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AUGUST, 1887.)
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
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as the minister's son, and could imitate his When he had stored all his treasure there handwriting very well.
he changed his dress, and disguised as an The reply ran thus :
Arab, went through all the stables in the place “My dear wife.- Many thanks for your in search of fast and sound horses. After great affectionate letter. I had heard all about the difficulty he procured two very fine asvaratnas," mansion from my father, even before your letter which could gallop at the rate of two kós a came, and suspected something. Some devil ghasikd" for a whole week, without taking any has surely told your father of our arrange- food or drink. Such horses could not be had mente, but I am not a man to be discouraged at all times, and it was by good fortune that by such mishaps. Get your father to place you the Tukkuttûkki chanced on them. He paid in the fourteenth room, from which I will Rs. 50,000" for them, and hired two grooms arrange to take you on the sixth day hence to take care of them. He also spent nearly Only you must give me what assistance I need Rs. 25,000 in saddling and ornaments. He through this fool. Fool though he is, still yon paid something for the paraiyas" and the reshould be very glad of his help now, and send maining Rs. 25,000 he spent in buying a rope through him a lákh of rupees to pay for our ladder and a rare kind of saw. journey. The next letter will give you the After securing all these things, he wrote the necessary particulars. Your husband to be following letter to the princess :Ramachandra."
"Dear Wife, -I really admire onr TûkkutWith a perfect freedom, and a perfect imitatakki. Though he is a most stupid fellow, he tion of Ramachandra's handwriting, did the has somehow managed to bring the lakh of Tûkkuttákki forge this letter. He then sealed rupees that you so kindly sent me in safety. it, safely knotted it in his handkerchief, and I have bought two of the finest horses, which putting it under his arm, returned to the prin can go day and night at the rate of two kôs & cess before midday. He arrived laughing, and ghatika. I send through our fool a rope ladder told her how many times the minister's son and a saw. For the saw alone I had to pay kissed her letter containing the questions, and more than Rs. 20,000, for it is a magical one, how delighted he was to receive it. This made and never makes any noise even if you cut the princess anxious to see the reply; but the iron with it. It is made of adamant, and Tukkuttûkki would not give it up, telling her can saw through the hardest iron in less than how uncharitable it was of her and of the two seconds. On the fifth evening, I will go minister's son to suspect him so much. For to East King's Street, that is just opposite Ramachandra, he said, had also told him half to the large topmost window of your mansion. a-dozen times to be careful about the reply. At the tenth ghatika of the night, when all are But in the end he untied all the knots, and sound asleep, you must get up without any gave the letter to the impatient princess. noise, saw through the window and cast the
The princess read the letter and danced for rope ladder towards the horses. I shall be joy. She kissed it more than a hundred times; 1 there to catch it, and you must then descend and, going inside her room, called the Täkkut- by it, and we shall both be off on our horses in no têkki to her, and asked him to swear not to say time! Within the next five days send down to a word about the letters to anyone. She then me as much money as possible for our expenses. packed up in small bandles the lakh of rupees I will also, without the knowledge of my that Ramachandra wanted and told him to father, bring something as well. Your affectake them down one by one to her lover. Astionate husband, Ramachandra," TAkkuttakki was doing this for himself, ho The Takkattûkki closed the letter, and tied it managed it with all despatch in this way. He up in his usual manner. In another handkerhad been a regalar customer to an old woman chief he tied up the saw and the ladder, who sold sweetmeats in Dharapura; and so and returned to Chandramakhi with them all. procured a room in her house and put the As soon as he approached the princess he money in it.
kept on smiling, and so she beckoned him 10 Gems of horses.
13 Half a Vikh of rupees. 11 About 12 miles an hour.
Low-caste servants who set as grooms: parishs.
