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JUNE, 1887.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
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young man, and loved to indulge in wild and weary. At last he reached a stream of fresh pranks, much to the annoyance of every one water, on the banks of which he sat down to connected with him. His chief delight was rest himself. No sooner had he done so than in teasing and worrying his sisters-in-law, who, there appeared before him, to his great surhowever, dared not complain against him prise, an old man of a venerable and holy for fear of incurring the displeasure of their aspect. The lad threw himself on his knees husbands' parents, who loved their youngest before the saint and begged for his blessing son very fondly. For this reason they were with tears in his eyes. The holy man had pity No tired of him that they were always wishing on him and said kindly :he would marry and turn into a sober, steady “Tell me, young man, how I can be of service young man, like his elder brothers.
to you?" One day, as he was indulging in his wild The youth told him how he was bent upon pranks and playing his tricks upon his sisters obtaining the hand of Rânt Jhajhani in mar. in-law rather too freely, one of them cried out riage, and how, with that view, he had been impatiently :--
wandering for months without getting the "I wish this young rogue were married, for least clue as to the whereabouts of the lovely I am sure he wonld be ashamed of behaving lady, and finished by begging of the saint to himself like this in the presence of a wife." put him in the way of finding her out.
"Married !" said another sneeringly. "I "What !" said the old man in surprise." You should like to know how he could get married ! aspire to the hand of Ranf Jhajhanf ! It is There is not a girl in the universe that he ntterly impossible for a mortal, such as you, to considers fit to be his wife, for has he not reach her palace. Look there, do you see those rejected offers from the parents of the prettiest mountains far away on the horizon? They girls that ever the sun shone upon ? It may be are very large and high, and you will have to that he aspires to the hand of Rani Jhajhani, cross them one by one before you reach the the paragon of beanty."
Rani's palace. But this is quite impossible, Now this Rini Jhajhani was a fairy princess, for you must know that these are not mounthe fame of whose beauty had travelled far tains in reality, but giants guarding the fairy and wide, and who was always held up as a princess, whom you seek to marry, and they pattern of all the feminine graces. This was will devour you the instant you venture within the first time, however, that the young man their reach. So take an old man's advice, had heard of her, and he was seized with an return to your parents, and give up all ardent desire to find her out and marry her, if thoughts of obtaining a fairy for your wife." only to spite his sisters-in-law.
But the young man was too brave to be He accordingly went to his parents and deterred by such dangers, and said :begged hard of them to be allowed to go in "For the sake of Rani Jhajhani I am ready search of the fairy Râni Jhajhani, saying that he to fight even these formidable giants, only would die for love of her if they thwarted his show me the way to her palace and I shall wishes in the matter. His father did his best remain ever grateful to you." to dissuade him from going on such a wild- "Very well-then," said the holy man, "since goose chase, since, being a fairy, she was inac- you are bent on your rain, I cannot help you. cessible to a mortal; but the young man was Come with me and I will lead you a part of firm, and would not listen to reason, and soon the way, for I dare not traverse all of it." succeeded in obtaining the consent of his The young man followed him till they came parents to go in search of his fairy love. to a narrow passage, at the and of which lay
Accordingly, one fine day, he took leave of stretched the first of the giants guarding the all bis friends and relations and set out on his fairy. The sage left him there and at parting perilons adventure. For several days he once more advised him to give up his mad travelled on and on, without stopping, till at exploit, but the youth was firm, and the sage last his horse died ander him from sheer therefore parted from him in great sorrow. fatigue. Nothing daunted, however, he conti- As soon as the old man had departed the nued his journey on foot till he was foot-sore youth began to look about him and found to
