Indian Antiquary Vol 10

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

42
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
nikin, "Oh dear Sir Bumble! carry me to the Princess Blossom that I may see and speak to her."
"Carry you!" snapped the one span mannikin, "that's a likely story, why you're ten times as big as I am. You should carry me."
But when the soldier's son begged and prayed, and grew thin and pined away thinking of the Princess Blossom, Sir Bumble, who had a kind heart, was moved, and bid the lad sit on his hand. Then with a tremendous boom! bing! there they were in the palace. It was night time, and the princess was asleep; she woke however with Sir Bumble's booming, and seeing a handsome young man beside her was quite frightened. She began to scream, but stopped when the soldier's son with great politeness begged her not to be alarmed. After this they began to talk together, and Sir Bumble stood at the door, where he stuck a brick upon end so that nobody could see him, and did sentry. Now when morning was breaking, the soldier's son, and the Princess Blossom, tired of talking, had both fallen asleep; Sir Bumble, the faithful servant, thought to himself, "Some one will be coming soon, then he will be killed; and if I wake him he won't go." So without more ado he put his hand underneath the bed, and bing boom! carried it into a large garden outside the town. There he set down the bed in the shade of the biggest tree, and pulling up the next biggest by the roots threw it over his shoulder, and marched up and down keeping guard.
Before long the whole town was in a commotion. The Princess Blossom had been carried off, and everybody turned out to look for her. By-and-bye a one-eyed Kotwâl came to the garden gate. "What do you want here ?" cried valiant Sir Bumble. "The Princess Blossom," answered the Kotwâl. "I'll blossom you! get out of my garden, will you ?" shrieked the one span mannikin with his span and a quarter beard. With that he belaboured the Kotwal's pony so hard with the tree, that it ran away, nearly throwing the rider.
The poor Kotwal went straight to the king, and said: "Your Majesty! I am sure the
[FEBRUARY, 1881.
Princess Blossom is in your Highness' garden outside the town, only there is a terribly valiant little sentry there who fights with a tree."
Then the king went with horses and men to the garden, and tried to get in. But Sir Bumble with his tree routed them all; half were killed and the rest ran away. The noise of the fight awoke the young couple, and they determined at once to fly with each other. So when the fight was over, they all three set out to see the world.
J Kotwal, Persian, properly the chief police officer of a city; now however only the chief native Executive Officer in Cantonments in India without any strictly police duties.-R. C. T.
J Arabic ghul (vulgo Eng. 'ghoul,' or 'ghowl');
Now the soldier's son was so enchanted with his good luck in winning the Princess Blossom that he said to Sir Bumble, "My fortune is made, I shan't want you any more, you can go back to your mistress."
"Pooh !" said Sir Bumble, "that's what you all think. There's trouble before you yet. However, have it your own way, only take this hair out of my beard, and if you want my help, burn it in the fire."
So Sir Bumble boomed off, and the soldier's son and the Princess Blossom lived and travelled together very happily. At last they lost their way in the jangals one day, and had nothing to eat or to drink. When they were just about as hungry as they could be, a wandering Brahman appeared. Hearing their story, he said, "Oh poor children! come home with me, and I will give you something to eat."
If he had said "I will at you," it would have been nearer the mark, for he was no Brahman, but an ogre' dreadfully fond of handsome young men and slender girls. They went home with him, and he said: "Now get ready what you want to eat here are all my keys; you may open all the cupboards except that with the golden key. Meanwhile I will go and gather firewood."
Then the Princess Blossom began to prepare the food, and meanwhile the soldier's son opened all the cupboards. He saw such lovely jewels, and dresses, and cups and platters, and bags of gold, that his curiosity got the better of him, and he said "I will see what wonderful thing is in the cupboard with the golden key." So he opened it, and lo! it was full of men's
an evil spirit, vampire. It is the bhit and prêt of the Hindus (for bhat see above note 2), the prêts are ghosts inhabiting graveyards. In Sansk. preta, pre, is a departed spirit.-B. C. T.