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JUNE, 1887.)
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
195
offered themselves to her two eldest daughters, two girls from a poor family for his other sbe gladly accepted them and had the weddings sons, and celebrated the three weddings as celebrated. The last daughter, Suguņi, alone became his position. remained unmarried.
Sugapi was as noble in her conduct as in Vinita was sorely troubled in his heart at her love for her poor cousin. She was never this disappointment, as he never thought that proud or insolent on account of having come his sister would thus look down apon his from & rich family. Nor did she every dispoverty; but, being very sensible, he never regard her husband, or his brothers, or father. interfered and never said a word. The vow of Now Vinita and his sons used to go out his childhood was, however, known to every one, in the mornings to gather dried leaves which and some came to sympathise with him; his three daughters-in-law stitched into plates while others spoke in a criticising tone to (patráva!) which the male members of the Garvi for having broken her promise, because family sold in the baadr for about four paşams her brother had become poor through anfore- each.' Sometimes these leaf-plates would go for seen circumstances. Their remarks fell on more, sometimes for less : but whatever money the dars of Sugupi, who was as yet unmarried, the father-in-law brought home his daughtersand also was a very learned and sensible girl. in-law used for the day's expense. The She foqnd her unclo Vinita extremely courteous youngest of them was Sugani, who spent the and respectful, and his song all persons of money most judiciously and fed her father-in-law virtue and good nature. The thought that her and his sons samptuously. Whatever remained mother should have forgotten all these excellent she partook of with her two poor sisters-in-law, and rare qualities in the presence of fleeting and lived mont contentedly. And the family mammon (asthiraibvarya) vexed her heart very respected Suguņi as a paragon of virtue, and greatly. So, though it is considered most dis- had a very great regard for her. Her parents, respectful for girl in Hindu society to fix as they had threatened, never returned to see apon a boy as her husband, she approached her how their last, and of course once beloved, mother and thus addressed her :
child was doing in her husband's home. Thus ." Mother, I have heard all the story about passed a couple of years. your vow to your brother to marry us-myself One day the king of the town was taking an and my sisters-to his sons, our cousins. But I oil bath, and pulling a ring off his finger, left am ashamed to see that you have unwarrantably it in a niche in the open courtyard. A garuda broken it in the case of my sisters. I cannot (Bråhmani kite) was at that moment describing bear with such shame. I cannot marry any circles in the air and, mistaking the glittering one in the world except one of my three rabies in the ring for flesh, pounced apon it cousins. You must make up your mind to give and flew away. Finding it to be no flesh he me your consent."
dropped it in the house of Sagan's husband. Garvi was astonished to hear her youngest She happened to be alone working in the courtdaughter talk thus to her.
yard, while her sisters-in-law and the others “You wish to marry a beggar p" said she, were in different parts of the honse. So she took "We will never agree to it, and if you persist up the sparkling ring and hid it in her lap. we will give you away to your penniless peuper, Soon afterwards she heard proclamation but we will never see your face again." made in the street that the king had lost a
Bat Sagun persisted. So her marriage valuable ring, and that any person who conld with the youngest son of Vinita was arranged. trace it and give it back to him should obtain He had never spoken word about it to his a great reward. Suguņi called her husband sister, but he had waited to make matches for and his brothers and thus addressed them :his children till all his sister's daughters had “My lord and brothers, kindly excuse me been given away, and when he heard that for having the king's ring. Exactly at midSugami was determined to marry his youngest day a garuda dropped it in our courtyard and son, he was very pleased. He soon fixed upon here it is. We must all go to the king, and
A panam is generally worth two dnds.
