Folklore of the Santal Parganas - Cecil Henry Bompas (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📗

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asked that she might ride behind him on the horse, so Damagurguria

mounted and took her up behind him and turned homewards. He could

not see what the girl was doing and they had not gone far when she

drew his sword and killed him with it.

 

Then she rode back to where the body of her lover lay and began to weep

over it. As she sat there a man in shining white clothing appeared and

asked what was the matter; she told him Damagurguria had killed her

lover. Then he bade her stop crying and go and wet a _gamcha_ he gave

her and come straight back with it without looking behind her and then

pick a _meral_ twig and beat the corpse with it. So the girl took the

_gamcha_ and went and dipped it in a pool but, as she was bringing it

back, she heard a loud roaring behind her and she looked back to see

what it was; so the stranger sent her back again to the pool and this

time she did not look round though she heard the same roaring. Then

the stranger told her to join the severed head to the body and cover

it with the wet _gamcha_; and then, after waiting a little, to beat

the body with the _meral_ twig. So saying he disappeared. The girl

carefully complied with these instructions and to her joy saw the

merchant's son sit up and rub his eyes, remarking that he must have

been asleep for a long time. Great was his astonishment when he heard

how Damagurguria had killed him and how he had been restored to life

by the help of the stranger in white. This was the end of the lovers'

troubles and they lived happily ever after.

XXVII. (The Flycatcher's Egg.)

 

One day a herd boy found a flycatcher's egg and he brought it home

and asked his mother to cook it for him, but she put it on a shelf

and forgot about it. His mother was a poor woman and had to go out all

day to work; so before she started she used always to cook her son's

dinner and leave it covered up all ready for him. No sooner had she

gone to work than a _bonga_ girl used to come out of the flycatcher's

egg and first eat up the rice that had been left for the herd boy

and then quickly put water on to boil and cook some rice with pulse;

and, having eaten part of it, cover up the rest, ready for the herd

boy on his return. Then she used to comb and dress her hair and go

back into the egg. This happened every day and at last the boy asked

his mother why she gave him rice cooked with pulse every day, as he

was tired of it. His mother was much astonished and said that some

one must have been changing his food, because she always cooked his

rice with vegetables. At this the boy resolved to watch and see who

was touching his food; so one day he climbed up on to the rafters

and lay in wait. Presently out of the egg came the _bonga_ girl and

cooked the food and combed her hair as usual. Just as she was going

back into the egg, the herd boy sprang down and caught her. "Fi, Fi,"

cried she "is it a _Dome_ or a _Hadi_ who is clasping me?" "No _Dome_

or _Hadi_," said he: "we are husband and wife:" so he took her to

wife and they lived happily together.

 

He strictly forbade her ever to go outside the house and he said

incantations over some mustard seed and gave it to her, and told

her that, if any beggars came, she was to give them alms through the

window and, if they refused to take them in that way, then she was

to throw the mustard seed at them; but on no account to go outside

the house. One day when her husband was away a jugi came begging;

the _bonga_ girl offered him alms through the window but the jugi

flatly refused to take them; he insisted on her coming out of the

house and giving them. Then she threw the mustard seed at him and he

turned into ashes. By superior magic however he at once recovered his

own form and again insisted on her coming outside to give him alms,

so she went out to him and he saw how beautiful she was.

 

The jugi went away and one day he went to beg at the Raja's palace and,

talking to the Raja, he told him how he had seen a girl of more than

human beauty. The Raja resolved to possess her, and one day he took

the form of a fly and flew to the house and saw the beautiful _bonga_;

a second day he came back in the same form and suddenly caught her

up and flew off with her on his back to his palace, and in spite of

her weeping shut her up in a beautifully furnished room on the roof

of his palace. There she had to stay and her food was brought to her

there. When the herd boy came home and found that his beautiful wife

was missing he filled the air with lamentations and leaving his home

he put on the garb of a jugi and went about begging. One day he came

to the palace of the Raja who had carried off his wife; as he begged

he heard his wife's voice, so he sang:--

 

 

    "Give me, oh give me, my flycatcher wife,

    Give me my many-coloured wife."

 

 

Then they offered him a jar full of money to pacify him, but he threw

the rupees away one by one and continued his lament. Then the Raja

called for his two dogs Rauta and Paika and set them on the man and

they tore him to death. At this his wife wept grievously and begged

them to let her out since there was no one to carry her away, now

that her husband was dead.

 

They prepared to take away the corpse to burn it and the _bonga_

girl asked to be allowed to go with them as she had never seen the

funeral rites of a jugi: so they let her go.

 

Before starting she tied a little salt in the corner of her cloth. When

she reached the burning place, she sang to the two dogs:--

 

 

    "Build the pyre, Rauta and Paika!

    Alas! The dogs have bitten the jugi,

    Alas! They have chased and killed the jugi."

 

 

So the two dogs built the pyre and lay the body on it. Then she

ordered them to split more wood, singing:--

 

 

    "Cut the wood, Rauta and Paika!

    Alas! The dogs have bitten the Jugi,

    Alas! They have chased and killed the jugi."

 

 

So they split more wood and then she told them to apply the fire,

singing:--

 

 

    "Light the fire, Rauta and Paika!

    Alas! The dogs have bitten the Jugi,

    Alas! they have chased and killed the jugi."

 

 

When the pyre was in full blaze she suddenly said to the dogs "Look up,

Rauta and Paika, see the stars are shining in the day time." When the

two dogs looked up, she threw the salt into their eyes, and, while

they were blinded, she sprang into the flames and died as a _sati_

on the body of her husband.

 

 

XXVIII. (The Wife Who Would Not Be Beaten.)

 

There was once a Raja's son who announced that he would marry no woman

who would not allow him to beat her every morning and evening. The

Raja's servants hunted high and low in vain for a bride who would

consent to these terms, at long last, they found a maiden who agreed

to be beaten morning and evening if the prince would marry her. So

the wedding took place and for two or three days the prince hesitated

to begin the beating; but one morning he got up and, taking a stick

from the corner, went to his bride and told her that she must have

her beating. "Wait a minute" said she "there is one thing I want to

point out to you before you beat me. It is only on the strength of

your father's position that you play the fine gentleman like this:

your wealth is all your father's and it is on his wealth that you

are relying. When you have earned something for yourself, and made

a position for yourself, then I am willing that you should beat me

and not before."

 

The prince saw that what his bride said was true and held his

hand. Then, in order to earn wealth for himself, he set out on a

trading expedition, taking quantities of merchandise loaded in sacks;

and he had a large band of retainers with him, mounted on horses and

elephants, and altogether made a fine show. The princess sent one of

her own servants with the prince and gave him secret instructions

to watch his opportunity and if ever, when the prince was bathing,

he should throw away a loin cloth, to take possession of it without

the prince knowing anything about it and bring it to her. The prince

journeyed on till he came to the country called Lutia.

 

The Raja of Lutia was walking on the roof of his palace and he saw

the cavalcade approaching, and he sent a _sipahi_ to meet the prince

and ask him this question, "Have you the secret of prosperity for ever

or of prosperity for a day?" When this question was put to the prince

he answered that he had the secret of prosperity for ever. When the

Lutia Raja was told of this answer, he ordered his men to stop the

prince's train; so they surrounded them and seized all the merchandise

and the prince's retainers fled on their horses and elephants and

left him alone and penniless. In his distress the prince was forced

to take service with a rich Hindu, and he had nothing to live on but

what his master chose to give him, and all he had to wear was a loin

cloth like the poorest labourer.

 

The only man who did not desert him was the servant whom the Princess

had sent; and one day he saw that the prince had thrown away an old

loin cloth while bathing; this he picked up and took home to his

mistress, who put it away. When she heard all that had happened to

her husband, she set out in her turn to the Lutia country and all

she took with her was a mouse and a shawl. When she reached the Lutia

country the Raja as before sent a messenger to ask whether she knew

the secret of prosperity for ever or of prosperity for a day.

 

She answered "prosperity for a day." Thereupon the Raja had her sent

for and also all the retainers who had deserted the Prince and who

had collected together in the neighbourhood. When they had all come

the Raja said that he would now decide who should have all the wealth

which had been taken