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JUNE, 1886.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
171
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
BY PUTLIBAI D. H. WADIA. No. IV.-Véméi and the Thieves. I listened as she thus related to them the destiny One night as a party of thieves were prowling of the king's son :about in search of booty, they happened to fall "This poor boy, I am sorry to say, has a in with the goddess Vêmâi, going along at full very bad future before him, although he is born speed with a tray on her head. Taking her a king's son. He will lose his parents at the to be a human being, they eagerly went up to age of twelve and will then be deprived of his her, and found that the tray she carried was legitimate possessions by an asurper, who will of solid gold, and contained, besides rice, kanka," condemn him to pass his life as a prisoner and other objects of good omen and a pair of within the walls of a castle. He will, howdice set with diamonds and pearls. Glad to ever, manage to break his bonds after some find such valuable booty within their reach time, and escaping from the castle, will betake they attempted to lay hands on the treasures, himself to a jungle, where he will pass the rest when Vâmâi cried out in an authoritative of his life in ekeing oat & precarious sustenance voice in which was mingled a tone of entreaty, by hunting small game." -"Keep away, my friends, and touch me not, Thus saying the goddess departed. The for I am the goddess Vêmái, and am hurrying thieven, outlaws though they were, loved the to the palace of the king, unto whom a son king, who was good and pious, and were, therehas been born, in order to write his destiny. fore, very much distressed on learning of the Pray, therefore, do not detain me,”
misfortunes that were to befall the prince. "We would willingly allow you to go," said
Nearly twelve years after this all that the thieves, “if you, by way of corroborating
Vēmâi had foretold came to pass, for the good your statement, tell us what is to be the destiny Raja died and his Raņi followed him soon of the king's son."
after, leaving the poor boy an orphan under "I regret," said the goddess, "that I am the care of an ancle, who soon usurped the unable to gratify your curiosity, for I myself throne for himself, and closely confined his have no idea at present of what I shall write nephew in & castle. The thieves, whose sym. down; I have only to throw these dice and pathies the prince had enlisted almost-from await the result, and then write down the his birth, and who were following his fortunes secret of the child's destiny just as it is revealed all the while, befriended him at this juncture, to me."
found means to get him outside the prison “Very well then," said the thieves, "we walls, and hid him in a jungle. Knowing, allow you to go on your errand, on the con however, that the boy was foredoomed to live dition that, on your return from the palace, you on small game they were determined to baffle tell us the destiny of the boy, as it is revealed
his destiny at least in that particular; so they to you."
provided him with a bow and arrows and set The goddess agreed to this and departed, him to hunt in the jungle. The rabbits, deer, while the thieves remained where they were, and so on, as if aware that he was to get his awaiting her return.
living out of them, marched past him and After finishing her business at the king's almost threw themselves in his way, but the palace Vêmâi, true to her promise, hastened to thieves would, by no means, permit him to the spot where she had left the thieves. As shoot them; as soon, however, as an elephant or she approached them they noticed that she such other big game came in sight, they bade was downcast and wore a sad look. Never. him discharge his arrows at them. As the forest theless they flocked around her and eagerly was full of elephants, rhinoceroses, and the like
· Vémfi is supposed to be the goddess who determines the destiny of man. She is popularly believed to visit anseen the bedside of the new-born infant on the sixth night after its birth and to write out its destiny. Under this belief superstitious people place on that night, . tray containing a blank sheet of paper, & pon, ink, 2000anat, and the red powder used for making marks
on the forehand on auspicious occasions near the baby's cradle. They, however, do not expect to hoo any writing on the paper, but are content to believe that the child's destiny has been determined during the night.
A red powder used for marking tho forehead on auspicious occasions such as Birthdays, Weddings, &c.
