the others, "Throw me down some. If you do not I shall +not share the Setke chopot I have found." The monkeys in the tree +said, "Do not give him any. He is deceiving us. When his hunger is +satisfied he will run and leave us." So no fruit was thrown down to +him, and he was forced to be content with the shells. The monkeys in +the tree having fared sumptuously, left. The old monkey waited till +they were out of sight, and then entered the hollow of the tree, +where the girl was, and ate her up. He then went to the tank to +drink, and afterwards went in the direction of the raja's garden, +on reaching which he lay down and died. One of the gardeners finding +him dead threw him on the dunghill. + +From the place where the monkey decayed a gourd sprang, and grew, and +bore a fruit which ripened. One day a jugi, when on his rounds begging, +saw this fruit and plucking it took it away with him. Out of the shell +he made a banjo, which when played upon emitted wonderful music. The +words which seemed to proceed from the banjo were as follows: + + + Ripe terels, ripe terels, Oh! Sister mine. + Went in search of water, Oh! Sister mine. + Raja and Rani they became. + Seven hundred monkeys old, + Ate me up, ate me up. Oh! Sister mine. + + +The jugi was greatly pleased with the music of his new banjo, and +determined to take it with him when he went a begging. So one day +he set out with his banjo the music of which so pleased the people +that they gave him large gifts of money and clothes. In course of +time he arrived at the palace where the elder sister was now rani, +and, being admitted, began to play on his banjo. The instrument again +produced most wonderful music. It seemed to wail as follows: + + + Ripe terels, ripe terels, Oh! Sister mine. + Went in search of water, Oh! Sister mine. + Raja and Rani they became. + Seven hundred monkeys old, + Ate me up, ate me up. Oh! Sister mine. + + +Having listened to the music the rani said, "It is wonderfully +sweet," and she fancied she heard her sister's voice in every +note. She thought it possible that it was she who sang in the banjo, +and she desired to obtain possession of it. So she invited the jugi +to pass the night in the palace, saying, I would hear more of this +entrancing music." The jugi listened to the words of the rani and +agreed to remain till morning. So the rani made much of him with the +intention of at length obtaining possession of his banjo. She caused +a goat to be killed, and she cooked a splendid supper for the jugi, +who finding the food so toothsome ate heartily. Wine was not withheld, +and the jugi being in a festive frame of mind drank deeply, so that he +soon lay as one dead. The rani took the banjo, and placed another in +its stead. She then threw filth over the unconscious jugi and retired +to her own apartment. + +The jugi on awaking before sunrise found himself in a pitiable +plight. He felt so thoroughly disgusted with himself that, hastily +picking up his staff, cloth, and banjo, he fled with the utmost +possible speed from the palace. When dawn broke he saw that the banjo +he had was not his own, and although he felt keenly its loss he was +too much ashamed of the condition he had been in to go back to seek it. + +The rani hid the jugi's banjo in her own room, because she knew her +sister to be in it. Whenever the raja and rani went out to walk the +girl left the banjo and having bathed and dressed her hair, cooked +the family meal, and then returned to the banjo. This happened so +often that at last, it came to the knowledge of the raja that a fairy +lived in the banjo, and when the way was clear used to come out and +prepare food for the rani and himself. So he determined to lie in wait +for the fairy cook. He then sent the rani somewhere on an errand, +and hid himself in a corner of the room from whence he could see +the banjo. In a short time the princess emerged from the banjo, and +began to dress her hair, and anoint herself with oil, after which she +cooked rice. She divided the food into three portions, one of which +she ate. As she was about to re-enter the banjo the raja sprang out +and caught hold of her. She exclaimed, "Chi! Chi! you may be a Hadi, +or you may be a Dom." The raja replied, "Chi! Chi! whether I be a Dom, +or a Hadi, from to-day you and I are one." + + + + + + +SEVEN BROTHERS AND THEIR SISTER. + + +In a certain village there lived seven brothers and a sister. Their +family was wealthy. Their father was dead. The brothers agreed to dig +a tank so that whatever happened their name would continue. So they +began the work, but although they dug deep they found no water. Then +they said to each other, "Why is there no water?" While they were +speaking thus among themselves a jugi gosae on his rounds, came to +the tank in the hope of finding water, but he was disappointed. The +seven brothers on seeing the jugi gosae went and sat down near him, +and said, "We have been working for many days, and have dug so deep, +still we have not reached water. You, who are a jugi gosae, tell us +why water does not come." He replied, "Unless you give a gift you +will never get water." They enquired, "What should we give." The jugi +gosae replied, "Not gold, or silver, or an elephant, or a horse, but +you have a sister?" They said, "Yes, we have one sister." He replied, +"Then make a gift of her to the spirit of the tank." The girl was +betrothed, and her family had received the amount that had been fixed +as her price. The brothers argued thus, "We have laboured so long +to make a name for ourselves, but have not found water, so where is +our name? If we do not sacrifice our sister we shall never obtain the +fulfilment of our wishes, let us all agree to it." So they all said, +"Agreed," but the youngest did not fully approve of their design. + +In the evening they said to their mother, "Let our sister wash her +clothes, dress her hair, and put on all her ornaments to-morrow when +she brings us our breakfast to the tank." They did not, however, +enlighten their mother as to why they desired their sister to be so +careful with her toilet. + +The following day the mother addressed her daughter as follows, +"Oh! my daughter, your brothers yesterday said to me, let the +daughter, when she brings us our breakfast come with clean clothes, +her hair dressed and all her ornaments on. So as it is nearly time, +go and dress, and put on all your ornaments, and take your brothers' +breakfast to where they are working." She complied with her mother's +order, and set out for the tank, dressed in her best with all her +ornaments on, carrying boiled rice in a new basket. + +When she arrived at the tank her brothers said to her, "Oh! daughter, +set down the basket under yonder tree." She did so, and the brothers +came to where she was. They then said to her, "Go bring us water from +the tank to drink." She took her water-pot under her arm, and went +into the tank, but did not at once find water. Presently, however, she +saw the sheen of water in the centre, and went to fill her pitcher, +but she could not do so, as the water rose so rapidly. The tank was +soon full to the brim, and the girl was drowned. + +The brothers having seen their sister perish, went home. Their +mother enquired, "Oh! my sons, where is the daughter?" They replied, +"We have given her to the tank. A certain jugi gosae said to us, +'Unless you offer up your sister you will never get water'." On +hearing this she loudly wailed the loss of her daughter. Her sons +strove to mitigate her grief by saying, "Look mother, we undertook +the excavation of the tank to perpetuate our name, and to gain the +fruit of a meritorious work. And unless there be water in the tank +for men and cattle to drink, where is the perpetuation of our name? By +our offering up the daughter the tank is full to overflowing. So the +cattle can now quench their thirst, and travellers, when they encamp +near by and drink the water, will say, 'The excavators of this tank +deserve the thanks of all. We, and others who pass by are recipients +of their bounty. Their merit is indeed great'." In this way with many +such like arguments they sought to allay their mother's grief. + +Right in the centre of the tank, where the girl was drowned, there +sprang up an Upel flower the purple, sheen of which filled the beholder +with delight. + +It has already been stated that the girl had been betrothed, and that +her family had received the money for her. The day appointed for the +marriage arrived, and the bridegroom's party with drums, elephants and +horses, set out for the bride's house. On arrival they were informed +that she had left her home, and that all efforts to trace her had +proved fruitless. So they returned home greatly disappointed. It so +happened that their way lay past the tank in which the girl had been +sacrificed, and the bridegroom, from his palki, saw the Upel flower +in the centre. As he wished to possess himself of it, he ordered his +bearers to set down the palki, and stepping out prepared to swim out +to pluck the flower. His companions tried to dissuade him, but as he +insisted he was permitted to enter the water. He swam to within a short +distance of the flower, but as he stretched out his hand to pluck it, +the Upel flower, moving away, said, "Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! You may be +either a Dom or a Hadi, do not touch me." The bridegroom replied, +"Not so. Are not we two one?" He made another effort to seize the +flower, but it again moved away, saying, "Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! you +may be a Dom or a Hadi, so do not touch me." To which he replied, +"Not so. You and I are one." He swam after it again, but the flower +eluded his grasp, and said, "Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! You may be a Dom, +or you may be a Hadi, so do not touch me." He said, "Not so. You and +I are bride and bridegroom for ever." Then the Upel flower allowed +itself to be plucked, and the bridegroom returned to his company +bearing it with him. + +He entered his palki and the cortege started. They had not proceeded +far before the bearers were convinced that the palki was increasing +in weight. They said, "How is it that it is now so heavy? A short +time ago it was light." So they pushed aside the panel, and beheld +the bride and bridegroom sitting side by side. The marriage party on +hearing the glad news rejoiced exceedingly. They beat drums, shouted, +danced, and fired off guns. Thus they proceeded on their homeward way. + +When the bridegroom's family heard the noise, they said, one to the +other "Sister, they have arrived." Then they went forth to meet the +bridegroom, and brought them in with great rejoicing. The bride was +she who had been the Upel flower, and was exceedingly beautiful. In +form she was both human and divine. The village people, as well as +the marriage guests, when they saw her, exclaimed, "What a beautiful +bride! She is the fairest bride that we have seen. She has no +peer." Thus they all praised her beauty. + +It so happened that in the meantime the mother and brothers of the +girl had become poor. They were reduced to such straits as to be +compelled to sell firewood for a living. So one day the brothers +went to the bridegroom's village with firewood for sale. They offered +it to one and another, but no one would buy. At last some one said, +"Take it to the house in which the marriage party is assembled. They +may require it." So the brothers went there, and asked, "Will you buy +firewood?" They replied, "Yes. We will take it." Some one informed the +bride, that some men from somewhere had brought firewood for sale. So +she went out, and at once recognised her brothers, and said to them, +"Put down your loads," and when they had done so she placed beds +for them to sit on, and brought them water; but they did not know +that she was their sister, as she was so greatly changed. Then she +gave them vessels of oil, and said, "Go bathe, for you will dine +here to-day." So they took the oil, and went to bathe, but they +were so hungry that they drank the oil on the way. So they bathed, +and returned to the house. She then brought them water to wash their +hands, and they sat down in a row to eat. The bride gave her youngest +brother food on a brass plate, because he had not approved of what +had been done to her, but to the others she gave it on leaf plates. + +They had only eaten one handful of rice when the girl placed herself +in front of them, and putting a hand upon her head, began to weep +bitterly. She exclaimed, "Oh! my brothers, you had no pity upon me. You +threw me away as an offering to the tank. You saw me lost, and then +went home." When the brothers heard this they felt as if their breasts +were torn open. If they looked up to heaven, heaven was high. Then +they saw an axe which they seized, and with it they struck the ground +with all their might. It opened like the mouth of a large tiger, +and the brothers plunged in. The girl caught the youngest brother by +the hair to pull him up, but it came away in her hand, and they all +disappeared into the bowels of the earth, which closed over them. + +The girl held the hair in her hand and wept over it. She then planted +it, and from it sprang the hair like Bachkom [22] grass, and from +that time Bachkom grass grows in the jungles. + +The sister had pity on her youngest brother because he did not join +heartily with the others in causing her death. So she tried to rescue +him from the fate which was about to overtake him, but in this she +failed, and he suffered for the sins of his brothers. + + + + + + +THE STORY OF JHORE. + + +There was a lad named Jhore, who herded goats, and every day while +with his flock he saw a tiger and a lizard fight. The lizard always +vanquished the tiger, and the latter after each encounter came to Jhore +and said, "Which of us won?" Jhore through fear every time replied, +"You won," and the tiger went away pleased. + +One day Jhore said to his mother, give me some roasted matkom in a +leaf, and put me into a bag and I will tell you something. So she +wrapped up some matkom in a leaf, and Jhore crept into the bag and +she tied its mouth. Then she said, "What is it, my son, which you +wish to tell me?" Jhore replied, "Every day when I am tending my +goats I see a tiger and a lizard fight, and the tiger is vanquished +by the lizard. The tiger then comes to me and asks, 'which of us +won?' Through fear I say, you won, then the tiger goes away satisfied." + +While Jhore was relating the foregoing to his mother the tiger was +listening at the door, and as he finished his story it rushed in, and +seizing the bag carried it off to a dense unexplored forest, on a hill +in the middle of which he placed it. Jhore was very uncomfortable, +and was considering how he could best free himself from the bag. As +he was hungry he was reminded of the matkom he had with him wrapped +in a leaf, so he began to open it, and the dried leaf crackled. The +tiger hearing the noise, asked what produced it. Jhore replied, +"It is yesterday's lizard." The tidings of the presence of his +mortal enemy so terrified the tiger that he exclaimed, "Stop, stop, +Jhore. Do not release him. Let me first escape." After the tiger left +Jhore rolled down the hill side, and away into a still denser forest, +in an open spot of which he came to a stop. The fastening of the bag +was loosed by this time, and Jhore crawled out. All round this open +glade in which our hero found himself was dense forest never trodden +by the foot of man, and tenanted by a herd of wild buffaloes. Jhore +took up his residence there, and subsisted on the roasted matkom as +long as it lasted. + +Jhore in his explorations found a number of buffaloe calves left +behind by their mothers who had gone to graze. He tended these daily, +cleaning the place where they lived, and taking them to the water, +where he washed them. In this way a bond of friendship was established +between him and the wild buffaloe calves. + +Before the buffaloe cows left for their grazing grounds in the +mornings the calves said, "You stay away till so late at night that, +we are almost famished before you return. Leave some milk with us, +so that when hungry we may drink it." So they left a supply of milk +with them, which they gave to Jhore. He took such care of his charges +that he soon became a great favourite with them. + +Matters went on thus for many days till at last the buffaloe cows +said among themselves, "We must watch for, and catch whoever it is +who keeps our calves so clean." So a very powerful wild buffaloe +was appointed to lie in wait, but he missed seeing Jhore when he led +the calves to the water and bathed them, and cleaned and swept out +their stall. The next day another took his place, but he succeeded +no better. The calves were taken to the water, bathed, brought back, +and their stall cleaned and swept as usual without his seeing who +did it. When the others returned in the evening he informed them +that he had failed to solve the mystery. So they said, "What shall +we do now? How shall we catch him? Who will watch to-morrow?" A old +buffaloe cow replied, "I will accept the responsibility." Hearing +her speak thus the others said, "What a good elephant and a good +horse could not do, will ten asses accomplish?" By this they meant, +that two of the strongest of their number having failed, this weak +old cow could not possibly succeed. However, she persisted, and in +the morning the others went to graze leaving her behind. + +In a short time she saw Jhore emerge from the dunghill, in which he +resided, and loose the calves, and take them to the water. When he +brought them back he cleaned and swept their stall, and then re-entered +the dunghill. In the evening the others enquired, "Well, did you see +him?" The old buffaloe cow replied, "Yes, I saw him, but I will not +tell you, for you will kill him." They pressed her, but she refused, +saying, "You will kill him." They said, "Why should we kill him who +takes so much care of our young ones?" The old buffaloe cow led them +to the dunghill, and said, "He is in here." So they called to him to +come out, which he did, and when they saw him they were all greatly +pleased, so much so that they there and then hired him to continue +to do the work he had been doing so well. They arranged also to give +him a regular daily supply of milk, so he was duly installed by the +herd of wild buffaloes as care-taker of their calves. + +Long after this, he one day took his calves to the river and after +he had bathed them he said to the buffaloe calves, "Wait for me till +I also bathe." They replied, "Bathe, we will graze close by." He +having performed his ablutions sat down on the river bank to comb and +dress his hair, which was twelve cubits long. In combing his tangled +tresses a quantity was wrenched out, this he wrapped up in a leaf and +threw into the stream. It was carried by the current a great distance +down to where a raja's daughter and her companions were bathing. The +raja's daughter saw the leaf floating towards her, and ordered one +of her attendants to bring it to her. When the leaf was opened it +was found to contain hair twelve cubits in length. Immediately after +measuring the hair the raja's daughter complained of fever, and hasted +home to her couch. The raja being informed of his daughter's illness +sent for the most skilled physicians, who prescribed all the remedies +their pharmacopoeia contained, but failed to afford the sufferer any +relief. The grief of the raja was therefore intense. + +Then his daughter said to him, "Oh! father, I have one word to say +to you. If you do as I wish, I shall recover." The raja replied, +"Tell me what it is, I shall do my best to please you." So she said, +"If you find me one with hair twelve cubits long and bring him to me, +I shall rally at once." The raja said, "It is well." + +The raja caused diligent search to be made for the person with +hair twelve cubits long. He said to a certain jugi, "You traverse +the country far and near, find me the man with hair twelve cubits +long." The jugi enquired everywhere, but could obtain no intelligence +concerning him. + +They then made up a parcel of flour and gave it to a crow, whom +they sent to try and find him. The crow flew caw cawing all over +the district, but returned at last and reported failure, saying, +"there is not such a man in the world." + +After this they again made up a small parcel of flour, and giving +it to a tame paroquet, said, "Find a man with hair twelve cubits +long." The paroquet, having received his orders, flew away screeching, +and mounting high up into the sky, directed his course straight for +the unexplored forest. In the meantime the dunghill in which Jhore +resided had become a palace. + +The paroquet alighted on a tree near Jhore's palace, and began to +whistle. On hearing the unusual sound Jhore came out and saw the +paroquet who was speaking and whistling. The paroquet also eyed him +narrowly, and was delighted to see his hair trailing on the ground. By +this he knew that he had found the object of his search, and with a +scream of delight, he flew away to communicate the tidings to the raja. + +The raja was overjoyed with his messenger's report, and ordered the +bariat to set out immediately. In a short time they were on their +way accompanied by elephants, horses, drums, and fifes. On reaching +Jhore's palace they were about to enter for the purpose of seizing +him, when he exclaimed, "Do not pass my threshold." They replied, +"We will carry you away with us." He said, "Do not come near." "We will +certainly carry you away," they replied. Jhore then ran into his house, +and seizing his flute mounted to the roof, and began to play. As the +notes of the flute resounded through the forest it seemed to say, + + + A staff of Pader [23] wood + A flute of Erandom [24] + Return, return, return, + Oh! wild buffaloe cows. + + +The sound of the flute startled the wild buffaloes, and they said +one to another, "Sister. What has happened to Jhore?" Then he played +again the same as before; + + + A staff of Pader wood + A flute of Erandom + Return, return, return, + Oh! wild buffaloe cows. + + +As the echoes of Jhore's flute died away in the forest glades the wild +buffaloes sprang forward, and rushed to his assistance. On arrival they +found the house and courtyard full of people, and large numbers outside +who could not gain admittance. They immediately charged them with +all their force, goring many to death, and scattering the remainder, +who flung away their drums and fifes, and fled as for dear life. + +When the raja heard of their discomfiture he sent again for the +paroquet, and giving a small parcel of flour to him said, "Stay some +time with him until you gain his confidence, and watch your chance +to bring away his flute." Having received his orders he flew off +to Jhore's palace, and having gained access to where the flute was, +when Jhore was out of the way he brought it away, and gave it to the +raja. The raja was delighted at the sight of the flute, and again +ordered the bariat to go to fetch Jhore. A still more imposing array +than the former started with elephants, horses, drums, fifes, and +palkis, and in due course arrived at Jhore's residence. On seeing them +Jhore called out, "Do not approach, or you will rue it presently." They +replied, "You beat us off the first time, therefore you now crow, but +you will not now be able to balk us, we shall take you with us." Again +he warned them to stay where they were, saying, "Do not come near me, +or you will rue it presently." They replied, "We will take you with +us this time, we will not leave you behind." Jhore then ran into his +house, and searched for his flute, but as it had been carried away +by the paroquet he could not find it, so seizing another he mounted +to the roof, and began to play. The flute seemed to say; + + + A staff of Pader wood + A flute of Erandom + Return, return, return, + Oh! wild buffaloe cows. + + +The sound startled the wild buffaloes who said one to another +"Sister. What is it Jhore says?" Again the music of the flute reached +their ears, and the entire herd rushed off to Jhore's rescue. They +charged the crowd in and around the palace of their favourite with +such determination that in a few minutes many lay gored to death, +and those who were so fortunate as to escape threw down drums, +fifes, and palkis, and fled pell mell from the place. The raja, +being informed of the catastrophe that had befallen the bariat, +again called the paroquet, and after he had given him careful +instructions as to how he should proceed, dismissed him. He said, +"This time you must stay many days with him, and secure his entire +confidence and friendship. Then you must bring away all his flutes, +do not leave him one." So the paroquet flew swiftly, and alighted on +a tree near to Jhore's house, and began to whistle. Jhore seeing it +was a paroquet brought it food, and induced it to come down, and allow +him to take it in his hand. The two, it is said, lived together many +days, and greatly enjoyed each other's society. The paroquet when he +had informed himself as to where all Jhore's flutes were kept, one +day tied them all up in a bundle, and carried them to the raja. The +sight of the flutes revived the drooping spirits of his Majesty. He +gave orders a third time for the bariat to go and bring Jhore, so they +started with greater pomp and show than before. Elephants, horses, and +an immense number of men with drums and fifes, and palkis formed the +procession. On their arrival Jhore came out of his palace and said to +them, "Do not come near, or you will rue it." They replied, "This time +we will have you. We will take you with us." Again Jhore warning them +said, "Come no nearer. If you do, you will see something as good as a +show. Do you not remember how you fared the other day?" But they said, +"We will carry you away with us." Jhore ran inside to get his flute, +so that he might call the wild buffaloes to his assistance; but no +flute was to be found. Without the help of his powerful friends he +could offer no resistance, so they seized him, and bore him away in +triumph to the raja. + +When the raja's daughter heard of his arrival the fever suddenly +left her, and she was once more in excellent health. She and Jhore +were united in the bonds of marriage forthwith; but Jhore was kept +a close prisoner in the palace. + +In course of time a son blessed the union, and when the child was +able to walk Jhore's wife said to him, "Where is the large herd of +buffaloes which you boast so much about? If they were here "Sonny" +would have milk and curds daily." Jhore plucking up courage, replied, +"If you do not believe me order a stockade to be constructed thirty-two +miles long and thirty-two miles broad, and you shall soon behold my +buffaloes." So they made a pen thirty-two miles long and thirty-two +miles broad. Then Jhore said, "Give me my old flute, and you all remain +within doors." So they brought him his flute, and he went up on to the +roof of the palace, and played. The music seemed to call as follows: + + + A staff of Pader wood + A flute of Erandom + Return, return, return, + Oh! wild buffaloe cows. + + +The sound startled the wild buffaloes in their forest home, and they +said one to another, "Sister. What does Jhore say?" Again the music +seemed to say, + + + A staff of Pader wood + A flute of Erandom + Return, return, return, + Oh! wild buffaloe cows. + + +At Jhore's second call the herd of wild buffaloes dashed off at +their utmost speed, and never halted till they reached the raja's +palace. They came in such numbers that the pen could not contain them +all, many remained outside. + +Those that entered the pen are the domesticated buffaloes of to-day, +and those who were without are the wild buffaloes still found in the +forests of India. + + + + + + +THE GIRL WHO ALWAYS FOUND HELPERS. + + +There were once upon a time, six brothers and a sister. The brothers +were married. They were merchants, and their business often took them +to a distance from home. On such occasions the wives were left alone +with their sister-in-law. For some reason or other they hated the girl, +and took every opportunity to harass and worry her. + +One day when the brothers were away on a journey they said to her, +"Oh! girl, go to the forest and bring a load of firewood without +tying it." What could the girl do? She must obey her sisters-in-law, +or else they would beat her, and give her no food. So she went to the +forest with a heavy heart, bewailing her unhappy lot in the following +plaintive song, + + + Woe is me! For I must bring + Unbound a fagot on my head. + + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While business you far hence hath led. + + +Seeing her grief a Jambro snake asked, "Why daughter, do you cry?" She +replied, "My brothers have gone away on business, and my sisters-in-law +persecute me. They have sent me to bring a bundle of firewood on +my head without tying it." The Jambro took pity on her and said, +"Gather firewood." Then the Jambro stretched himself full length upon +the ground and said to the girl, "Lay the sticks on me." When she +had done so the serpent twined itself round the fagot like a rope, +and said, "Now lift it on to your head, but when you reach home, +lay your burden down gently." + +When her sisters-in-law knew that she had done what they considered +impossible, they were still more angry with her, and ordered her to +go to the forest and get milk from a tigress. They gave her a small +earthen vessel, saying, "Go, bring us the milk of a tigress." What +could the girl do? She went to the forest with a heavy heart, bewailing +her unhappy lot in the following plaintive song, + + + Woe is me! For I must bring + A brimful cup of tigress' milk + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While you far hence by trade are lured. + + +She went to the tiger's den, but only found two cubs, who seeing +her sitting weeping at the entrance said, "What are you seeking?" She +replied, "My sisters-in-law have sent me to bring some of your mother's +milk." The cubs took pity on her and hid her in the cave. They +said to her, "Our mother will devour you, so you must not shew +yourself." In a short time the tigress returned, and entering the +den said, "I smell a human being. Where is he?" The cubs replied, +"There is no one here." The cubs milked a little of their mother's +milk into the girl's vessel, and when the way was clear they gave it +to her, and sent her home. + +Her sisters-in-law were greatly disappointed when she brought home +the milk, they had expected that the tiger would have devoured her, +on that she would return home empty handed, and so give them the +opportunity of abusing her for not carrying out their order. + +Another day when the brothers were absent they called her, and said, +"Go to the forest and bring us some bear's milk." What could the girl +do? If she did not do as she was bidden her sisters-in-law would beat +her, and give her nothing to eat. So taking the vessel in her hand, +she went to the forest, bewailing her unhappy lot in the following +plaintive strains; + + + Woe is me! For I must bring + A brimful cup of she bear's milk + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While you far hence by trade are lured. + + +Going to the bear's den she sat down and wept. The she-bear was not +in the den, only two cubs were there, who, when they saw the girl, +took pity upon her, and asked why she wept. She replied, "My brothers +have gone away on business, and my sisters-in-law, who hate me, have +sent me to procure bear's milk in order to harass and annoy me." The +bear cubs then said, "Our mother will eat you, if she finds you, +so we will hide you, and you must keep quiet while she is here." The +she-bear on entering the cave said, "I smell a human being." The cubs +replied, "There is no one here." The young ones succeeded in obtaining +a small quantity of their mother's milk in the girl's earthen vessel, +and after the mother bear had left, the cubs dismissed her with their +best wishes for her welfare. + +Her sisters-in-law were extremely annoyed when she presented the bear's +milk to them. They had expected that the bear would have torn her to +pieces, or that she would have returned empty handed, and thus give +them another chance to abuse and reproach her. + +The girl's sisters-in-law again took advantage of their husbands' +absence to send her to bring water from the spring in a water-pot with +a hole in it. They said, "Go bring water in this water-pot." What +could the girl do? She placed it on her head, and went towards the +spring bewailing her unhappy lot in the following plaintive song, + + + Woe is me! For I must bring + Spring water in a leaking jar + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While business you far hence hath lured. + + +She seated herself near the well, and exclaimed, "How can I carry +water in this pot?" At that moment a frog raised his head above the +reeds, and said, "Why do you sit here lamenting?" The girl replied, +"My sisters-in-law, who hate me, have ordered me to bring water in this +pot which has a large hole in the bottom. How is it possible for me +to obey their order?" The frog replied, "Do not worry yourself over +it, I will help you." So he pressed himself tightly over the hole, +and she filled her pot, and carried it home on her head. + +Her sisters-in-law, when they saw her place the water-pot on the +ground, full to the brim, were intensely mortified. They had looked +for her returning with an empty pitcher, thus affording them an +ostensible reason for maliciously upbraiding her. + +Another time they scattered a large basketful of Mustard seed on +the ground, and ordered her to pick up every seed. They said to her, +"You must gather it all into the basket again." What could she do? If +she failed they would beat her, entreat her spitefully, and deprive +her of food. As she gazed upon the seeds scattered all around her, +she bewailed her unhappy condition as follows: + + + Woe is me! I must refill + This basket with these scattered seeds + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While business you far hence hath lured. + + +The plaintive murmur of her song had scarcely died away when a +large flock of pigeons alighted near her. They said, "Why do you +weep?" She replied, "My sisters-in-law, who hate me, have scattered +all this mustard seed on the ground, and have ordered me to pick it +all up. One solitary seed must not be left." The pigeons said, "Do +not vex yourself, we will soon pick it up for you." As the pigeons +were very numerous they soon collected it all into the basket. They +did not leave one seed on the ground. + +When she called her sisters-in-law to come and see how efficiently the +work had been done, they were furious at being again balked by her, +and vowed vengeance. + +Once again, when the brothers were from home, her sisters-in-law +ordered her to go to the jungle, and bring a bale of leaves with +which to make the family cups and plates. They said to her, "Go to +the jungle and bring a large bale of leaves, but do so without in +anyway tying them." What could the girl do? She had been ordered to +perform an impossibility. If she refused, or failed to do it, her +sisters-in-law would beat her, and deprive her of food. So she went to +the forest bewailing her unhappy lot in the following plaintive song; + + + Woe is me! For I must bring + Of forest leaves an unbound bale + Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing + While business you far hence hath lured. + + +As she was sitting in the forest weeping a Horhorang serpent drew +near and said, "Wherefore daughter do you grieve?" She replied, +"My sisters-in-law hate me and have ordered me to bring leaves +without tying them into a bundle. I cannot do this, and I fear their +resentment, so I cannot help weeping." The Horhorang said, "Vex not +yourself. Go and pluck your leaves and bring them here." She did so, +and the Horhorang twined himself round them binding them into a sheaf, +which the girl placed upon her head, and carried home. + +When her sisters-in-law saw the leaves, and had looked to see that +none had fallen by the way they were greatly chagrined. They had +expected an opportunity to reproach her with disobedience, and a +reason for punishing her. + +Although her sisters-in-law had imposed so many impossibilities upon +her, yet they had been unable to defeat her. Just at the proper time +some one had appeared to help her. + +They had seen a bunch of flowers on the top of a high tree, and one +day when their husbands were away, they said to her, "Climb up into +the tree and pluck the flowers, we wish to dress our hair with them on +the occasion of your marriage." No sooner had she clambered up into +the tree than her sisters-in-law placed thorny bushes all round in +such a manner as to prevent her coming down again. They then went home. + +A few days afterwards, the brothers, when returning from a distant +market to which they had gone rested for a little under this tree. A +tear drop fell on the hand of one of them. Looking at it he said, +"Look brothers, this tear drop resembles those of the daughter." Then +they looked and saw her high up in the tree. They quickly brought +her down, and she related how in time past she had been persecuted +by her sisters-in-law whenever they were absent. The brothers were +wroth with their wives for having used her so cruelly. + +The brothers put their sister into a bag, and carried her home on a +bullock's back. When the wives came out to welcome them, they asked, +"Where is the daughter?" They gave no reply. + +Afterwards the brothers dug a deep well, and on the pretence of +propitiating the water spirit induced their wives to stand round the +well with offerings of rice, &c., in their hands. At a given signal +each hurled his wife head foremost into the well. They then placed +a cart over the opening. + +In return for the persecution she had endured at their hands, the +girl used to go to the well and looking in, say, "You treated me +cruelly once, but now, boo sisters boo." + + + + + + +A SIMPLE THIEF. + + +Once upon a time a man had some money given to him, and was told to +go and buy a foal with it. So he set out to search for one. After +a time he came to a village, and going to a house asked the people +if they had a foal to sell, as he wished to buy one. They replied, +"There are no foals here, but we have mare's eggs. If you will take +them we will give them to you." He said, "I will not take eggs, I +want a foal." He went to every house in the village asking if they +had a foal to sell, but none was to be had; but at each they offered +to sell to him mare's eggs. + +He then thought within himself, wherever I have gone they have told me +that they have not got a foal, but that they can let me have eggs. This +being so, why should I give myself any further trouble? I will buy +an egg. So he was given a large gourd, and told it was a mare's +egg. Having got, as he thought a mare's egg, he joyfully started +to return to his home. The man who sold him the gourd informed him, +that a foal was certain to be hatched on the way. He was still far +from home when the sun set, so he entered a village, and passed the +night there. In the morning he set out betimes, and about breakfast +time he came to a tank, on the embankment of which he laid down his +gourd. He then went into the water to clean his teeth, after which he +began to wash his face. While he was thus engaged a jackal came and +pushed the gourd down the embankment. The noise frightening the animal +it ran away, but the man having caught a glimpse of it called out, +"My foal has hatched, and is galloping off." He pursued the jackal, +which being terror stricken fled to the jungle, and took refuge in +his burrow. The man was pleased to see the creature enter his hole, +and he said, "He will soon come out again, and then I shall mount him, +and gallop him home." Having said this, he placed himself in such a +position that when the jackal came out he could sit down on its back. + +He continued standing thus until nightfall, but even then he had no +intention of relinquishing his chance of capturing his foal. Late at +night some thieves came that way, and seeing him alone in the jungle +asked him what he did there. He replied, "I was sent by my friends to +buy a foal, but as I could not get one, I bought a mare's egg. I was +informed that the egg would hatch on my way home. I spent last night +in a village on the way side, and resumed my homeward journey in the +morning. On arriving at a tank I laid down my egg on the embankment, +and went down into the water, and having cleaned my teeth was washing +my hands and face, when the egg hatched and the foal immediately ran +away. I followed it, and saw it enter this hole, and I am waiting +till it comes out, when I shall mount, and canter it home." + +The thieves said, "Leave it alone. Let it remain there. Will you kill +yourself for this foal? Come with us, and we will give you a strong, +beautiful horse. This one has through fear of you riding on his back +gone into this hole. Why should you wait for him? He will stay where +he is. Come with us, and we will supply you with a good one presently." + +After a little time spent in considering the offer the thieves had +made him, he decided to accompany them. The thieves were pleased +to receive him into their gang, and at once they proceeded towards +a certain village. Having arrived there they went to a rich man's +house, and dug a hole through the wall. They then said to our hero +of the mare's egg, "You creep in." He raised no objection, but went +willingly. They said to him, "Bring out all the heavy articles you +can find, they are sure to be the most valuable." When inside he +lifted up all he found to test the weight, but nothing seemed to be +sufficiently heavy to be worth stealing. He said, "everything is light, +what can I take out to them?" At length he came across a millstone, +which he pushed through the hole in the wall to his confederates out +side. Judging from its weight he expected they would be delighted to +receive it, but they said, "Not this, Not this. Bring something worth +stealing." So he went back, and finding a drum hanging from the roof he +took it down, and began to beat it. When the thieves heard the sound +of the drum they decamped, saying, "This fool is certain to betray +us to-night." When he brought out the drum to make it over to them, +they were nowhere to be seen, so he re-entered the house and placed +the drum again where he had found it. + +He then saw some milk near the fireplace, and being hungry he +determined to cook some food. So helping himself to some rice he began +to prepare it by boiling it in the milk. When it was nearly cooked, +one of the household turned over in his sleep, saying, "I will eat. I +will eat." So he filled a ladle with the boiling rice and milk, and +poured it into the sleeper's mouth. The hot food scalded him terribly, +and he sprang up howling with the pain. + +The other members of the family also jumped to their feet, and laid +hold of the intruder, and bound him hand and foot. + +When the day broke a large number of people came to see the thief, +and began to question him, as to who were his companions. So he +related all that had occurred. Then they said, "Of a truth, this +man has been the means of protecting us. Had he not acted as he did, +we would have been robbed of all we have." + +So they loosed his bonds, and set him free. They also allowed him to +eat the rice and milk he had cooked, which having done, he went home. + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] Jari is the Santali name for Crotalaria Juncea, a fibre yielding +plant the seeds of which when ripe, rattle in the pods when the plant +is shaken. + +[2] Bita is Santali for span, and Bitaram is span Ram, or span-long +Ram. + +[3] A small basket with a contracted opening. + +[4] Covering for the head and shoulders made of leaves pinned together, +worn as a protection from the rain by women, while planting rice. + +[5] Said to bullocks when ploughing to cause them to turn at the end +of a furrow. + +[6] Ghur pank is a phrase used by ploughmen when turning their bullocks +at the end of a furrow. + +[7] Mount the buffalo. + +[8] The spirit believed to preside over a certain class of rice land. + +[9] Semi-Hinduised aborigines, whose touch is considered polluting. + +[10] Ficus religiosa, Willd. one of the hugest of India's many +huge trees. + +[11] The fibre yielded by Bauhinia Vahlii, W. and A. goes under that +name among the Santals. + +[12] Lelha in Santali means foolish. + +[13] Diamonds. + +[14] A mythical gem, said to be found in the heads of certain snakes. + +[15] Celestial horses. + +[16] Celestial Maiden. + +[17] AEgle Marmelos, Correa. + +[18] A mythical bird which figures largely in Indian folk lore. + +[19] Huti is the name given by Santals to a certain timber boring +insect. Budhi is an old woman. + +[20] Calotropis gigantea, R. Br. + +[21] Diospyros tomentosa. + +[22] Ischoemum agustifolium, Hack. + +[23] Stereospermum suaveolens, D. C. + +[24] Recinus communis, Linn. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Santal Folk Tales, by A. 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