Chapter IX: Part 9

_Pîpal_.--Constantly occurring in folk-tales, is the _Ficus religiosa_ of botanists, and a large fig-tree much valued for its shade. It is sacred to Hindus, and never cut by them. One reason perhaps may be that its shade is very valuable and its wood valueless. Its leaves are used in divination to find out witches, thieves, liars, _etc_., and it is the chosen haunt of ghosts and hobgoblins of all sorts--hence its frequent appearance in folk-lore.

_Mannikin_.--The word used was the ordinary expression _maddhrâ_, Panjâbî for a dwarf or pigmy.

_Ghost_.--_Churel_, properly the ghost of a woman who dies in childbirth. The belief in these malignant spirits is universal, and a source of much terror to natives by night. Their personal appearance is fairly described in the text: very ugly and black, breastless, protruding in stomach and navel, and feet turned back. This last is the real test of a _churel_, even in her beautiful transformation. A detailed account of the _churel_ and beliefs in her and the methods of exorcism will be found in the _Calcutta Review_, No. cliii. p. 180 ff.

_Jinn_.--A Muhammadan spirit, properly neither man, angel, nor devil, but superhuman. According to correct Muhammadan tradition, there are five classes of _Jinns_ worth noting here for information--Jânn, Jinn, Shaitân, 'Ifrît, and Mârid. They are all mentioned in Musalmân folk-tales, and but seldom distinguished in annotations. In genuine Indian folk-tales, however, the character ascribed to the Jinn, as here, has been borrowed from the Rakshasa, which is Hindu in origin, and an ogre in every sense of the European word.

_Smell of a man_.--The expression used is always in the vernacular _mânushgandh_, _i.e._ man-smell. The direct Sanskrit descent of the compound is worthy of remark.

_Starling_.--_Mainâ_: the _Gracula religiosa_, a talking bird, much valued, and held sacred. It very frequently appears in folk-tales, like the parrot, probably from being so often domesticated by people of means and position for its talking qualities.

_Cup_.--_Donâ_, a cup made of leaves, used by the very poor as a receptacle for food.

_Wise woman_.--_Kutnî_ and _paphe-kutnî_ were the words used, of which perhaps 'wise woman' is the best rendering. _Kutnî_ is always a term of abuse and reproach, and is used in the sense of witch or wise woman, but the bearers do not seem to possess, as a rule, any supernatural powers. Hag, harridan, or any similar term will usually correctly render the word.

_Flying palanquin_.--The words used for this were indifferently _dolâ_, a bridal palanquin, and _burj_, a common word for a balloon.

THE LAMBIKIN

_Lambikin_.--The words used were Panjâbî, _lelâ_, _lerâ_, _lekrâ_, and _lelkarâ_, a small or young lamb.

_Lambikin's Songs_.--Of the first the words were Panjâbî--

_Nânî kol jâwângû:
Motâ tâjâ âwângâ
Pher tûn main nûn khâwângâ._

Of the second song--

_Wan piâ lelkarâ: wan pî tû.
Chal dhamkiriâ! Dham! Kâ! Dhû!_

These the rhymes render exactly. The words _dham_, _kâ_, _dhû_ are pronounced sharply, so as to imitate the beats on a drum.

_Drumikin_.--The _dhamkîriâ_ or _dhamkirî_ in Panjâbî is a small drum made by stretching leather across a wide-mouthed earthen cup (_piyâlâ_). The Jatts make it of a piece of hollow wood, 6 inches by 3 inches, with its ends covered with leather.

BOPOLUCHI

_Bopolûchî_.--Means Trickster.

_Uncle: uncle-in-law_.--The words used were _mâmû_, mother's brother, and _patiauhrâ_, husband's (or father-in-law's) younger brother.

_Pedlar_.--_Wanjârâ_ or _banjârâ_ (from _wanaj_ or _banaj_, a bargain), a class of wandering pedlars who sell spices, _etc_.

_Robber_.--The word used was _thag_, _lit._ a deceiver. The _Thags_ are a class but too well known in India as those who make their living by deceiving and strangling travellers. Meadows Taylor's somewhat sensational book, _The Confessions of a Thug_, has made their doings familiar enough, too, in England. In the Indian Penal Code a _thag_ is defined as a person habitually associated with others for the purpose of committing robbery or child-stealing by means of murder.

_Crow's, etc., verses,_.--The original words were--

_Bopo Lûchi!
Aqlon ghuthî,
Thag nâl thagî gai._

Bopo Lûchi!
You have lost your wits,
And have been deceived by a _thag_.

_Bridal scarlet_.--Every Panjâbî bride, however poor, wears a dress of scarlet and gold for six months, and if rich, for two years.

PRINCESS AUBERGINE

_Princess Aubergine,_--The vernacular name for the story is _Baingan Bâdshâhzâdî._ The Baingan, baigan, begun, or bhântâ is the _Solanum melongena,_ _i.e_. the egg-plant, or _aubergine._ Europeans in India know it by the name of _brinjâl;_ it is a very common and popular vegetable in the rains.

_Exchanging veils,_--To exchange veils among women, and to exchange turbans among men, is a common way of swearing friendship among Panjâbîs. The women also drink milk out of the same cup on such occasions.

_Nine-lakh necklace_,--The introduction of the _Nau-lakkhâ hâr,_ or nine-_lâkh_ necklace, is a favourite incident in Indian folk-tales. _Nau-lakkhâ_ means worth nine lâkhs, or nine hundred thousand rupees. Frequently magic powers are ascribed to this necklace, but the term _nau-lakkhâ_ has come also to be often used conventionally for 'very valuable,' and so is applied to gardens, palaces, _etc_. Probably all rich Rajas have a hankering to really possess such a necklace, and the last Mahârâjâ of Patiâlâ, about fifteen years ago, bought a real one of huge diamonds, including the Sansy, for Rupees 900,000. It is on show always at the palace in the fort at Patiâlâ.

VALIANT VICKY

_Valiant Vicky, the Brave Weaver,_--In the original the title is 'Fatteh Khân, the valiant weaver.' Victor Prince is a very fair translation of the name Fatteh Khân. The original says his nickname or familiar name was Fattû, which would answer exactly to Vicky for Victor. Fattû is a familiar (diminutive form) of the full name Fatteh Khân. See _Proper Names of Panjâbîs, passim,_ for the explanation of this.

THE SON OF SEVEN MOTHERS

For a long and interesting variant of this tale see _Indian Antiquary,_ vol. x. p. 151 ff.

_Fakîr,_--Properly _faqîr_, is a Muhammadan devotee, but in modern India the term is used for any kind of holy man, whatever be his religion. For instance, the 'Salvation Army' were styled at Lahore, at a meeting of natives, by a Sikh gentleman of standing, as _Vilâyatî_ _fuqrâ_, European _faqîrs_. The power of granting children to barren women is ascribed in story to all saints and holy personages of fame.

_Witch_--The word used was _dâyan_. In the Panjâb a woman with the evil eye (which by the way is not necessarily in India possessed by the wicked only, see _Panjâb Notes and Queries_, 1883-84, _passim_), who knows the _dâyan kâ mantar_, or charm for destroying life by taking out the heart. The word in its various modern forms is derived from the classical _dâkinî_, the female demon attendant on Kali, the goddess of destruction.

_Jôgi's wonderful cow_--The _jôgi_ is a Hindu ascetic, but like the word _faqîr_, _jôgi_ is often used for any kind of holy man, as here. Supernatural powers are very commonly ascribed to them, as well as the universal attribute of granting sons. Classically the _yôgi_ is the devotee seeking _yoga_, the union of the living with the sublime soul. The wonderful cow is the modern fabulously productive cow _Kâmdhain_, representing the classical _Kâmdhenu_, the cow of Indra that granted all desires. Hence, probably, the dragging in here of Indra for the master of the _jôgi_ of the tale. _Kâmdhain_ and _Kâmdhenu_ are both common terms to the present day for cows that give a large quantity of milk.

_Eighteen thousand demons_--No doubt the modern representatives--the specific number given being, as is often the case, merely conventionally--of the guards of Indra, who were in ancient days the _Maruts_ or Winds, and are in modern times his Court. See note.

THE SPARROW AND THE CROW

_The Song_.--The form of words in the original is important. The following gives the variants and the strict translation--

_Tû Chhappar Dâs, Main Kâng Dâs, Deo paneriyâ, Dhoven
chucheriyâ, Khâwen khijeriyâ, Dekh chiriyâ kâ chûchlâ, Main
kâng sapariyâ._

You are Mr. Tank,
I am Mr. Crow,
Give me water,
That I may wash my beak,
And eat my _khichrî_,
See the bird's playfulness,
I am a clean crow.

_Tû Lohâr Dâs, Main Kâng Dâs, Tû deo pharwâ, Main khodûn
ghasarwâ, Khilâwen bhainsarwâ, Chowen dûdharwâ, Pilâwen
hirnarwâ, Toren singarwâ, Khôden chalarwâ, Nikâlen panarwâ,
Dhoven chunjarwâ, Khâwen khijarwâ, Dehk chiriyâ kâ chûchlâ,
Main kâng saparwâ._

You are Mr. Blacksmith,
I am Mr. Crow,
You give me a spade,
And I will dig the grass,
That I may give it the buffalo to eat,
And take her milk,
And give it the deer to drink,
And break his horn,
And dig the hole,
And take out the water,
And wash my beak,
And eat my _khichrî_,
See the bird's playfulness,
I am a clean crow.

THE BRAHMAN AND THE TIGER

_The Tiger, the Brâhman, and the Jackal_. A very common and popular Indian tale. Under various forms it is to be found in most collections. Variants exist in the _Bhâgavata Purâna_ and the _Gul Bakâolâ_, and in the _Amvâr-i-Suhelî_. A variant is also given in the _Indian Antiquary_, vol. xii. p. 177.

_Buffalo's complaint_.--The work of the buffalo in the oil-press is the synonym all India over--and with good reason--for hard and thankless toil for another's benefit.

_As miserable as a fish out of water_.--In the original the allusion is to a well-known proverb--_mandâ hâl wâng Jatt jharî de_--as miserable as a Jatt in a shower. Any one who has seen the appearance of the Panjâbî cultivator attempting to go to his fields on a wet, bleak February morning, with his scant clothing sticking to his limp and shivering figure, while the biting wind blows through him, will well understand the force of the proverb.

THE KING OF THE CROCODILES

_King of the Crocodiles_--In the original the title is Bâdshâh Ghariâl.

_Lying amid the crops_--It is commonly said in the Panjâb that crocodiles do so.

_Demons of crocodiles_.--The word used for _demon_ here was _jinn_, which is remarkable in this connection.

_Henna_--_Mehndî_ or _hinâ_ is the _Lawsonia alba_, used for staining the finger and toe nails of the bride red. The ceremony of _sanchit_, or conveying the _henna_ to the bride by a party of the bride's friends, is the one alluded to.

LITTLE ANKLEBONE

_Little Anklebone_--This tale appears to be unique among Indian folk-tales, and is comparable with Grimm's Singing Bone. It is current in the _Bâr_ or wilds of the Gujrânwâlâ District, among the cattle-drovers' children. Wolves are very common there, and the story seems to point to a belief in some invisible shepherd, a sort of Spirit of the Bâr, whose pipe may be heard. The word used for 'Little Ankle-bone' was _Gîrî_, a diminutive form of the common word _gittâ_. In the course of the story in the original, Little Anklebone calls himself Giteta Ram, an interesting instance of the process of the formation of Panjâbî proper names.

_Auntie_--Mâsî, maternal aunt.

_Tree that weeps over yonder pond_--_Ban_, _i.e. Salvadora oleoides_, a common tree of the Panjâb forests.

_Jackal howled_--A common evil omen.

_Marble basins_--The word used was _daurâ_, a wide-mouthed earthen vessel, and also in palaces a marble drinking-trough for animals.

_The verses_,--The original and literal translation are as follows--

_Kyûn garjâe badalâ garkanâe?
Gaj karak sâre des;
Ohnân hirnîân de than pasmâe:
Gitetâ Râm gîâ pardes!_

Why echo, O thundering clouds?
Roar and echo through all the land;
The teats of the does yonder are full of milk:
Gitetâ Râm has gone abroad!

THE CLOSE ALLIANCE

_Providence_--_Khudâ_ and _Allah_ were the words for Providence or God in this tale, it being a Muhammadan one.

_Kabâbs_--Small pieces of meat roasted or fried on skewers with onions and eggs: a favourite Muhammadan dish throughout the East.

_His own jackal_--From time immemorial the tiger has been supposed to be accompanied by a jackal who shows him his game and gets the leavings as his wages. Hence the Sanskrit title of _vyâghra-nâyaka_ or tiger-leader for the jackal.

_Pigtail_--The Kashmîrî woman's hair is drawn to the back of the head and finely braided. The braids are then gathered together and, being mixed with coarse woollen thread, are worked into a very long plait terminated by a thick tassel, which reaches almost down to the ankles. It is highly suggestive of the Chinese pigtail, but it is far more graceful.

THE TWO BROTHERS

_Barley meal instead of wheaten cakes_--_Jau kî roti_, barley bread, is the poor man's food, as opposed to _gihûn kî rotî_, wheaten bread, the rich man's food. Barley bread is apt to produce flatulence.

_With empty stomachs, etc._--The saying is well known and runs thus--

_Kahîn mat jâo khâlî pet.
Hove mâgh yâ hove jeth._

Go nowhere on an empty stomach,
Be it winter or be it summer.

Very necessary and salutary advice in a feverish country like India.

_If any man eats me, etc._--Apparent allusion to the saying rendered in the following verse--

_Jo nar totâ mârkar khâve per ke heth, Kuchh sansâ man na
dhare, woh hogâ râjâ jeth. Jo mainâ ko mâr khâ, man men rakhe
dhîr; Kuchh chintâ man na kare, woh sadâ rahegâ wazîr._

Who kills a parrot and eats him under a tree,
Should have no doubt in his mind, he will be a great king.
Who kills and eats a starling, let him be patient:
Let him not be troubled in his mind, he will be minister for life.

_Snake-demon_--The word was _isdâr_, which represents the Persian _izhdahâ_, _izhdâr_, or _izhdar_, a large serpent, python.

_Sacred elephant_.--The reference here is to the legend of the _safed hâthî_ or _dhaulâ gaj_, the white elephant. He is the elephant-headed God Ganesa, and as such is, or rather was formerly, kept by Râjâs as a pet, and fed to surfeit every Tuesday (_Mangalwâr_) with sweet cakes (_chûrîs_). After which he was taught to go down on his knees to the Râjâ and swing his trunk to and fro, and this was taken as sign that he acknowledged his royalty. He was never ridden except occasionally by the Râjâ himself. Two sayings, common to the present day, illustrate these ideas--'_Woh to Mahârâjâ hai, dhaule gaj par sowâr_: he is indeed king, for he rides the white elephant.' And '_Mahârâjâ dhaulâ gajpati kidohâî_: (I claim the) protection of the great king, the lord of the white elephant.' The idea appears to be a very old one, for Ælian (_Hist. Anim._ vol. iii. p. 46), quoting Megasthenes, mentions the white elephant. See M'Crindle, _India as described by Megasthenes and Arrian_, pp. 118, 119; _Indian Antiquary_, vol. vi. p. 333 and footnote.

_Brass drinking bowl_.--The _lotâ_, universal throughout India.

_Ogre_.--In the original _râkhas_ = the Sanskrit _râkhasa_, translated ogre advisedly for the following reasons:--The _râkhasa_ (_râkhas_, an injury) is universal in Hindu mythology as a superhuman malignant fiend inimical to man, on whom he preys, and that is his character, too, throughout Indian folk-tales. He is elaborately described in many an orthodox legend, but very little reading between the lines in these shows him to have been an alien enemy on the borders of Aryan tribes. The really human character of the _râkhasa_ is abundantly evident from the stories about him and his doings. He occupies almost exactly the position in Indian tales that the ogre does in European story, and for the same reason, as he represents the memory of the savage tribes along the old Aryan borders. The ogre, no doubt, is the Uighur Tâtar magnified by fear into a malignant demon. For the _râkhasa_ see the _Dictionaries_ of Dowson, Garrett, and Monier Williams, _in verbo_; Muir's _Sanskrit Texts_, vol. ii. p. 420, _etc_.: and for the ogre see _Panjâb Notes and Queries_, vol. i., in verbo.

_Goat_.--The ogre's eating a goat is curious: _cf_. the Sanskrit name _ajagara_, goat-eater, for the python (nowadays _ajgar_), which corresponds to the _izhdahâ_ or serpent-demon on p. 131.

THE JACKAL AND THE LIZARD.

_The verses_.--In the original they are--

Chândî dâ merâ chauntrâ, koî sonâ lipâî!
Kâne men merâ gûkrû, shâhzâdâ baithâ hai!

My platform is of silver, plastered with gold!
Jewels are in my ears, I sit here a prince!

_The verses_.--In the original they are--

_Hadî dâ terâ chauntrâ, koî gobar lipaî!
Kâne men terî jûtî; koî gîdar baithâ hai!_

Thy platform is of bones, plastered with cow-dung!
Shoes are in thy ears; some jackal sits there!

THE SPARROW'S MISFORTUNE

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Saukan rangan men charhî,
Main bhî rangan men parî,_

My co-wife got dyed,
I too fell into the vat.

_Verses_.--In the original--

_Ik sarî, ik balî;
Ik hinak mode charhî,_

One is vexed and one grieved;
And one is carried laughing on the shoulder.

The allusion here is to a common tale. The story goes that a man who had two wives wanted to cross a river. Both wives wanted to go across first with him, so in the end, leaving the elder to walk, he took the younger on his shoulder, who mocked the elder with the words--

_Ik sarî, dûî balî;
Dûî jâî mûnde charhî._

First she was vexed, next she grieved;
While the other went across on the shoulder.

Hence the sting of the old sparrow's taunt.

_Verses_.--In the original--

_Ik chamkhat hûî;
Chirî rangan charhî;
Chirâ bedan karî;
Pîpal patte jharî;
Mahîn sing jharî;
Naîn bahí khârî;
Koïl hûî kânî;
Bhagtû diwanî;
Bandî padnî;
Rânî nâchnî;
Putr dholkî bajânî;
Râjâ sargî bajânî;_

One hen painted,
And the other was dyed,
And the cock loved her,
So the _pîpal_ shed its leaves,
And the buffalo her horns,
So the river became salt,
And the cuckoo lost an eye,
So Bhagtû went mad,
And the maid took to swearing,
So the Queen took to dancing,
And the Prince took to drumming,
And the King took to thrumming.

THE PRINCESS PEPPERINA

_Princess Pepperina_.--In the original _Shâhzâdî Mirchâ_ or _Filfil Shâhzâdî: mirch_ is the _Capsicum annuum_ or common chilli, green and red.

_Sheldrakes_.--The _chakwâ_, male, and _chakwî_, female, is the ruddy goose or sheldrake, known to Europeans as the Brâhmanî duck, _Anas casarca_ or _Casarca rutila_. It is found all over India in the winter, and its plaintive night cry has given rise to a very pretty legend. Two lovers are said to have been for some indiscretion turned into Brâhmanî ducks, and condemned to pass the night apart from each other, on the opposite sides of a river. All night long each asks the other in turn if it shall join its mate, and the answer is always 'no.' The words supposed to be said are--

_Chakwâ, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwî!_
_Chakwî, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwâ!_

Chakwâ, shall I come? No, Chakwî!
Chakwî, shall I come? No, Chakwâ!

PEASIE AND BEANSIE

_Peasie and Beansie_, p. 167.--In the original Motho and Mûngo. _Motho_ is a vetch, _Phaseolus aconitifolius_; and _mûng_ is a variety of pulse, _Phaseolus mungo_. Peasie and Beansie are very fair translations of the above.

_Plum-tree_, p. 167.--_Ber, Zizyphus jujuba._

THE SNAKE-WOMAN

_King 'Ali Mardân_--'Ali Mardân Khân belongs to modern history, having been Governor (not King, as the tale has it) of Kashmîr, under the Emperor Shâh Jahân, about A.D. 1650, and very famous in India in many ways. He was one of the most magnificent governors Kashmîr ever had, and is now the best-remembered.

_Snake-Woman_--In the original _Lamiâ_, said in Kashmîr to be a snake 200 years old, and to possess the power of becoming a woman. In India, especially in the hill districts, it is called _Yahawwâ_. In this tale the _Lamiâ_ is described as being a _Wâsdeo_, a mythical serpent. _Wâsdeo_ is the same as Vâsudeva, a descendant of Vasudeva. Vasudeva was the earthly father of Krishna and of his elder brother Balarâma, so Balarâma was a Vâsudeva. Balarâma in the classics is constantly mixed up with Sèsha (now Sesh Nâg), a king of serpents, and with Vâsuki (Bâsak Nâg), also a king of serpents; while Ananta, the infinite, the serpent whose legend combines that of Vâsuki and Sêsha, is mixed not only with Balarâma, but also with Krishna. Hence the name Wâsdeo for a serpent. The Lamiâ is not only known in India from ancient times to the present day, but also in Tibet and Central Asia generally, and in Europe from ancient to mediæval times, and always as a malignant supernatural being. For discussions on her, see notes to the above in the _Indian Antiquary_, vol. xi. pp. 230-232, and the discussion following, entitled 'Lamiâ or Λαμια' pp. 232-235. Also _Comparetti's Researches into the Book of Sindibâd_, Folklore Society's ed., _passim_.

_Dal Lake_--The celebrated lake at Srinagar in Kashmîr.

_Emperor of China's Handmaiden_--A common way of explaining the origin of unknown girls in Musâlman tales. Kashmîr is essentially a Musalmân country._

_Shalimâr gardens_.--At Srinagar, made by the Emperor Jahangir, who preceded 'Ali Mardân Khân by a generation, for Nûr Mahal. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_, transcribes in describing them the well-known Persian verses in the Dîwân-i-Khâs (Hall of Private Audience) at Delhi and elsewhere--

'And oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,
It is this, it is this.'

The verses run really thus--

_Agar firdûs ba rû-e-zamîn ast,
Hamîn ast o hamîn ast o hamîn ast!_

If there be an Elysium on the face of the earth,
It is here, and it is here, and it is here!

Shâh Jahân built the Shâlimâr gardens at Lahor, in imitation of those at Srinagar, and afterwards Ranjît Singh restored them. They are on the Amritsar Road.

_Gangâbal_.--A holy lake on the top of Mount Harâmukh, 16,905 feet, in the north of Kashmîr. It is one of the sources of the Jhelam River, and the scene of an annual fair about 20th August.

_Khichrî_.--Sweet khichrî consists of rice, sugar, cocoa-nut, raisins, cardamoms, and aniseed; salt khichrî of pulse and rice.

_The stone in the ashes_.--The _pâras_, in Sanskrit _sparsamani_, the stone that turns what it touches into gold.

_Attock_.--In the original it is the Atak River (the Indus) near Hoti Mardân, which place is near Atak or Attock. The similarity in the names 'Ali Mardan and Hotî Mardân probably gave rise to this statement. They have no connection whatever.

THE WONDERFUL RING

_The Wonderful Ring_.--In the vernacular _'ajab mundrâ_: a variant of the inexhaustible box.

_Holy place_.--_Chaunkâ_, a square place plastered with cow-dung, used by Hindus when cooking or worshipping. The cow-dung sanctifies and purifies it.

_Aunt_.--_Mâsî_, maternal aunt.

THE JACKAL AND THE PEA-HEN

_Plums_, p. 195.--_Ber, Zyziphus jujuba_.

THE GRAIN OF CORN

_The verses_.--In the original they were--

_Phir gîâ billî ke pâs,
'Billî, rî billî, mûsâ khâogî'
Khâtî khûnd pâr nâ!
Khûnd chanâ de nâ!
Râjâ khâtî dande nâ!
Râjâ rânî russe nâ!
Sapnâ rânî dase nâ!
Lâthî sapnâ mâre nâ!
Âg lâthî jalâve nâ!
Samundar âg bujhâve nâ!
Hâthî samundar sukhe nâ!
Nâre hâthî bandhe nâ!
Mûsâ nâre kâte nâ!
Lûngâ phir chorûn? nâ!'

He then went to the cat (saying),
'Cat, cat, eat mouse.
Woodman won't cut tree!
Tree won't give peas!
King won't beat woodman!
Queen won't storm at king!
Snake won't bite queen!
Stick won't beat snake!
Fire won't burn stick!
Sea won't quench fire!
Elephant won't drink up sea!
Thong won't bind elephant!
Mouse won't nip thong!
I'll take (the pea) yet, I won't let it go!'_

It will be seen that in the text the order has been transposed for obvious literary convenience.

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Usne kahâ, 'Lap, lap, khâûngî!'
Phir gîâ mûsâ ke pâs, 'Mûsâ, re mûsâ, ab khâ jâoge?' 'Ham bhî
nâre katenge.'
Phir gîâ nâre ke pâs, 'Nâre, re nâre, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham bhî
hâthî bandhenge.'
Phir gîâ hâthî ke pâs, 'Hâthî, re hâthî, ab bandhe jâoge?' 'Ham
bhî samundar sûkhenge.'
Phir gîâ samundar ke pâs, 'Samundar, re samundar, ab sukhe
jâoge?' 'Ham bhî âg bujhâenge.'
Phir gîâ âg ke pâs, 'Âg, rî âg, ab bujhâî jâogi?' 'Ham bhî lâthî
jalâvenge.'
Phir gîâ lâthî ke pâs, 'Lâthî, re lâthî, ab jal jâoge?' 'Ham bhî
sâmp mârenge.'
Phir gîâ samp ke pâs, 'Sâmp, re sâmp, ab mâre jâoge?' 'Ham bhî
rânî dasenge?'
Phir gîâ rânî ke pâs, 'Rânî, rî rânî, ab dasî jâoge?' 'Ham bhî
râjâ rusenge.'
Phir gîâ râjâ ke pâs, 'Râjâ, re raja, ab rânî rus jâoge?' 'Ham
bhî khâtî dândenge.'
Phir gîâ khâtî ke pâs, 'Khâtî, re khâtî, ab dande jâoge?' 'Ham
bhî khund kâtenge.'
Phir gîâ khund ke pâs, 'Khund, re khund, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham
bhî chanâ denge.'
Phir woh chanâ lekar chalâ gîâ?_

The cat said, 'I will eat him up at once!'
(So) he went to the mouse, 'Mouse, mouse, will you be eaten?' 'I
will gnaw the thong.'
He went to the thong, 'Thong, thong, will you be gnawed?' 'I
will bind the elephant.'
He went to the elephant, 'Elephant, elephant, will you be bound?'
'I will drink up the ocean.'
He went to the ocean, 'Ocean, ocean, will you be drunk up?' 'I
will quench the fire.'
He went to the fire, 'Fire, fire, will you be quenched?' 'I will
burn the stick.'
He went to the stick, 'Stick, stick, will you be burnt?' 'I will
beat the snake.'
He went to the snake, 'Snake, snake, will you be beaten?' 'I will
bite the queen.'
He went to the queen, 'Queen, queen, will you be bitten?' 'I will
storm at the king.'
He went to the king, 'King, king, will you be stormed at by the
queen?' 'I will beat the woodman.'
He went to the woodman, 'Woodman, woodman, will you be
beaten?' 'I will cut down the trunk.'
He went to the trunk, 'Trunk, trunk, will you be cut down?' 'I
will give you the pea.'
So he got the pea and went away.

THE FARMER AND THE MONEY-LENDER

_Money-lender_--_Lîdû_, a disreputable tradesman, a sharp practitioner.

_Râm_--Râma Chandra, now 'God' _par excellence_.

_Conch_--_Sankh_, the shell used in Hindu worship for blowing upon.

THE LORD OF DEATH

_Lord of Death_.--_Maliku'l-maut_ is the Muhammadan form of the name, _Kâl_ is the Hindu form. The belief is that every living being has attached to him a 'Lord of Death.' He is represented in the 'passion plays' so common at the Dasahra and other festivals by a hunchbacked dwarf, quite black, with scarlet lips, fastened to a 'keeper' by a black chain and twirling about a black wand. The idea is that until this chain is loosened or broken the life which he is to kill is safe. The notion is probably of Hindu origin. For a note on the subject see _Indian Antiquary_, vol. x. pp. 289, 290.

THE WRESTLERS

_The Wrestlers_.--The story seems to be common all over India. In the _Indian Antiquary_, vol. x. p. 230, it is suggested that it represents some aboriginal account of the creation.

_Ten thousand pounds weight_.--In the original 160 _mans_, which weigh over 13,000 lbs._

GWASHBRARI

_Gwâshbrâri, etc_.--The Westarwân range is the longest spur into the valley of Kashmîr. The remarkably clear tilt of the strata probably suggested this fanciful and poetical legend. All the mountains mentioned in the tale are prominent peaks in Kashmîr, and belong to what Cunningham (_Ladâk_, 1854, ch. iii.) calls the Pîr Panjâl and Mid-Himâlayan Range. Nangâ Parbat, 26,829 ft., is to the N.W.; Harâ Mukh, 16,905 ft., to the N.; Gwâshbrâri or Kolahoî, 17,839 ft., to the N.E. Westarwân is a long ridge running N.W. to S.E., between Khrû and Sotûr, right into the Kashmîr valley. Khru is not far from Srinagar, to the S.E.

_Lay at Gwâshbrâri's feet, his head upon her heart_.--As a matter of fact, Westarwân does not lay his head anywhere near Gwâshbrâri's feet, though he would appear to do so from Khrû, at which place the legend probably arose. An excellent account of the country between Khrû and Sesh Nâg, traversing most of that lying between Westarwân and Gwâshbrâri, by the late Colonel Cuppage, is to be found at pp. 206-221 of Ince's _Kashmîr Handbook_, 3rd ed., 1876.

THE BARBER'S CLEVER WIFE

_Hornets' nest_.--Properly speaking, bees. This species makes a so-called nest, _i.e._ a honey-comb hanging from the branch of a tree, usually a _pîpal_, over which the insects crawl and jostle each other in myriads in the open air. When roused, and any accident may do this, they become dangerous enemies, and will attack and sting to death any animal near. They form a real danger in the Central Indian jungles, and authentic cases in which they have killed horses and men, even Europeans, are numerous.

_Fairy_.--_Parî_, fairy, peri: the story indicates a very common notion.

THE JACKAL AND THE CROCODILE

_Verses_.--In the original they are--

_Gâdar, ghar kyâ lâyâ?
Kyâ chîz kamâyâ?
Ki merâ khâtir pâyâ._

Jackal, what hast thou brought home?
What thing hast thou earned?
That I may obtain my wants.

The story has a parallel in most Indian collections, and two in _Uncle Remus_, in the stories of 'The Rabbit and the Wolf' and of 'The Terrapin and the Rabbit.'

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WAS BORN

_Raja Rasâlu_--The chief legendary hero of the Panjâb, and probably a Scythian or non-Aryan king of great mark who fought both the Aryans to the east and the invading tribes (? Arabs) to the west. Popularly he is the son of the great Scythian hero Sâlivâhana, who established the Sâka or Scythian era in 78 A.D. Really he, however, probably lived much later, and his date should be looked for at any period between A.D. 300 and A.D. 900. He most probably represented the typical Indian kings known to the Arab historians as flourishing between 697 and 870 A.D. by the synonymous names Zentil, Zenbil, Zenbyl, Zambil, Zantil, Ranbal, Ratbyl, Reteil, Retpeil, Rantal, Ratpil, Ratteil, Ratbal, Ratbil, Ratsal, Rusal, Rasal, Rasil. These are all meant for the same word, having arisen from the uncertainty of the Arabic character and the ignorance of transcribers. The particular king meant is most likely the opponent of Hajjaj and Muhammad Qasim between 697 and 713 A.D. The whole subject is involved in the greatest obscurity, and in the Panjâb his story is almost hopelessly involved in pure folklore. It has often been discussed in learned journals. See _Indian Antiquary_, vol. xi. pp. 299 ff. 346-349, vol. xii. p. 303 ff., vol. xiii. p. 155 ff.; _Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal_ for 1854, pp. 123-163, _etc_.; Elliot's _History of India_, vol. i. pp. 167, 168, vol. ii. pp. 178, 403-427.

_Lonan_--For a story of Lonân, see _Indian Antiquary_, vol. ix. p. 290.

_Thrown into a deep well_--Still shown on the road between Siâlkot and Kallowâl.

_Gurû Gorakhnâth_--The ordinary _deux ex machinâ_ of modern folk-tales. He is now supposed to be the reliever of all troubles, and possessed of most miraculous powers, especially over snakes. In life he seems to have been the Brâhmanical opponent of the mediæval reformers of the fifteenth century A.D. By any computation Pûran Bhagat must have lived centuries before him.

_Pûran Bhagat_.--Is in story Râjâ Rasâlû's elder brother. There are numerous poems written about his story, which is essentially that of Potiphar's wife. The parallel between the tales of Raja Rasâlu and Pûran Bhagat and those of the Southern Aryan conqueror Vikramâditya and his (in legend) elder brother Bhatrihari, the saint and philosopher, is worthy of remark.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WENT OUT INTO THE WORLD

_Bhaunr' Irâqi_.--The name of Rasâlu's horse; but the name probably should be Bhaunri Rakhi, kept in the underground cellar. 'Irâqi means Arabian.

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Main âiâ thâ salâm nûn, tûn baithâ pîth maror!
Main nahîn terâ râj wandânundâ; main nûn nahîn râj te lor._

I came to salute thee, and thou hast turned thy back on me!
I have no wish to share thy kingdom! I have no desire for empire.

_Mahlân de vich baithîe, tûn ro ro na sunâ! Je tûn merî mâtâ
hain, koî mat batlâ! Matte dendî hai mân tain nûn, putar: gin
gin jholî ghat! Châre Khûntân tûn râj kare, par changâ rakhîn
sat!_

O sitting in the palace, let me not hear thee weeping!
If thou be my mother give me some advice!
Thy mother doth advise thee, son: stow it carefully away in thy
wallet!
Thou wilt reign in the Four Quarters, but keep thyself good and
pure.

_Verses_.--In the original these are--

_Thorâ thorâ, betâ, tûn disîn, aur bahotî disî dhûr:
Putr jinân de tur chale, aur mâwân chiknâ chûr._

It is little I see of thee, my son, but I see much dust.
The mother, whose son goes away on a journey, becomes as a powder
(reduced to great misery).

HOW RAJA RASÂLU'S FRIENDS FORSOOK HIM

_Verses_.--Originals are--

_Agge sowen lef nihâlîân, ajj sutâ suthrâ ghâs!
Sukh wasse yeh des, jâhan âeajj dî rât!_

Before thou didst sleep on quilts, to-day thou has slept on clean
grass!
Mayest thou live happy in this land whither thou hast come this
night!

_Snake_--Most probably represents a man of the 'Serpent Race' a Nâga, Taka, or Takshak.

_Unspeakable horror_--The undefined word _âfat_, horror, terror, was used throughout.

_Verses_--Originals are--

_Sadâ na phûlan torîân, nafrâ: sadâ na Sâwan hoe:
Sadâ na joban thir rahe: sadâ na jive koe:
Sadâ na râjiân hâkimî: sâda na râjiân des:
Sadâ na hove ghar apnâ, nafrâ, bhath piâ pardes_.

_Tcrîs_ (a mustard plant) do not always flower, my servant: it
is not always the rainy season (time of joy).
Youth does not always last: no one lives for ever:
Kings are not always rulers: kings have not always lands:
They have not always homes, my servant: they fall into great
troubles in strange lands.

These verses of rustic philosophy are universal favourites, and have been thus rendered in the _Calcutta Review_, No. clvi. pp. 281, 282--

Youth will not always stay with us:
We shall not always live:
Rain doth not always fall for us:
Nor flowers blossoms give.

Great kings not always rulers are:
They have not always lands:
Nor have they always homes, but know
Sharp grief at strangers' hands.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU KILLED THE GIANTS

_Giants_--_Râkshasa_, for which see previous notes.

_Nîlâ city_--Most probably Bâgh Nîlâb on the Indus to the south of Atak.

_Verses_--In the original these are--

_Na ro, mata bholîe: na aswân dhalkâe: Tere bete ki 'îvaz main
sir desân châe. Nîle-ghorewâlîd Râjâ, munh dhârî, sir pag, Woh
jo dekhte âunde, jin khâiâ sârâ jag_.

Weep not, foolish mother, drop no tears:
I will give my head for thy son.
Gray-horsed Raja: bearded face and turban on head,
He whom you see coming is he who has destroyed my life!

_Verses_--In original--

_Nasso, bhajo, bhâîo! Dekho koî gali! Tehrî agg dhonkaî, so
sir te ân balî! Sûjhanhârî sûjh gae; hun laihndî charhdî jâe!
Jithe sânûn sûkh mile, so jhatpat kare upâe!

Fly, fly, brethren! look out for some road!
Such a fire is burning that it will come and burn our heads!
Our fate has come, we shall now be destroyed!
Make some plan at once for our relief._

_Gandgari Mountains_--Gandgarh Hills, to the north of Atak; for a detailed account of this legend see _Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal_ for 1854, p. 150 ff.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU BECAME A JOGI

_Hodînagarî_--A veritable will-o'-the-wisp in the ancient Panjâb geography: Hodînagarî, Udenagar, Udaynagar, is the name of innumerable ruins all over the northern Panjâb, from Siâlkot to Jalâlâbâd in Afghânistân beyond the Khaibar Pass. Here it is more than probably some place in the Rawâl Pindi or Hazârâ Districts along the Indus.

_Rânî Sundrân_--The daughter of Hari Chand.

_Alakh_--'In the Imperishable Name,' the cry of religious mendicants when begging.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Jâe bûhe te kilkiâ: lîa nâm Khudâ:
Dûron chalke, Rânî Sundrân, terâ nâ:
Je, Rânî, tû sakhî hain, kharî faqîrân pâ:_

Coming to the threshold I called out: I took the name of God:
Coming from afar, Rânî Sundrân, on account of thy name.
If thou art generous, Rânî, the beggar will obtain alms.

The _Musalmân_ word _Khudâ_, God, here is noticeable, as Rasâlû was personating a _Hindu jôgi_.

_Verses_.

_Kab kî pâî mundran? Kab kâ hûâ faqîr? Kis ghatâ mânion? Kis
kâ lâgâ tîr! Kete mâen mangiâ? Mere ghar kî mangî bhîkh? Kal
kî pâî mundrân! Kal kâ hûâ faqîr! Na ghat, mâîân, mâniân: kal
kâ lagâ tîr. Kuchh nahîn munh mangî: Kewal tere ghar ke
bhîkh._

When didst thou get thy earring? When wast thou made a _faqîr?_
What is thy pretence? Whose arrow of love hath struck thee?
From how many women hast thou begged? What alms dost thou beg from me?
Yesterday I got my earring: yesterday I became a _faqîr_.
I make no pretence, mother: yesterday the arrow struck me.
I begged nothing: only from thy house do I beg.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Tarqas jariâ tîr motîân; lâlân jarî kumân; Pinde bhasham
lagâiâ: yeh mainân aur rang; Jis bhikhiâ kâ lâbhî hain tû wohî
bhikhiâ mang. Tarqas jariâ merâ motîân: lâlân jarî kumân. Lâl
na jânâ bechke, motî be-wattî. Motî apne phir lai; sânûn pakkâ
tâm diwâ._

Thy quiver is full of pearly arrows: thy bow is set with rubies:
Thy body is covered with ashes: thy eyes and thy colour thus:
Ask for the alms thou dost desire.
My quiver is set with pearls: my bow is set with rubies.
I know not how to sell pearls and rubies without loss.
Take back thy pearls: give me some cooked food.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Kahân tumhârî nagari? kahân tumhârâ thâon? Kis râjâ kâ betrâ
jôgî? kyâ tumhârâ nâon? Siâlkot hamârî nagarî; wohî hamârâ
thâon. Râjâ Sâlivâhan kâ main betrâ: Lonâ parî merâ mâon.
Pinde bhasam lagâe, dekhan terî jâon. Tainûn dekhke chaliâ: Râjâ
Rasâlu merâ nâon._

Where is thy city? Where is thy home?
What king's son art thou, _jôgi?_ What is thy name?
Sialkot is my city: that is my home.
I am Râjâ Sâlivâhan's son: the fairy Lonâ is my mother.
Ashes are on my body: (my desire was) to see thy abode.
Having seen thee I go away: Râjâ Rasâlû is my name.

_Sati_.--The rite by which widows burn themselves with their husbands.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU JOURNEYED TO THE CITY OF KING SARKAP

_Raja Sarkap_.--_Lit_. King Beheader is a universal hero of fable, who has left many places behind him connected with his memory, but who he was has not yet been ascertained.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Bâre andar piâ karanglâ, na is sâs, na pâs. Je Maullâ is nûn
zindâ kare, do bâtân kare hamâre sâth. Laihndion charhî badalî,
hâthân pâiâ zor: Kehe 'amal kamâio, je jhaldi nahîn ghor?_

The corpse has fallen under the hedge, no breath in him, nor any one
near.
If God grant him life he may talk a little with me.
The clouds rose in the west and the storm was very fierce;
What hast thou done that the grave doth not hold thee?

_Verses_.--In original--

Asîn bhî kadîn duniyân te inhân the;
Râjâ nal degrîân pagân banhde,
Turde pabhân bhâr.
Âunde tara, nachâunde tara,
Hânke sawâr.
Zara na mitthî jhaldî Râjâ
Hun sau manân dâ bhâr.

I, too, was once on the earth thus;
Fastening my turban like a king,
Walking erect.
Coming proudly, taunting proudly,
I drove off the horsemen.
The grave does not hold me at all, Raja:
Now I am a great sinner.

_Chaupur_, p. 256.--_Chaupur_ is a game played by two players with 8 men each on a board in the shape of a cross, 4 men to each cross covered with squares. The moves of the men are decided by the throws of a long form of dice. The object of the game is to see which of the players can move all his men into the black centre square of the cross first. A detailed description of the game is given in _The Legends of the Panjâb_, vol. i. pp. 243, 245.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU SWUNG THE SEVENTY FAIR MAIDENS, DAUGHTERS OF THE KING

_The daughters of Raja Sarkap_.--The scene of this and the following legend is probably meant to be Kot Bithaur on the Indus near Atak.

_Verses_.--In original--

_Nîle-ghorewâliâ Râjâ, niven neze âh!
Agge Râjâ Sarkap hai, sir laisî ulâh!
Bhâla châhen jo apnâ, tân pichhe hî mur jâh!
Dûron bîrâ chukiâ ithe pahutâ âh:
Sarkap dâ sir katke tote kassân châr.
Tainûn banâsân wohtrî, main bansân mihrâj!_

Grey-horsed Râjâ, come with lowered lance!
Before thee is Râjâ Sarkap, he will take thy head!
If thou seek thy own good, then turn thee back!
I have come from afar under a vow of victory:
I will cut off Sarkap's head and cut it into four pieces.
I will make thee my little bride, and will become thy bridegroom!

_Hundredweight_--_Man_ in the original, or a little over 80 lbs.

_Verses_--In original--

_Ik jo aia Rajpût katdâ mâromâr, Paske lârhân kapiân sittîâ
sîne bhâr. Dharîn dharin bheren bhanîân aur bhane ghariâl! Taîn
nûn, Râjâ, marsî ate sânûn kharsî hâl._

A prince has come and is making havoc;
He cut the long strings and threw us out headlong.
The drums placed are broken and broken are the gongs.
He will kill thee, Raja, and take me with him!

_Verses_--In original--

_Chhotî nagarî dâ waskîn, Rânî wadî karî pukâr.
Jân main niklân bâhar, tân merî tan nachâve dhâl.
Fajre rotî tân khâsân, sir laisân utâr._

Princess, thou hast brought a great complaint about a dweller in a
small city.
When I come out his shield will dance for fear of my valour.
In the morning I will eat my bread and cut off their heads.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU PLAYED _CHAUPUR_ WITH RAJA SARKAP

_Dhol Râjâ_--It is not known why the rat was so called. The hero of a well-known popular love-tale bears the same name. Dhol or Dhaul (from Sanskrit _dhavala_, white) is in popular story the _cow_ that supports the earth on its horns.

_Verses_--In original--

_Sakhî samundar jamiân, Râjâ lîo rud gar thâe: Âo to charho
merî pîth te, kot tudh kharân tarpâe. Urde pankhî main na desân,
jo dauran lakh karor. Je tudh, Râjâ, pârâ khelsiâ, jeb hâth to
pâe._

O my beloved, I was born in the ocean, and the Râjâ
bought me with much gold.
Come and jump on my back and I will take thee off
with thousands of bounds.
Wings of birds shall not catch me, though they go
thousands of miles.
If thou wouldst gamble, Raja, keep thy hand on thy pocket.

_Verses_--In original--

_Na ro, Râjiâ bholiâ; nâ main charsân ghâh,
Na main tursân râh.
Dahnâ dast uthâeke jeb de vich pâh!_

Weep not, foolish Râjâ, I shall not eat their grass,
Nor shall I go away.
Take thy right hand and put it in thy pocket!

_Verses_.--In original--

_Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwin ithe basante lok! Sarân dharân han
bâziân, jehrî Sarkap kare so ho! Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwen, ithe
basanlâ lok! Sarân dharân te bâzian! Jehrî Allah kare so ho!_

O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!
Heads and bodies are at stake! as Sarkap does so let it be.
O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!
Heads and bodies are at stake! as God does so let it be!

_Verses_.--In original--

_Hor râje murghâbîân, tu râjâ shâhbâz!
Bandî bânân âe band khalâs kar! umar terî drâz._

Other kings are wild-fowl, thou art a royal hawk!
Unbind the chains of the chain-bound and live for ever!

_Mûrtî Hills_.--Near Râwal Pindî to the south-west.

_Kokilân_.--Means 'a darling': she was unfaithful and most dreadfully punished by being made to eat her lover's heart.

THE KING WHO WAS FRIED

_The king who was fried_.--The story is told of the hill temple (_marhî_) on the top of Pindî Point at the Murree (_Marhî_) Hill Sanitarium. Full details of the surroundings are given in the _Calcutta Review_, No. cl. p. 270 ff.

_King Karan,_.--This is for Karna, the half-brother of Pându, and a great hero in the _Mahâbhârata_ legends. Usually he appears in the very different character of a typical tyrant, like Herod among Christians, and for the same reason, _viz_. the slaughter of innocents.

_Hundredweight_.--A man and a quarter in the original, or about 100 lbs.

_Mânsarobar Lake_.--The Mânasasarovara Lake (=Tsho-Mâphan) in the Kailâsa Range of the Himâlayas, for ages a centre of Indian fable. For descriptions see Cunningham's _Ladâk_, pp. 128-136.

_Swan_.--_Hansa_ in the original: a fabulous bird that lives on pearls only. Swan translates it better than any other word.

_King Bikramâjît_.--The great Vikramâditya of Ujjayinî, popularly the founder of the present Sarhvat era in B.C. 57. Bikrû is a legitimately-formed diminutive of the name. Vikrâmaditya figures constantly in folklore as Bikram, Vikram, and Vichram, and also by a false analogy as Bik Râm and Vich Râm. He also goes by the name of Bîr Bikramâjît or Vîr Vikram, i.e. Vikramâditya, the warrior. In some tales, probably by the error of the translator, he then becomes two brothers, Vir and Vikram. See Postans' _Cutch_, p. 18 ff.

PRINCE HALF-A-SON

_Half-a-son_--_Adhiâ_ in the original form; _âdhâ_, a half. The natives, however, give the tale the title of '_Sat Bachiân diân Mâwân,_' _i.e_. the Mothers of Seven Sons.

THE MOTHER OF SEVEN SONS

_Broken-down old bed_.--This, with scratching the ground with the fore-finger, is a recognised form of expressing grief in the Panjâb. The object is to attract _faqîrs_ to help the sufferer.

THE RUBY PRINCE

_Prince Ruby_.--_La'ljî_, Mr. Ruby, a common name: it can also mean 'beloved son' or 'cherished son.'

_Snake-stone_.--_Mani_ the fabulous jewel in the cobra's hood, according to folklore all over India. See _Panjâb Notes and Queries_, vol. i. for 1883-84.

End of Project Gutenberg's Tales of the Punjab, by Flora Annie Steel