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APRIL, 1885.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
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intelligent man he perceived that the persons "Most honoured king, while you have a whose heads he had cut off, must have been son-in-law who killed one hundred robbers some thieves, or other wicked men, who had with his sword, why should you continue to carried her off. He was not long in doubt, send a man into the wood every week. We for not far off he saw an army marching request you to send your son-in-law next week up rapidly with a king at its head, who to the wood and have the lioness killed." was saying, "Down with the robber who This seemed most reasonable to the king, has stolen away my daughter." The Brahman who called for his son-in-law and sent him at once inferred that this must be the father of armed to the teeth into the wood. the sleeping princess, and suddenly waking Now our Bråbmaq could not refuse to go for her up from her sleep spoke thus to her :- fear of losing the fame of his former exploit,
"Behold before you the hundred robbers and hoping that fortune would favour him, he that brought you here a few hours ago from asked his father-in-law to have him hoisted your palace. I fought one and all of them up into a big banyan tree with all kinds of single handed and have killed them all."
weapons, and this was done. The appointed The princess was highly pleased at what she time for the lioness to eat her prey approached, heard, for she knew of all the tricks the robbers and as she saw no one coming for her, and as had previously played to carry her off. So she sometimes those that had to come used to linger fell reverently at the Brahman's feet and said: | for a short time in the tree in which the
“Friend, never till now have I heard of & Brahman had taken refuge, she went ap to warrior who single-handed fought one hundred it to see that no such trick has been played robbers. Your valour is unparalleled. I will upon her this time. This made the Brahman be your wife, if only in romembrance of your tremble so violently that he dropped the having saved me from falling into the hands sword he held in his hand. At that very of these ruffians."
moment the lioness happened to yawn and the Her father and his army was now near the sword dropped right into her jaws and killed shed, for he had all along watched the con- her. As soon as the Bråbman saw the course dact of the robber chieftain, and as soon as the which events had taken, he came down from maidservants of the palace informed him of the tree and invented a thousand stories the disappearance of the princess and her cot, of how he had given battle to the terrible he marched straight with his soldiers for the lioness and overcome her. This exploit fully woods. His joy, when he saw his daughter established his valour, and feasts and rejoicings safe, knew no bounds, and he flew into his in honour of it followed, and the whole country daughter's arms, while she pointed to the Brah- round blessed the son-in-law of their king. man as her preserver. The king now put a Near this kingdom there also reigned a thousand questions to our hero, who, being well powerful emperor, who levied tribute from all versed in matters of fighting, gave sound re- the surrounding countries. To this emperor plies, and so came successfully out of his first the father-in-law of our most valorous Brahmay, adventure. The king, astonished at his valoar, who, at one stroke, had killed one hundred took him to his palace, and rewarded him with robbers and, at another, a fierce lioness, had also the hand of the princess. And the robber to pay a certain amount of tribute ; but trusting chieftain, fearing the new son-in-law who single- to the power of his son-in-law, he stopped the handed had killed a hundred of his robbers, tribute to the emperor, who, by the way, was never troubled himself about the princess. named Appayya Raja, and who, as soon as the Thus the Brahman's first adventure ended in tribute was stopped, invaded his dominions, making him son-in-law to a king !
and his father in law besought the Brahma: Now there lived a lioness in & wood near for assistance. the princess's country, who had a great taste for Again the poor Brahman could not refuse;
man flesh, and so once a week the king used for if he did all his former fame would be to send a man into the wood to serve as her lost. So he determined to undertake this prey. All the people now collected together adventure also, and to trust to fortrine rather before the king and said :
than give up the attempt. He asked for
