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DECEMBER, 1882.]
FOLKLORE FROM KASHMIR.
345
wares ; so much so that the story of the young | At length they arrived at another city, potter found in a clay pit became noised abroad. which happened to be the very one where the Nevertheless the young prince, knowing that prince's brother was king, and while the merhe had no proof to bring forward in support chants went to the bâzar they left the prince of it, kept the history of his former life and to watch over the vessels. Now, weary of waitconquest of the demon to himself, never breathing and watching, the prince, to amuse himself, ing a word of it to anyone. However, when began to make a model of his father's palace the rumour of the wonderful young potter out of the clay on the shore beside him, found in a clay pit and his still more wonderful and growing interested in his work, he modelled cleverness reached the Scavenger king's ears, and modelled away till he made the most his bad conscience told him at once who it was, beautiful thing you ever saw. There was the and he determined in some way or other to garden, the king on his throne and the courtiers get rid of the young man.
sitting around. There were too the king's sons Now just at that time the fleet of merchant learning in school and even the very pigeons vessels which annually came to the city fluttering round the tower. bringing merchandise and spices were detained When it was finished the prince looked at it, in harbour by calms and contrary winds. So sighing till the tears came into his eyes. Just long were they detained that the merchants at that moment the minister's daughter sarfeared the delay would prevent their returning rounded by her women passed that way. She within the year. This was a serious matter, was wonderstruck at the beautiful model, but so that auguries were consulted and the an- still more so at the handsome young man who swer given was that until a human sacrifice sat sighing beside it. She went straight home, was made the vessels would be detained in port. locked all the doors, and refused to eat, and When this answer was reported to the Scavenger when her father sent to know what was the King he saw his opportunity, and said to his matter, she said "I will neither eat nor drink courtiers—"Be it so. But don't let us sacrifice till you marry me to the young man on the & citizen. Give the merchants that good-for- sea-shore, who sits sighing beside a king's nothing potter lad, who comes no one knows palace made of clay." whence, and has no relatives."
At first the minister was very angry, but The courtiers praised the kindness of the seeing his daughter was determined, and that Scavenger King, and the prince was handed she would starve herself to death if he did over to the merchants, who took him on board not give way, he consented at last to the marritheir chips and prepared to kill him. But he age. However he privately told the merchants begged and prayed them to wait till evening to throw the young man overboard after a on the chance of a breeze coming up, but none day or two andt hen to bring his daughter came. Then the prince took a knife and cut back. his little finger, and as the first drop of blood Accordingly a few days after the prince and flowed forth the sails of the first ship filled the minister's daughter had sailed, the mer. with a strong wind, and she glided swiftly over chants poshed the young man overboard, as he the bar. With the second drop the second ship was sitting near the prow. It so bappened that did likewise, till the whole fleet were sailing from the minister's daughter's window in the before the breeze. The merchants were enchant- stern a rope was banging, and as the prince ed, and thinking that in the prince they had a drifted past he clung to it and climbed up into very valuable cargo indeed, they took great care her cabin. She hid him in her box, where he of him, and treated him well.
lay concealed safely. Every day when they 15 This is the part of the tale that seems doubtful as vol. I, p. 194. Cf. Barth, Religions of India, Trübner's genuine Kashmiri Folklore. It is hard to see how the Ed., pp. 57-9 and 203. M. Barth seems to doubt the mountaineers got hold of a sea tale such as this now
allegorical character of the Purush medha or Human becomes, except from books.-R. C. T.
Sacrifice of the Brihmans as asserted by others, vide 1 I do not know that human sacrifice was ever in pp. 57-9, but see footnote to p. 59. Cf. Haug's Origin of vogue in Kashmir, but it has been common enough all Brahmanism, p. 5; Muir's Sanskrit Texts, passim; H. H. over India to render the allusion not at all unexpected Wilson's Essay on Human Sacrifices, J. R. 4. 8. vol. here. See Hunter's Imperii Gazetteer of India, vol. IV, VIII, p. 96; and his Religion of the Hindus, VOLI, p. 261.pp. 301-302, 182, and the references he gives. Also his R.O.T. article Sakrdy-patna, vol. VIII, p.122 and Ananta-Sagaran
