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344
TILE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[Nov. 1, 1872
BENGALI FOLKLORE.- LEGENDS FROM DINAJPUR.
BY G. H. DAMANT, B.C.S.
(Continued from page 287.) THE SEVENTH STORY.
he wished to take it away, she called her neighThe History of a Rogue.
bours and hindered him ; he then discovered that he
had fallen into the hands of a swindler, and left the ONCE on a time a great friendship existed be
place in tears. tween a king's son and a barber's son, they were
Meanwhile the barber's son went to the country always together, and could not bear to be separated.
of another king, and there he heard that a merchant One day each of them promised that he would
was jnst dead, and his son was making preparations do whatever the other asked him. After a little
to perform his funeral ceremonies. On hearing this time the king's son became anxious to know whether
news he went to the house of a poor woman, and the barber's son would be faithful to his promise, 80 said, " Aunt, you are suffering great hardships, do le sent a man to him to say that a dog of which he
as I tell you, and you will soon become very rich. was very fond was dead and it was necessary to burn
A merchant of the place is just dead, you must prehim, he therefore wished the barber's son to cut
tend to be his wife, and I will pretend to be your down his beautiful large mango tree and send it to
son, and then follow any instructions exactly, and him for fuel. The barber's son sent the tree, but at the
you will obtain great wealth." So he made the same time was rather annoyed, and in order that he woman put on a widow's dress, and he himself put a might retaliate on him he sent him a message say
mourning clotla round his neck and went crying ing, "I want a piece of wood to clean my teeth, so to the merchant's house, and said, “The merchant unfasten the beam which is in the middle of the roof who is dead was married to this woman, and I am of your house and send it me." The king's son did
her son, now that he is dead I have come to perform Bo, but they both saw that by continuing to act in this
his funeral ceremonies, and my mother will perway they would ruin each other and gain nothing, form sati with him, if you will give us the so they agreed to travel into some other country and needful money." The merchant's son believed his try what they could gain by their cleverness. They story, and gave him the inoney for performing started together, and in the course of their journey sati. When all the preparations were completed, and came to a king's palace. They were very tired of tra- the woman was seated on the funeral pile, and the velling, and lay down to rest, and the king's son went fire was lighted, she grew frightened, and began to to sleep. The barber's son thinking it a good opportu- say, “I am a Yugi, I am a Yugi." The merchant's nity went to the king, and said, "Your Majesty, I son enquired what she was saying and the barber's have kept a slave for a long time, but as I am now in son answered, "My mother loves me very much, and want of money I wish to sell him, perbape you will wishes that I may live for many Yugs." So the buy him from me." The king agreed to do so, and woman died, and the barber's son and the merchant's they fixed on a price. Then the barber's son said,
son went home, and began to prepare for the funeral. "I love my slave very much, and if I rouse him ceremonies, and the barber's son said, "Brother, our from his sleep I shall not be able to part with him, father suffered much hardship for our Bakes, let us 80 you must let me go away whilst he is asleep." sell all we have to celebrate his funeral." The merWith these words he took the money and went away. chant's son agreed and put all his property on Thus the king's son became a slave, and the barber's board a boat in order that he might take it away Bon went away to the country of another king. and sell it: they both started together, and when Whilst he was there he saw sonte labourers working they had come to a certain place, the barber's son in a field, one of them was advising the rest to buy said, "Brother, I have never visited this place before. & cow: thinking that this opportunity was not to be You go and choose what is necessary, and I will neglected he went to them, and said, “Brother I remain here and take care of the boat." So the merhave a very good cow which I will let you have chant's son went, and as soon as he was gone, the barfor sixty rupees," the labourer agreed and the bar- ber's son ran away with the boat and all the property. ber's son took the money and went away with him. He became very rich by this stratagem, and deterAfter they had gone some little distance the barber's mined to visit some other country, but he considered son saw a fine cow tied in front of a Musalman's that it would be very wrong to go away and leave house, so he said to the labourer, you stop here, and his friend & slave, so he went back to the country I will bring you the cow directly, the cow which you of the king to whom he had sold him. see is the one." The labourer sat down, and the When he arrived there he heard that the son-inbarber's son went to the house, and said to a wo- law of a gentleman had been missing for a long man who was there,"Aunt, your husband has order- time, so he enquired of another person how the man ed me to show the cow to this man, you show it to used to dress, and one day went to the gentleman's him, and I will be with you directly," BO saying he house, and told him that his son-in-law had returned ; ran away with the money. The woman showed the as it was a very long time since the people of the cow to the labourer as she had been told, but when I house had seen the son-in-law they had forgotten
