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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1885.
edge and to partake of some of the cakes herself up in the house. As soon as the tiger and sweetmeats with her. But he replied, had satisfied his appetite he told her to open the "Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape." door, which she did, and they talked together This made her afraid, so she pursued her for a time, after which the tiger rested awhile, journey in silence until she saw another pond, and then went out hunting again. Thus when she asked the same question of her passed many a day, till the tiger's Brahman wife husband, who replied in the same tone. Now had a son, which also turned out to be only a she was very hungry, and not liking her tiger. husband's tone, which she found had greatly One day, after the tiger had gone out to the changed ever since they had entered the woods, woods, his wife was crying all alone in the said to him, "Show me your original shape." house, when a crow happened to peck at some
No sooner were these words uttered than rice that was scattered near her, and seeing the her husband remained no longer a man. Four girl crying, began to shed tears. legs, a striped skin, a long tail and a tiger's "Can you assist me?" asked the girl, face came over him suddenly and, horror of "Yes," said the crow. horrors ! a tiger and not a man stood before So she brought out a palmyra leaf and wrote her ! Nor were her fears stilled when the tiger on it with an iron nail all her sufferings in the in human voice began as follows "Know wood, and requested her brothers to come and henceforth that I, your husband, am a tiger relieve her. This palmyra leaf she tied to the this very tiger that now speaks to you. If neck of the crow, which, seeming to underyou have any regard for your life you must stand her thoughts, flew to her village and sat obey all my orders implicitly, for I can speak down before one of her brothers. He untied to you in human voice and understand what the leaf and read the contents of the letter and you say. In a couple of ghafikas we shall told them to his other brothers. All the three reach my home, of which you will become then started for the wood, asking their mother the mistress. In the front of my house you to give them something to eat on the way. will see half a dozen tubs, each of which you She had not enough of rice for the three, so she must fill up daily with some dish or other made a big ball of clay and stuck it over with cooked in your own way. I shall take care to what rice she had, so as to make it look like a supply you with all the provisions you want." ball of rice. This she gave to the brothers to eat So saying the tiger slowly conducted her to on their way and started them off to the woods. his house
They had not proceeded long before they The misery of the girl may more be ima- espied an ass. The youngest, who was of a gined than described, for if she were to object playful disposition, wished to take the ass with she would be put to death. So, weeping all him. The two elder brothers objected to this for the way, she reached her husband's house. a time, but in the end they allowed him to have Leaving her there he went out and returned his own way. Further on they saw an ant, with several pumpkins and some flesh, of which the middle brother took with him. which she soon prepared a curry and gave it to Near the ant there was a big palmyra tree lying her husband. He went out again after this on the ground, which the eldest took with him and returned in the evening with several vege. to keep off the tiger. tables and some more flesh and gave her an The sun was now high in the horizon and the order :-"Every morning I shall go out in three brothers became very hungry. So they search of provisions and prey and bring some sat down near a tank and opened the bundle thing with me on my return : you must keep containing the ball of rice. To their atter cooked for me whatever I leave in the house." disappointment they fonnd it to be all clay, bat
So next morning as soon as the tiger had being extremely hungry they drank all the gone away she cooked everything left in the water in the pond and continued their journey. house and filled all the tabs with food. At On-leaving the tank they found a big iron tub the 10th ghalika the tiger returned and growl belonging to the washerman of the adjacent ed out, "I smell man! I smell a woman in village. This they took also with them in addimy wood.” And his wife for very fear shattion to the ass, the ant and the palmyra tree.
