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JULY, 1887.]
THE TROUBLESOME FRIEND.
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barked." They immediately started for their "You laugh," he said to them all, “but prefather's palace, and the day after their return sently you will repent of your laughter. See, the king summoned the whole populace to a in each of these dung-cakes there is a ruby, grand meeting to witness the appointment whose price is beyond value." And he broke of his successor to the throne.
open one of the cakes and let fall a ruby. Accordingly there was an immense gather- "Look here, look here, look here," he shouting. The king attended by all his court sat in ed several times and each time broke one of state, and the people crowded round on all the dung-cakes and let fall & ruby! Then all sides. Then the princes were summoned be the people wondered. fore his Majesty and the people, to show their "I have never seen such rubies before," wealth and tell their experience. First came said the king. "Truly their value cannot be the eldest prince, who in a load voice declared estimated. This my youngest son has got what he had done, and what fortune had more wealth than the other two princes and I attended him. Afterwards came the second and all the people put together. He shall be prince and did likewise. And when the people king." heard their words they cried, "Let him be “Yes, yes. Let him be king!" was the reply king. Let him be king." But when the of the whole assembly, and after this they youngest prince appeared and showed his piles were dismissed to their homes. of dung-cakes the king and all the people Not long afterwards the old king died and laughed at him and told him to go.
was cremated; and the youngest prince reigned "Be not hasty, O my father," he said; and in his stead, while the other two princes were then he turned and frowned on the people. appointed to the two chief positions under him.
THE TROUBLESOME FRIEND. BY THE REV. J. HINTON KNOWLES, F.R.G.S., M.R.A.S., &o. A KASMIRI STORY.
If he says, "Never mind. You can cook someA muqaddam" became very friendly with thing else for me, tell him that you dare not another man of his village, who eventually do so shameful a thing without your husband's proved to be such a mercenary individual that permission. Bo very civil to him, but do not he determined to get rid of him. But this give him any food." was easier said than done, for a very close When the man came the woman did as her friendship had sprung up between them, and he husband had advised. did not wish to seriously offend his friend, as "I am sorry, Sir," she said, "that the muqadhe had revealed to him too much of his own dam is out. If he were here, he would unprivate affairs. At last he hit on the follow- doubtedly kill & cock for you." ing plan :
“Why are you sorry?" he said, "It does "Wife," said he, “this man will certainly not matter if your husband is out. I am here, call just as we are sitting down to dinner, in and I am not ashamed to kill & cock." the hope that he, also, will get something to "Never," said the woman. “If my husband eat. I will go out now, but will come back heard of such a thing, he would be very angry later on to eat my food. Keep a little by with me. Please do not bother, but go and you and put the rest aside; and when he come again at some other time, when the comes, tell him that we have finished our meal. muqaddam is in."
P. 78.
It is enquired ante, Vol. XV. p. 167, Why are Kaimiris 80 fond of ship" stories P (i.) Perhaps the extensive communications carried on by boat in the Kuimtr Valley is responsible for much of the ides. (i.) Undoubtedly, too, the Sindibid tales have somewhat in: fuenced the people, who are constantly reading and repeating them. Very few Kasmirls have seen the sea or ship, but they often enquire about the bod samundar (great sea) and the badl jahds (the great shipa), that sail upon it. The Tibetans also have sos stories. (vido Tibetan Talos),
• The younger or youngest son is sometimes most fortunate-perhaps & recompense for his position in the family, which is one of inferiority and therefore of poverty (in some cases). ---C1. Folk-lore Journal, Vol. IV.
Told me by shawl-weaver in Srinagar City, • The chief man of a village. • Which probably were not in very satisfactory condition. The real oppressors of the people are these muqaddams and those immediately above them, who can do very much what they like.
