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SEPTEMBER, 1880.]
FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
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And take her milk, And give it the deer te drink, And break his horn, And dig the hole, And take out the water, And wash my beak, And eat my khijri. See the bird's playfulness,
I am a clean crow. “With pleasure," said the blacksmith, "if you will light the fire and blow the bellows."
So the crow began to light the fire and blow the bellows, and in so doing fell into the middle of the fire and was burnt.
So that was the end of him, and the sparrow ate all the khijri.
No. 3.- FOLK TALE.
The Lord of Death." Told by a North-West' boy, who heard it from his grandmother :
Once upon a time there was a road, and every one who travelled along it died. Some said they were killed by a snake, and others said they were killed by a scorpion.
Now a very old man was travelling along the road, and he sat down on a stone to rest, and on the stone beside him he saw & scorpion as big as a cock, and as he looked at it, it changed into a snake. He was wonderstruck, and determined to follow it to see what it really was. So he followed it at a little distance.
One day it went into an inn and killed several travellers; another day it crept into the king's house and killed him. Then it crept up the waterspout to the women's rooms, and killed the king's young daughter, and always when the sound of weeping and wailing arose, it went
its way. All this time the old man followed it, but never spoke, so it took no notice of him.
Then in the road came a broad deep river, and the snake changed to a handsome buffalo with brass necklace and bells. Now on the bank of the river sat some poor travellers who had no money to pay the ferry; when they saw the buffalo they said, “This beast is going to its home across the river; let tus get on its back and hold on to its tail, and so get over the stream." So they got on its back, and
I w i sho Malik-ul-maut-the Lord of Death, common object of belief.-R.O.T.
held on to its tail, and the buffalo swam bravely with them to the middle of the river. Then it began to kick till they had to let go ; so they were all drowned, but when the old man who was following in a ferry boat got across there was no buffalo to be seen, only a beautiful ox. A peasant saw the ox wandering about, and being struck by covetousness, lured it to his house. It was very gentle, and suffered itself to be tied up with the other beasts; but in the middle of the night it changed into a snake and bit all the cattle till they died. Then it crept into the house, and killed all the sleeping folk. After that it escaped. The old man followed it, but never spoke, so it took no notice of him.
Presently they came to another river, and then the snake changed into the likeness of a beautiful young girl covered with jewels and fair to see. Now two brothers, soldiers, came that way, and as they approached the girl began to cry. "What is the matter," asked they, " that you so young and beautiful sit by the river alone ?"
The girl answered—“My husband was even now taking me home, and there was no ferry boat, so he went down to the stream to look, and fell to washing his face, when he tumbled in, and was drowned. I have neither friends nor relations left." Said the eldest of the brothers, who was enamoured of her beauty,"Come with me, and I will marry you." "On one condition," said the girl,"you must never ask me to do any household work, and whatever I ask for, you must give me." "As a slave will I obey you," cried the elder brother. "Then go and fetch me a draught of water from the well," said the girl," your brother shall stay with me."
The elder brother did as he was bid, and went to the well. Then the snake girl said to the younger, "Fly with me, I love you. I don't care for your brother. It was only a trick to get him away." "Nay," said the younger, "you have promised him, and are now as my
Then the girl was angry, and began to weep and wail, and when the elder brother came back with the water, she cried "Oh! what & villain
Parbid-properly Eastern, bat applied in the PanjAb to the inhabitants of the North-West Province.-R. C. T.
