Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 98

80
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
carry." This frightened the bhuta, and he melted away on the head of Mr. Mighty-of-hishands, who, relieved of his devilish burden, was glad to return home safe with his friend.
The bhuta too went to its abode and there told its fellow-goblins how it had involved itself in a great trouble and how narrowly it had escaped. They all langhed at its stupidity and said, "What a great fool you are! They were no kútas. In fact there are no kútas in the world. They were men, and it was most stupid of you to have got yourself into their hands. Are you not ashamed to make such a fuss about your escape ?" The injured bhuta retorted that they would not have made such remarks had they seen the kútas. "Then show us these kútas, as you choose to call them," said they, "and we will crush them in the twinkling of an eye." 'Agreed," said the injured bhúta, and the next night it took them to the house of the Mighties, and said from a distance: "There is their house. I cannot approach it. Do whatever you like." The other bhutas were amazed at the fear of their timid brother, and resolved among themselves to put an end to the enemies of even one of their caste. So they went in a great crowd to the house of the Mighties. Some stood outside the house, to see that none of the inmates escaped, and some watched in the back-yard, while a score of them jumped over the walls and entered the court-yard.
Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was sleeping in the verandah, adjoining the courtyard, and when he heard the noise of people jumping, he opened his eyes, and to his terror saw some bhútas in the court. Without opening his mouth he quietly rolled himself along the ground, and went to the room where Mr. Mighty-of-hismouth was sleeping with his wife and children. Tapping gently at the door he awoke his friend and said, "What shall we do now? The bhutas have invaded our house, and will soon kill us." Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth told him quietly not to be afraid, but to go and sleep in his original place, and that he himself would make the bhitas run away. Mr. Mighty-ofhis-hands did not understand what his friend meant, but not wishing to contradict his instructions rolled his way back to his original place and pretended to sleep, though his heart was beating terribly with fright. Mr. Mighty-of
[MARCH, 1885.
his-mouth now awoke his wife, and instructed her thus: "My dearest wife, the foolish bhútas have invaded our house, but if you act according to my advice we are safe, and the goblins will depart harmlessly. What I want you to do is, to go to the hall and light a lamp, spread leaves on the floor, and then pretend to awake me for my supper. I shall get up and enquire what you have ready to give me to eat. You will then reply that you have only pepper water and vegetables. With an angry face I shall say, 'What have you done with the three-bhutas that our son caught hold of on his way while returning from school ?' Your reply must be, "The rogue wanted some sweetmeats on coming home. Unfortunately I had none in the house, so he roasted the three bhûtas and gobbled them up." Thus instructing his wife Mr. Mightyof-his-mouth pretended to go to sleep.
The wife accordingly spread the leaves and called her husband for his supper. During the conversation that followed, the fact that the son had roasted three goblins for sweetmeats was conveyed to the bhutas. They shuddered at the son's extraordinary ability, and thought, "What must the father do for his meals when a son roasts three bhútas for sweetmeats ?" So they at once took to their heels. Then going to the brother they had jeered at, they said to him that indeed the kútas were their greatest enemies, and that none of their lives were safe while they remained where they were, as on that very evening the son of a kúta had roasted three of them for sweetmeats. They therefore all resolved to fly away to the adjoining forest, and disappeared accordingly. Thus Mr. Mightyof-his-month saved himself and his friend on two occasions from the bhutas.
The friends after this went out one day to an adjoining village and were returning home rather late in the evening. Darkness came on them before half the way was traversed, and there lay before them a dense wood infested by beasts of prey: so they resolved to spend the night in a high tree and go home next morning, and accordingly got up into a big pipal. Now this was the very wood into which the bhutas had migrated, and at midnight they all came down with torches to catch jackals and other animals to feast upon. The fear of Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands may be more