________________
366
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1886.
ground, and you must place your sticks in the | She then related to them how she had been middle of my body; and then, when you have sent to wash the dirty quilt by her sisters-inpiled up as many as you can carry, I will wind law. myself round them like a rope, and you will "Is that all p" said the crane, who acted as thus be able to carry the bundle easily." spokesman: "then dry your tears, and we
Sunâbi Jáf-thanked the serpent, whó soon shall wash it for you in a trice." wound himself round the sticks she placed upon Sankbai JAt agreed, and immediately the his body, and the little girl walked homewards cranes set to work, flapping their wings backwith the bundle on her head. As she threw wards and forwards upon it, and dipping it down the bundle in the yard all the seven now and then into the water, till they bad sisters-in-law came running out of the house made it in a short time as white as their own to scold her for bringing only a few sticks from plumage. Sunkbai Jai was very grateful to the jungle, as they thought. But what was them for this, and carried the quilt home to her their astonishment to see as a large a bundle sisters-in-law in triumph. on the ground as one could fairly carry. They! They were very much chagrined, not only to were struck dumb with surprise, and could not see Sunâbâi JAI return home safe and sound, for the life of them comprehend how the little but to find that she had brought back the quilt, child could have carried so many sticks on her clean and white beyond their expectations. head without tying them together; for the So they said nothing at the time, but inserpent, it must be mentioned, had glided gently wardly swore to subject her to still greater hardaway, before they could observe it.
ships, to see how she came successfully through They were, however, very much provoked, them all. So after a few days they mixed & and resolved to subject her to severer ordeals. phard of rice and a phará of dál (polse) together So one day one of the worthy ladies covered a and ordered her to go into the yard and Jarge heavy quilt with ghi and oil, and bade separate them. SunABAI JAI go to the sea-shore and wash it clean, "Be careful," said they, "not to lose a single firmly believing that this time she wonld either grain out of these two pharás, for we have be drowned in the attempt or return home to counted every one!” get a good caning. Poor Sunabat Ját dragged The poor girl carried the mixture into the the quilt to the sea-side, and sitting down upon yard as desired, and sat down to her work, a stone began to cry at the utter impossibility but she had no idea how she was ever to of washing such a dirty, oily, heavy thing separate so many small things as the grains single-handed, and without the aid of soap or of rice from the dál. So she cried and cried anything. However, she went to work after a till even the sparrows on the large trees in time, but though she need all her strength till the yard were moved by her tears, and they she was quite exhausted, the quilt remained as came down to her to inquire into the cause dirty as ever. So she again sat down in dig- of her grief. Whereupon Sunâbai Jai repeated appointment and cried more bitterly than ever. to them how There was nothing near her but a few cranes,
"Danta Seth had seven sons and after them came who had all along been watching the poor
Sunâbât. JAI, girl. When they heard her cry they all flew
Over whose head a string of pearls was waved towards her, and one of them asked her why
every morning;
But now all the seven brothers have gone away she was crying. Sunábáf Jai replied:
in a ship leaving her alone, "Danta Seth had seven sons and after them came
And all the seven sisters-in-law ill-trent SunAbai SunfbAt JAI,
JAI.” Over whose head a string of pearls was waved
And she informed them of what her sisters. every morning; But now all the seven brothers have gone away
in-law had set her to do, when forthwith a in a ship leaving her alone,
large flock of sparrows set to work, and And all the seven sisters-in-law ill-treat Sunbat separated the rice from the ddl with their
beaks, making two large separate heaps in no A phard (CT) is oorn-mensure of 16pdya} (argest) or 64 Nro.
