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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
their hunger became rather alarmed at what they had done, and came to the conclusion it would be best to escape while they could. So leaving the bride in the dola they bolted in different directions.
Then the rat drew aside the curtain, and in his sweetest voice, and with his best bow begged the bride to descend. She hardly knew whether to laugh or to cry, but as anything was better than staying alone in the jangal, she followed him as she was bid. The rat was delighted to find by her rich dress and jewels that she was a king's daughter, and went trotting along, saying to himself, "Oh, how clever I am! what bargains I do make to be sure! Wah! wah!!" When they arrived at his hole, he said to the bride with a polite air-" Welcome, Madam, pray step in. I'll show you the way." Whereupon he ran in first, but when he found the bride didn't follow, he put his nose out again, saying testily-"Why don't you come? It's rude to keep your husband waiting."
"My good Sir," laughed the bride, "I can't get in there."
"There is something in that," replied the rat thoughtfully, "I must build you a thatch somewhere. In the meantime sit under that wild plum tree.""
"But I'm hungry," said the bride.
"Dear me, that's very sad," returned the rat, "I'll fetch you something in a trice."
So he ran into his hole and returned with an ear of millet,' and one pea. "There's a fine dinner," said he triumphantly.
"I can't eat that," whispered the bride, "I want palau and cakes, and sweet eggs, koftas, and sugar-drops. I shall die if I don't get them."
"Dear, dear!" said the rat fretfully, "what a bother a bride is! Why don't you eat the wild plums ?"
"I can't live on wild plums," replied the
[AUGUST, 1882. bride, "besides they are only half ripe, and I can't reach them."
"Rubbish!" cried the rat, "you must for to-night, and to-morrow you can gather a basket-full and sell them in the city, and then you can buy sugar-drops and sweet-eggs and koftas and cakes."
So the very next morning the rat climbed up the plum tree, and nibbled away at the stalks till the fruit fell down. Then the king's daughter gathered them up, unripe as they were, and carried them to the town in a basket, calling out,
Dola, a bride's palanquin, see above in these tales passim.-R. C. T.
Ber, the wild plum tree, Ziziphus jujuba.-R. C. T. Kangnt, millet, panicum italicum. It is a very small grain.-B. C. T.
Kojta, a ball of fried meat highly spiced: minced meat; pounded or bruised meat.-E. C. T.
Lit. Green fruit! green fruit!
The rat has made a mistress of the raja's daughter. Gadert gader: gaddra and gaddar, nearly ripe; half-ripe; green. ghernd, to surround, but idiom. gher lend, to keep a mistress, marry a widow.
Gaderi gader! gaders gader! Rájá di beti, chúhá legía gher !" Green plums I sell! green plums I sell! Princess am I, rat's bride as well.
As she passed by the palace, her mother heard the voice, and ran out-ever so happy to find her daughter safe again, for they thought she had been eaten by wild beasts. So they feasted and were very merry. By and bye who should come to the door but the rat with a big stick. He was in a frightful rage, and called out
"Give me my wife! Give me my wife. I gave a stick and I got a loaf; I gave a loaf and I got a pot; I gave a pot and I got a buffalo; I gave a buffalo and I got a bride. Give me my wife! Give me my wife!"
"La! son-in-law," said the wily old Queen, "what a fuss you make! Who wants to take away your wife? On the contrary we are delighted to see you. Just wait a bit till I spread the carpets, and then we will receive you in style."
The rat was mollified by the old lady's politeness, and waited patiently outside, while the cunning old thing cut a hole out of the middle of a stool,10 and put a red-hot flaming stone underneath, covering up the hole with an iron sauce-pan lid," then she threw a fine embroidered cloth over all, and called out,
påe bahut phere
par ab charht hai ghere.-Proverb. came again and
And entrapped her at last.
10 Pirht, a small square stool with a straight upright back. It is very low, not more than a foot from the ground.-R. C. T.
11 Sarposh-Panj. sarpos: cf. Hind. dhakni. A cover: lid (sar, head, and posh, covering, Pers.); usually it is the iron or copper cover used with degchie,-iron or copper-tinned cooking pots; sauce-pans.-B. C. T.
