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DECEMBER, 1886.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
377
though she was, as she was afraid that silence could be said to be really restored. For this would mean burial in the well
she propitiated the boon-conferring goddess “Kind and noble gentleman! I am too weak Varalakshmi, and then sbe sneezed, when to tell you the whole story. I am a lady born lo! there dropped from her nostrils seven of noble parents and have come to this wretched precious gems! She called to Govinda and condition through my sins in a former life. If addressed him thus:you will kindly take me up, regard me as one "My respected Govinda, my kind protector, of your daughters, and restore me to health, I I have to trouble you still more. These seven shall reward you amply."
gems has Varalakshmi just given me. Take The neatherd, whose name was Govinda, six for yourself, convert the seventh one into was a man of very kind disposition, and his money, and buy some cows. Milk all the cows heart melted at the idea of calamity befallen morning and evening, boil down the whole of one of the fair sex born of noble parents. So the milk into only two measures, and give them he got down into the well, took Gangbåt up,
to me." and shed tears to see so noble a form cruelly The neatherd took the gems, locked six of deprived of eyes and hair, and suffering from them in his box and went with the seventh to cruel tortures from needles.
the básár. When he showed it to the gem“Cover my body with your cloth," said the assayers they estimated its value at seven lákhs princess," and take me to your home at once. of mohars, for which enormous sum he disposed I greatly fear my enemy may watch me and of it to a rich merchant. He could have purtry to kill me again."
chased all the cows in Sivapuri for that amount, So the neatherd, trembling at her words, but instead of doing so, he bought only a han. took her home in haste. As soon as the princess dred fine milch cows, and brought home the felt herself safe in the house of the kind neat- other portion of the money. Govinda truth. herd, she spoke to him thus :
fully told what he had done to Gangåbåt, and "My respected protector, my father,-for 80 she was delighted at his uprightness. The do I regard you for taking me out of the well, neatherd, for his part, now began to regard her I am & princess and a virtuous lady. This is as a goddess. The milk of the one hundred enough for you to know for the present. More cows he boiled 'down into two measures as I shall relate to you after I recover from my directed, and placed them before her morning pain. If you begin to pull out the needles as and evening. She used this milk in her food I am, I should die, I think, before half a dozen and daily improved in health, were removed. You will do better by cooking We must here leave GangAbal under the rice in a large vessel, emptying it on the ground, kind protection of our neatherd, and turn to and holding me over the steam while you pull | inquire about her other sisters. It has been them out. Keep on doing this till the last already said that all the four sisters fell into a needle is removed, and I shall get well." swoon, when the old woman applied the oil to
The princess then closed her lips, and her their heads. Gaugabât only was removed to body was like that of one in deep slumber. Kurudi's palace, while the other three conThe neatherd, who already respected the
tinued insensible for three days, coming to princess for the majesty of her form, now their senses on the fourth morning. What began the treatment according as she had said. was their astonishment when they missed their That so noble a creature should have come to eldest sister and the old woman! They began vuoh oalamity, aroused in his heart greater and to suspeot their husband. greater pity. The treatment went on for a week,
"Has our lord played this triok upon us to during which, now and then, Gangabat would take our eldest sister to his palace at Sivapurl relate to the old neatherd, who never left her and to leave us all here, in everlasting banish, had aide, parts of her story. Thus by degrees ment? Shan't we be angry with him when Govinda came to know the whole of it. The he comes For our siater will never forget ne, princess, too, recovered, except that her eyes and will soon bring him back." were gone, and her head still shaven. These Thus resolved they in their minds, and, being defeots had to be remedied before her health very innocent and timid, passed their days
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