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832
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1886.
When she heard this the bride rose from directions. The boy was not grown up, he her bed, and walked out towards the river." added, and therefore he had been ordered to Her husband, also, moved by curiosity went return home quickly. He hoped they would after her nnawares. On reaching the brink of forgive any apparent rudeness, and allow the the water the woman leapt in and swam to- bride to accompany him. wards the floating corpse, which was just dis- The other shikáris were quite satisfied with coverable in the faint moonlight. She seized these explanations and agreed to let the bride the body, and having pulled it to the bank, go. After eating a little, the shikári (the she took off the beautiful bracelet, that was father of the bridegroom) went back to his tied round one of the arms, and then returned house with his daughter-in-law. to the house.
He soon managed to walk behind her, for he Her husband arrived first, as he had not was afraid to keep up with her, lest she should waited while she antied the bracelet. "What really be a rákshasi and eat him. They had can she have gone to the river for and bathed proceeded some way in this fashion, when the at this time of the night ?' he thought. No girl, feeling tired and weary, sat down by a sleep came to him because of this, but his wife little pool of water ander the shade of a large slept soundly till the morning light.
and beautiful tree. The shikdri, also, encour. According to custom, the husband on rising aging himself in the thought that his son had, immediately went to the river for a bath.
probably, only had a nightmare, sat down What was his horror and disgust to find in the beside her, and taking out some provisions, with very place where his wife had jumped in which the girl's father had supplied him, during the night, a half-eaten body of a gave her some to eat. human being! He said within himself, My While they thus sat, enjoying the rest and wife must be a rákshasi," She has devoured the food, and each other's conversation, a half of this body, and will certainly come and few crows gathered round and commenced devour the remainder on the next night.' cawing and making a great noise, as they Thinking this he feared to return to her, and hopped and flew about from branch to branch 80 went by an unfrequented path back to his and stone to stone with eyes fixed on the father and his father's house.
scraps of the meat; ready to pounce down on Father,' he said on arrival,' why did you the first opportunity and carry them off. One marry me to a rákshasí. I am sure that this of them, an old crow, wished to be especially woman is a rakshasí, because last night she friendly. Who is that person,' he cawed, feasted on a human body. In proof of this you that can hear and understand my speech ? can go and see the remains of the corpse lying Near the roots of this beautiful tree, there lies on the river-side. What an unfortunate man & potful of precious stones, and under this pot I am!
are thousands and thousands of ants, that are When the shikári heard these words he destroying the very life of the tree. Oh where thought that either his son was not speaking is the person that will dig up this pot, and the trath, or else he had gone mad. So he thus save the tree, and us who have built hastened to ascertain the real state of affairs. our nest in its branches and besides this When he was yet some distance from their enrich himself beyond thought and speech P' house, the father of the bride and several other The girl heard these words and laughed and members of the family came forward to wept alternately. greet him, and to inquire the reason of his On seeing this her father-in-law got very Bon's strange and sudden departure.
frightened. He thought that she laughed and Thinking it wise to dissemble matters till wept because she was a rákshasi, and was then the truth concerning the woman was fully meditating making a meal of him. With a known, the shikdrí bade them not to be anxi. tremulous voice he asked her, “Of what nature ous about his son, as he was safe at home, are you? If you are a rákshasi I beg of you having returned quickly in obedience to his to spare me."
Concerning talking animals and understanding non- " Cf. p. 808 above, note 8. human language, of. Wide-anoake Stories, pp. 412, 413.
