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diff --git a/58816-0.txt b/58816-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7336482 --- /dev/null +++ b/58816-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5410 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58816 *** + + + + + + + + + + + + + SIMLA VILLAGE TALES + OR, FOLK TALES FROM THE + HIMALAYAS + + + BY ALICE ELIZABETH DRACOTT + + + LONDON + JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. + 1906 + + + + + + + + + TO THE ONE I LOVE BEST. + + + + + + + + +PREFACE + + +In introducing "Simla Village Tales" to my readers, I wish to +acknowledge gratefully the valuable assistance given me by my sister +Mabel Baldwin, who, when I was obliged to leave India suddenly owing +to nervous breakdown after the terrible earthquake which visited the +Punjaub in April 1905, kindly undertook to complete, from the same +sources where I had got them, my collection of folk-tales. Twenty +excellent stories contributed by her include "Tabaristan," "The Priest +and the Barber," "The Fourth Wife is Wisest," and "Abul Hussain." + +Of the down-country tales my husband kindly contributed "Anar Pari," +"The Dog Temple," "The Beautiful Milkmaid," and "The Enchanted Bird, +Music, and Stream." Both my sister and my husband can speak the +language fluently, and as the former has resided many years in the +Punjaub, I am confident that her translations are as literal as my +own. All the tales were taken down in pencil, just as they were told, +and as nearly as possible in the words of the narrators, who were +village women belonging to the agricultural class of Hindus in the +Simla district. + +I must add a word of thanks to Mr Hallam Murray for his invaluable +assistance with the illustrations. + +In one or two instances I was asked if I would allow a Paharee man, +well versed in local folk-lore, to relate a few stories to me; but, +for obvious reasons, I was obliged to decline the offer, for many Simla +Village tales related to me by women, and not included in this book, +were grotesquely unfit for publication. + +The typical Paharee woman is, as a rule, extremely good-looking, +and a born flirt; she has a pleasant, gay manner, and can always see +a joke; people who wish to chaff her discover an adept at repartee. + +The "Simla Village Woman," whose photograph is reproduced, is a very +good type. I found her most gentle and lovable. Her little boy, and +last surviving child, has died since the photograph was taken last +year, yet the young mother bears all her griefs with a fortitude +which is really remarkable. + +Himalayan folk-lore, with its beauty, wit, and mysticism, is a most +fascinating study, and makes one grieve to think that the day is fast +approaching when the honest rugged hill-folk of Northern India will +lose their fireside tales under the influence of modern civilisation. + +The hurry and rush of official life in India's Summer Capital +leaves no time for the song of birds or scent of flowers; these, +like the ancient and exquisite fireside tales of its people, have +been hustled away into distant valleys and remote villages, where, +on cold winter nights, Paharees, young and old, gather together to +hear these oft-repeated tales. + +From their cradle under the shade of ancient deodars, beside the rocks, +forests and streams of the mighty Himalayan mountains, have I sought +these tales to place them upon the great Bookshelf of the World. + + + A. E. D. + + + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + THE CAUSE OF A LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE OWL AND THE KITE 1 + A MONKEY OBJECTS TO CRITICISM 2 + THE DEAD MAN'S RING 3 + THE ORIGIN OF DEATH 5 + THE REAL MOTHER 6 + THE PRINCESS SOORTHE 12 + THE SNAKE'S BRIDE 15 + THE POWER OF FATE 20 + THE OLD WITCH WHO LIVED IN A FOREST 31 + KULLOO, A FAITHFUL DOG 36 + THE STORY OF GHOSE 40 + THE VIZIER'S SON AND THE RAJAH'S SON 46 + THE RAJAH'S SON AND THE VIZIER'S SON 49 + BEY HUSLO 53 + THE STORY OF PANCH MAR KHAN 56 + THE RABBIT AND THE BARBER 59 + RUPA AND BISUNTHA 61 + SHEIK CHILLI 68 + SHEIK CHILLI 70 + THE MONKEY, THE TIGER, AND THE PRINCESS 75 + THE JACKAL AND THE GUANA 81 + THE STORY OF THE BLACK COW 83 + THE BRAHMIN AND THE WILD GEESE 88 + THE FOUR-GIFTED PRINCESS 93 + THE MAN WHO WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE 96 + THREE WISE MEN AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER 101 + BARBIL'S SON 104 + THE TIGER AND THE RATS 107 + THE ADVENTURES OF A BIRD 109 + THE LEGEND OF NALDERA TEMPLE 111 + THE BUNNIAH'S WIFE AND THE THIEF 113 + WHO STOLE THE RUBY? 115 + THE STORY OF VICKRAMADIT 119 + THE WEAVER 125 + THE DOG WHO WAS A RAJAH 132 + THE FOURTH WIFE IS THE WISEST 135 + THE STORY OF PIR SAB 141 + THE ORIGIN OF A RIVER 145 + THE GOLDEN SCORPIONS 148 + THE STORY OF A PEARL 150 + THE BUNNIAH'S GHOST 152 + BICKERMANJI THE INQUISITIVE 155 + THE BRAHMIN'S DAUGHTER 163 + ABUL HUSSAIN 166 + THE MAGICIAN AND THE MERCHANT 174 + THE SNAKE AND THE FROG 180 + THE BARBER AND THE THIEF 184 + THE STORY OF "PURAN" 186 + TABARISTAN 194 + THE PAINTED JACKAL 198 + THE ENCHANTED BIRD, MUSIC, AND STREAM 200 + THE DOG TEMPLE 213 + THE BEAUTIFUL MILKMAID 216 + A REMEDY FOR SNAKE-BITE 218 + A LEGEND OF SARDANA 220 + THE STORY OF "BUNJARA TULLAO" 224 + THE ANAR PARI, OR POMEGRANATE FAIRY 226 + + + + + + + + +THE CAUSE OF A LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE OWL AND THE KITE + + +The owl and the kite once went to law on these grounds. The owl said +that she was the oldest creature in the world, and that when the +world was first made, she alone existed. The kite objected. He said +that he flew in the air and lived in the trees. + +To prove which was right they went to law, and the owl pleaded that, +since there were no trees at the beginning of the world, the kite +was wrong in saying that he had lived in trees. The Judge therefore +decided in favour of the owl. + + + + + + + + +A MONKEY OBJECTS TO CRITICISM + + +A monkey once sat on a tree, shivering with cold, as rain was falling, +and a little bird sat in its nest on the same tree; and, as it sat, +it looked at the monkey and wondered why a creature with hands and +feet like a man should shiver in the cold, while a small bird rested +in comfort. + +At last it expressed its thought to the monkey, who replied: "I have +not strength to build myself a house, but I have strength to destroy +yours," and with that he pulled to pieces the poor little bird's nest, +and turned it out with its young. + + + + + + + + +THE DEAD MAN'S RING + + +A young married woman one night listened to the jackals' cry, and heard +them say: "Near the river lies a dead man; go and look on his finger +and you will find a ring worth nine lakhs of rupees." She therefore +rose and went to the riverside, not knowing that her husband secretly +followed in her footsteps. Arrived there, she found the dead man, but +the ring was difficult to remove, so she drew it off with her teeth. + +Her husband, who did not know she had understood and acted upon the +cry of the jackals, was horrified, and thought she was eating the flesh +of the dead man; so he returned home, and when the morning came, took +his wife to her mother, and said: "I have brought back your daughter, +and refuse to live with her any longer, lest I come to some evil +end." He gave no reason for having thus said, and returned to his home. + +In the evening his wife sat sorrowfully in the garden of her father's +house, and the crows came to roost in the peepul trees; and as they +came, they said: "In this place are buried four boxes containing +hidden treasure: dig and find it, O my daughter." The young girl +called her parents and told them the message of the crows. At first +they laughed, but, after a while, they dug as she directed, and found +treasure which enriched the whole family. The girl then explained the +story of the dead man's ring, and her husband gladly forgave her and +received her back. + + + + + + + + +THE ORIGIN OF DEATH + + +When God first made the world, He took two handsful of ashes and placed +them in a corner and hid Himself. These became a man and a woman. God +then called the man by name, saying: "Manoo," and the man replied, +"Hoo" instead of "Ha Jee" (Yes Life) respectfully, as he should +have done. + +For this reason was everlasting life denied him, and where he stood, +there were his ashes when he died. Even to this day, if a man should +scratch himself, a line of white ash of which he was made is seen. If +any man addresses another as "Jee" it is accounted to his good. + + + + + + + + +THE REAL MOTHER + + +There was once a Rajah who had seven wives; six of these were rich +and dwelt in his Palace, but the seventh was poor, and lived apart +in a little mud hut by herself. The Rajah had one great sorrow, and +that was that he had no children. One day he went out to shikar (or +hunt) and saw an old Fakir lying fast asleep. He did not know that +the Fakir had been asleep for twelve years; so he pressed his hands +and feet, and the old man awoke. Seeing the Rajah sitting beside him, +he thought he had been attending him for twelve years, so he said: +"What is your wish, my son?" and the Rajah said: "I have no children. I +want neither riches nor honour, but a son." Then the old Fakir gave +him his staff, and said: "Go to yonder mango tree and hit it twice, +bring away any fruit which may fall to me." + +The first time the Rajah hit the tree only six mangoes fell, and the +next time only one; these he carefully carried to the old Fakir, +who told him to take them home, and give one each to the Ranees, +and they would each have a son. + +So the Rajah returned to his Palace, and gave them to his six Ranees, +but quite forgot the poor Ranee, who lived apart by herself. The six +Ranees did not believe what the old man said, so they just tasted the +fruit and then threw it away; but when the poor Ranee heard what had +happened, she told her servant to go and look in the drain for any +mangoes the others had thrown away, and bring them to her; so the +servant brought them, and she carefully ate every one. Three months +afterwards she sent for an old nurse, or dhai, who told her that she +would soon be a mother. + +The Rajah was passing by when he saw the old nurse coming out of the +poor Ranee's hut, so he made enquiries; and, when he heard the news, +there were great rejoicings in the Palace. This made the other six +Ranees very angry indeed, and they called the old dhai and told her +that if, when the child was born, she would promise to kill it, they +would give her a great reward. When the day came the wicked old dhai +who was in attendance on the Ranee, said: "Ranee, I must blindfold +your eyes." The Ranee consented, and while thus blindfolded, became +the mother of six sons and one daughter. + +As soon as they were born, the old dhai carried them outside and +threw them into a hole in a potter's field, and there left them to +die, while she told the Ranee that she had given birth to a piece of +iron! The poor Ranee was terribly disappointed, and so was the Rajah, +but they submitted to what they thought was the will of God. But the +potter's wife found the children, and as she was childless, she carried +them home and looked well after them, so that they all lived and grew. + +This came to the ears of the six Ranees, and they called the old dhai, +and said: "What is this we hear? you did not kill the children; they +are alive and living in the house of the potter, but if you listen +to us and go and kill them, we shall give you all the jewels that we +possess." So the wicked old woman made some sweet chappatis, or hand +cakes, and carried them to the well where the children used to play +every day. She found them there playing with their toy horse and toy +parrot, cheap toys made of clay by their foster-father, the potter, +and they were soon tempted to eat her sweets. No sooner had they done +this, when all seven fell down and died. + +The poor potter and his wife found them thus when they came to +search for them some hours later; and, although the woman wept, +the man at once set out in search of the old Fakir, and as soon as +he found him he told him what had happened. The old Fakir cut his +finger and drew some blood: this he gave to the potter, and said: +"Go quickly and sprinkle this on the children, and they will live." + +The potter did as he was told, and the children came to life again, +and went to live with their foster-parents as before. This also came +to the ears of the six cruel Ranees, and they again called the old +dhai and told her she must make another attempt to kill the children. + +This time she had some difficulty in persuading them to eat her +sweets, for they remembered what had happened before; but in the end +she succeeded, and left them all lying dead on the ground as before. + +The poor potter was quite broken-hearted, and again sought help of +the old Fakir. The old Fakir said: "Son, I cannot raise the children +to life in the same way a second time, but bring them here to me." + +So he brought them, and the Fakir said: "Dig seven graves, and in +the centre an eighth grave for me, and bury us all." This the potter +did, and lo! after a time a mango tree sprang from the grave of each +brother, a beautiful rose from the grave of the sister, and a chumpa +or very sweet-flowering tree from the grave of the old Fakir. + +One day the servants of the Rajah saw these trees, and, being struck +with the beauty of the roses, went to gather some; but as they +stretched out their hands to do so, the bough raised itself beyond +their reach and said: "Brothers, may I let them gather roses?" And the +brothers replied: "Ask the old Fakir." So they asked him, and he said: +"None but thy mother may gather roses of thee." + +Much impressed by what had happened, the Rajah's servants went and told +him all they had heard and seen, and forthwith he set out to see the +trees. He too tried to gather flowers, but found he could not do so. + +Then he remembered the old Fakir and the seven mangoes, and sent +at once for his six Ranees, to see if any of them could gather the +strange roses. Each tried in turn, and the tree said as before: +"Brothers, may I give roses to my mother?" The brothers replied: +"Ask the old Fakir;" but the answer was always the same: "These are +not to gather roses, they are for thy mother alone." + +On this the Rajah sent for the poor, neglected Ranee, who, as we +know, was the real mother; and as soon as she came, the rose branches +spread themselves low on the ground, and she was soon covered with +beautiful flowers. + +When this happened the old Fakir's grave opened, and he came back to +life, and brought the brothers and sisters with him. He told the whole +story of the six Ranees' cruelty, and the old dhai's wickedness to the +Rajah, who forthwith ordered them all to be killed, and lived happily +ever after in his Palace, with his seven children, and their mother, +the once poor, neglected Ranee. + + + + + + + + +THE PRINCESS SOORTHE + + +Two sisters, the daughters of a Rajah, were betrothed to two Princes, +the eldest to a poor man with few followers, the youngest to a rich +man with many followers. About eight days before their marriage, +the elder called the younger and said: "Sister, we shall not be long +together, let me comb your hair for you beside the well;" but in her +heart she was jealous of her sister Soorthe, and had it in her mind +to kill her, for she did not wish her to marry a rich man. + +Now in the well were some frogs, so the elder sister said: "Sister, +do you see these frogs? The name of the Rajah you are about to marry +is Dhuddoo, or Frog, and you think that he is a man, but he is, +in reality, a frog." + +This so alarmed Soorthe that she wrote at once to the Rajah to say +she would not marry him, and he replied that he accepted her letter +and would marry elsewhere; but he was vexed at the letter, and took +good care to come in a grand procession which passed beneath the +windows of the Princess. + +She did not know it was her former lover passing by, and asked which +man in the procession was the Rajah; thus was it explained to her who +he really was, and how her elder sister had deceived her, and as she +caught sight of him she foolishly thought he had come back for her; +so she let herself down with ropes from her window: but only to fall +into the hands of some thieves, who took her away, and left her in +the forest, where she was found by a Dhobie, or washerman, who sold +her to a dancing girl. + +This woman taught Soorthe to dance; and, hearing that a Rajah in the +vicinity was entertaining a guest, and giving a feast and a nautch, the +two set out. This Rajah was entertaining Soorthe's father, although +she did not know of it, and when he recognised his own daughter, +who had been brought up in strict purdah, dancing in public, like a +common dancing girl, his wrath knew no bounds. + +He ordered her nose to be cut off forthwith, and had her turned out of +the kingdom. Thus do the innocent sometimes fall victims to the deceit +of others, and thus do they follow in the footsteps of evil associates. + + + + + + + + +THE SNAKE'S BRIDE + + +There was once a Rajah, by name Bunsi Lall, who was charmed by a witch, +turned into a snake, and lived under ground, but he constantly wished +to go above ground and see the world. + +So one day he ran away and made himself a house above ground. Now, at +this time there was a girl living in that place who had a very cruel +stepmother, and this woman made her spend the whole day picking up +sticks in the forest. It was there the snake met her, and was struck +with her beauty, and one day he said to her: "Sukkia, child of Dukhia +(or the one who gives you pain), will you marry me?" But the girl +was afraid, for who would marry a snake? + +She did not know that the snake was Rajah Bunsi Lall, and that he +was only a snake by day, but resumed his human form at night, so +she went and told her stepmother all about it; and her stepmother, +who did not care what became of the girl, said: "Tell him you will +marry him if he fills your house with silver." This the girl told him, +and he readily agreed. + +Next day, when her stepmother opened the door, she found her house +filled with silver, and readily gave her consent to the marriage; +so Sukkia became the snake's bride, and went to live in his house, +where all was comfort and happiness for her. + +After some time her stepmother thought she would go and find out +whether the girl was still living; and when she arrived at the snake's +house, she found that, contrary to her expectations, Sukkia was both +happy and prosperous. + +Now the stepmother knew the story of the enchantment of Rajah Bunsi +Lall, and also that, if he revealed his name, he would be obliged to +return again to his former home under ground; and she advised Sukkia +to beg him to tell his name, and not to rest day or night until he +had done so. + +When night came, Sukkia asked her husband to tell her his name; +but he implored her not to, as it would bring bad luck to her, +yet she persisted in asking, and would not be advised, though he +turned himself into a snake and fled before her till he reached the +river-side, where he again begged her to desist; but the foolish girl +would not listen, till he called out: "My name is Rajah Bunsi Lall;" +and so saying he disappeared under the water, and she saw him no more. + +For days and days she wandered the streets and bazaars calling, +"Rajah Bunsi Lall, Rajah Bunsi Lall!" but he came not, and she was +very unhappy. In the meantime the snake had reached his own country, +where arrangements were being made to marry him to another girl; and +when his servants came to draw water from the well, they met Sukkia +and told her of it. + +Now Sukkia still wore the ring which Rajah Bunsi Lall had given her, +and she begged them to take it to him, which they did; and when +his eyes fell upon it he remembered Sukkia, and all she must have +suffered because of him, so he went back to the world determined to +seek and find her, and then bring her to his own country. Sukkia was +delighted to meet him again. and gladly followed him; but the snake's +mother soon discovered her, and made up her mind to kill her without +delay, so she had a room prepared full of scorpions and snakes, and +all sorts of deadly creeping things, and invited Sukkia to sleep there. + +This plot was discovered in time by Rajah Bunsi Lall; and he had +the creatures all removed and the room swept clean and whitewashed, +thus Sukkia escaped; but only for a time, for the snake's mother +told her she was clever, indeed so clever that a test would be given +her to prove her cleverness, and if she failed to give proof of it, +she would be put to death. + +The snake's mother then brought a quantity of mustard seed and strewed +it on the floor beside Sukkia, telling her to divide it into equal +lots and carefully count each seed. + +The poor girl began to cry, for she felt this task to be beyond her +power, and the snake said all the trouble had been caused through +asking his name, but he knew some little birds, who came when he +called them by name, and they very soon divided the mustard seed, +so once again Sukkia escaped. + +The next time she went out, it was to follow very miserably in +the wedding procession of the snake; and his mother had arranged +that Sukkia should have torches to carry on her head and in her two +hands, so that, when the wind blew towards her, she would be burnt +to death. All happened as arranged, but when Sukkia cried out, "I am +burning, I am burning!" Rajah Bunsi Lall heard her and quickly ran +to her rescue. Together they ran away and escaped to the upper world, +and found their former home, where they lived happily ever after. + + + + + + + + +THE POWER OF FATE + + +There was once a Rajah who had six daughters, none of whom were +married, although all were grown up. + +One day he called them to him, and asked each in turn whether she was +satisfied with her lot in life and what fate had given to her. Five +of the daughters replied: "Father, our fate is in your hands: you +feed and clothe us, and all that is to be provided for our future +you will provide: we are well satisfied with our lot in life." The +youngest daughter alone kept silent, and this vexed her father, +who enquired why she made no reply. + +"My fate is in no one's hands," she said; "and whatever is to be, +will be, whether so willed by my father or not." + +The Rajah was now angrier than before, and ordered that she should +be immediately put to death; but upon second thoughts he decided to +send her to a distant forest, and there leave her without food or +water, so that she might either be eaten by wild beasts at night, +or else die of starvation. + +So she was placed in a dooly or litter and carried away. The +dooly-bearers took her to a very dense jungle, and at length arrived +at a clear space, in the centre of which stood a huge oak tree. Here +they determined to leave her, so they tied the dooly to the boughs +of the tree, where it could swing above ground, and departed. + +Now the Princess was very religious, so she spent her time in reading, +and said her prayers five times a day, believing that if it were her +fate to die she would die, but if not, some help would be sent to her. + +In this way day after day passed by without any relief, and the poor +Princess was both hungry and cold, yet she continued to pray each day, +until, on the morning of the ninth day, Mahadeo (or God), who had +heard her unceasing prayers, called one of his messengers and said: +"Some one on the earth is in great pain and sorrow, and her prayers +are ever knocking at my door; go thou to seek who it is, and bring +me word." + +So the messenger went forth, and found the poor Princess in her +dooly on the tree, so he quickly brought back the news to Mahadeo, +who sent him back with food and water to her relief. + +After she had eaten and drunk, she washed the brass vessels in which +her food had come, and continued to pray and give thanks to God. Now +each day fresh food and water was sent to her, and for her faith and +goodness, Mahadeo determined to give her a reward. + +Looking out of her dooly one day, she noticed that the earth looked wet +in a certain spot, so she dug there with her nails, and found water; +not only did she find water, but stones, which were all of solid +gold and silver. "My fate has indeed been good," said the Princess, +and she forthwith determined to build herself a Palace on that spot, +and to surround it with a beautiful garden. + +Next day she heard a woodman felling trees in the forest, and called +loudly to him. The man was afraid, for it was a lonesome spot, where +he had never before heard the sound of a human voice, and he thought +she must be a spirit; but the Princess assured him that she too was +human, and a King's daughter, who had been banished, and promised +that if he would only bring her wood to build with, and workmen to +make her house, she would pay him in gold daily. + +Pleased at his luck, the woodman lost no time in calling carpenters +and masons, and before long a lovely Palace and garden were made in +the once jungly spot, and here the Princess with her servants lived +a very happy life together. + +One day the King, her father, riding by that way, was greatly surprised +when he saw what a beautiful house and garden had been made in the +midst of the jungle. He sent his servants to enquire whose it was, +and to bring word quickly concerning it. + +The Princess saw her father's servants, and ordered that they should +be kindly treated, and fed on the best of food; so they returned +well pleased, to tell the King that it was his long-lost daughter, +whom he had thought was dead, that owned the Palace, and she had sent +a message to ask him to come and see her. + +The Rajah was indeed surprised, and hastened to find out for himself +whether or not the news were true. When the Princess met him she +reminded him of what she had said about fate, and her belief that +what was to be, would be in spite of all efforts to prevent it, +so that the Rajah also was convinced that she was right. + +After this her sisters came to visit her, and she gave them many +beautiful and costly presents. Not long afterwards the Rajah made +up his mind to travel, and asked each of his five children what they +would like him to bring her on his return. They all wanted something +different, and he had almost forgotten to ask his youngest daughter +what she wanted, as she already had all that heart could wish, but +he felt ashamed to leave her out, so he asked her also. + +"I have all that I need, O my father, but if, in your travels, you +come to a certain city where there is a little box for sale, bring +it to me." + +The Rajah soon bought his five daughters their presents, all but the +little box, so when he arrived at the city his youngest daughter had +mentioned, he began to enquire if there was a little box for sale. + +Now it was well known in that place that a certain bunniah had in +his safe keeping a magic box which contained a fan, and the soul of +a king's son. If any one waved the fan forwards, the Prince would at +once appear, but waved backwards he would at once disappear. + +When the people heard a Rajah asking for a box, they thought that it +was this magic box he meant, so they directed him to the bunniah, +who said he might have it for five hundred rupees. This seemed a +large sum to pay for so small, and, as it appeared to him, common a +thing, yet, rather than return without it, the Rajah paid the price +and returned to his own country. His five daughters were delighted +with their gifts, and he sent the box to the youngest Princess. + +She soon opened it, took out the fan, and began to wave it. No sooner +had she done so when a fine handsome Prince stood in her presence; but, +when she waved in the opposite direction from herself, he disappeared. + +Every morning the Princess summoned the Prince with her fan, and during +the day they spent many pleasant hours together playing Pacheesee, +or Oriental Chess: in the evening she sent him away. The two were +always happy together, and never weary of each other's presence, +which, I am told, is a sign of the truest friendship. + +The five sisters soon came to show their youngest sister their +presents; and laughed when they saw a simple little box, asking what +made her choose such a plain common thing. + +Upon this the foolish girl told them the whole secret of the box, +and taking out the magic fan, waved it in their presence, and the +Prince arrived as before. + +This made the five elder sisters very angry and jealous; and while +they sat together playing chess, they planned mischief in their hearts; +so that evening they got some glass, and pounded it into little bits, +and this they spread upon the couch on which the Prince was wont to +take his midday rest. Next day, when he came, the bits of glass hurt +the poor Prince cruelly; but, being a guest, he made no remark, and +in the evening departed to his home, where, before long, he became +very ill indeed. + +The King, his father, summoned all the cleverest Hakeems, or native +physicians, to his son's bedside; but they could do nothing, and day +by day the poor Prince lay at the point of death. In vain the Princess +waved her fan; he was too ill to respond, and the five cruel sisters +rejoiced to think their plan had succeeded so well. + +At last the youngest Princess could bear her suspense no longer; +so, calling her servants together, she told them she was going by +herself to a distant country on a pilgrimage, dressed like a Fakir, +and none must follow her. + +At first her servants would not consent, and declared they would +follow wherever she went, but after a time the Princess had her way, +and set out on her journey. + +She wandered many miles that day, and at evening, weary and footsore, +sat down under a tree to rest. While she sat there an eagle and a +parrot began to talk in a neighbouring branch. "What news?" began +the parrot. + +"Have you not heard of the magic box, and the Princess, and how her +sisters placed broken glass on the couch of the Prince, and how even +now he lies at the point of death?" + +"This is indeed sad news; and is there no remedy for his illness?" + +"The remedy is simple, if they but knew it. You have only to gather +the refuse from an eagle's nest, add water to it, and apply it to +the hurt, when, after three applications, the glass will come away, +and the flesh speedily heal." + +This conversation was eagerly listened to by the Princess; and +afterwards she carefully gathered the refuse beside the eagle's nest, +and again started with all haste on her journey. + +Arrived at the town, she began to cry in the streets, "A Hakeem, a +Hakeem!" (or doctor), and was instantly summoned to the King's Palace; +for he had promised even to give up his kingdom to any one who would +save his son. So the Princess in this disguise hastened into the King's +presence, and there arranged to treat the Prince, on condition that +no other remedy should be tried by others at the same time. + +At the first application of her remedy small pieces of glass were seen +to drop out, at the second, still more, and, at the last, all fell out, +and not one was left! This gave the Prince such relief that he opened +his eyes and regained consciousness, but did not recognise in the new +Hakeem, dressed as a Fakir, his former friend, the Princess. At last +he got well, and was able to leave his room, so the Princess went to +the Rajah, and begged permission to return to her own country. + +"Return to your country when I can give you land and riches and +honour here! Why need you do that? Ask me for anything, O wise Hakeem, +even for my throne and my kingdom, and you shall have it." + +"I desire nothing, O King," returned the poor Hakeem, "but would +crave of you a few tokens in remembrance of your son. A handkerchief, +his sword, a ring from his finger, and his bow and arrows." + +"These gifts are too small a return for all you have done. You shall +have them, and much more, if you will." + +But the Hakeem refused, and, returning to her home with the tokens +she had asked for, once more resumed the dress of a Princess, and, +taking out her fan, began to wave it. Immediately the Prince stood +in her presence, but she feigned anger with him. + +"All these many days I have waved my fan, and you have not come! Why +have you come to-day, O Prince?" + +Then the Prince told her of all that had happened, of her sisters' +cruelty, of his dangerous illness, and of the wonderful Hakeem who had +saved his life, and to whom he should ever be grateful. The Princess +was glad indeed to hear all this from his own lips, and, bringing out +each gift, laid it before his astonished eyes, while she confessed +that it was she herself who had tended him in his illness. The Prince +was overcome with joy and gratitude, and asked her to become his wife; +so they were married amid great feastings and rejoicings, and lived +happily ever after. Such is the power of fate. + + + + + + + + +THE OLD WITCH WHO LIVED IN A FOREST + + +There was once a Brahmin who had five daughters, and after their +mother died, he married another woman who was very unkind to them, +and treated them cruelly, and starved them. So stingy was she that, +upon one occasion, she took a grain of linseed, divided it into five +pieces, and gave a piece to each child. + +"Are you satisfied, sister?" they asked one another, and each replied: +"I am satisfied," except the youngest, who said: "I am hungry +still." Then the eldest, who had still a morsel of the linseed in +her mouth, took it and gave it to her little sister. + +Soon after their stepmother said to her husband: "These children must +be sent away, or else I will go." + +He did his best to dissuade her, but she insisted; so, taking the +five girls, he went with them to the river, where he suggested they +should all cross over to the other side. "Father, you go first, +and we will follow you." + +"No, my children, you go first, and I will follow; but, if you should +see this umbrella which I carry floating upon the water, you will +know that I am drowned and cannot come." + +So the children crossed over, and waited for him; but soon, to their +grief, they saw the umbrella floating down the stream, and then they +knew that their father had been drowned. + +After this they wandered about for many days, and passed through +many cities. At last they came to a house in the woods, where a woman +was sitting. She seemed very pleased to meet them, and invited them +indoors; they went in, little knowing that she was a witch, and meant +evil. Next day she told them to go and fetch wood, but kept back the +eldest to sweep the house, and to keep her company. + +In the evening when the other sisters returned, they found their +eldest sister was missing; and the witch, who did not wish them to +know that she had eaten the child, told them that she had run back +to her parents. The next day she did the same thing, and detained +the second sister, and so on until only the youngest was left. + +At last the old witch told her to stay at home that day to sweep +the house, and look after it while she went out. The child swept +the room, and then, out of curiosity, opened a box which stood in +the corner, and, to her horror, she saw inside it the four heads of +her sisters! They were all smiling, and she said: "Why do you smile, +O my sisters?" + +"Because you will also come here to-day," they replied. The poor +child was much alarmed, and asked what she could do to escape. + +"Take all the things in this room, and tie them in a bundle, and as you +run, throw them on the road. When the old witch comes to look for you, +she will see the things, and, while she is picking them up, you will +have time to escape." The child quickly did as the heads told her, +tied the bundle, and ran away. + +There was only a broom left in the room, and when the old witch +returned she mounted upon it, and flew through the air in hot +pursuit. As she went along she found her things strewn on the road, +and began picking them up one after another. This gave the child time +to run further and further away, until, at last, she came to a peepul +tree, and said: "O tree, shelter me!" and the tree opened, and she was +hidden within it, all but her little finger, which remained outside, +as the tree closed. This the old witch saw and promptly bit off: +while she ate it, she regretted more than once that such a dainty +morsel had escaped, but she knew there was no getting out the child; +so she went away disappointed. + +Now, soon after, a man came to cut down the tree, but the child cried +from inside: "Cut above, and cut below, but do not touch the middle, +or you will cut me in half." + +The voice so amazed the man that he went and told the Rajah about it; +and forthwith the Rajah came with all his retinue, and heard the same +thing; so they did as the voice advised, and, after carefully opening +the tree, found the child, a beautiful young girl, who sat with her +hands folded within. + +"Girl," said the Rajah, "will you walk up to anybody here present to +whose caste you belong?" + +The girl came out and walked up to a Brahmin: this decided the +question of her birth, and that she was fitted to become the wife of +a Prince. So the Rajah had her taken to his Palace, where they were +afterwards married with great pomp, and lived happily ever after. + + + +Note.--It may interest my readers to know that the little native girl +standing beside the peepul tree in my sketch is still living. She came +to us during one of the great Indian famines, and we almost despaired +of her life, for although seven years old at that time, she was a +living skeleton, her calf measurement being exactly three-and-a-half +inches, or half of my wrist! She is now a fine healthy child, and +very devoted.--A.E.D. + + + + + + + + +KULLOO, A FAITHFUL DOG + + +A certain Bunniah or merchant married a woman of his own caste, and +set out to a distant city. On the way he fell ill with a headache, +so she sat by the wayside and pressed his head. While doing so a man +passed by, and asked for a little fire to light his cheelum for a +smoke, but she replied: "I cannot leave my husband, for I am holding +his head while he sleeps." + +"Put some clothes under his head, and he will sleep," advised the +stranger. This she did, but, while giving the fire to the man, he +seized her, and, placing her upon his horse, rode away. When the +Bunniah awoke, it was to find himself all alone but for his faithful +dog Kulloo. + +"Master," said Kulloo, "let us become Fakirs, and beg from door to +door." So they set out to beg, and one day came to the house of the +robber who had stolen the Bunniah's wife; and she, not recognising +her husband or his dog, gave them money and food. But the dog knew +her, and that evening he spoke to his master, and asked him if he +too had seen his wife. The Bunniah had not; and, guided by Kulloo, +he set out to find her. + +When they arrived at the robber's house, and made themselves known, +the woman was greatly vexed, for the robber was rich, and gave her a +very comfortable home; but she pretended to be friendly and invited +her husband to dine there that night, telling him that, afterwards, +when he had the chance, he could kill the robber. + +When the Bunniah had gone, she and the robber arranged a trap for +him. It was a hole in the floor, very large and deep, with spikes +fixed in the sides of it, so that anybody who fell in might die. Over +the hole they set a large brass thalee or plate, so that, while the +Bunniah leaned heavily upon it to eat his food, both it and he would +fall into the hole. + +All happened as they anticipated; and when the poor Bunniah found +himself in a deep hole, full of spikes, he thought his last hour had +come. But faithful Kulloo came to his rescue, and, taking out the +spikes with his teeth, soon set his master free. + +The Bunniah then lost no time in seeking the robber, and found him +lying fast asleep; so he killed him, and cut off his head, then, +taking his wife with him, left the place. + +Kulloo followed closely, and licked up each drop of blood which fell +from the robber's head, lest it might leave a trace of the deed, +and get his master into trouble. He was a wise dog, and knew the +woman was wicked, so she hated him, and made up her mind that she +would neither eat nor drink until he was dead. + +The Bunniah enquired why she would not touch any food, and she told him +she would only do so if he killed Kulloo. This the man refused to do; +but, after a while, he consented. Poor Kulloo, when he knew his last +hour had come, besought his master to bury him carefully, and to see +that his head, which the Bunniah meant to cut off, was buried with him, +for a time was yet to come when he would again save his master's life. + +After Kulloo was dead and buried the wicked woman was happy, and ate +and drank as before; but, after a few days, she went and gave notice +at the Court that the Bunniah was a cruel robber, who had killed +her husband, and stolen her away. The police seized him, and he was +taken up for murder; but, just as the Judge was about to pronounce +the sentence of death upon him, he remembered faithful Kulloo; and +at the same moment the dog appeared! + +All were surprised when he stood before the Judge, and asked leave +to speak. He then told the whole story of the robber and the wicked +woman; and thus, for a second time, saved his master's life, but, +having said his say, poor Kulloo disappeared and was never seen again. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF GHOSE + + +There was once a Ranee who had no children, so she made a great pet +of a young squirrel, and fed it day after day. One day it entered +her head to deceive the Rajah, so she told him that, before the end +of the year, an heir would be born in the Palace. + +On the appointed day she sent her own nurse (whom she had bribed) to +tell the Rajah that the child was born, and was a daughter. The old +Brahmin of the Palace hastened to see the young Princess, who was, +in reality, no child, but the tame squirrel; so the Ranee persuaded +him to go and tell the Rajah that he was now the father of a most +lovely daughter: but the stars pointed out that he must not look on her +face for twelve years, for, if she looked at him, he would die, and, +if he looked at her, she would die. The poor Rajah had no choice but +to agree, and thus the Ranee kept up her deception for twelve years, +and hid her pet squirrel from everybody. + +At last, when the twelve years were over, she said one day to her +husband: "Do not look upon your daughter's face till she is married, +lest evil come upon her, but go you and make arrangements to marry +her to a Prince of good family." + +So they sent the old Brahmin to seek for a husband for her; and he +went from place to place, until he came to a city where there was a +Rajah who had seven sons, all of whom were married but the youngest, +whose name was Shahzadah; so the Brahmin chose him, and all was +prepared for the marriage. + +There was a great feast held, and great rejoicings daily took place +in the Palace. When at last the dooly or litter came, for the bride +to be carried to her home, the Ranee hid the squirrel inside it, +and nobody guessed that there was, in reality, no bride. + +On reaching his home the young bridegroom had the dooly placed at +the door of his zenana, according to Oriental custom, so that none +might see his bride enter; and great indeed was his surprise, when +he looked inside, to find nobody there but a squirrel. + +For very shame he held his peace, and told nobody of it, but gave +orders in the Palace that he and his wife would live apart by +themselves; and she would be in such strict purdah, that even the +women of the household would not be allowed to visit her. This gave +great offence to everybody; but they put it down to his jealousy, +owing to his wife's great beauty, and obeyed. + +At last his other brother's wife rebelled, and said: "I refuse to do +all the household work; your wife must also take her share in it." + +Shahzadah was now very sad, for he felt the time had come for his +secret to be discovered, and he would become the laughing-stock of +the whole Palace. + +The squirrel, who was a great favourite of his, noticed his sadness, +and asked him the cause of it. "Why are you sad, O Prince?" + +"I am sad because they say you must do some of the household work; +and how are you to do it, being only a squirrel?" + +"What is it they want me to do?" + +"To leepo or plaster the floor." + +"Well, tell them to do their own portion of the work, and leave me +to do mine at my leisure." + +This was done, and at night the squirrel went and dipped her tail into +the limewash and plaster, and soon had the room better done than the +other Ranees. + +In the morning all the household were surprised to see the clever +way in which Shahzadah's wife had done her work, and they said: +"No wonder you hide your wife, when she is so clever." + +The next day the task was to grind some corn, and again Shahzadah's +heart was heavy, for how could a squirrel turn a heavy stone handmill, +and grind corn? But the squirrel said as before: "Tell them to do +their work, and to leave mine alone. I will do it when I have finished +my bath." + +When night came, she went into the room, and with her sharp little +teeth, kutter, kutter, kutter, soon reduced the corn to powder. + +Shahzadah was very pleased with her, and so were they all, and nothing +more was said until the next day, when the allotted task was to +make a native dish called goolgoolahs. This is done by mixing goor, +or molasses, with flour and water, and frying it in ghee, or oil, +like fritters. + +The poor little squirrel was indeed at her wits' end how to perform the +task, for how could so small an animal make so difficult a dish? She +tried, and she tried, but failed each time in her attempts, until it +was nearly morning. + +Just then the God Mahadeo and his wife Parbatti were taking a walk +in the dawning light of day. Parbatti saw the poor little squirrel's +efforts, and said to Mahadeo: "I will not rest content till you +turn that small creature into a human being, so that she can perform +her task." + +At first Mahadeo refused, but, after a time, he took out a knife, and, +making a cut in his finger, took the blood from it, and sprinkled it +upon the squirrel, who forthwith turned into a most beautiful Princess. + +Just then, as she sat finishing her task, other members of the Royal +Family awoke, and came in; they were greatly amazed at her beauty, +and led her by the hand to their own apartments. + +Meantime, Shahzadah, her husband, was stricken with grief, thinking his +poor little squirrel had been burnt to death. He sought her everywhere, +and when he could not find her, began to cry: "O my Ghose, my Ghose, +where are you?" + +The women standing there scolded him for this, and said: "Why do you +call your beautiful wife a young squirrel? She is not dead, but has at +last been found by us, and is with the other Princesses in the Palace." + +But Shahzadah, who knew nothing of what had happened, only wept the +more, for he thought they were making fun of him, so he went to his own +room, where he flung himself on his couch, and continued to weep. At +last he looked up and saw, standing beside him, a beautiful girl, +who said: "Do not weep, O Prince, for I am your squirrel." Then she +told him all that had happened. + +This was indeed good news, and it was not long before the grateful +Princess wrote to her foster-mother, who had been so good and kind +to her when she was only a helpless little creature, and invited her +and her father the Rajah to come on a visit. This was the first time +the Rajah had seen or kissed his daughter, and he was indeed pleased +to find she was so beautiful. So there were great rejoicings in the +Palace, and they all lived happily ever after. + + + + + + + + +THE VIZIER'S SON AND THE RAJAH'S SON + + +The Vizier's and the Rajah's son were great friends, and always +together. This made the Rajah very jealous, and he called an old +woman whom he knew, and asked her to separate the two. + +This was a difficult task, as they were such fast friends, but the +old woman was anxious to gain a reward, and said she would do it; so +she called the Vizier's son, and when he asked her what she required, +remained silent. Then she called the Rajah's son, and did the same. + +After she had gone, the two questioned each other as to what she had +said, and neither would believe the other when he declared she had +said nothing at all; so they began to suspect one another of deceit, +and quarrelled. + +Thus the old woman sowed dissension in their hearts, and after a time, +instead of being friends, they became bitter enemies. The Rajah's +son said he insisted on knowing what the old woman had said to the +Vizier's son, and if he would not tell it, he must be put to death +at the hands of a sweeper, or, in India, low-caste man. + +The sweeper was just about to do this cruel deed, when the Goddess +Parbatti saw him, and implored of Mahadeo, her husband, to intercede; +so he sent a large stag to the jungle, and it stood near at hand. + +When the sweeper saw it, he killed it instead with the bow and arrows, +and, taking out its eyes, carried them to the Rajah, and said they +were the eyes of the Vizier's son. + +Thus the Prince was appeased, and again ate, drank, and was merry, +until one day, walking in the garden, he saw an earthen vessel, and +in it a lock of hair and a small lamp. This, he felt sure, had some +significance, so he longed to ask the Vizier's son, who was clever, +and would have told him all about it; but he remembered that the +Vizier's son was taken away and killed, and he himself had seen his +eyes brought back in proof of the deed. + +Nevertheless he wept day and night, and would not be comforted, so +the Rajah, his father, in great distress, sent for the sweeper who +had been told to kill the Vizier's son, and implored him to declare +the truth concerning his end. Then the man confessed everything, +and went and searched for the lad, and brought him back. The two +boys became fast friends as before, and the Rajah's son enquired the +meaning of the lock of woman's hair and lamp. + +"It means," said the Vizier's son, "the name of a beautiful Princess +called 'Princess of the Lamp,' and she lives in a distant country." + +So they set out to seek her, and soon found the Palace in which +she lived, and outside a girl making a wreath of flowers for the +Princess. The Rajah's son begged the girl to let him make the hal or +wreath, and, in making it, he placed a letter inside. + +The Princess was very angry when she found the letter, and made the +girl tell her the truth; but she would not receive the Prince after +what he had done, so he had to return to his own country: thus was +he punished for his cruelty to the Vizier's son. + + + + + + + + +THE RAJAH'S SON AND THE VIZIER'S SON + + +For a second time the friendship of the Rajah's son and the Vizier's +son caused great jealousy, so a mischief-maker was called, and he +promised he would do all in his power to part them. Then he ordered +a dooly and followed them into the forest. At the first opportunity +he called to the eldest, who was the Vizier's son, and pretended to +whisper in his ear. + +The Rajah's son at once enquired what the man had said, and would not +believe that it was nothing at all, so once again in great anger he +ordered his friend to be killed. + +But the Vizier's son was very clever, and soon persuaded the +executioner to spare his life, for he told him the Rajah's son would +very soon weary of being alone, and would ask for him back; and if +the executioner could not bring him, he would most probably suffer +death himself; thus he escaped, and went and hid himself. + +In the meantime the Rajah's son chanced to walk by the riverside, +where he saw a very beautiful woman sitting beside her husband. He +admired the woman very much, and communicated his feelings in looks, +though he dared not do so in words. + +The woman replied by first spreading a little green plaster on the +ground, on which she placed a brass vessel, or lota, and over that +another or smaller lota, on the top of which was a looking-glass, +with ashes spread upon it. + +The Rajah's son looked carefully at what she had done, but could not +interpret its meaning, so he bitterly regretted the death of his +friend, who was noted for his cleverness, and went at once to the +executioner to enquire about him. + +The executioner owned that he had not killed the boy, and went and +called him. Then the friends went together to discover what the woman +meant, nor was the Vizier's son long in finding the meaning. + +The green plaster meant, "In a green spot lives Lota (the name of her +husband), and Gudba (or smaller vessel) is the name of the city where +we live; the looking-glass means in a house which has many glasses +in it; and the ashes mean, 'May these ashes be on your head if you +fail to discover my meaning.'" + +After this clue, it did not take the Vizier's son long to find out +where the woman lived, and he put pegs into the wall, one above the +other, for his friend to climb up to her window. + +But before the Rajah's son could reach the top, a Kotwal, or policeman, +saw him, and took him away to the lock-up. This was an unexpected +turn of affairs, so the Vizier's son quickly dressed himself as a +beautiful woman, and asked to see his friend in the prison. He bribed +the jailer to let him in, and, once there, made his friend put on +his clothes and escape, while he remained prisoner in his stead. + +Next day the news went abroad that the Kotwal had locked up both the +Rajah's son and the Vizier's son in the prison, and the Rajah was +very angry about it, and sent at once to find out the reason. + +They determined to put the matter as to who was innocent and who was +guilty to a test; so the Kotwal had a pan of boiling oil prepared, +and said who ever plunged his hand into it, who was innocent of crime, +would not be burnt. + +Each dipped his hand in turn, the Rajah's son, the Vizier's son, the +woman, and the Kotwal himself, but only the Kotwal had his hand badly +burnt, so this ended the whole affair. The Rajah's son meantime had +dressed himself as a woman, and taken service in the house of the +beautiful woman who was the wife of a Sowcar. + +Nobody guessed who he was, until one day the Sowcar himself admired +him, and tried to be friends with him, thinking he was only a pretty +servant-girl; then the Sowcar's wife gave her pretended servant-girl +a razor, and said to keep it carefully till the next time the Sowcar +came to see her, and then to cut off his nose. + +The Rajah's son, who was tired of acting the part of a servant-girl, +was only too glad to do this; and the Sowcar, rather than let anybody +know of his disgrace in having lost his nose, left the country, +and thus his wife gained her ends. + + + + + + + + +BEY HUSLO + + +Bey Huslo was a very extravagant woman, who was always being found +fault with by her husband, who held up as her examples other women +who were thrifty in their habits, and who saved money, and helped to +make and build up their husbands' homes. + +On hearing this Bey Huslo took a pick-axe, and began digging here +and there like a mason. Her husband asked what she was doing, and +she replied: "Trying to build you a house." + +He tried to explain that that was not literally meant, and explained +again the duties of a wife. "When a good wife falls short of supplies, +she borrows two cuttorah's full (or small earthen vessels full) +of flour from her neighbour, and thus saves herself the expense of +buying any large quantity." + +That night Bey Huslo, who had taken this saying literally, borrowed +two small earthen vessels, and, breaking them into small pieces, +put them on the fire to cook! + +Her husband heard the sound as they grated against the cooking-pot, +and asked what she was cooking that made such a noise; but he was +very angry indeed when she told him, and scolded her roundly. + +He told her she was perfectly useless, and that, while he had to go +about without clothes, other women were able to spin and weave. She +replied that if he would only give her some wool, she could do +the same. + +The man was delighted, and gave her some wool; so she took it to the +pond, and told the frogs and toads to weave it into cloth for her. + +After some days her husband asked her if the cloth was ready, and +she said: "I gave it to the frogs and toads to weave for me, and find +they have not done so." + +Then her husband was very angry indeed, and said: "Senseless one, +have you ever heard of frogs and toads spinning cloth? Go out of my +house this moment!" And, with that, he turned her out, and she went +and climbed up into a peepul tree. + +Soon after some camels came that way, and, as they stretched out their +necks and ate the branches, Bey Huslo called out: "Go away, I will +not go with you; I will only go when my husband comes to fetch me." + +But as the camels had only come to eat, and not to fetch her, they +made no reply, and went away. + +After this a dog began to bark at her, but she said again: "Go away, +I will not go with you; I will only go with my husband." + +When night fell some thieves sat sharing their spoils under the tree, +and Bey Huslo felt so frightened that she fell off, and dropped in +their midst. + +The thieves did not know what to make of it, and ran away, leaving +their stolen property behind. Bey Huslo soon gathered it up and +returned to her husband. "Here," she said, "is more than enough for +you and for me. We will now live at our ease, and I will have no +housekeeping to do, so that you can no longer call me a worthless +wife." + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF PANCH MAR KHAN + + +There was once a weaver who had the habit of slapping his face to +kill any flies that settled upon it; and it was rumoured that he +killed five at every blow, so he got the name of Panch Mar Khan, +which means "a killer of five." + +People did not know that this name applied to flies, but thought the +weaver a brave, strong man, able to kill five of his enemies at a blow, +so that he gained a reputation for bravery. + +One day the Rajah of that place heard some enemies were coming in +force to attack his capital. All the fighting men were required to +go out and meet them on the morrow; so Panch Mar Khan received notice +to be in readiness also. + +Now he had never touched a weapon in his life, and was horribly +frightened at the very idea, so he made up his mind to run away during +the night. + +He saddled his donkey, and, taking two large millstones, set out on +his journey; but, as he was passing the enemy's camp, and arrived at +a hill just a little above it, the donkey began to kick and to bray, +and the two stones rolled down the hill into the enemy's camp with +a great noise. + +They thought an army was after them, and became terror-stricken, so +that in the darkness and panic which ensued, many of them were killed. + +Panch Mar Khan was greatly delighted at his good luck, and, instead +of running away, returned to his own home. + +Next morning, when the soldiers came to call him out to fight the +enemy, he very proudly asked: "What enemy? Did I not go out at night, +and kill hundreds of our enemies and drive the rest away?" + +True enough, there was now no camp to be seen, and several dead men +were found on the spot; so Panch Mar Khan's reputation as a brave +man spread far and wide, and he was handsomely rewarded by the Rajah. + +Some days after news came that a tiger was prowling about; and a brave +man was required to go out that night and kill it. Who was so brave +as Panch Mar Khan! So he was deputed to go, but when he heard this +he nearly died of fright, and made up his mind that he would run away. + +So when darkness fell he crept out and caught his donkey by the ear, +and led it to its stable, and there tied it to a post, to wait till +he was ready to get on its back; but when he returned with a light, +what was his surprise to find it was not his donkey, but the tiger +that he had led by the ear and tied to a post. + +Such brave conduct from a mortal to a wild beast had so amazed the +tiger, that it was too frightened to resist, so there it remained till +morning, and Panch Mar Khan was thought to be the bravest man alive! + +Next morning he got up early, and went out into the field near his +house, and there he suddenly came face to face with the fierce eyes +and grinning teeth of a jackal. His other bravery was by mistake, +but this was a reality, and so frightened was he, that he fell down +and died on the spot. + + + + + + + + +THE RABBIT AND THE BARBER + + +There was a rabbit who asked a barber to shave him; in doing so the +barber cut off his ear. "Take my ear," said the rabbit, "and I will +take your razors." + +A little further on he saw an old woman pulling grass with her +hands. "Take this," he said, giving her the razor, "and cut grass +with it, and I will take your cloth." + +When she asked him why, he replied: "You have my razor and I have +your chudder." + +Then he went a little further and saw a ghee seller. "Take my chudder +and give me your ghee," said the rabbit. So saying, he left the +chudder and walked off with the ghee. + +Not long after he met a woman, and told her to make him some +goolgoolahs, or sweets, with the ghee. As soon as they were ready he +picked them up and ran away. + +A little further on was a man with a plough, a horse, and a +bullock. "Take these sweets," said the rabbit, "and I will yoke your +plough for you." + +But, instead of doing this, he ran away with the horse, and soon after +met a marriage procession, in which the bridegroom was walking beside +the bride's litter or dooly. "Get on my horse: why do you walk?" said +the rabbit gaily. + +So the man got on, and the rabbit ran off with the bride; but her +husband ran after, and advised his wife to kill the rabbit. + +When they got to a quiet place, and rested under a tree, she asked +the rabbit to let her comb his hair; but as soon as he put his head +down, she gave him a severe knock on it, which stunned him, and then +ran back to her husband. Thus ended the adventures of the rabbit. + + + + + + + + +RUPA AND BISUNTHA + + +There was once a woman who had no little children of her own; every +day she used to watch the sparrows building their nests, and bringing +up their young, and it so happened that one day a mother bird died, +leaving several young ones. After a time a new mother bird was brought, +and she was not at all good to the young fledglings. + +The woman felt hurt for them, and said to her husband: "If I had +children of my own, and after a time I died, would you do as the +birds have done, and let my children be unkindly treated?" + +But the man replied: "These are birds, and I am a man." + +After some years the woman had two sons, and when they had grown to +be big boys, she died. Her husband had forgotten her conversation +about the birds, and he married another wife. + +One day the eldest boy was playing with a ball, when it fell into his +stepmother's room. He asked if he might fetch it; but when he went +inside, she made it an occasion for all sorts of complaints against +him to his father, so his father turned him out of the house, and he +went away with his little brother. + +As they rested that night in the forest, the younger brother lay awake +and overheard a conversation between two Night Jars. They talked on +many subjects. At length one of the birds remarked: "How little do +people guess that he who eats me will become a Rajah, and he who eats +you will become a Prime Minister." + +On hearing this the youngest brother crept out of bed, and taking his +gun, shot both birds and cooked them. He ate the female himself, and +kept the male for his brother. But while he slept, a venomous snake, +which lived in the tree, came down and bit him, so that he died as +he slept. + +In the morning his elder brother awoke, and found a meal prepared for +him, so he ate the bird, and then tried to wake his companion, but +soon discovered that the boy was dead. This grieved him very much, +and he wept bitterly, and determined to wait till he could return +and burn his brother in a way befitting to a good caste Hindu, so he +placed him in the branches of the tree and went his way. + +The same day Mahadeo and Parbatti were passing that way, and Parbatti, +who is ever described as a wilful Goddess, always wanting her own +way, asked Mahadeo to see what was in the tree. They soon found the +dead boy; and Parbatti insisted that he should be made alive again, +so Mahadeo sprinkled a few drops of blood upon him, and he sat up +alive and well. + +Close to this place a Rajah had just died, and his people placed +his crown in the trunk of an elephant, leaving it to him to place it +upon the head of any man there; and that man would be their future +King. The elephant looked upon them all, and then, walking up to Rupa, +placed the crown upon his head. + +At first the people objected, because he was a stranger, and did not +belong to their town, but after a while they accepted him as their +King, and thus the words of the bird were fulfilled. + +In the meantime, Bisuntha came to the same city, and begged a night's +shelter. The people were fully aware that night after night a fierce +man-eating tiger came to that town, and demanded a man to eat. They did +not wish to give one of the men belonging to the town, so Bisuntha, +being a stranger, was selected for the tiger, and told to go and +sleep in the place where it was likely to come. + +At night he lay awake thinking, and the tiger came; but Bisuntha had +his sword beside him, so he promptly killed the tiger, and placed +its ears and whiskers in his pocket. + +In the morning a sweeper came, thinking to find the stranger dead and +his bones scattered about, but, instead, he found the tiger dead, +and the stranger lying fast asleep; so he resolved to take all the +honour of killing the tiger to himself, and went back to the city +with the news that he had killed the tiger single-handed, and saved +the man. This story was believed, and the sweeper richly rewarded, +but Bisuntha heard nothing. + +Now there lived in that city a merchant who owned a ship and went +to distant cities to trade, but sometimes the ship stuck in the +sandbanks, and could not be moved. At such times it was necessary to +kill a man, and then the sand was pleased at the sacrifice and let +the ship go. It was always difficult to find a man for the purpose, +and the Rajah was often asked to select one. + +Bisuntha, at this time, had taken up service in the house of an oil +merchant, and being a stranger, he was selected for a second time, and +sent by the Rajah to accompany the merchant, at the risk of his life. + +At the first sandbank, when the ship was in difficulties and could +not be moved, the merchant told Bisuntha he must prepare to die; but +Bisuntha said: "You desire your ship to move, whether I die or whether +I do not. If I can make it move on for you, will you spare my life?" + +To this the merchant agreed; and Bisuntha cut his finger, and dropped +a few drops of blood into the sea. As soon as he did this the ship +moved on, and so the merchant would not part with him, or kill him, +but kept him during the whole voyage, and brought him back to the town. + +Rupa had half forgotten his brother all this while, but one day +he was stricken with remorse, and determined to find out what had +happened after he had left the forest, with the intention of burning +the remains of Bisuntha. + +In order to get news of him, he sent out a notice that he would pay +any one who would come daily and talk with him, for he hoped in the +course of conversation that some one would mention the circumstance +of the boy who was found dead in a tree in the forest. + +At length Bisuntha himself came to hear what the Rajah his brother +was doing, so he disguised himself as a girl, and went to the Palace. + +When the Rajah saw him he said: "What have you to say, O my +daughter?" and Bisuntha said: "Do you wish me to talk on general +subjects or only of myself?" + +"Of yourself," said Rupa. + +So the lad began. "There were once two brothers, whose names were +Rupa and Bisuntha, and they had a stepmother." + +Rupa's interest was now breathless, but after telling a small part of +the story Bisuntha said he was tired, and would tell the rest next day. + +The next day he continued, and told how a snake had bitten Bisuntha, +and how he had died in the forest, and had been raised to life by +Mahadeo and Parbatti. Rupa was now full of anxiety to know the rest, +but Bisuntha said he had forgotten it, so nothing could be done. + +When he came again, he said he remembered that Bisuntha came to a +certain town, where the Rajah ordered him to be given to a tiger; how +he had escaped the tiger and all other dangers, and had in his pocket +the proof. Thus saying he took out the tiger's ears and whiskers, +and, as his eyes met his brother's, they recognised each other, +and fell upon each other's necks. + + + + + + + + +SHEIK CHILLI + + +The hero of this story was one day walking along with a vessel of +oil upon his head. As he walked he kept thinking of the future. + +"I will sell the oil, and with the money I shall buy a goat, and then +I shall sell the kids, and then I shall buy a cow, and sell the milk, +till I get a large sum of money; then I shall buy a pair of buffaloes, +and a field, and plough the field, and gain more money, and build +myself a house, and marry a wife, and have many sons and daughters. And +when my wife comes to call me to dinner, I'll say: 'Dhur, away! I'll +come when 1 think fit!'" and with that he held up his head suddenly, +and away fell the chattie with the oil, and it was all spilt. + +This upset Sheik Chilli so much that he began to yell: "I have lost +my goats, I have lost my cows, I have lost my buffaloes, and my house, +and my wife and children." + +That such dire calamity should befall a man caused great pity, so +the bystanders took Sheik Chilli to the Rajah, who asked him how it +had all happened. + +When he heard the story he laughed, and said: "This boy has a good +heart, let him be given a reward to compensate him for the loss of +his oil." + + + + + + + + +SHEIK CHILLI + + +Sheik Chilli was going to be married, so his mother said: "My son, +whatever your wife gives you to eat be content with your nemak panee +(literally salt and water, but a native always speaks of his food as +his "nemak panee"), and do not grumble, but eat uncomplaining." + +So when he was married, and his wife placed his food before him, he +remembered his mother's warning, and kept repeating, "Nemak panee, +nemak panee," till his wife was disgusted, and taking him at his word +gave him salt and water to drink. + +During the night he felt very hungry, and asked her to give him some +food, but she said: "I am not going to get up and cook food for you +at this hour of the night, but if you will go into a certain room, +you will find some honey in a jar on the shelf, eat a little of that." + +Sheik Chilli, in trying to reach the jar of honey, upset it, and it +came pouring down upon him, while he kept calling out, "Stop, stop, +I've had enough," till at last, surfeited with honey and smeared with +it from head to foot, he returned to his wife, and told her what had +happened. She advised him to go into the next room, where he would +find some wool, and clean himself with it. + +He tried to do this, but the wool stuck fast to the honey, and covered +his body and his hands, so that he looked more like a sheep than a +man, and his wife told him that he had better go and sleep with the +sheep until morning, when she would prepare some warm water for him +to have a wash. + +That night some thieves came to steal the sheep, and in the darkness +they felt each one to see which was fattest. Sheik Chilli was fast +asleep, and they thought he was a very fine sheep; so they put him +into a bag and ran away, taking him with them. When he awoke he kept +calling out: "Let me go, let me go." This frightened the robbers, +who had never heard a sheep call out before, and so they put down +the bag and out dropped Sheik Chilli. + +The robbers asked him who he was, and said: "You must come with us +now, for we are just going to rob the house of a very rich Bunniah; +while we gather the spoils, you keep watch that he does not wake." + +Sheik Chilli waited patiently till he thought the robbers were ready to +run away; and then he dropped some hot rice, that was in the cooking +pot on the fire, upon the hand of the Bunniah's wife. She awoke with +a scream, and the robbers ran away. Then Sheik Chilli explained how +he had saved the Bunniah from great loss, and was allowed to go free +without any more questions being asked. + +When he got outside he saw a camel laden with all sorts of +treasure. The camel-driver had turned aside for a minute or so, and +Sheik Chilli could not see him, so he lead off the camel, made over +its pack to his mother, and let it walk away empty. + +Next day there was a great fuss made, and the town-crier went round +to say that a camel had strayed, and certain valuable goods were lost. + +Sheik Chilli's mother heard this, and knowing how simple her son was, +she feared he would tell every one where the things were, so she +resolved to divert his mind, and that night cooked some goolgoolahs, +a very favourite native dish, like fritters, and flung them into the +garden; then she woke her son and told him it was "raining goolgoolahs +from the sky!" + +The foolish fellow ran out and called to everybody: "It is raining +goolgoolahs! it is raining goolgoolahs!" Everybody thought him a fool, +and said: "It is that mad Sheik Chilli; who is going to listen to him?" + +Next day Sheik Chilli heard the town-crier calling out about the camel, +so he promptly said: "My mother has the things; I myself brought the +camel to her." + +Then they all crowded to his mother's door, and she asked: "On what +day did you bring the camel, my son?" + +"The day it rained goolgoolahs, mother." + +So the people walked away disgusted, and said: "What fool's talk is +this? Who ever heard of its raining goolgoolahs? The one statement +is as false as the other." + +After this his mother advised him to return to his wife, who must +wonder what had become of him. "And mind," she said, "whatever your +wife may say, you must agree, and say 'Acchabat'"--or "Quite right," +as we English would say "Good!" or "Very good news!" + +So he returned to his wife, and the first piece of news she gave him +was that her mother had been put into prison, to which he replied, +"Acchabat," or "Very good." On this his wife was exceedingly vexed, +and turned him out of the house. + +He returned to his mother, who asked him what had happened. She said: +"You are indeed a foolish boy, you should have said, 'Ah ha! Ah +ha! this is indeed sad news.' I hope you will remember next time what +I have told you." + +So Sheik Chilli went back to his wife, who greeted him with the news +that his mother-in-law had been released. + +"Ah ha!" said Sheik Chilli, "this is indeed sad news." + +The mother-in-law, who overheard him, said: "I have had enough of you: +take your wife, and go and live in your own mother's house." So she +turned him out. + + + + + + + + +THE MONKEY, THE TIGER, AND THE PRINCESS + + +Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons, and he made +up his mind that he would not let them marry unless they married +seven sisters, so he sent his Brahmin to seek a Rajah who had seven +daughters, and to bring him word. After a time the Brahmin succeeded, +and found a Rajah who had seven daughters; so arrangements were +speedily made for their marriage. + +When the time came for the seven Princes to go and fetch their brides, +the youngest said to his father: "If we all go, who is to look after +the house, and all your property? Let me remain behind, and when my +brothers return with their wives, they can bring my bride also." + +His father thought this a very wise suggestion, so they set out, +leaving the youngest brother at home. + +After the wedding festivities were over, the seven brides were carried +along in doolies, with the six Princes for an escort, and they halted +for the night near a tank or pond in the forest, but did not know +that the place was full of tigers. At night the tigers formed a ring +round the camp, and said they would eat every one in it unless one +of the Princesses was given up to them. + +None of the six Princes would give up his wife. At last they decided +to leave the seventh Princess to the tigers. + +When the procession arrived at the Rajah's Palace, the youngest Prince +wondered why only six doolies had come, and asked what had become of +his bride; but nobody would give him an answer. + +At last an old man told him what had happened, and the young Prince, +who was very angry and disappointed with his brothers, at once set +out to seek his bride. + +On the way he met a rat and a jackal, and they said: "May we go with +you?" The Prince consented, and the three set out together, and walked +or rode till evening, when they were overcome with fatigue and sat +down to rest. + +The Prince fell asleep, but the jackal said to the rat: "I am very +hungry, what shall we do for food? Do you eat the Prince's clothes, +and I will eat his horse." + +No sooner did they agree than they carried out their plan. The rat +ate all the clothes worn by the Prince, and the jackal ate his horse, +so that when he awoke it was to find himself alone in the forest, +without either horse or clothes. + +Just then a monkey came down from the tree, and asked him what was +the matter. + +"I have told my troubles to two animals before, and do not wish to be +betrayed by a third," said the Prince; to which the monkey replied: +"A rat is a rat, and a jackal is a jackal, but I am a monkey; come +with me and I will help you out of your troubles." + +Then they went to the Bazaar, where the monkey gave his friend the +Prince some money, and told him to buy himself clothes. When he +had bought the clothes, he gave him some more money and said to buy +himself a sword and ornaments, and lastly to buy himself a horse, +and the monkey advised that it should be a thin horse, fleet of limb. + +Then the two mounted the horse and rode into the forest, where they +soon found the Princess sitting tied up in a den, with an old blind +tiger in charge of her. The blind tiger held two strings; one was +attached to the girl, and the other to a large tiger who had gone +out with the rest of the tigers, but who, at the slightest pull of +the string, was ready to return to give any assistance required of him. + +The monkey whispered to the girl to try and free herself, and meantime, +he began to sweep the room, and busy himself, so that the old blind +tiger might think the girl was busy at her household work. + +After a time the girl managed to get away, and she fled with the +Prince, until the monkey thought they were at a safe distance; then +he turned round and dealt several blows to the old blind tiger, who, +in her turn, pulled the string. A great big tiger at once came to +her assistance, and asked what had happened, but he was enraged to +find that the girl had gone, and beat the old tiger soundly, before +setting off in hot pursuit. + +On the way he saw a man, who was in reality the monkey in disguise, +sitting beside a funeral pyre. + +"What is this for?" asked the tiger. + +"A certain tiger," said the monkey, "has killed his mother to-day, +and this is to burn her upon." + +The tiger felt remorse, for he had not meant to kill the old tiger, +so he rushed back to the den, and this gave the fugitives time to +escape yet further; but when the tiger found his mother alive and +well, he was so angry that he dragged her out of the den by her feet +and threw her on the ground. + +Then he ran back to where the monkey was sitting and found him still +busy with the funeral pyre, for he said that an old woman had been +dragged out by her feet that day, and she was even now being carried +to be burnt. + +The tiger was filled with remorse at what he had done, and for a +second time ran back to the den. By this time both the Prince and +the Princess had escaped in safety, and the monkey joined them. + +They were always good to him, but he pined for the woods and the +forests; yet, whenever he asked to be allowed to return, they would +not allow it. So one day he determined to make the Princess so angry +that she would herself turn him out. He awaited his opportunity, +and broke all the thread as she was spinning. The Princess threw +something heavy at his head, and he feigned to fall down dead. + +Great were the lamentations over the faithful monkey, and he was +carried in solemn ceremony to be burnt, just as though he were a +Rajah's son; but the moment they laid him upon the fire, up he jumped, +and ran off. + +The Princess scolded him for causing her such sorrow, but he explained +that since there was no other way of getting back into the forest +and regaining his liberty, he had thought this the best way. Then +they all came home, and let the monkey sport in the forest as before. + + + + + + + + +THE JACKAL AND THE GUANA + + +A jackal once made itself a throne of bones near the river-side, +and levied toll on all the animals that came there to drink water, +making each say in turn these words: + + + "Golden is your throne, + Silver is its plaster, + In your ears are golden earrings, + And you sit like a Rajah." + + +This praise pleased the jackal, and he was puffed up with his own +importance. + +One day a guana, or iguana, a very large lizard, called by the natives +"Go," came to the river, but when the jackal asked it to repeat +the words, it said: "Let me drink first, for I am dying of thirst;" +so he let it drink, and when it had finished, it said: + + + "Bones are your throne, + With cow dung are they plastered, + In your ears are shoes, + And you sit like a jackal." + + +This made the jackal wild with anger, so he ran after the Go to kill +it, and caught its tail in his teeth, just as the Go was getting into +a hole. "Hoo hoo," said the jackal. + +"Don't say Hoo, say Ha," called the Go; so the jackal said "Ha!" and +in order to say it, had to open his mouth, so the Go escaped! + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE BLACK COW + + +There was a certain Brahmin whose wife died leaving him one little +son. For some time the two lived happily together, but at last the +Brahmin married for a second time, and the woman, who had a daughter +of her own, was very unkind to her little stepson. + +Each day the two children went out together to attend to the cattle, +and at night they returned home to eat their food. But the cakes made +by the Brahmin's wife for her stepson were of ashes, with just a little +flour mixed in to give them the appearance of food, that the Brahmin +might not notice; and the child ate in silence, for he was afraid to +complain, yet, when he was alone in the forest he wept from hunger, +and a black cow, one of the herd, saw this, and asked him what was +the matter. + +The boy told her everything, and presently she beat her hoofs upon +the ground. As she did so, sweets of all kinds appeared, which the +child ate greedily, and shared with his little sister, warning her +the while not to mention at home what the black cow had done, lest +the stepmother should be angry. + +The stepmother meanwhile wondered to see how well the boy looked, +and she resolved to keep watch, for she suspected that he drank the +milk while tending her cows; so she told her little daughter to keep +a good look-out on all his doings, and to let her know. At last the +girl confessed that they ate sweets every day, and the black cow +provided the feast. + +That day when the Brahmin came home his wife begged him to sell +the black cow, and said she would neither sleep nor eat until this +was done. + +The poor boy was sad indeed when he heard this, and went at once +to his favourite, where, throwing himself on the black cow's neck, +he wept bitterly. + +"Do not weep, my child, but get up on my back, and I will carry you +to a place of safety where we can still be together." + +So they escaped to a forest, and there lived in peace and security +for many days. + +Now, in the forest was a hole, which led to the home of the Great +Snake, which, together with a bull, holds up the universe. Into +this hole the black cow poured five seers of milk daily to feed the +snake. This pleased the snake so much that he said one day: "I must +go up into the world and see for myself the creature who is so good +to me and who sends me such good milk to drink." + +When he came he saw the black cow grazing with the boy beside her. + +The cow asked no favours for herself, but when the snake asked what +she would like, she said she would like her son, as she called the +Brahmin's son, to be clothed in gold from head to foot, and that all +his body might shine as gold. + +This wish the snake readily granted, but both cow and boy afterwards +regretted their request, for they feared robbers. + +One day as the boy had his bath by the river, and combed his long +locks of pure gold, some of his golden hair fell into the water, +and was swallowed by a fish. This fish was caught by a fisherman, +and taken for sale to the King's Palace. When they cut it open +all present admired the lovely golden hair, and when the Princess +saw it, she said she would never be happy again until she met the +owner. The fisherman was asked where he caught the fish, and people +were despatched in all directions in boats to search both far and wide. + +At last a man in one of the boats espied in the distance a beautiful +shining object taking a bath by the river-side. Little by little the +boat came closer and closer, until it was alongside; then the man +called out and asked the bather to come a little nearer. At first +the Brahmin's son would not listen, but after a time he came up to +the boat, when, to his surprise, he was at once seized, tied up, +and carried away. + +Arrived at the King's Palace he met the Princess, who was very +beautiful; and when he saw her he forgot everything else, and thought +only of her. + +After a short time they were married, and spent many happy days +together; but some one chanced to offer them a sweet-meat made of +curds, such as the black cow often gave her boy, and in a frenzy of +remorse, the Brahmin's son remembered his faithful friend and hastened +to the place in the distant forest where he had last seen her. Arrived +there he found only a few bones of dead cattle strewn about. + +He was heart-broken at the sight, and gathered all the bones together +into a funeral pyre, upon which he declared he would lay down his +own life; but just as he was about to do this who should appear but +his old friend, the black cow. + +They were overjoyed to see each other, and she told him she had +only kept the bones there to test his affection; but now that she +was satisfied that he had not forgotten her, the meeting was full of +happiness and joy, so they held a great feast for many days and then +went their separate ways as before. + + + + + + + + +THE BRAHMIN AND THE WILD GEESE + + +There was once a Brahmin who had a large family, and was very +poor. Every day he went out into the Bazaar to beg, but whether he +begged for only an hour, or for the whole day, he seldom succeeded +in getting a seer of atta (two pounds of flour). + +Now this made his wife very angry, for she thought that the longer he +begged, the more he should gain. She suspected that he sold what he +was given, instead of bringing it home for his family, so she accused +him and beat him soundly. + +The Brahmin was deeply vexed at her treatment, and determined to go +to the river and there drown himself; yet when he tried to do so, +his courage failed, so he alternately threw himself into the water +and then changed his mind and came out again. + +His conduct attracted the attention of a couple of wild geese, who +had their nest near by. + +"I wonder what that man is doing; I think I will go and see," said +the gander; but his wife advised him not, "for who knows the ways of +human beings." + +Yet he would not listen, and going up to the Brahmin, asked him the +reason of his strange conduct. + +The Brahmin told him everything, and when he had done the goose said: +"Shut your eyes till I tell you to open them." + +The Brahmin did as he was told, and on opening his eyes, the goose +held out to him in its beak, a most valuable and beautiful ruby. + +"Take this, my friend, and sell it to a Rajah, and then your troubles +will be all over." + +The Brahmin thanked him warmly, and went off with his treasure to the +nearest State; there the Rajah looked at the ruby, but said he could +not afford to buy so valuable a gem unless the Brahmin would accept +for it seven mule loads of money. This the Brahmin gladly consented +to do, and returned to his home a rich man. + +Some time after this, the poor Rajah who had bought the ruby got +leprosy, and called all the physicians he could find to cure him. One +of these said he would be cured if he ate the flesh of a wild goose, +and applied its fat to his hands. + +That very day the Rajah sent for the Brahmin, and told him to go +without delay and fetch him a wild goose, when he would reward him +greatly. Now, the Brahmin loved money, and for his greed of gold, +forgot all the kindness of the wild goose, and made up his mind to +secure it; so he went to the river as before, and began to try and +drown himself. + +The geese watched him with much concern, for they wondered what +had caused this fresh trouble, after all that had been done for +him. Perhaps a thief had stolen the ruby. The old gander ran to +enquire, but his wife warned him not to go. + +"What is the matter, O Brahmin?" + +"Nothing, my friend, except that I wish to behold your face again." + +"Well, here I am." + +"Ah, not so far, my friend; come nearer that I may caress you," +cried the Brahmin. + +So the foolish bird came nearer, and no sooner had he done so, than +the Brahmin seized him and put him in a bag, with only his head out. + +As they went along, the poor goose shed bitter tears of reproach, +and each tear became a beautiful pearl. The Rajah's son chanced to +come that way, saw the pearls, and followed in their track, until he +came to the spot where the Brahmin sat. + +"What is in your bag?" he asked; "and why do pearls fall from it as +you walk along?" + +The Brahmin denied that he had anything in his bag, but the Prince +would not listen, and accused him of theft; so at length he opened it, +and displayed the wild goose. + +The poor bird told the Prince of all he had done for the Brahmin, +and of the poor return and ingratitude he was having now. This made +the Prince very angry, and he at once released the goose, who gladly +flew away. + +The Brahmin then went to the Rajah, and told him what his son had done, +and orders were at once given to banish the Prince from the kingdom. + +Then the Prince went to the river and told the wild goose of his +banishment, and, out of gratitude, the goose and his wife brought food +and fruit daily, and placed it before him. This went on for some time, +and then the geese decided to find a wife for their visitor. + +Now a lovely Princess lived in a Palace close to that place; and one +night, while she slept, the two geese joined wings under her bed, +and carried her to the river. In the morning when she awoke she was +surprised to find herself in this lonely place. + +But the Prince met her and told her that he too was banished; and +they became great friends and soon afterwards were married. The wild +geese gave them many beautiful and valuable gifts, and they went to +live in the former home of the Princess. + + + + + + + + +THE FOUR-GIFTED PRINCESS + + +There was once a King, who was sitting with his wife before the fire +when they heard a partridge call. The King said: "That sound comes +from the left," and his wife said it came from the right, so they had +a bet about it, and the Rajah said: "If you are right you may have +my kingdom, and I will cease to reign any longer;" so he went out, +and found that his wife was right. + +This being the case, he began to make preparations to leave, and +to make over his kingdom to her; but, as he was about to do this, +his servants, who knew of the bet, advised him not to be so foolish, +but to take another wife, and to do away with this one, rather than +part with the kingdom. At first the King would not listen, but after +a time he agreed to leave the matter in their hands. + +That night they waited till the poor Ranee lay asleep, and took her +as she slept, placed her in a box, locked it up, and threw it into +a river. + +An old Fakir was in the habit of bathing in the river very early in the +morning, and when he came he found the box and opened it. The Ranee +was unconscious, but not dead; so he carried her to his own home, +and there looked after her until she recovered. + +Now the Ranee was about to present the kingdom with an heir, and +was very miserable to find herself deserted and in a strange home at +such a time, so she cried bitterly, and three fairies were sent to +her assistance. + +Soon after this a little daughter was born to her, and when the child +was a month old, the three fairies took their leave, but, before going, +each determined to leave a parting gift for the little Princess. + +The first said that whenever she placed her foot on a stone it would +turn to either silver or gold. The second said that whenever she +laughed sweet scented flowers would fall from her lips. The third +said that whenever she cried pearls would fall from her eyes. + +All these things came to pass, so in time they built a beautiful +Palace. + +One day the Rajah passed that way, and asked the Brahmin how he had +built such a lovely Palace in the place of his old mud-hut. + +The old man told him how he had found the box, and all about the Queen, +his wife, whom he thought was dead. + +The Rajah owned his sin, and implored forgiveness of his wife. At +first she refused to forgive him, but after a time she listened, and +the Rajah said that, if ever again he did anything to vex or hurt her, +the old Fakir might punish him as he thought best. + +Now the Indian people dread the punishment of a holy Fakir; so the +Queen returned to her former Palace, and lived happily ever after. + + + + + + + + +THE MAN WHO WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE + + +There was once a Zemindar or Jhut who was very poor, and he had a +brother who was very rich, but the rich brother never helped him at +all and often reproached him for his poverty. + +One day the poor Zemindar determined to go out into the wide world +to seek his fortune, and not to return until he had found it. + +Having thus made up his mind he set out on his journey, and the first +thing he came across was a King's Palace, which was in the hands of +carpenters and masons; but no sooner had they built it up on one side, +than the other side fell down, so that the place was at all times +under repairs, and caused its owner much expense and anxiety. + +As the Zemindar stood watching the place, the King came out, and +asked him who he was, and where he was going; so he told him that it +was to seek his fortune. + +"Well, when you get to the place where you find it, will you think of +me, and enquire the reason why my Palace is constantly falling down?" + +This the Zemindar promised to do, and then continued on his journey. + +The next place he arrived at was a river, and a turtle was on its +bank. It asked him whither he was going, and he said: "To seek my +fortune." + +"Friend, remember me when it is found, and say that the poor turtle, +although it lives in water, suffers from a severe burning sensation +inwardly. Pray enquire the reason of this." + +So the Zemindar promised, and, as a reward, the turtle bore him across +the river on its back. + +After another long journey, when he was both hungry and footsore, +the Zemindar spied in the distance a most beautiful plum tree. It +was the season for plums, so he determined to have a good feast of +the fruit, and plucked one of the largest and best, but it tasted +so bitter that he quickly threw it away, and, turning to the tree in +anger and disappointment, cursed it. + +"You are fair to look at, but otherwise good for nothing," he cried +bitterly. + +"Alas!" replied the tree, "this is what all travellers say to me. Yet +I cannot discover why my fruits are bitter. Will you, O traveller, +find out for me in your travels, and bring me word?" + +After leaving the plum tree, the Zemindar went into a thick jungle, +and in the midst of it found an old Fakir fast asleep. He did not know +that this holy man had slept for twelve years, and was just about to +awake. While he stood there the old Fakir opened his eyes, and saw him. + +"Son, you have looked after me while I was asleep; who are you and +where are you going?" + +"I am going to seek my fortune, for I am a poor man." + +"Go no further, but return the same way that you have come," said +the old Fakir. + +"Before I go, will you tell me, O holy Fakir, why a certain Rajah's +house is always falling down, though he is constantly rebuilding it." + +"The Rajah has a daughter who is grown up but unmarried; when she is +married the trouble will cease." + +"A turtle is troubled with burning sensations inwardly, and would be +glad to know the cause." + +"The turtle is full of wisdom, but selfishly keeps all its knowledge +to itself. Let it tell half it knows to another, and it will become +quite well." + +"There is a beautiful plum tree whose fruits are bitter to the +taste. What is the cause of this?" + +"There is hidden treasure at the root of the tree, and when this is +removed, the fruit will be sweet," said the old Fakir. + +Then the Zemindar thanked him, made a low salaam, and returned the +same way he had come. + +First he met the plum tree, and it at once enquired if he had found +out why its fruit was bitter, and he told it the reason. + +"It is yours to remove that cause, my friend, so dig quickly, and +see what there is at my roots." + +The Zemindar did as he was bid, and found a box full of +treasure--pearls, and gold, and rubies--so he tied them in his blanket, +and went on his way. + +At the river his friend the turtle awaited him eagerly; so the Zemindar +explained everything, and the turtle said: "I will impart half the +knowledge to you as a reward; stoop down and listen." + +The man did as he was bid, and the creature imparted great wisdom to +him in whispers. + +After this he met the King, who said: "Well, traveller, what news? Have +you found your fortune?" + +"Yes, O King, and the cause of your trouble is, that, until your +daughter is married, your house will continue to fall down." + +"Will you marry her?" said the King. + +The Zemindar gladly consented, and the marriage took place with +great pomp. After it he returned to his own home, and there his elder +brother met him. + +"You see, brother," said the Zemindar, "that you said it was my fate +to have but a seer of atta (flour a day), but I have found my good +fortune at last." + + + + + + + + +THREE WISE MEN AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER + + +A King had a very beautiful daughter, and was anxious that she should +marry some one who had made himself famous in some particular way. + +Three men in the city came forward and begged the King for her hand +in marriage. + +"But what can you do?" asked the King. + +"I can tell if a thing is lost, where to find it," said the first, +"and produce it if required." + +The second said: "I can make such wonderful horses out of wood, +that they can rise to any height and go anywhere." + +The third said: "I can shoot with my bow any living thing." + +The King was pleased, and went and told his daughter, asking her to +choose which she would have as a husband. + +"I will tell you to-morrow," said the girl. + +The King agreed, but on the morrow she was nowhere to be found, +and her father, much distressed, went to the three wise men. + +"Now," said he to the first, "tell me where my daughter is." + +"She is with the fairies," he replied, "and unless the one in charge +of her is killed, she cannot return." + +Then the King turned to the other two men. To the horse-maker he said: +"Go and make me a horse," and to the other: "Take your bow and arrow, +mount the horse, and go and shoot the fairy: bring my daughter back +with you." + +Forthwith the men prepared: the horse was made, and mounted by the +man with his bow and arrows, then they all disappeared into the +skies. There they found the King's daughter guarded by a fairy. + +The third man soon shot the fairy with his bow and arrow, and, +lifting the Princess upon his horse, returned with her to her father. + +Now each man felt that he had an equal claim upon her, and had earned +her as his wife; so the King asked her to decide. + +"I will marry the man who shot the fairy," said she, "and no other." + +This decision being final, they had a grand feast in celebration of +her marriage. + + + +Moral.--Those who think they have the best claim, do not always attain +their desires! + + + + + + + + +BARBIL'S SON + + +A Rajah's son once went to worship at a sacred stone; when there, he +beheld a lovely young girl, so, falling on his face before the stone, +he said: "If you will but give me this girl as my bride, I will give +you my head as a sacrifice." + +His prayer was granted, and he married the girl. + +For two months he was so happy that he never remembered his vow, but +at the end of that time, a Brahmin came and reminded him of it. So, +after bidding his wife a loving farewell, he went sadly away, and, +cutting off his head, placed it near the stone as a sacrifice. + +Now his father, Barbil, missing him, came there to search, and +was horrified to find his son's dead body with the head offered to +the stone. + +"What is my life worth to me now? I will also sacrifice myself," +said he, and forthwith he too cut off his own head and placed it +beside that of his son. + +The bride, finding neither father nor husband return, went forth in +search of them; and, seeing what had happened, determined to add her +own life to the sacrifice. + +She was just about to destroy herself when a voice near by said: +"Daughter, do not hurt yourself. The heads alone are off, but if you +take them and place them beside the bodies, they will unite again." + +The delighted girl immediately did as she was directed, and the +two heads were united to the bodies, so that she once again saw her +husband and father alive. + +But no sooner did they begin to speak than she found that she had made +a terrible mistake, for, in her eagerness to restore the heads to their +bodies again, she had not noticed that she had united her husband's +head to his father's body, and Barbil's head to her husband's body. + +While the two men quarrelled over this mistake, the poor girl, +greatly distressed, appealed to the Gods to help her. They bade her +cease weeping. + +"The head is the principal thing," said they; "do not mind the body: +if you were the daughter of a poor man and married a Prince, Barbil, +having taken the form of the Prince, is also of royal blood, so it +matters not. Let him that has the head of your husband be your husband +again, and he who has the head of the King be the King." + +Thus they settled the matter, and returned home. + + + +Moral.--The head ruleth the body, and not the body the head! + + + + + + + + +THE TIGER AND THE RATS + + +An old tiger became ill in the jungles, and, being unable to use his +teeth, was much troubled by rats, who used to come and eat his food +before he had time to touch it. + +Nearly starved to death, he appealed to the fox, who said: "Why do +you not keep a cat? you will then soon be rid of your trouble." + +The tiger thought this an excellent idea, and immediately sent for +a cat. + +Now the cat was a very cunning animal, and thought to herself, +how nice it was to be in the service of the tiger. "But," said she, +"I will only drive away the rats, because, if I kill them, the tiger +will have no further need of me, and my employment will be gone." + +So she kept watching by the tiger all night and drove away the rats. + +One day she said to the tiger: "To-night, if you do not mind, I'd +like to take a holiday, and would like you to take care of my kitten." + +"Very well," said the tiger. + +So the cat brought the kitten, and, leaving it with the tiger, +went away. + +The kitten was a splendid ratter, and, not knowing why it had been +put near the tiger, was surprised and delighted to see the rats, +which it speedily killed; and then arranged in a line to show its +mother on her return in the morning. + +But as soon as the cat saw them she grew very angry, and said: +"What have you done? you have taken away my employment." + +The poor little kitten said that it did not know that it was not to +kill rats, and was very unhappy. + +Then the tiger came forward, and dismissed them both, saying: "I am +now rid of the rats, and require your service no longer." + +So they went away crestfallen. + + + +Moral.--Thus do people often make a convenience of those who are +their best friends! + + + + + + + + +THE ADVENTURES OF A BIRD + + +A small bird was once half buried in a puddle and could not escape, +so it called to a passing stranger for help. + +"Take me out, O stranger, and as a reward, you may eat me when my +feathers are dried." + +So the man assisted it; but no sooner were its wings free than it +flew away without expressing a word of gratitude. + +After going a short distance it found a cowrie (or small shell, +the smallest current coin in India, and now very rarely used), and +joyously exclaimed: "I have found a cowrie, I have money--I am now +higher than a Rajah." + +A Rajah hearing this, sent a man to take away the cowrie. "See," +said he, "that bird says it is higher than a Rajah." + +So he took the cowrie, and brought it to the Rajah. + +Whereupon the bird said: "See, that Rajah was hungry, so he took away +my money." + +This annoyed the Rajah so much (as only the poorest people deal in +cowries) that he immediately restored it to the bird, who, nothing +daunted, replied: "See, the Rajah was afraid, and so he has returned +my cowrie." + +This was going a little too far, and the Rajah, in a rage, ordered +the offender to be shot. + + + +Moral.--Let Well alone. + + + + + + + + +THE LEGEND OF NALDERA TEMPLE + + +At a little distance beyond Mushobra in the Simla district, stands +an old, old temple of the Mongolian type, around which hangs a quaint +wooden fringe, which causes a strange rattling sound on a windy day. + +No priest lives within its sacred precincts, and the vicinity being +the Viceroy's summer camping ground, the presiding "Deo," or deity, +must often be disturbed by the light laughter and chatter of picnic +parties from Simla. + +Many years ago, before the present Rickshaw Road existed, a party of +hillmen, gaily laughing and talking as they swung along, carrying a +"Dandy" (or kind of litter), arrived at the place. + +It was about 11 A.M. on a bright October morning, and the keen wit +of the men as they exchanged repartee with many bright-eyed Paharee +maidens, seemed in keeping with the cool, crisp air and turquoise +blue sky; but suddenly a deep silence fell upon them. + +They had come within sight of a number of enormous boulders which +lay scattered, as though hurled by some earthquake or invisible force +along the precipitous mountain side. + +Not a word escaped the lips of the four men till they had turned the +corner which bounds Naldera Temple; then they took out their cheelums +and smoked while they told this tale: + +"Years and years ago there stood in this place a beautiful and +prosperous city, full of houses and people. + +"The present Temple stood in its midst, but the people were wicked and +sinful, so one day the 'Deo' arose in great wrath and hurled the entire +city with its inhabitants down into the precipice, so that not one +stone was left standing upon another; and the grey rocks and solitary +Temple alone remain to tell the tale of past splendour and prosperity." + + + + + + + + +THE BUNNIAH'S WIFE AND THE THIEF + + +A Bunniah, or merchant, lying awake one night, saw a thief enter the +room. So he whispered to his wife: "Wife, wife, a thief is in the room; +what are we to do?" + +Now his wife was a very clever woman, and she replied: "Why are you +waking me? I was having such a fine dream." + +"What did you dream?" asked her husband. + +"I dreamt that I had three fine sons, and they were named 'Mugwani,' +'Hajee,' and 'Chor.'" (The last name means "thief.") + +"What silly names!" said the Bunniah. "How could you call out to them?" + +"By their names, of course," replied she. + +"But how could you call 'Chor'? If it happened to be night, what +would people think?" + +"Why, I would call him like this, loud: 'Chor!' 'Chor!'" and she jumped +up and ran out of the room, followed by her husband, the two calling +"Chor! Chor!" as loudly as they could. + +The thief, thinking they were only pretending, remained silent under +the bed, waiting for their return. They soon came back with a number +of friends, who caught the thief and took him away to prison. + + + + + + + + +WHO STOLE THE RUBY? + + +A dying King called his three sons to him and gave each of them a +ruby. "Keep this," said he, "in remembrance of your father." + +The three rubies were put into a box and locked up. Some time +afterwards, on opening the box, only two rubies were found in it, +and the third one was missing. + +Now the three sons knew that had a thief been there, he would have +helped himself to all the stones, so they said within themselves: +"One of our friends has done this; let us go and tell the Priest." + +So they started off together, and on the way met a man, who said: +"Friends, have you seen my camel?" + +"Was it blind?" asked the eldest brother. + +"Yes," said the man. + +"Had it no tail?" asked the second. + +"You are right," said the man. + +"Was it carrying vinegar?" enquired the third. + +"Yes," replied the man. "Did you see it?" + +"No," said the brothers; "we did not see it." + +"Very strange," returned the man; "you know all about it, and yet you +did not see it. I will also go to the Priest and tell him about you." + +So they went, and the man told the Priest his story. + +"How is it that you three know all about the camel, and yet you did +not see it?" said the Priest. + +"Well," said the eldest, "I noticed that all the plants and shrubs on +the way were eaten on one side only, so I concluded that the animal +who had eaten them must have been blind not to see the other side." + +"How did you know that it had no tail?" + +"I saw the patch of mud where it sat down," replied the second brother, +"and there was an imprint of a body but no tail." + +The Priest then asked the third boy how he knew that the camel +carried vinegar. + +"Because all along the road were wet patches which smelt of vinegar." + +These answers pleased the Priest very much, and he gave a feast for +the brothers. + +During the feast he sat down, and, unknown to them, watched and +listened to find out what they were talking about. + +The eldest said: "This grain he has given us to eat was grown in +a cemetery." + +The second said: "And this meat is not killed meat; it is some +other flesh." + +The youngest said: "The Priest himself is a villain." + +Then the Priest ran out and caught the man who had sold him the grain. + +"Tell me at once where you gathered this grain?" demanded he. + +"From a cemetery," confessed the man. + +After this the Priest sought the butcher, and said: "Where did you +get that meat you sold me? Did you kill the sheep?" + +The butcher admitted that it was the flesh of a goat which had dropped +dead, and had not been killed. + +Going back, the Priest resolved to catch the boys in their own net, +and he told them a story about two men and a thief. + +"Now," said he, when he had finished, "which of the three do you +prefer?" + +The eldest boy said he liked one man, and the second the other, +but the third preferred the thief! + +"Well," said the Priest, "if you prefer the thief, you yourself must +be a thief. Where is the third ruby?" + +On this the boy confessed that he had stolen it; and, taking it out of +his pocket, restored it to his brother. The three went home together, +and lived happily ever afterwards. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF VICKRAMADIT + + +A king once asked his daughters to tell him the reason why they were +so comfortable and always clothed in fine raiment, with jewels to wear, +and a Palace to live in. + +They all said: "It is because we are your daughters, O King!" + +But the youngest said: "I am what I am through my favourable destiny, +and not because I happen to be your daughter; if good fortune be +destined for us we shall have it under any circumstances." + +At this the King was very angry, and said: "Leave my Palace at once, +and see what your own luck will do for you; methinks your lucky stars +will cease to shine once you have left my Palace." + +But in order to further humiliate her, he determined to get her +married to the poorest man in his kingdom, and one who was weak and +sickly and about to die. + +He therefore sent his servants to bring the first sickly-looking +pauper they could find. + +Now it so happened about this time that one Vickramadit, a holy +mendicant, was lying outside the Palace gates stricken down with great +suffering, and almost at the point of death; and they brought him as +the most suitable man for the young Princess to marry. + +The poor beggar Vickramadit was in reality a great King, who once +reigned over the ancient and holy city of Ujjain; but he had abdicated +his throne in order to become a "Sanyasi," or begging Fakir, and was +then on a pilgrimage to Kasi, the holy city of Benares, where he hoped +to pass the rest of his days in prayer, and the deeds of charity for +which he was well known. + +The sickness with which he was stricken down at the gates of the +King's Palace was caused through his great love of God's creatures, +and happened in this way. + +One day, as he was walking along footsore and tired, a snake came +up to him and said: "Can you give me some water to drink, for I am +dying of thirst?" + +Vickramadit replied: "I have no water in my gourd, having just drank +it; but if you will promise not to harm me, you may creep down my +throat into my body, and there drink your fill and return satisfied." + +This the snake promised, but, instead of returning, it remained within +him and refused to come back. + +All that the beggar ate passed into the mouth of the snake; and in +this way he soon found himself unable to travel, and obliged to rest, +suffering at the same time great agonies from starvation and thirst. + +When the King's servants found and brought him to the Palace, the +young Princess was there and then forced to marry Vickramadit, and +expelled from the town with her beggar husband. + +Both King and Queen expressed a hope at parting that she would soon +learn the lesson, that it was all due to them alone that she had +fared so well hitherto. + +As Vickramadit could not travel very far owing to weakness, she took +shelter in the first small hut she could find, and there stayed, +trying to alleviate his sufferings. + +Now, near this hut was a mound of earth in which dwelt a snake. In +the evenings, as is usual in India, the snake came out of his hole +and stood on the mound of earth, where he hissed violently. + +The snake which lived inside Vickramadit heard the sound, and hissed +in reply. Then they began a conversation. + +The snake on the mound said: "You traitor! You were given permission +to drink water; and this is how you treat the holy Fakir, and break +your promise to return without doing him any harm! You shall now be +given a certain seed to eat which will entirely destroy your body, +and you will die in agonies." + +The other snake replied: "You miser! You 'dog in the manger,' who +live over a mound beneath which lies vast treasures and priceless +jewels! You know that you cannot use them yourself, and yet you will +allow nobody else to touch them! Your end will be that a woman will +kill you by pouring boiling milk and butter over you." + +The young wife heard these two snakes denouncing each other, and +determined to act upon what she had overheard. When leaving her +father's house, she had managed to hide on her person a small pearl +ring, and this she now pawned for a small sum of money, and purchased +milk and butter. + +Warming these to boiling point, she went over at midday and poured +them into the snake's hole in the mound. + +She also sought the seed, which would kill the snake her husband had +swallowed, and gave it to him to eat. + +Thus both snakes were killed, and all danger from them ceased to exist. + +Vickramadit, after the destruction of the snake, improved rapidly, +and soon regained his health and strength. + +The young wife now turned her attention to the mound of earth, +beneath which lay buried treasures. + +She employed a few men to dig, and they soon unearthed several ghurras, +or earthen vessels, full of priceless gems. + +With these she went away, and very soon founded a great city, over +which she made her lord King. + +Thus Vickramadit once more reigned a King; and no Queen was more +famous than the young Princess who had been so cruelly cast adrift +by her father. + +The old father heard of this new King, and of all the riches and +splendour of his Court and Queen; and he sent men to enquire if it +were true that his daughter was really as great as people reported. + +The men returned and said: "O King, her riches, the magnificence +of her Court and Palace, surpass all we have heard; she is indeed a +great Queen, and has founded a mighty city." + +The King then owned his mistake, and said: "My daughter was right +when she said her greatness was due more to her individual luck than +to the mere fact that she happened to be born my daughter; for has +she not, in spite of all my ill-treatment of her, risen to be Queen, +not of a small kingdom such as mine, but of a world-renowned kingdom." + + + +Moral.--Thy kismet is thy fate; when that is good, then the most +unfavourable circumstances, or the deepest gloom, cannot prevent its +asserting itself. + + + + + + + + +THE WEAVER + + +There was a weaver who was unmarried, and all that he could earn in +a day, in exchange for the cloth he wove, only amounted to two pounds +of either rice or other grain. + +One day he cooked some kitcherie, [1] and, placing it in a plate, +left it to get cool, and went out to sell his cloth. + +While he was away a jackal came and ate up the kitcherie; and on his +return he found the jackal, so he tied it up and beat it severely. + +Then he cooked some bread, which he ate, and again beat the jackal. + +The poor creature thought: "Now my life will go, if this man keeps +on beating me in this way." + +When the man next went out to dispose of his cloth, the jackal, +tied up by itself, felt very lonely, especially as it could hear +its companions howling in the jungles; so it began to howl too, and, +hearing it, one of its friends came to see where it was, and finding +it, said: "Brother, what are you doing here?" + +The poor jackal, bruised all over and swollen with the beating it +had received, replied: "Friend, a man has caught me, and takes the +greatest care of me; see how fat I have grown with eating all the +hulwa-poories [2] he gives me. If you will release me, I will tie +you here, and you will get a share of the good things." + +So the two exchanged places, and the first jackal ran back gladly +into the jungles. + +On the return of the weaver he, as usual, began to beat the poor +creature, who then spoke, and said: "Why are you beating me?" + +The weaver, surprised, replied: "I have never heard this jackal +speak before!" + +"That one has gone, and he tied me here in his place, and told me I +should get all sorts of good things to eat; but if you will release +me, I will arrange a marriage with a King's daughter for you." + +"What!" said the man, "I am only a poor weaver, and can you really +get me married to a King's daughter?" + +"Yes," returned the jackal. + +So the weaver released it, and turning itself into a Brahmin, it +crossed the river and presented itself at the court of a certain Rajah, +to whom it said: "O King, I have found a rich weaver-caste Rajah, +who wishes your daughter's hand in marriage." + +The Rajah, much pleased, consented, and the Brahmin, on getting outside +the Palace, once more turned into a jackal, and returned to the weaver. + +"Follow me," said he, "and I will take you to the King's daughter." + +So the weaver took up his blanket, which was all he possessed. + +On their way they met a Dhobie, or washerman, carrying his bundle +of clothes. The jackal gave him a gold mohur, and told him to spread +all the clean clothes he possessed upon the trees around. + +Further on they met a cotton-beater, or man who, in the East, beats +cotton and prepares it to make up into pillows and quilts; to him +they also gave a gold mohur, and asked in return for several large +balls of cotton. + +These they carried on a large plate to the river; and the jackal, +leaving the weaver, returned as a Brahmin to the Rajah, who had seen +the Dhobie's clothes in the distance, and thought they were tents +pitched by his daughter's future husband. + +The jackal had told the weaver to watch, and, as soon as he saw him +enter the Palace, he was to take large lumps of cotton and throw them +one by one into the river, so that they might be seen floating down +the stream. + +"The Bridegroom," explained the Brahmin, "has met with a terrible +accident; all his possessions and his followers are lost in the river, +and only he and I remain, dressed in the clothes in which we stand." + +Then the Rajah ordered his musicians and followers to come out, and +go with horses in great pomp to bring the weaver, who was forthwith +married to the Princess. + +After the marriage the Brahmin said: "This son-in-law of yours has +lost all he had; what is the use of his returning to his country? Let +him stay here with you." + +To this the Rajah, who loved his daughter, gladly consented, and gave +them a fine house and grounds. + +Now the weaver, who was not accustomed to good society, or to living +with those above his station in life, made a salaam, or obeisance, +such as a poor man is wont to do, to his wife every morning, and +she began to suspect that he had deceived her, and was not a real +Rajah. So she asked him one day to tell her the whole truth about +himself, and he did so. + +"Well," said she, "you have owned it to me, but do not let my father +or mother know; for now that I am married to you, things cannot be +altered, and it is better that they should remain in ignorance; but +whatever my father may ask you to do, promise me that you will do it, +always answering 'Yes, I will,' to anything he may suggest." + +To this the weaver agreed; and shortly afterwards the Rajah called +him and enquired if he was willing to help him, and, as promised, +the man replied, "Yes, I will." Then he went to his wife and told her, +and she commended him. + +Next day the King told him that two brothers, by name "Darya" and +"Barjo," threatened to fight and take his kingdom from him, and he +desired his son-in-law to go to the stables and select a horse on +which to ride on the morrow to battle. + +In the stables was a horse that was standing on three legs. "This," +thought the weaver, "will just suit me, for it seems lame and has only +three legs to go on, and making this an excuse, I'll keep behind all +the rest, and out of danger." + +Now this horse [3] used to eat a quarter of a pound of opium daily, +and could fly through the air, so that when the Rajah heard of the +selection he was very delighted, and said to himself: "What a clever +man this is, that he is able to discover which is the best horse!" + +The day following he had the horse brought round, and mounted it in +fear and trembling, having himself securely tied on lest he should +fall off, while, to weight himself equally, he fastened a small +millstone on either side. + +As soon as the groom released the horse, it flew up into the air, then +down again, and then up through the branches of trees, which broke +off and clung to the weaver's arms and body, so that he presented +a strange spectacle. He was terrified, and kept on crying out: +"O Darya! Barjo! for your sakes have I come to my death." + +The two Princes, Darya and Barjo, seeing this strange horse flying +through the air, and hearing their names coming from a queer object all +covered with branches of trees, were very much alarmed, and said: "If +more come like this, we shall indeed be lost; one is enough for us." + +So they wrote to the King, and said: "We have seen your warrior; +stay in your country, and we will stay in ours: we cannot fight." + +And they sent him a peace-offering. + + + + + + + + +THE DOG WHO WAS A RAJAH + + +A daughter was once born to a Brahmin and his wife, and from the day +of its birth a dog came daily and laid down in the house. + +This made the mother say, in jest, when the child would not cease +crying: "Stop, or I shall give you to the dog." + +And the Brahmin added: "I will give her to the dog when she is +grown up." + +When the girl grew up, he said to the dog one day, in a fit of temper: +"Here, take my daughter, and do as you wish with her." + +The mother now regretted her jest, which had suggested this idea to +her husband, and said: "Here, my child, take this handful of seeds, +and, as you go, strew them along the road, so that I may know where +to find you." + +As the girl went along she scattered the seeds, and at last she arrived +at a field in which was a small baoli, or well. Here she sat down, +and told the dog she was thirsty. + +"Go and drink from the well," said the dog. + +As she approached the dog followed her, and they saw a ladder leading +to the bottom of the well, so that they climbed down and came to a +fine house with lovely gardens and flowers, and servants ready to +receive them. These belonged to the dog, who was in reality a Rajah, +and only assumed the shape of a dog when he left the well. + +Some time after this the Brahmin expressed a wish to go and visit +his daughter. So his wife told him to follow the track of any freshly +sprung-up little plants he might see. + +He followed out her directions, and found the small trees led to +the well; and as he felt thirsty, he looked in and saw the ladder; +so he descended by it, and found the dog had become a Rajah. + +Going round the grounds with his daughter, he noticed a house made +of gold. "What is this?" asked he. + +"It is for you, my father." + +So he went in and found everything perfect, except that in one of +the walls was a great crack. + +"That crack," explained the Rajah, who had joined them, "was caused +when you first drank water at the well; and it will remain there until +you undo the wrong you did your daughter in giving her to a dog, +for you did not then know who he really was. To undo the wrong you +must serve me as my cowherd for twelve years, after which time the +crack in the wall will close up of its own accord." + +The Brahmin then went to his wife and told her all that had happened; +and they returned together to the Rajah, whose cows he tended for +twelve years, after which the crack in the golden wall came together +of itself; and thus the wrong was righted. + + + + + + + + +THE FOURTH WIFE IS THE WISEST + + +There was a Bunniah who had an only son, who had married four wives; +of these, three were fools, and only one was wise. + +For some reason the Rajah of that country got angry with the Bunniah, +and said that he and all his family were to go away, for he would +not permit them to remain in his kingdom any longer; also, they were +not to take away any of their jewels or possessions with them, except +such things as they were wearing at the time. + +Hearing this, the youngest of the four wives asked if she might be +allowed to bake some bread, to take for them to eat on the journey. + +This was permitted, and, in kneading the flour, she dropped four +very valuable and beautiful rubies into it, and then having cooked +the bread, showed it to the people as she left, and said: "See, +I take nothing with me except this bread." + +They journeyed far away into another country, and were very poor. Then +the Bunniah said to his youngest daughter-in-law: "Daughter, what +are we to do to live? We have no money and no clothes." + +She was silent for a long time, and then said: "We must sell our +jewels, but in the meantime take this"--giving him one of the +rubies--"and sell it." + +Now this ruby was worth a very great deal of money, and the Bunniah +took it gratefully, thinking all the time what a wise girl his +daughter-in-law was, to think of bringing it as she had done. + +He then went to a rich merchant, who in reality was not a merchant at +all, but a clever thief, and who, as soon as he set eyes on the ruby, +knew it to be a valuable one, and determined to have it. + +"Go," said he to one of his servants, "and bring me a basket full of +money that I may pay for this valuable stone;" and as the servant +left, he turned to the Bunniah, offering him a chair, and said: +"Sit down, friend." + +Now this chair was a specially prepared one, being kept by the thief +as a trap for the unwary. The seat was of raw cotton, under which was +a great hole into which anybody who sat on the chair would fall. It +was carefully covered over with a piece of clean white cloth, so that +nothing was noticed. + +On it the poor Bunniah sat, and as the soft cotton gave way under him, +he found himself in the hole, over which the thief carefully placed +a great stone and left him, while he quietly pocketed the ruby. + +As the Bunniah did not return to his home for many days, his +daughter-in-law called her husband, and gave him the second ruby. "Go, +seek thy father," said she; "and if you find him, bring me back this +ruby, and buy food and clothes with one you will find with him." + +The young man searched high and low for his father, but, not finding +him, he decided to sell his ruby, and by ill chance went to the same +merchant who had robbed the Bunniah. + +The thief treated him in exactly the same way, and, after having +stolen the ruby, trapped him into the same hole as his father. + +Finding that neither husband nor father returned, the woman sold her +jewels, and bought clothes and food for the rest of the family; but for +herself she secretly bought the outfit of a policeman, or chowkidar, +and resolved to work in that capacity. So she presented herself at +the King's Court, and he, taking a fancy to the handsome face of the +young man (for she was disguised as such), gave her employment. + +Living in the jungles near that place was a terrible "Rakhas," or evil +spirit, and that night, while on duty, the new policeman was startled +by a roar like that of a tiger; but as soon as the "Rakhas" perceived +him, it assumed the form of a woman, and coming up, said weeping: +"The Rajah has hanged my husband, and I wish to see him once more, +but cannot reach because the gallows are high." + +"Climb upon my back," said the policeman. + +The woman did so, but as soon as she got near enough she began to +eat her supposed husband. + +On this the young policeman, drawing his sword, cut off the woman's +head, and as she fell, being enchanted, she disappeared, but a silver +anklet from one of her feet was left behind. + +Next morning the policeman carried the anklet to the King, and told +him what had happened, and how the strange woman had disappeared as +he struck her with his sword. + +The King was much pleased at the youth's bravery, and also with the +silver anklet, which was full of precious stones of great value, +and, turning to the policeman, he said: "Ask what you will, and I +will give it to you, even if you ask my daughter in marriage." + +The man replied: "O King, I ask nothing; but grant me, I pray you, +control over the entire bazaar, that I may kill, banish, hang, or +release, and do as I like with the people who dwell there." + +The King granted this request, and having discovered the thief in the +supposed merchant, the policeman went to him and boldly demanded the +release of his father and son. + +But the thief denied all knowledge of the affair. + +Then the young man entered the shop, and, lifting up the great stone, +beheld the two unfortunate men, who were nearly starved to death. + +Having released them, he took the thief to the King, and told him +what had happened. After they had hanged the wicked thief, the young +policeman changed his clothes and appeared as a woman. + +The King was greatly surprised, but so pleased at all she had done, +that he called her his "daughter," and gave her husband, father, and +other relations money and goods, so that they lived in contentment +for the rest of their lives. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF PIR SAB + + +Very, very far away in the north of India is a big river, and many +years ago there lived, not very far from its banks, an old woman +who had an only daughter--a beautiful girl, who, when she grew up, +was given in marriage to a man who lived in a village on the opposite +bank of the river; and all preliminaries being arranged, a day was +fixed for the marriage party with the bride to cross over. + +A gay company with songs and music set out, and everything went well +until they reached the middle of the stream. The current is strong +and dangerous in that place, and in less time than it takes to say +it, the joyous party, with its music and songs and drummers, and +the litter which held the bride, was hurled into the seething water, +and every soul sank and was drowned. + +The old woman alone, who had remained at home on account of her feeble +age, escaped, and sad indeed was she when she came to hear of her +daughter's fate. + +Her own home grew lonely and uncongenial to her, so, in a half-frenzied +state, she betook herself to the river side, and there spent many +hours every day calling to the river to give up her dead. + +This went on for twenty years! One day Pir Sab, a pious Mahamedan, +arrived there, and was about to say his prayers when the old woman +attracted his attention. + +"Pray, why do you weep, old woman?" he said. + +"For my child, a beautiful bride who, with all her wedding guests, +was drowned in this river twenty years ago." + +"Twenty years! and you have mourned so long?" Thus saying, Pir Sab +dismounted from his horse, and covering his head with a sheet, he +stood by the river and cried: "O river, restore the dead! O river, +restore the dead! O river, restore the dead!" + +At the third cry a bridal party was seen to approach, and the long-lost +ones, with the young bride, were restored to the old woman as unchanged +as upon the day they were drowned, and in perfect ignorance of the +flight of years. + +A voice was then heard from the Great Unseen, which said: "O Pir +Sab, I have heard your prayer. At your first cry these restored ones +came forth from the fishes, who had eaten them; at your second call +I re-formed them into human form; and at your third call they went +forth with life." + +Now, who was Pir Sab, and how did he possess this power? + +Mahamed, when he was upon earth, sometimes took flights into Heaven. On +such occasions he generally called on anybody near at hand to assist +him up, or give him a push upwards. On one occasion he had called +thrice for help without meeting with any response, when Pir Sab, a +strong man, knelt before him, and with one spring from his shoulder, +Mahamed reached the fourth Heavens! + +In return for this kindness it was granted to Pir Sab to perform +miracles. + + + +Note.--The man who related this story to me added the following +modern miracle: + +"During the late Chitral expedition there was with Umra Khan's forces a +remarkable man, the son of one Akhum Sab, who died some years ago. Now +Akhum Sab was a devout man, who never failed to pray every Friday, +as all good Mahamedans do, with their faces turned towards Mecca, +the holy city, which is four months' journey from the north of India, +so that many who wish to visit it cannot. Yet this man used to enter +his room, and close the door at two o'clock daily, and come out after +seven minutes (you may believe me or not); but, during those seven +minutes, he went to Mecca, said his prayers in the holy Mosque there, +and returned! This he did every Friday; I have seen it with my own +eyes!"--A.E.D. + + + + + + + + +THE ORIGIN OF A RIVER + + +There stands on the old Agra Bombay Road, between Goona in Central +India and Jhansi, a small village beside a stream, and this used to +be a bathing stage for travellers in the old days, before railways +were known in India. + +In the village there once lived a man whose wife died, leaving an +only daughter. The girl, as she grew to womanhood, had a very bad +time of it, as all the housework fell upon her shoulders. She had +to cook her father's food and carry it to him in the fields; to draw +water for the cattle and look after them, besides many other things +which took up her time and strength. + +So she invoked the aid of the Gods. + +Next time she went to draw water from the well, which was a very deep +one, and required a long, long string for the bucket, she looked in, +and lo! the water had risen to the top, and was almost overflowing, +so that there was no need to draw any; and her father's cattle stood +round and drank their fill. + +Then she filled her chattie with water, and enjoyed a bath in the +sunshine. + +After a time the water sank to its usual level. Thus far all was well, +but her father noticed how quickly the cattle had been watered, and how +soon his daughter returned home: also he missed the long rope which +she always carried on her arm. He began to suspect that some unknown +man, a stranger to himself, used to help her, and determined to watch. + +A great fig tree grew beside the well; and one day he concealed +himself in its branches. + +As usual, his daughter came with the cattle, and all happened as +before. He was struck with wonder and amazement at what he saw. + +Just as the girl was about to take her usual bath, she looked up and +saw him. + +In a moment she felt that he had suspected her of some evil. "Father," +cried she, "why do you look with an evil eye on your child? Do you +not believe that the Gods have helped her?" + +But before her father could reply, she sank down to the bottom of the +well with the water and never rose again, for the outraged Gods took +her to themselves; and, in token of their displeasure, the well was +cleft from top to bottom, and hillocks formed on either side. From +this spot flows a tiny stream, which, if you follow it, becomes a +mighty river. + + + + + + + + +THE GOLDEN SCORPIONS + + +There once lived in a certain village a poor man who went out daily +to beg, carrying in his hand a small vessel made from a gourd, such +as the Jogis, or holy Fakirs, in India use. + +In it he carried home his scanty meal of flour each evening. + +One day he placed the gourd, which was empty at the time, upon the +ground, and went to some little distance to drink water. + +On his return he was amazed to find it full of scorpions. + +Seizing it on one side, he carefully knocked it against a stone until +the venomous things dropped off. + +Great indeed was his surprise to find when he next looked into +his gourd, that several scorpions still clung to it, but had been +transformed by the Gods into pure gold, although their forms were +retained. + +Thus the good old man was enriched, but great was his disappointment +when he remembered how many scorpions he had thrown away, for these +might also have turned into gold had he kept them. + + + +Moral.--There is good sometimes in even the evil things in life. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF A PEARL + + +A poor workman and his wife were once almost starving. Every day the +man gathered sticks and sold them, while the woman remained at home. + +"Wife," said the man one day, "come, we will both go and gather wood +for sale to-day, so that, if we earn enough, we shall not eat rice +only, but will buy a small fish, and eat that also." + +The woman agreed, and having sold their stock of firewood, they +returned home with a fish for dinner. + +On opening it, a small white bead, round and shining, fell upon the +floor. The woman was attracted by its brightness, and locked it up +in a box. + +Many days of poverty and hunger visited that household before the woman +remembered the pretty stone found in the fish; but at last she thought +of it, and took it to a Bunniah, who, as soon as he set eyes upon it, +said: "Give me that, and I will give you as much as you can carry +away of ghee and food and oil, not only to-day, but for many days, +if you will come to my shop." + +The foolish woman parted with her treasure, not knowing that it was +a pearl of great value, and returned home laden with good things. + +The Bunniah chuckled with delight. He was crafty, like all Bunniahs, +and, you may depend, never kept his promise: such was the foolishness +of the woman, and such the cunning and greed of the man. + + + + + + + + +THE BUNNIAH'S GHOST + + +Far away in a valley in the Himalayan mountains lies a little village, +where once lived a good man who had his home beside a field in which +grew a beautiful mulberry tree--so big and so beautiful that it was +the wonder of the country round. + +Hundreds of people were wont to gather together beneath it, and the +poor carried away basket loads of its fruit. Thus it became a meeting +place where a mela, or fair, was held when the fruit season was on. + +Now the fame of it reached a certain Rajah who had rented out the land, +and one day he came with all his retinue to see it. + +"There is no such tree in the Royal Gardens," said the Grand Vizier. + +"It is not meet that a subject should possess what the Rajah hath not," +added the Prime Minister. + +The Rajah replied not a word, for his heart was filled with envy; and +that night, before going to bed, he gave orders that, on a certain +day, in the early dawn, before anybody was astir, a party of armed +men should take their axes to the village, and fell the mulberry +tree even with the ground. But ill dreams disturbed the Rajah's rest, +and he could not sleep. + +Could it be fancy, or did he really see a strange man standing +before him? + +The strange man spoke: "O King, live for ever! I am the spirit +of a Bunniah (or merchant) who died in yonder village many years +ago. During my lifetime I defrauded the people. I gave them short +measure and adulterated their food. + +"When I died and passed into the Land of Unhappy Spirits, the Gods, +who are just, O King! decreed that I should give back what I had +stolen. My soul therefore went into a mulberry tree, where year after +year the people gather fruit, and regain their losses. + +"In one year more they will be repaid to the uttermost cowrie; +[4] but you mean to destroy the tree and drive my soul I know not +whither. Wherefore have I come to plead with you to spare it this +once, for when a year is past it will die of itself and my soul find +its way to that Land of Shadows which is the abode of the Gods--where +it will find peace." + +So the Rajah listened, and the strange man went away. + +For one year longer the people sat as before under the cool shadow +of the mulberry tree, and then it died. And was that all? + +No: when they cut it down there was found deep in the earth one living +root, and that they left, for who can destroy the soul? + + + +Hindu Proverb.--"Pün ki jar sada hari." (The roots of charity are +always green.) + + + + + + + + +BICKERMANJI THE INQUISITIVE + + +There was a certain Rajah whose name was Bickermanji. He was very +inquisitive, and always wished to know everything that was going on +in his kingdom, and what his subjects were doing. + +At night he disguised himself in common clothes and a blanket, and +walked quietly in the streets and bazaars to spy on the people. Next +day, when complaints were brought to him of the doings of this or +that person, he knew all about it. + +In this way he observed that a certain woman, the wife of a Sowcar, +or Bunniah, used to leave her home every night, carrying a ghurra, or +chattie, on her head and some food in her hand. Arrived at the river, +she floated the chattie, and sat upon it, thus getting a passage to +the other side, where she visited a certain Fakir. + +In the early morning she returned, carrying the chattie full of water +for the day's use; and this being an everyday custom with native +women in the East, it was never suspected that she had spent nearly +the whole night away from her home. Bickermanji observed all this, +and wondered to himself how the matter would end. + +One day the woman's husband, who had been away in another country, +returned, so she had to attend to his food, and could not get away +as early as usual to carry dainty dishes to the Fakir, who was very +angry when she arrived late, and made her excuses on account of her +husband's arrival. + +"What do I care for your husband?" said the Fakir. "Is he better than +a holy mendicant? Go this moment and bring me his head." + +This she did, much to the Fakir's surprise; but, instead of being +pleased at her obedience to his wishes, he was angry, and said: +"If you killed your husband, you will one day kill me also." + +So he drove her from his presence, and she returned to her own home, +where, taking her husband's head upon her knee, she set up a great +weeping and lamentation, which attracted all her neighbours and +brought them together. + +"My husband had only just returned from a journey, bringing money; and +see, thieves have stolen his money, and murdered him during the night." + +Her neighbours believed this, and prepared to carry her husband to +the burning ghât, for he was a Hindoo. While they did this, the woman +declared that she would follow, and perform the sacred rite of suttee, +or being burnt upon her husband's funeral pyre. + +Although impressed by her supposed devotion to her husband, her +friends wrote to Bickermanji, and begged him to prevent her. + +Bickermanji knew all that had really happened, and meant to show his +own wisdom and the woman's crime, also to punish her as he thought +best. So he promptly forbade the suttee. + +The widow then wrote to Rajah Bickermanji's stepmother, a very +clever woman, and asked her to intercede, that she might die with her +husband. Then his stepmother said: "My son, allow this suttee to take +place, and within eight days I will give you my reasons." + +This aroused the curiosity of his nature, and, much against his will, +he consented; so the woman had her own way. + +He waited impatiently for the eight days to be over, and then went +to his stepmother, who ordered a dooly, and, taking with her a goat, +asked him to accompany her to the nearest temple. Arrived there, +she asked him to stand at the door, and left the goat outside. + +"If, when I come to the door, I say 'kill,' you are to kill the goat, +but if not, stand where you are," were the old woman's instructions +as she went to make her offering of fruit and flowers and sweets. + +Soon she returned, and said: "Kill," so Bickermanji cut off the head +of the goat. "Sit upon the head, my son." + +And he did as he was told, but no sooner had he done so, when the +head rose up into the air with him, away through space for hundreds of +miles, until he came to a wall which surrounded a space twelve miles +square. In this was a garden and beautiful house; and after wandering +some little time, Bickermanji found water and food, a comfortable +couch to lie upon, and a hookah, or native pipe, to smoke, but not +a human being was anywhere to be seen. This puzzled him, but as he +was both hungry and tired, he made a good meal, smoked his hookah, +and laid down to sleep. + +"If I sleep, I sleep, if I die, I die; a man can but die once." + +Now the place belonged to a purree, or winged fairy being, who used +to come to it during the night, and remain away all day. The servants +came an hour or two beforehand just to see everything was comfortable; +and when they found Bickermanji lying fast asleep, they wished to +kill him, but an old woman interceded on his behalf, so they let him +alone until the purree came. + +Bickermanji was greatly surprised to see a strange winged being +standing before him, and expected immediate death; but the Strange +One spoke kindly, and begged him not to fear, but to make the place +his home for as long as he liked. + +Each day passed by quietly, and in the pleasures and ease of his +present existence, Bickermanji soon forgot his kingdom, his wife, +and his children. + +Before going away one morning the purree said: "There are four rooms +in this house which you must never open; I will point them out to you, +but, for the rest, you may use them as you will." + +This request at once excited Bickermanji's old spirit of curiosity; +and, as soon as he found himself alone, he went quickly to the door +of the first room and opened it. + +Within stood a horse, which turned gladly towards him, and said: +"I have not seen the light of day, or had an hour's freedom, ever +since I was given to the fairy by Rajah Sudra. If you will take me +out, I will show you all the world, and even the secret place where +the fairies dance." + +Bickermanji was delighted, and immediately led out the horse, which +he saddled, mounted, and rode for a wonderful and delightful ride. + +In the evening the fairy, or purree, again warned him against opening +any of the four forbidden doors; but the very next day he opened the +second one, and there found a large elephant chained up. + +The elephant complained bitterly of its fate, and begged Bickermanji +to pity it, and take it out, which, if he did, it would in return +show him much that was wonderful in the world; so Bickermanji again +had a very interesting day. + +On the morning following he opened the third door and found a camel +inside. It too took him to all sorts of new and interesting places +which were the haunts of fairy beings. + +Now only one door was left, and Bickermanji determined to open that +also; and when he did, he beheld a donkey, standing inside. The +donkey complained just as the other animals had done, and begged +for its release; but as Bickermanji mounted it for his usual ride, +he found himself back in his old kingdom. + +"My back aches," said the donkey; "leave me a while to rest, and go +you, in the meantime, to the nearest bazaar for food. When you return +you will find me here." + +But when Bickermanji returned there was no donkey to be seen; so he +tore his hair and wept bitterly, asking all the passers-by if any of +them had seen his ghuddee, or donkey. + +Many of the inhabitants of the town recognised him, and said: +"Our Rajah has come back, and is asking for his ghuddee," which, +in Hindustanee, means "throne" as well as "donkey." + +At last his stepmother heard of his return, and sent for him. He told +her that he would give anything to be able to return to the place +from which the donkey had brought him. + +"Was it not I who sent you there," she replied, "and could not I send +you back again? What are you willing to do in order to return? Are +you willing to slay your own son to go?" + +"Yes, I would even do that." + +"Well, come with me as before to the temple, only, instead of a goat, +take your son with you, and a sword. When I say 'kill' you must kill, +but not before." + +So the three went to the temple, and the stepmother stood in the +doorway and cried "Kill"; but before the Rajah could raise his sword +she rushed forward and seized it. + +"Stop! do not kill your son. Do you remember the suttee, and how +you judged her and wished to punish her for killing her husband on +account of a friend, and now you would kill your own son for the +sake of pleasure! All that has happened has been done to teach you +a lesson; go you to your Palace, and there reign with greater wisdom +than before." + + + +Moral.--"Judge not, that ye be not judged." + + + + + + + + +THE BRAHMIN'S DAUGHTER + + +A certain Brahmin's wife had no affection for her seven stepdaughters, +and persuaded their father to get rid of them. So he invited the +girls to come with him on a visit to their grandmother, but on the +way he slipped away quietly and left them eating plums in the jungle. + +After a while they found themselves all alone, and as night fell were +very frightened, and hid themselves in the hollow of a large tree. Here +a tiger found them and ate six, leaving only the youngest sister alive. + +She hid in the tree for several days, and at last a Rajah found her, +and asked how she had got there. Then she told him the whole story, +and he felt pity for her and married her. + +But she often wondered what had become of her father, and whether he +was alive or dead; and when she remembered the fate of her sisters, +she secretly made up her mind to be revenged on her stepmother. + +Then she called a crow, and asked it if it would go to her former +home with a letter from her. In the letter she told her father of +her sisters' fate and of her own good fortune. + +The crow carried the news to her father, and, greatly surprised, +he read the contents of his daughter's letter to his wife. + +The woman was mercenary as well as cruel, and advised him to lose no +time in visiting her, and bringing back all the money he could secure. + +So the Brahmin went and spent eight or nine days in the Palace. + +As he was preparing to return home, the girl called him, and gave +him a box containing a snake, a scorpion, and a wasp; and as it was +securely locked, he had no suspicion of its contents. + +"Take this," she said, "and give it with the key to my mother; let +her be alone in her room when she receives it, so that she may enjoy +my gifts by herself." + +Then she gave him another box full of clothes and jewels and money +for himself. + +After a long journey, the Brahmin arrived at his home, and said to his +wife: "This box is for me, and this one for you; keep it carefully, +and open it when you are alone; here is the key." So saying he went +out, shut the door, and put on the chain. + +Soon the woman began to cry: "I'm bitten, I'm bitten!" but he mistook +it for "I've eaten, I've eaten!" meaning that he should come and +share the feast. So he replied: "I've had my share, you eat what is +your own share." + +When he opened the door, he found her dead, so he packed up his things +and returned to his daughter, and lived happily ever after. + + + + + + + + +ABUL HUSSAIN + + +There was a man called Abul Hussain who was once very rich, but had +been so foolish in entertaining all his friends that he lost all his +money, and became very poor. + +He and his old mother lived together, and sometimes, when he felt +lonely, he would walk out and call in two or three men, any passing +strangers whom he chanced to meet, and ask them to come in and have a +talk and smoke with him. When they left his house, he never expected +to see them again. + +On one occasion he accosted a man dressed in plain clothes, who, +with two others, was taking a stroll, and said: "Friend, come in and +have a chat with me." + +The man--who was really the King--with his two followers, went in; and, +after they had talked some time and made merry over wine, Abul said: +"I should like to exchange places with the King for just one day." + +"Why?" asked the King. + +"Because the Priest who prays in the Musjid here, and his four friends, +are very wicked men, and I should like to have them killed." + +The King, while talking, took out some powder which had the effect +of putting a person to sleep, and secretly dropped it into the wine +Abul was drinking. Shortly afterwards Abul fell into a deep sleep. + +The King then said to his servants: "Remove this man and take him +to my Palace; change his clothes for some of mine, place him in my +bed, and, until I give further orders, recognise him as your King, +and let him use as much money as he likes." + +The servants did as he told them, took up the sleeping man and put +him to bed in the King's Palace. + +Early next morning the servants came to wake Abul, and said: "Will +Your Majesty rise this morning?" + +Abul rubbed his eyes and looked, and behold, he was in a King's room +and the King's servant was addressing him! He saw his clothes, and +wondered who he was, and what had happened: then he turned to the +man and said: "Who am I?" + +The man replied: "You are our King." + +"Am I?" returned the puzzled Abul, and, rising, he heard strains of +music, and knew that the band was playing, as it always does on the +awaking of a King in the morning. + +He washed and dressed and went with his Vizier to hold court. While +there, he said to his courtiers: "There is a man living in a certain +house, and his name is Abul, I want you to take to his mother a bag +of a thousand rupees. Also go to the Musjid; catch the old Priest, +give him one hundred stripes, put him and his four friends on donkeys, +and drive them out of the city." + +All day Abul reigned as King, but when night came, the servants, +who had been instructed what to do by the real King, once more put +sleeping powder into his wine, and while he slept removed him to his +own home, and put him into his own bed again. + +When he awoke there in the morning he called to his servants, but no +one answered, except his old mother, who came and stood beside him. + +"Why do you call your servants?" she asked. + +"Because I am a King," he replied. "Who are you?" + +"I am your mother, my son, and think you must be dreaming. If the +King hears about this he will be so angry that perhaps he will have +you killed. You are only the son of a poor man; and do not vex the +King, for he has been very good, and sent us a present of a thousand +rupees yesterday." + +Abul, however, would not listen, but kept on insisting that he was +King, so at last the King had him locked up in prison, declaring that +he must be mad. There he was kept until he ceased to say that he was +King, and then he was released. + +On his return home, he once more invited some strange men, and, as +before, the King was amongst them, and again surreptitiously put the +sleeping powder into Abul's wine, and caused him to be removed and +put into his Palace on his bed while he was unconscious. + +Next morning on waking Abul felt sure that it must be a dream this +time, and he kept rubbing his eyes and asking the servants who he +was. The servants replied: "Why, you are our King." + +Abul was more than puzzled, and, pointing to his arms, which still +bore the marks of bruises from stripes received in prison, said: +"If I am really the King, why have I these bruises? I have been put +in prison, and these are the marks where I was beaten." + +But the servant said: "Your Majesty is dreaming; you are a King, +and a very great King." + +On this Abul got up, and hearing the strains of music, he was so +delighted at his lucky position that he began to dance about the room, +while the King, who was peeping from a doorway, stood and laughed +so much that he was almost choked. At last, being unable to restrain +himself longer, he called out: "O Abul, do you wish to kill me with +laughter?" + +On this Abul discovered that the King had been playing a practical +joke on him, and he said: "O King, you have given me much misery." + +"Have I?" said the King. "Well, as much misery as I have given you, +so much pleasure shall you now have;" and he gave him a present +of heaps of money and a beautiful wife, sending him away with the +assurance that he would never be poor any more. + +Very soon Abul ran through all his money, and, hoping to get some +more from the King, planned with his wife to pay another visit to +the Palace. + +Then he went to the King and, crying and wringing his hands, said: +"O King, my wife is dead." + +The King, much shocked and grieved, gave him a than [5] of cloth and +a thousand rupees, and told him to go and bury his wife. + +In the meantime his wife had gone to the Queen's apartments, and +there, throwing herself on her face, she wept and said: "O Queen, +my husband is dead, and I am most unhappy!" + +The Queen, deeply grieved, gave her a thousand rupees and a than of +cloth, saying: "Go, bury thy dead." + +Abul and his wife were now most happy, and set to work to make +themselves clothes with the new cloth they had received. + +Now it happened that day that the King went to see his Queen, and, +finding her in tears, enquired the cause of her grief. + +"Abul's wife has just been to say Abul is dead." + +"No," said the King; "you mean that Abul has just been to say that +his wife is dead." + +"No," replied the Queen, "Abul is dead." + +"Not at all," returned the King; "Abul's wife is dead," and they fell +out and quarrelled about it. + +Then the King said: "Well, we'll make a contract: if I am wrong, +then I'll give you a present of a garden." + +And the Queen said: "Very well; and if I am mistaken, I will give +you my picture gallery." + +On this the King and Queen together went with a number of followers +to the house of Abul. + +When Abul and his wife saw them coming they were so frightened that +they did not know what to do, and, having no time to run away, they +both got under the cloth they were sewing, and lay quite still as +though they were dead. + +The King and Queen coming up were surprised indeed to find that both +were really dead; but the King, remembering his promise to his wife, +said: "Now, if we only could find out who died first." + +On this Abul crept out quietly, fell at the King's feet, and cried: +"Your Majesty, I died first." + +At the same time his wife crawled out and prostrated herself at the +Queen's feet, saying: "Your Majesty, I died first." + +All the followers began to laugh, and so did the King, who asked Abul +why he had done this thing. Abul then confessed how he had squandered +all the money which the King had given, and, not knowing how to get +any more, had determined to do what he had done. + +The King, pleased at Abul's cleverness, gave him houses and money, +so that he never again suffered any want. + + + + + + + + +THE MAGICIAN AND THE MERCHANT + + +One day a merchant, going for a stroll, came across a date tree; +reaching up his hand, he plucked a date and threw the stone away. + +Now, near the spot where it fell there lived a wicked magician, +who suddenly appeared before the frightened merchant, and told him +he was going to kill him. + +"You have put out my son's eye," said he, "by throwing the stone into +it, and now you shall pay for the deed with your life." + +The poor merchant begged and implored for mercy, but the magician +refused. At last the merchant asked that he might be allowed to go +home and settle his affairs. and distribute his goods amongst his +family, after which he promised to return. + +To this the magician consented, so the merchant departed, and spent +a last happy year with his wife and children. Then, after dividing +his goods amongst them, bade them farewell, and with many tears, +left them, that he might return to the magician and fulfil his promise. + +Arrived at the spot, he saw an old man, who asked him why he came +to such a place. "A wicked magician lives here," said he, "who kills +people, or else changes them into animals or birds." + +"Alas!" cried the unfortunate merchant, "that is just what my fate +will be, for I have come in fulfilment of a promise to return after +a year and be killed." + +Just then two other old men came, and, while the four were conversing +together, the magician, sword in hand, suddenly appeared and rushed +at the merchant to kill him. + +On this the old man interceded, and said: "O Magician, if what I have +suffered be more than you have suffered in the loss of your son's +eye, then indeed give this man double punishment: let me, I beg you, +tell my story." + +"Say on," said the magician. + +"Do you see this deer?" said the old man; "it is my wife. I was once +married to a wife, but after a time I wearied of her, and married +another wife, who presented me with a son. I took both the woman and +her child to my first wife, and asked her to feed and take care of +them; but she, being jealous, changed my wife into a cow, and my son +into a calf. After a year I returned and enquired after my wife and +child. My first wife said: 'Your wife is dead, and for the last two +days your child has been missing.' + +"Now it happened at that time that I wanted to offer a sacrifice, and, +asking for a suitable offering, my second wife was brought to me. She +fell at my feet, and looked so unhappy that I could not kill her, +and sent her away. Then my wife grew very angry, and insisted upon +the sacrifice. At last I consented, and the poor cow was killed. [6] + +"Then I asked for another offering, and the calf was brought. It too +looked at me with tearful eyes, and I had not the heart to kill it, +but gave it to a cowherd, and told him to bring it back to me after a +year. He kept it with his other cattle, and one day a young girl who +saw it began to laugh and cry. On this the cowherd asked her reason +for such conduct, and she replied: 'That calf is not really what it +appears to be, but is a young man, and his mother was the cow who +was sacrificed some time ago.' + +"Then the cowherd ran to me and told me the girl's story, and I went +at once to her to ask whether it was really true, and if she could +not restore my son to his original shape again. 'Yes,' she replied, +'on two conditions. One, that I may be allowed to marry your son, +and the other, that I may do as I please with your first wife.' + +"To this I consented, so she took some water and sprinkled it upon the +calf, which at once turned into my son again. With some of the same +water she sprinkled my wife, who there and then turned into a deer. + +"Now, I might easily kill her if I liked; but, knowing that she is +my wife, I take her with me wherever I go." + +Then the second old man said: "Hear my story. I was one of three +brothers. My father died, and we divided his clothes and money amongst +us. My eldest brother and I became merchants, but my third brother +ran away, wasted and squandered his money, and became a beggar. He +returned home, and begged us to forgive him, which we did, and gave +him one thousand rupees to buy merchandise. + +"We three then went across the seas to buy goods. On the seashore I +saw a very beautiful woman, and asked her if she would come across +the sea with me. She consented; but when my brothers saw her they grew +jealous, and, as soon as the ship sailed, they took her and threw her +into the sea, and me after her. But she, being an Enchanted Being, +rose to the surface of the water unhurt, and, taking me up, carried +me to a place of safety on the seashore. + +"Then she said she was very angry with my brothers and meant to kill +them both. I begged in vain that she would spare them, so at last +she consented to punish them in some other way instead of killing them. + +"When next I visited at the house of my brothers, two dogs fell at +my feet and cowered before me. Then the woman told me that they were +my brothers, and would remain dogs for twelve years, after which time +they would resume their natural shapes." + +The third old man began to tell his story. "I had the misfortune to +marry a witch, who, soon after my marriage, turned me into a dog. I +fled from the house, and ate such scraps of food as were thrown away +by the store-keepers in the market place. + +"One day one of the men there took me home, but his daughter turned +away her head each time she looked at me. At last her father enquired +her reason for doing this, and she replied: 'Father, that is not a +dog, but a man whose wife is a witch, and it is she who has changed +him into a dog. I will restore him again to his former shape.' So +she sprinkled water upon me, and I forthwith regained the shape of +a man. I then asked her if I might not punish my wife, and she gave +me some water and told me to go and sprinkle it upon the wicked witch. + +"I did this, and she became a donkey! Yet I keep her, and take care +of her, and pray you, even as we had mercy, to so have mercy upon +this man." + +So the magician forgave the man, and let him go. + + + + + + + + +THE SNAKE AND THE FROG + + +A Rajah had two sons. The eldest ascended the throne after his father's +death, but fearing lest his brother might interfere with him, he +ordered him to be killed. + +The poor boy, hearing of this order, quietly left the house and +escaped into the jungles, where he saw a snake with a frog in its +mouth which it was trying to swallow. + +As the young Rajah approached, he heard the frog say: "Oh, if God +would only send some one to rescue me from the snake, how thankful +I should be." + +The Rajah, full of pity, threw a stone at the snake, and it immediately +released the frog, which hopped away. + +The snake remained still, dazed by the hurt received by the stone. Now, +the Rajah felt sorry for it, and thought to himself: "I have taken +away its natural food;" so, quickly cutting off a piece of his own +flesh, he threw it to the snake, saying: "Here, take this instead." + +The snake took it home, and when its wife saw it, she said: "This is +very good flesh; where did you get it?" + +The snake told her what had happened, and she said: "Go back to that +man and reward him for what he has done." + +Then the snake assumed the form of a man, and, going back to the Rajah, +said: "I will be your servant, if you will take me." + +The Rajah agreed, and his new servant followed him. + +The frog, meantime, had also gone home and told his wife of the narrow +escape he had from the snake, and how a man had saved him from its +very jaws. + +"Go back," said she, "and serve him, to prove your gratitude." + +So he also took the form of a man and offered himself as a servant +to the Rajah. "Come," said he, "and we three will live together." + +Then they entered a city belonging to a great King, and the three of +them offered to work for him. + +"But," said the young Rajah, "I will only work on condition that you +pay me a thousand rupees a day." + +To this the King agreed, and they were employed by him. + +The young Rajah gave his own two followers one hundred rupees a +day; and, after putting aside one hundred for his own requirements, +distributed the rest in charity. + +One day the King went to take a bath in the tank, or pond, and while +bathing, his ring slipped off and fell into the water. + +He therefore called the young Rajah and said to him: "Go and get my +ring which is in that tank." + +This made the youth very sad, "For," thought he, "how am I to get a +ring from the bottom of a tank?" + +But his servant who had once been a frog begged him not to be sad, +and said: "I will get it for you." + +So, quickly taking his old form, he dived into the water and restored +the ring to his master, who took it to the King. + +Some time after this the King's daughter was bitten by a snake, and +in great danger of death. "Make my child well," demanded the King of +the young Rajah. But this was hard to do, and the youth became sadder +than ever. + +"Do not despair," said his servant who had once been a snake, "but put +me into the room where the child is, for I understand the treatment +for snake-bite." + +As soon as this was done he sucked out all the poison, and the child +recovered. + +This so delighted the King that he called the young Rajah and offered +him his daughter in marriage as a reward. + +So the marriage took place, and they lived happily ever afterwards. + + + + + + + + +THE BARBER AND THE THIEF + + +A thief entered the house of a barber, and, carefully making bundles +of all he could lay hands upon, was about to take them away when the +barber spied him; and, quickly getting out of bed, sat down at the +door, thus cutting off the way of escape for the thief, who waited +in vain for him to move. + +The barber sat smoking his hookah, [7] and every now and then refreshed +himself by drinking water, occasionally spitting at what looked like a +bundle of rags on the floor; but which was in reality the thief. [8] +After a while the barber woke his wife by flinging a little water on +her. She woke up very angry, and scolded him roundly. + +"What!" said the barber, "you mind a little water being thrown at you, +while this man"--pointing to the thief--"has no objection to being +spat upon!" + +Then the thief found he had been discovered, and implored forgiveness. + +Thinking he had already suffered sufficient indignities, they forgave +him and let him go. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF PURAN + + +There was once a shoemaker who had a vegetable garden in which grew a +bed of brinjals (or egg plant). Unknown to him, a fairy used sometimes +to come and walk there; and one day, while passing the brinjal bushes, +a thorn on them caught one of her wings and broke it, so that she +was unable to fly, and had to remain where she was. + +Next time the shoemaker visited his garden he saw a beautiful woman +in it; and, not knowing that she was a fairy, asked her to tell him +her name, and how she came there. + +Her only reply was: "I am cold: give me a covering, I pray you." + +Then he invited her to take shelter in his hut, and gave her a lowie, +or warm covering, saying: "Take this and stay as long as you like, +and be my daughter." + +The shoemaker had a kind heart, and was very good to his adopted child, +whom he named "Loonar Chumari." + +Now a Rajah, by name Suliman, sometimes visited the shoemaker's shop; +and when he saw the fairy he fell in love with her, and begged for +her hand in marriage. + +The shoemaker consented, and after a time the marriage took place; but +Suliman had another wife at his Palace, and a son whose name was Puran: +and he was most anxious to find out whether, when he grew up, this +son would make a good ruler, so he sent for a Brahmin and enquired. + +"Yes," declared the Brahmin, "he will be a good ruler, but you must +keep him locked up for twelve years in an underground room." + +This was done, and at the time when Suliman met the fairy, the twelve +years had nearly been completed; but the boy refused to remain even +a week longer, for he was weary of being locked up for so long. Even +his own mother could not influence him in the matter, and so he +was released. + +Now Puran was a very comely youth, and when he made his obeisance to +his new stepmother, she was greatly impressed with his handsome face, +and thought to herself: "Had I not been in such a hurry I might have +married him instead of Suliman." + +The thought vexed her so much that she made up her mind to get Puran +out of her sight by having him killed. She told Suliman that his boy +was wanting in respect towards her, and deserving of death. + +On hearing this, Suliman had a bowl of boiling oil prepared, and, +calling his son, said: "My son, if this be indeed true about you, +plunge your hand into this boiling oil: if you are innocent no harm +will come to you." + +Puran, without a sign of fear, did as his father bid him, and plunged +in his hand, taking it out without a mark. + +Then Suliman turned to his wife and said: "See, the oil does not +burn him." + +But she replied angrily: "Never mind, I am not content, and shall not +rest day or night until you have his eyes put out, and both his hands +and his feet cut off, after which you must have him flung into a pit." + +Suliman, who was completely under the power of the fairy, at last +consented to this, and gave the order; but Puran's own mother pleaded +so earnestly that her boy's eyes might be spared, that the servants +felt sorry for her; and, substituting the eyes of an animal, they +left the young man's eyes untouched. + +Then Puran was thrown into a pit and there left. + +A Guru, or Priest, who lived near that place used to send his followers +daily to bring food and water for him, and one of them, mistaking the +dry pit for a well, let down his chattie for water. Whereupon Puran, +whose hands and feet had been restored by the Almighty, caught hold +of the chattie and would not let it go. + +The Guru called out: "Let go, or I will bring my book of incantations +and crush you into dust." + +"Try," replied a voice from the bottom of the pit, "for I too can +bring my books and crush you to dust." + +The Guru was frightened, and, returning to the head Guru, his master, +told him what had happened. + +Then the old Guru said: "It must be Puran; I will go and see." So, +taking with him a ball of raw cotton, he called out at the top of +the pit: "Puran, is that you? If so, and you are an innocent man, +I will let down a thread of raw cotton, and you will be able to climb +up by it, for it will not break if used by the innocent." + +"Let it down," replied Puran, and he climbed up safely. + +The Guru looked at him as he stood up, and then quietly returned to +his own home. + +There he met all his pupils or followers, who are called "Cheelas," +and sent them out to bring stores. There were one hundred and +thirty-five Cheelas, and before they left he warned them, saying: +"Go everywhere except to that magic country where those women live +who practise witchcraft." + +But the men were curious, and, in spite of the warning, went to the +witches' country. + +The witches saw them coming, and laughed gleefully. "Let us play +a trick on these young Gurus," they said, "and turn them all into +young bulls." + +This they did, and, leading the creatures to their husbands, said: +"See what fine bulls we have brought in exchange for two and a half +pounds of flour." + +The husbands were very pleased, and kept the bulls to carry loads. + +Meanwhile the old Guru waited for his followers, but as none of +them appeared, he sought the aid of his books and discovered what +had happened. + +Then he pronounced his incantations and dried up all the water in +the country, with the exception of one well, near which he sat. + +The witches soon found that they would die of thirst, so they came to +the old man's well, but they barely had time to put down their chatties +before he turned the lot of them into donkeys and let them graze. + +Very soon the witches were missed by their husbands, who came to the +old Guru and asked if he could give any news. + +"How can I tell," said he, "when one hundred and thirty-five of my +own Gurus are lost and I cannot find them." + +"But you can recall them, our Father," said the men. + +"That is what I mean to do;" and so saying, the Guru took out his +books and began to read. While he did this, they saw in the distance +a herd of one hundred and thirty-five bulls approaching, and each +one carried a load of wood or hay. + +They stood still before the old Guru, who then restored them to their +former shapes. + +Then the witches' husbands were amazed, and said: "O Guru! can you +not call our wives also?" + +"Call them yourselves, my friends, as you have seen me call my men." + +But the men knew nothing of either witchcraft or incantations, so +they besought the Guru to help them. + +At last he agreed, and asked for a thick, strong stick, which he +gave into the hands of one of his Cheelas, and said: "Go knock each +of those donkeys a blow on the head with this." + +The Cheela did as he was told, and the donkeys resumed the shapes of +women, all but five old ones which the Guru said must remain donkeys +by way of warning. + +Then the Guru sent his followers forth as before, and coming to the +pit where Puran had been found, they saw a dry stick standing near +it. "This will do for fire," said they; but when they touched it a +feeble voice was heard. + +So they reported the matter to the old Guru, and when he touched the +stick it said, "Guru Jee." On this he recognised Puran, who for years +had waited beside the well. + +"Why did you not go home, my son?" + +"Because you did not tell me," said Puran, "so I waited here for +your orders." + +Then the Guru held him tenderly and washed the mud off him, and in +many days he grew strong again. + +"Now go home to your parents," said the Guru. + +But Puran said: "No, I will remain with you." + +Thus in time he became a very highly respected Guru. + + + + + + + + +TABARISTAN + + +In the country called Tabaristan there lived a rich Rajah, who gave +a feast and invited a number of guests. + +Amongst the guests came a stranger who partook of the good things +distributed. The Rajah, on seeing him, enquired who he was. + +"I am a stranger," said he, "but am willing to serve you, as I have +come from a very distant country." + +The Rajah said he would keep him as a sort of Chowkidar, to guard +his house at night. So all night long the stranger used to pace up +and down the Palace grounds keeping watch. + +One night the Rajah came out and, seeing him pacing up and down, +asked him who he was. + +"Why, I am he whom you engaged as a servant." + +Hardly had he spoken when a loud cry echoed through the grounds, +and a voice said: "I am going on, I am going on!" + +"What is that?" asked the Rajah. + +"I do not know," said the man, "but I hear it every night." + +"Go and find out," returned the Rajah. So the man turned to do his +bidding. + +Now the Rajah was very curious, and, quickly wrapping himself in his +coat, quietly followed his servant. + +Outside the garden gate sat a figure covered and clothed in loose +white garments. + +On approaching it the servant said: "Who are you?" + +"I am Time," replied the figure, "and hold the Rajah's life, which +is now nearly over." + +"Cannot anything be done to spare it?" asked the man. + +"Yes, it can be spared by the sacrifice of another, and that one must +be your son." + +"I will give not only my son's life, but the lives of all my family +and my own," replied the man; "but, if you want only my son, you may +have him." + +Then he went and told his son, who said: "Gladly will I give my life, +for what is it in comparison with the life of a Rajah? Come, father, +take me soon that I may die." + +Then the man led his son to the veiled figure, and said: "Here is my +son; he is willing to die." + +Taking a knife, he was about to plunge it into his child when the +figure cried: "Enough! You have proved that you were willing not only +to give your son, but your whole family, and the Almighty is pleased +to spare the Rajah's life for another seven years." + +Now the Rajah, who had heard every word of the interview, quickly +returned to the spot where he had first heard the voice, and there +awaited his servant's return. + +"Well, what was the sound?" asked he, when he saw him. + +"A man and a woman had quarrelled," replied the servant, "but I have +managed to reconcile them, and they have promised not to quarrel for +seven years." + +Then the Rajah left him, and ordered him to appear at his Court the +following day. + +Next day, when the Court was full, the Rajah addressed all his people, +and said: "I am resolved to give up my throne and all I possess to +this man; for last night, unknown to me, he was willing to give up, +not only his son's life but his own, and the lives of all his family, +in order to save mine, and for my sake." + +The poor servant was deeply touched and astonished at the turn matters +had so unexpectedly taken, but the Rajah was firm in his resolve, +and left his throne and his kingdom. + +The servant then became Rajah, and ruled wisely and well to the end +of his days. + + + + + + + + +THE PAINTED JACKAL + + +A jackal had the habit of visiting the kitchens of several people at +night and eating whatever it could find. + +One day, in visiting the house of a dyer, it put its head into a +deep vessel containing blue dye, and, finding the mixture was not +good to eat, tried to get its head out again, but could not do so +for some time. When at last it managed to escape, its head was dyed +a beautiful dark blue colour. + +He ran away into the jungles, glad to escape, and unconscious of his +strange appearance; but the other animals in the jungle thought some +new animal had come, and were quite charmed, so that they created +him their King. + +They divided up all the wild creatures, and put their new King next +to the jackals, so that when they cried out at nights, he cried too, +and nobody found out that he was only a jackal. + +But one day some young jackals made him angry, so he turned them out +and ordered the wolves and foxes to remain nearest to him. + +That night, when he began to cry and howl, it was at once discovered +that he was only a jackal; so all the animals ran at him, bit him, +and turned him out. + + + + + + + + +THE ENCHANTED BIRD, MUSIC, AND STREAM + + +There was once a Prince who used to amuse himself by dressing as a +poor man, and going about amongst his subjects without their finding +out who he was. + +In this way he found out all that they did, and how they lived. + +Once, while walking through a gully, he saw three sisters, and +overheard their conversation. + +One said: "If I could marry even a servant of the Prince, how happy +I should be! I should eat sweets and all sorts of nice things all +day long." + +The other sister said: "I'd rather marry his cook, for then I should +get still better things." + +But the third sister said: "I'd like best to marry the Prince himself, +for then I'd get the best things of all to eat." + +The Prince went home, and next day, while holding court, gave an +order that these three sisters should be brought to him. + +The order was immediately carried out, and, as the three trembling +girls stood before him, they wondered much why they had been summoned. + +"Now," said he, "tell me what you three were talking about last night?" + +Terribly alarmed, the eldest confessed that she had said she would +like to be the wife of one of the servants, so as to get nice things +to eat. The second said she had wished to be the wife of his cook. + +The third sister hesitated, and then said timidly that she had dared +to say she would like best to be the wife of the Prince himself. + +On this the Prince said: "You may have your wishes." + +He then ordered the one to be married to one of his servants, and +the other to his cook; but the third he married himself. + +Some time after this, a son was born; but his wife's two sisters, +who had begged to be present upon the occasion, and who were very +jealous of their sister's position, quietly removed the baby, and put +a dog's puppy in its place. The baby they put into a box and flung +into the river. + +Now the Prince's gardener found the box and opened it; and, when he saw +what it contained, he was overjoyed, and took the child to his wife, +telling her that God had at last given her a son which he would keep +and bring up as his own son. + +Meantime, the Prince was very angry indeed, but forgave his wife at +the request of her friends. + +Some time after this another son was born, which the sisters changed +for a kitten, and, putting the babe into a box, threw it into the +river as before; but again the gardener found the child and carried +him to his wife. + +Yet a third child was born to the Princess, a little girl, which the +two sisters changed for a rat. As before, they placed the child in a +box and threw it into the river; and yet a third time did the gardener +rescue the babe, and take it to grow up with its two brothers, his +adopted boys. + +By this time the Prince was very angry with his wife, and turned her +out of his house. + +The gardener and his wife, who had loved their adopted children very +dearly, died when the boys were about eight or nine years of age. + +So the boys begged the Prince to give them land of their own, on which +to build or cultivate; and he, remembering how fond his gardener had +always been of them, granted their request, so they lived there very +happily with their little sister. + +The brothers often went out hunting, and on one occasion, when they +were out and their sister alone at home, a very old woman came to her +and begged for some water. She willingly gave it, and then asked the +old woman very kindly if she would not come in and rest. "Come and +see my house," she said, "and tell me what you think of it." + +The old woman said: "You have everything very nice, but there are +three things which you have not got." + +"And what are those?" + +"You have no bird, no music, and no stream of water," replied the +old woman; "without these your house is nothing." + +"Where am I to get them?" + +"You must go to the West." + +So saying, she went away and left the girl very sad, for she wished +for the three things without which her home was incomplete. + +On the return of her brothers, they asked her why she looked so sad; +and she told them of the old woman's visit, and what she had said. + +"If that is all," cried the eldest brother, "I will go and bring you +all three things." + +The sister at first cried very much, and begged of him not to go, +but at last she consented; and as he bade her good-bye, he gave her +a string of beads, saying: "As long as I am well, these beads will +be separate from each other; but should any misfortune overtake me, +or I should die, the beads will be no longer separate, but will be +joined together." + +Then he mounted his horse and rode away. + +On the way he met an old Fakir. This old man's face was covered with +hair, so that he could not see, and he had a very long grey beard. + +The boy looked at him, and said: "Let me shave you, and you will be +able to see better." + +So the Fakir allowed himself to be shaved, after which he asked +the youth where he was going, and on hearing, he advised him not to +go. "For," said he, "many have already gone on that quest, but have +never returned." + +Yet the boy persisted. So the old Fakir gave him a ball, and said: +"Keep throwing this before you as you go. Stop where the ball stops, +and heed no sounds or interruptions on the way." + +The ball went in the direction of a high mountain, and the boy +followed; but in the mountain there were strange hissing sounds and +voices all around, which kept shouting to him, and asking who he was +and where he came from. + +He paid no heed to these, until suddenly there came a great clap of +thunder, followed by an earthquake. This so startled the boy that he +looked round, and in a moment was turned into stone. + +The poor little sister at home, discovering that she could no longer +separate her beads, was grieved indeed, knowing that some harm had +befallen her brother; and she wept bitterly. + +On this her second brother said he would go and seek him, and also +find the three things she required for her house. + +His sister implored him not to leave her, for he was all she had left; +but he was determined, so she was obliged to reluctantly consent to +his going. + +Before leaving he gave her a flower, and said: "Sister, as long as +this flower keeps fresh, you will know that I am alive and well; +but if it should close or fade, you may feel sure that I too am dead." + +Then he mounted his steed and started on his journey. + +Soon he met the old Fakir, who warned him as he had warned his brother, +saying: "My son, so many have gone on this quest and have lost their +lives; your own brother has lost his life, and yet you wish to go. Turn +back, I advise you." + +"No," said the boy, "I am determined to find my brother, and also +the bird, music, and stream of water." + +Then the Fakir gave him also a ball of string, with the same directions +which he had given his brother; and he continued on his journey. + +As he reached the hill, he too heard the same hissing, shouting, and +cries to stop; but he heeded nothing, until at last came the peal of +thunder and earthquake, which so terrified him that he turned round +to look, and he too was turned into stone. + +At home his poor sister saw her flower fade away and die, and then +she knew that her other brother had also come to an untimely end. + +So she arose and locked her door, and said: "I will go myself and +find my brothers." + +On her way she met the same old Fakir, who accosted her, and asked +her whither she was going. + +He was much grieved when she told him her story, and said: "Brave men +have lost their lives, and you, a woman, without half their strength, +are going. I pray you be advised and return." + +"No, no," she returned; "if men have lost their courage, I, a woman, +shall not lose mine. I am very brave, and I mean to go." + +So the Fakir bade her God-speed very sadly, and gave her the same +parting gift as he had given her brothers, directing her what to do +with it. + +The first thing she did was to buy some cotton wool, and with it stop +her ears, so that she could not hear a sound; then she proceeded on +her journey up the hill. + +The same sounds followed her all the way, but she heard them not, +nor did she hear the thunder or heed the earthquake in her anxiety +to find her brothers. + +On and on went she, until she saw a cage hanging on a tree, and in it +a bird. She took it with great joy, and said: "I have found my bird, +and have only the music and water to get for my home to be perfect." + +To her delight, the bird heard, and replied: "If you break off a +branch of that tree and stick it into the ground, the breeze through +its leaves will make the sweetest music you have ever heard; and +if you will take a little water from that enchanted stream yonder, +and pour it into your garden, it will never cease to flow. Thus you +will have both music and stream." + +The girl did as the bird advised, and heard the sweetest melody in the +branch of the tree. Then she filled a vessel with water and prepared +to return, but very sorrowfully, for she had found both her brothers +turned into stone. + +She told her trouble to the bird, who said: "Sprinkle some of the +water on the stones." + +This she did, and, to her great surprise, both the lads came to life. + +They were delighted to see her, and to know that she had succeeded +in finding the gifts they had failed to get; and the three returned +home and lived very happily together for some time. + +One day the two brothers thought they would like to go out hunting +again. + +Now they did not know that an order had been passed that nobody was +to hunt in that forest except the Prince, and, while they were there, +they came face to face with the Prince himself. This alarmed them, +and they tried to hide themselves; but he called them, and enquired +why they were hunting there against orders. + +Then they explained that they were in ignorance of his orders when +they came, and begged forgiveness. + +The Prince, pleased at their appearance, enquired who they were, +and they said: "The adopted sons of your gardener who died some time +ago. Our own parents died when we were young." + +Then the Prince invited them to his Palace, but they said they could +go nowhere without first telling their sister. + +"Well, ask your sister," said he, "and come to-morrow." + +On the third day they met the Prince again, and he asked why they had +not come; but they pleaded as an excuse that they had forgotten to +ask their sister. The Prince then gave them a golden ball and said: +"When you see this, you will remember." + +That night as they were going to bed, the small golden ball rolled +out on the floor, and seeing it, they remembered, and told their +sister of the Prince's invitation. + +She was very displeased with them for not having complied with it +earlier; and told them that they must go and see him the very next day. + +On the morrow the two boys went to the Palace, where the Prince +received them very kindly, and gave them all sorts of good things to +eat and drink, saying to himself: "Had I had children, they would by +this time be the same ages as these lads." + +One day, soon after this, the bird advised the sister of the boys to +invite the Prince to dinner. + +"How can I entertain so grand a man?" said she. + +"Make him a dish of kheer (rice cooked with milk and sugar); and +besides this, to please him, another dish of pearls." + +"But where shall I get the pearls?" + +"Send a man to dig beneath that tree, and you will find as many as +you require," replied the bird. + +So the girl did as she was told, and sent a man to dig. He soon found +a box full of pearls, and these she placed in a very beautiful dish, +and put it alongside the plate of kheer. + +The Prince accepted the invitation to dinner, and came to the house. + +After showing him all round, the girl led him at last to the room +in which she had prepared dinner; and as her bird was also there, +she told it to make a salaam to the Prince, which it did. + +Then the first dish was uncovered, and the Prince knew that he could +not eat it as it was made of pearls; but the bird spoke up and said: +"O Prince! are you not yet able to understand the difference between +pearls and dross? When your wife bore your children, you believed +them to be dogs, cats, or rats, and turned out your poor wife, who +was in reality the mother of these"--and she pointed to the two boys +and their sister--"your own children, who were exchanged by their +wicked aunts for a dog, a cat, a rat, and you believed them." + +On hearing this, the Prince was astounded; and then the bird told +him exactly all that had taken place. + +Delighted to be once more united to his children, he sought his poor +wife, and, throwing himself at her feet, besought her with tears to +forgive him. + +This she very gladly did, and returned with him to the Palace, where +her children received her; and they were all very happy ever after. + +The two wicked sisters were killed by order of the Prince. + + + + + + + + +THE DOG TEMPLE + + +About eleven miles from Raipur, near the village of Jagasar, is a +temple built to the memory of a faithful dog of the Bunjara species, +and this is the story of how it came to be built. + +Many years ago a Bunjara Naik, or headman of the clan of Bunjaras, +or wandering traders, owed money to a "Marwari," or money-lender +at Raipur. + +When pressed for payment, the Bunjara, who was then standing near +the Marwari's shop, said: "Here is my gold necklace, and here is +my faithful dog: keep both till I return to my camping-ground near +Jagasar, and fetch you the money." + +The necklace and dog were then left as security, and the man went +his way. + +That night the Marwari's shop was broken into by thieves, and many +valuables stolen, among them the golden necklace; but, before the +thieves could get clear away with their stolen property, the dog got up +and barked and leaped about, and made so much noise that the Marwari +and his men got up, caught the thieves, and recovered the property, +which was of considerable worth. + +The Marwari was very pleased, and out of gratitude for what the dog +had done, determined to cancel and forgive the debt of his master, +the Bunjara. So he wrote a paper to cancel it, tied it to the dog's +neck and let it go, saying: "Carry the tidings to your owner." + +Early next morning the dog trotted off, and was nearing the +camping-ground which was his home, when the Bunjara saw him, and, +very displeased, he took a stick and struck the poor dog across the +head, saying: "You brute! you could not remain even twenty-four hours +with the Marwari, though my honour was at stake." + +The blow killed the dog on the spot, and as he fell, the Bunjara +noticed the slip of paper round his neck, and, on reading it, found +what joyful news his dog had brought to him. Not only was the debt +forgiven, but the reason for it was also stated on the paper. + +The grief of the Bunjara was great, for in spite of his hasty temper +he loved his dog, as all Bunjaras do. He repented his hasty act, and +wept most bitterly over his favourite, vowing that he would try and +expiate the deed by building a temple to the faithful dog's memory +with the money he had recovered. + +The small temple now standing on the spot where this took place +testifies to the fulfilment of that vow, and a small dog carved in +stone indicates why the Dog Temple was built. + +To this day it is deeply revered by all the villagers around, and the +story of that faithful dog is often repeated to show how intelligent +and true a dog can be. + + + + + + + + +THE BEAUTIFUL MILKMAID + + +At a place called Drug, near Raipur in the Central Provinces of India, +there once lived an old woman who had a very beautiful daughter. + +The old woman was most unwilling that her daughter should go out +into the streets, for she said: "You are so beautiful, my daughter, +that I tremble lest any one take you from me." + +But the girl replied: "Mother, I must go and earn our daily food. Let +me, I pray you, sell milk and curds as usual: no harm will come to me." + +The mother very reluctantly let her go; but that day a Rajah happened +to pass by and saw her. He noticed how beautiful she was, and stopped +his elephant to ask who she was. She told him that she was of humble +origin, and only a seller of milk and curds. + +"Then," said the Rajah, "I shall buy all that you have." + +"Nay," replied the girl; "surely what is mine is yours, and I offer +everything in homage to you." + +When she persisted in refusing payment the Rajah was angry, and +ordered his attendants to scatter the curds, and put the girl into +prison for daring to go against his wishes. + +The order was obeyed, and the beautiful milkmaid found herself +a prisoner. + +While in prison she prayed to her Gods for deliverance, and fashioning +a parrot out of clay, breathed life into it and told it to go quickly +to her lover, a young man grazing his herds in the hills, and tell +him what had happened. + +The bird flew off and did as he was told; and the lover came down +that night with all his clansmen, attacked the Rajah and killed him. + +Then he rescued the girl, who lived happily ever after as the wife +of her brave deliverer. + + + + + + + + +A REMEDY FOR SNAKE-BITE + + +There is in India a small state called Raghoghur, the Rajahs of which +are said to possess the power of curing snake-bite, even though it +be from the most deadly cobra or karait. This power has been handed +down for centuries, and was firmly believed in during the year 1896, +and even up to the present moment. + +Every man bitten by a deadly snake in that place takes a bit of string, +ties seven knots in it, and places it round his neck. As he goes along +towards the Palace of the Rajah or Raghoghur, he keeps repeating "Jeth +Singh," "Jeth Singh," "Jeth Singh," untying each knot while so doing. + +Arrived at the Palace, he salutes the assembled courtiers, and in +their presence undoes the last of the seven knots. This done, the +Rajah pours water on the bite and on the man's hands. A Brahmin gives +his blessing, and he returns to the village cured. + +This power descends from father to son, and many are the wonderful +cures reported from Raghoghur. + + + + + + + + +A LEGEND OF SARDANA + + +In a city called Sardana there once lived a man whose name was +Simru. This man had great riches and lands, and also owned a place +of worship. + +He married a lady of Sardana, who was called "Begum." + +After a few years of married life Simru died, and his wealthy widow +gave alms and much money to the poor. + +In the same city lived an oil dealer who also died, and the angels +took him to Heaven and presented him before the Almighty. + +"Who have you brought?" asked the Creator. "This man's days upon +earth are not yet completed: take him back before his body is buried, +and let his spirit re-possess his body; but in the city of Sardana +you will find another man of the same name: bring him to me." + +On leaving the Court of God, some former creditor of the oil dealer's, +who had preceded him into the Unseen, recognised him, and laying hold +of him, demanded the sum of five rupees which he had owed him during +his lifetime. + +The poor man being unable to pay this debt, the angels once more took +him before the Almighty, who asked why they had returned. + +The angels replied: "O God, there is a man here to whom this oil +dealer owes five rupees, and he will not let us return until the debt +is paid." + +The Almighty enquired if this was true, and the oil dealer replied: +"Yes, but I am a poor man, and not able to repay it." + +Then the Almighty said: "In the city of Sardana lives a rich Begum; +do you know her?" + +"Yes, O King." + +"Well, the Begum's treasury is here, and I will advance you five rupees +out of it, if, when you return to earth, you promise faithfully to +give it back to the Begum." + +So the oil dealer gratefully took the loan, paid his debt, and +returned with the angels to earth, where he arrived just too late +to re-enter his body, which his friends had already taken away to +prepare for burial. Watching his opportunity, he waited till they +were otherwise engaged, and at once re-entered it; but when he sat +up, and began to speak, his terrified friends and relations fled, +thinking it was his ghost. + +On this the oil dealer called out: "Do not fear, I am not a spirit; but +God has released me, as my days upon earth are not yet fulfilled. The +man who ought to have died is Kungra, the vegetable man; go and see +whether he is dead or alive." + +The friends, on going to the house of Kungra, found that he had just +fallen from a wall and been killed on the spot; all his relations +were wailing and lamenting his sudden end. + +Thus everybody knew that the words of the old oil dealer were correct. + +In the meantime, the oil dealer called his son, and said: "Son, +when I went to Heaven I there met a man to whom I owed five rupees, +and he caught me and would not let me return before I paid it, so the +Almighty advanced me the money from the Begum's treasury in Heaven, +and bade me give her back that amount on my return to earth. Therefore +do I entreat you, my son, to come with me, and together we will visit +the Begum, and give her five rupees." + +So they took the money and went to the Begum's house. + +"Who are you?" asked she. + +The oil dealer then told her the whole story, ending with: "And now +I come to return you the five rupees." + +The Begum was very pleased, and, taking the money, she called her +servants and ordered a further sum of one hundred rupees to be added +to it. This money she spent on sweets, which were distributed amongst +the poor. + +Many years afterwards the good Begum of Sardana died, but her houses +and lands are still in existence; nor does anybody living in that +town forget the story of the oilman who died and lived again. [9] + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF "BUNJARA TULLAO" + + +There is at a place in India called Agar, a tank or pond known as the +"Bunjara Tullao," yet no Bunjara will ever drink water there. + +Many years ago no pond existed in that spot, and in all the country +round a water famine prevailed, and the poor were perishing for want +of water. + +A Fakir prophesied that if a man would kill his son and daughter as +a sacrifice to the Gods, water would be found and last always. + +That night a Bunjara slew his two children, and threw them into a +deep hole. + +In the morning when the sun shone and people woke up, lo! there +was a large pond in place of the hole, and nothing was seen of the +unfortunate children. Then the poor filled their chatties, and went +away rejoicing. + +It is said that sometimes the heads of a boy and girl were seen lifted +out of the water, and that they held out their hands to passers-by; but +because the peasants put mud into them, they discontinued the practice. + +In the centre of the "Bunjara Tullao" is a shrine built in memory of +its origin. + +There is another such pond near the Sipri Bazaar, which remains clear +and beautiful, notwithstanding the fact that hundreds of people bathe +and wash in it. + +The old "Guru" who lives there explains the reason for this. + +"Many years ago one of the Gods selected the Sipri Bazaar tank for +his bath, and ever since its waters have remained as clear as crystal." + + + +Moral.--Thus there is a cause for everything in the world. + + + + + + + + +THE ANAR PARI, OR POMEGRANATE FAIRY + + +Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons, all of whom +were married but the youngest. + +One day the Queen-mother spoke to her youngest son, and said: "Why are +you not married? Do not the maidens of my Court please thee? Perhaps +you want what you cannot get, and that is perfection, unless, indeed, +you go and seek and marry the Anar Pari, who is the fairest of all +fairies, and whose charms are traditional." + +The Prince then and there registered a vow that he would not marry at +all unless he found this pearl of great price, and forthwith started +on his quest for her. + +He put on his armour and five weapons of defence, mounted his favourite +steed, and set forth. + +He had proceeded a good distance when night fell, and he found himself +in a forest near a small hut. Entering it, he found it was occupied +by a holy Fakir. + +The Fakir said: "My son, why have you come here? Where are you +going? And are you not afraid of the wild animals which infest this +forest?" + +The Prince replied: "Holy Father, I am going on a long journey to +try and find the Pomegranate Fairy, so that I may wed her." + +"You are going a long way indeed," replied the Fakir; "but if you +listen to what I tell you, your journey will not be in vain." + +Next morning he called the young man, and told him that he was going +to enchant him and turn him into a parrot, so that he might fly to +the island on which the fairy was imprisoned, and guarded day and +night by seven hundred dreadful dragons. He also told him that on +the island he would find a pomegranate tree with three pomegranates +on it, of which he was to pluck and bring away the middle one, for +in it dwelt the fairy he was so anxious to find. + +"But mind you," said the Fakir, "once you have plucked the pomegranate, +you are not to wait an instant, or even turn to look back when the +dragons come after you, for, if you once look back, all your efforts +will be in vain, and you will be killed." + +Then the young Prince was turned into a parrot and immediately +flew off. + +He flew and flew and flew, till he had crossed seven seas; and in +the midst of the seventh sea, he at last spied an island in which +was a most lovely garden, where grew an exquisite pomegranate tree, +and on it three pomegranates, the centre one most beautiful to behold. + +He plucked the fruit, and flew as fast as he could, but alas, the +dragon who guarded the tree saw him, and called to the other dragons, +who, with wild yells and terrifying noises, flew after him. + +The young Prince in his flight unfortunately looked back to see +where they were, and was immediately burnt to a cinder, and fell to +the ground with the golden pomegranate which he had worked so hard +to obtain. + +The dragons came up and took away the fruit, but left the burnt body +of the bird upon the ground. + +The Fakir waited long for the return of the parrot, but as it did not +come, he set out himself to find it. He was able to cross in safety by +making his body invisible, and when he came to the island, the first +thing he saw was the burnt body of the parrot lying in the garden. + +So he took it up, breathed once more the breath of life into it, and +let it go, saying: "Try once more, my son, but remember that I said: +'Look not back,' but fly to my hut for safety." + +Thus saying, he disappeared; and the parrot, watching its chance, +very silently approached the tree a second time, stole the fruit, +and flew as fast as he could. + +The dragons pursued, but he reached the hut in safety; and the old +Fakir did not lose a moment, but turned him into a small fly, and +then secreted the pomegranate on his person, and sat down. + +Almost immediately the dragons also arrived, and said: "Where is the +green parrot who stole the fruit?" + +"Look and see," said the old Fakir. "I know not what you want; no +green parrot is here, nor do I know where the pomegranate is that he +took away." + +Then he went on quietly counting his beads while the dragons searched +everywhere; but at last, wearied out and finding nothing, they went +away, feeling very angry at the loss of their fairy. + +As soon as they had gone, the Fakir caused the Prince to resume his +original form, and, handing him the pomegranate, said: "Go back to +your Palace; and when you have got there, break the pomegranate, +and out of it will step the most beautiful woman you have ever seen; +take her to be your wife, and may luck go with you." + +The young Prince then mounted his steed, and thanked the old Fakir +for all his assistance. + +As he neared his father's Palace he came to a well in a garden, and +having tied his horse to a tree, he went and rested beside the well, +and looked at the pomegranate. + +"I think I will break it now, and see if a fairy comes out, for if I +wait to do so in my father's house before all his courtiers, suppose +no fairy appeared, I should be ashamed to death." + +So saying, he broke it, and immediately a most lovely woman appeared, +bright and dazzling as the sun itself. As soon as he beheld her, he +was so entranced that he fell into a swoon. Then the fairy lifted his +head very gently, and placing it on her knee, allowed him to sleep on. + +While he slept a young woman of low caste came to draw water. Seeing +the beautiful fairy, she enquired of her if the sleeping man was the +King's youngest son, and if she was the Anar Pari whom he had gone +to seek. + +Hearing that this was so, she was filled with envy, and planned in +her mind how she might take the life of the fairy. So she went up +to her, and said: "O fairy, you are most beautiful, but I would be +beautiful too if I had on your clothes: come, let us exchange our +dresses (or sarees), and see how you look in my clothes." + +The fairy did as she wished, and the young woman said: "Look how +beautiful I am; let us go to the well and behold our reflections in +the water to see which is the most beautiful." + +The fairy bent forward to see herself, and, as she did so, the +young woman pushed her so that she fell into the well and sank into +the water. + +Having done this, the wicked young woman woke up the Prince, saying: +"Come, let us go to the King's Palace." + +The Prince looked doubtfully at her, but, being still half asleep, and +seeing that she wore the same dress as Anar Pari had on, he assented, +believing his passing doubt to be unreasonable. + +His arrival at the Palace was made an occasion for great rejoicings, +and all were glad that he was at last happily married. + +The new Princess would never allow him to leave her, for she feared +that he might return to the well; but one day, unknown to her, he +found his way there, and looking in, saw floating upon the water a +most exquisite lotus lily of pure white, the most perfect flower he +had ever seen. + +He asked his servants to hook it out for him; but each time they tried +to do so, the flower disappeared beneath the water. At last he tried +himself to get it, and succeeded easily, for the lily floated towards +the hook that he let down. + +The Prince took the flower home and looked after it with the greatest +care; but when his wife heard where it had come from, she went at +night and, tearing it into several pieces, flung it out of the window. + +As the broken fragments of the lotus touched the earth, they turned +into a bed of mint which grew luxuriantly. + +Some of this mint was earned into the King's kitchen, to be used +for seasoning dishes; but as the cook began to fry it, a voice was +heard from the frying pan, saying: "Here am I, the real Princess, +being fried to death, while the wicked woman who threw me into the +well has taken my place." + +The cook when he heard this was afraid, and threw the mint into the +garden again. As soon as it touched the ground it became a lovely +creeper, which grew and grew until it gradually approached the +bed-chamber of the Prince. + +The false Princess when she saw it at once remembered how she had +thrown the fragments of the lotus lily into the garden, and, fearing +lest this might be an offshoot from it, she ordered her gardener to +uproot the creeper and cut it down at once. + +The gardener did so, but as he was removing it, the one and only fruit +on the tree fell to the ground and rolled under a jessamine bush, +where it remained in security. + +The gardener's daughter, who came every morning to gather flowers +from this bush to weave into garlands, accidentally noticed the fruit +lying beneath it, picked it up, and carried it home. + +As she entered the gardener's little hut, the fruit fell to the ground +and broke open, and out of it stepped the lovely Anar Pari. + +The good people of the house were filled with wonder and admiration +to see so peerless a being in their humble cottage. They gave her +shelter and fed her, the gardener's daughter loving her as a sister, +and the gardener as a father. + +One day, as the gardener's daughter sat weaving her garlands of +jessamine for the King's Court, the fairy said: "Please allow me to +make one too; and when it is ready, take it and put it on the neck +of the youngest Prince." + +So she made it; and when two garlands were completed they were taken to +the Prince and Princess. The Princess noticed that the Prince's garland +was made in wonderful fashion, and enquired who had made it. They told +her that a very lovely woman living in the gardener's hut had made it, +and, suspecting at once that this was Anar Pari come to life again, +she thought of some plan by which she could destroy her. + +The next day she feigned great illness and a very severe headache, +which she declared nothing would cure but the placing of a heart of +a young and beautiful girl on her forehead. She therefore begged for +the heart of the girl who lived in the gardener's hut, and orders +were given for her execution. + +The gardener and his daughter wept most bitterly, and the executioners +were feign to spare the life of so lovely a woman; yet they were +obliged to fulfil their orders, so they led the girl to the place +of execution. + +Before they killed her she begged that her limbs might be scattered +to the four winds, and her two eyes thrown upwards into space. + +The executioners did as she desired, and her heart was sent to the +wicked Princess. + +As soon as Anar Pari's eyes were thrown into the air, they became a +pair of love-birds and flew into the forest. + +Many days after, the Prince went to hunt in the forest, and was resting +himself under the trees when he heard two love-birds talking in the +branches, and one was telling the other the story of her life. How +she was once Anar Pari, a beautiful fairy, and how a wicked woman +had enticed her away from the side of the Prince while he slept, +and thrown her down a well, and how the woman was now reigning in +her stead as Princess at the Palace. + +The young Prince was amazed to hear all this, and looking up, cried: "I +have at last found you. Come down and be my Fairy Princess once again." + +Then two laughing, loving eyes appeared, and presently they were +set in the form of a woman, and the Prince once again beheld the +world-renowned form of Anar Pari. + +They went together to the Palace, and there the Prince ordered the +false Princess to be brought out, and told everybody present the +story of her wickedness. + +The sentence passed upon her was that she was to be buried alive near +the well; this was done, and to this day nobody dare go near it. Then +the Prince married the fairy, and they lived happily ever afterwards; +but the old gardener and his daughter were not forgotten, and very +often the beautiful Princess sat with her friends, and the two girls +weaved garlands together, and spoke lovingly of the time when Anar +Pari had dwelt in the old hut in the garden. + + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] A dish made of rice and lentils cooked together with clarified +butter or ghee, and then boiled. + +[2] Another native dainty made with sugar, etc. + +[3] This is a well-directed piece of sarcasm against native +horse-dealers who drug their horses; also against would-be judges +of horse-flesh. + +[4] The smallest current or shell money of India. + +[5] A than is a length of cloth which varies from five yards to twenty +yards, or more. + +[6] This story was told by a Mahamedan woman, and I should think it +was of Mahamedan origin, as no Hindu would even distantly refer to +the slaughter of a cow, and such a story told by a Mahamedan to a +Hindu would cause intense ill-feeling. + +[7] An Indian pipe. + +[8] To spit upon a man in the East is considered the greatest of +indignities. + +[9] The Begum's property is now in possession of the Jesuits, and +the priest who lives there is greatly beloved of the people. + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Simla Village Tales, by Alice Elizabeth Dracott + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58816 *** |