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JUNE, 1887.)
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
193
One day while he was away on some busi- mango, which, however, was so large and beaunags, Kani KobAi entered the room and tearing tifal that on coming down he showed it to his the ball of flowers to pieces threw it away. master with great delight. Great was the sorrow of the youth when he "This mango is the best of all that this tree returned to see his favourite flowers gone. He has borne, my good man," said his master, questioned the servants about them, but could "take it home and I am sure you and your get nothing out of them. After a few days, wife will enjoy it greatly." however, happening to go out into the garden The man went home and gave the beautiful he saw the petals of some flowers lying under ripe fruit to his wife who proceeded to cut it. his window. He was so charmed with their Jast, however, as she laid the knife on it a fragrance that he ordered a chair to be placed child's voice from within was heard to say: on the spot, and sat there gazing rapturously at "Be careful, mamma, or you'll hurt me." them. In a short time, however, he was sur The woman shrieked with terror at this exprised to find a sweet-scented herb growing traordinary occurrence, and threw down the out of the petals. He liked it so that he would mango. But her husband took it up and cut sit there for days together inhaling the fra- it open with great care, when lo! a pretty little grance of it. Kini Kôbât watched this, and girl popped out of it, and stood before them. growing as jealous of the fragrant herb as she The gardener and his wife were overjoyed at had been of the ball of flowers, she one day seeing her, and felt sare, that as they had not tore it up by the roots and boiled it in a been blessed with any children, Iswar had in quantity of water. She then took the mess to this miraculous manner given them a child the farthest end of the garden, and poured it to gladden their hearts in their old age. into a deep hole dug in the ground.
Fearing lost somebody else should claim her, When the young man found the herb also the old people lodged her in a secluded part of gone he was beside himself with grief and their house and brought her up as their own wandered about in the garden every day in the daughter. The girl grow so rapidly that in a hope of finding at least a fragment of the plant few months' time she was a full-grown woman, he loved so well, when one day his attention the light and joy of the poor occupants of the was attracted by # magnificent mango-tree cottage, who made much of her. which he saw growing at one end of it, and so | Now it happened that ever since the day the much was he charmed with the beauty of it that merchant's son gave the mango to the gardener, he was loath to leave the spot where it grew. the gardener's cottage had such fascination for So he got a summer-house built for him under him that he left his favourite seat under the its shade and his chief delight was to sit there mango tree and began roaming round the humenjoying the refreshing odour of its blossoms. ble abode. He was at & loss to understand In a few days' time the tree bore a fine crop of what it was that attracted him, till one day he fruit, which ripened into extraordinarily large happened to see a beautiful young lady very and beautiful mangoes. So the old merchant much like his own Rani Jhajhant at one of the had them distributed amongst all his friends windows, She drew her head in just as their and servants, who all declared that they had | eyes met, and the young man, after waiting for never tasted such mangoes before. One even- some time in the hope that she would return ing, however, after the tree had been stripped once more to the window, sent for the gardener of nearly all its fruit, while the poor heart and questioned him narrowly as to who the fair broken youth was sitting under its shade, one lady was and what had brought her to his house. of the gardener's approached him and said, that, "She is my own daughter, Maharaj !" he though each and all of his brother-servants had said, joining his hands together in supplica& mango or two given them, he was the only tion. one who had not had his share. Upon this his "You were never known to have any chil. young master ordered him to go up the tree dren, my man, and how come you to have a and take as many as he could find there. The daughter now P" said his master, "you have gardener climbed the tree and after & great nothing to fear from me. Only tell me who deal of search succeeded in finding only one she is and where she has come from."
