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NOVEMBER, 1885.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
311
I remember when in the valley of the Indus being very much struck with the rapidity with which these scarabæi formed pellets from cattle droppings and rolled them across the sand to suitable spots for burying. The pellets are often larger than the beetles themselves, and the method of rolling them is curious, as the beetle goes backwards, guiding the ball with his long hind legs and walking on the two pairs of fore-legs.
It would not be difficult to give examples of almost as extravagant ideas of the origin of many of our drugs which were till recently accepted. There are some even to the present day the true source of which is unknown.
The above may be compared with the suggestion on p. 307 that the oil of the skole was in reality rock oil or petroleum from the Pañjâb.
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
BY PUTLIBAI D. H. WADIA, No. 1.-The King's Lesson.
but the bright side of things ; whereas, if you Once upon a time there lived a king who go about as an ordinary man, you will be able was very avaricious, and spent nothing in to mix with the people and learn how mankind charity, but had a very sensible minister who really lives in this world." would occasionally reason with him and forci- To this the king consented, and getting bly point out the sin of leading such a selfish ready a ship set sail in it. He gave orders life, exhorting him at the same time to do that the ship's course should be left to the something towards alleviating the sufferings of winds, that it might be carried where it should his subjects. The king's miserly disposition, please Iswar to take it. After some time however, never altered.
the ship reached a strange land where the One day the minister, who was a very out- king left it and went on shore all by himself. spoken man, freely expressed himself to his He found that he had arrived at a large city, royal master thus :-" Your Majesty will and on inquiry learned that it was governed excuse me for saying that you are getting old, by a king who was of an uncharitable disposiand in course of time will be joined to your tion, and had never in his life done any good forefathers; and what have you done to please thing, and had, moreover, mismanaged his state Iswar (God) and to recommend yourself to affairs. his mercy P But it is not yet too late to mend, The king went on till he came to a hut in and so let me beg your Majesty to try and win which lived a cowherd and his wife. Going the favour of Iswar by doing some charitable up to it he begged admittance and a night's and benevolent acts."
shelter, They stared at him a while, but being "I think," replied the king, “that it is reassured by his honest looks, they took him useless to waste money in that way, for I in. On his inquiring of them as to how they have no faith in charity, and do not believe managed to live, they replied that they were that the charitable are blessed."
in the service of the king of the country, “Will your Majesty listen to me?" returned whose cattle they tended and milked, taking the minister, “I have a plan to propose to you, the milk to the palace, and being in return which, if you follow it, will convince you that allowed a sidhá (pittance) of rice enough for deeds of charity and benevolence are not with two, and some gu! (coarse sugar) out of the out their reward. My humble advice to your royal stores. Majesty is to go abroad and see a little more of That evening when the woman went to the life as it really is : but if you wish to see it palace with the milk, her husband said to her: properly you must give up your state for a time “When they give yon our sidhd at the palace and go into the world as an ordinary man, and this evening, ask for a handful more for our thon I can assure you, you will see for yourself guest." whether the charitable are blessed or not. If The woman did accordingly, but the servants. you travel as a king you will be shown nothing were rade to her and refused to give her any.
Told by a relative of the narrator: a Parellady.
