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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1887
years; if he goes on at this rate, how shall This story is told to explain the modern I keep him employed. And when I cannot custom of nailing a handful of hair to a tree find employment for him he will kill me !" in which devils are supposed to dwell to drive Thus he thonght and began to weep. His them away. wife wiped the tears that ran down his face, and said :
XXII.-The Beggar and the Five Muffins. “My dearust husband, you must not lose
In a certain village there lived a poor beggar courage. Get from the Brahmarakshasa all the
and his wife. The man used to go out every work you can and then let me know. I'll
morning with a clean vessel in his hand, give him something that will keep him
return home with rice enough for the day's engaged for a very very long time and then
meal, and thus the pair lived on in extreme he'll trouble us no more."
poverty. But her husband only thought her words to
One day a poor Madhava Brahman invited be meaningless, and followed the Brahmara
them to a feast, and, among Madbavas, khsasa to see what he had done. Sure enough
muffins (tósai) are always a part of the good the thing was as complete as complete could
things on festive occasions. So during the be, so he asked him to plough all bis lands,
feast the beggar and his wife had their fill which extended over twenty villages! This
of muffins. They were so pleased with them was done in two ghaţikas ! He next made
that the woman was extremely anxious to him to dig and cultivate all his dry and garden
prepare some more muffins in her own house, lands. This was done in the twinkling of an
and began to save every day a little rice from eye! The landlord now grew hopeless.
what her husband brought her for the purpose. "What more work have you for me?"
When enough had been thus collected she roared the Brahmarakshasa, as he found that
begged a poor neighbour's wife to give her a his master had nothing for him to do and that
little black pulse, which the latter-praised be the time for his eating him ap was approaching.
her charity-readily did. The faces of the "My dear friend," said he,"my wifo says
beggar and his wife literally glowed with joy she has a little job to give you; do it please
that day, for were they not to taste the longnow. I think that that is the last thing I can
desired muffins a second time ? give you to do and after it in obedience to the
The woman soon turned the rice she had conditions under which you took service with
been saving and the black pulso she had me I must become your prey !
obtained from her neighbour into & paste, At this moment his wife came to them, and mixing it well with a little salt, green holding in her left hand a long hair, which she chillies, coriander seed and curds, set it in a had just pulled out from her head, and said :
pan on the fire; and with her mouth watering "Well, Brahmarakshasa, I have only a very
all the while prepared five muffins! By the light job for you. Take this hair and when time her husband had returned from his collecyou have made it straight bring it back to me." tion of alms, she was just turning out of the
The Brahmarakshasa calmly received it and pan the fifth muffin ! And when she placed sat in a pipal tree to make it straight. He the whole five muffins before him his mouth, rolled it several times on his thigh and lifted it too, began to water. He kept two for himself up to see if it had become straight : but no, it and two he placed before his wife, but what would still bend ! Just then it occurred to him was to be done with the fifth P He did not that goldsmiths, when they want to make understand the way out of this difficulty. That their metal wires straight, have them heated half and half make one and that each could in a fire. So he went to a fire and placed the take two and a half muffins was a question too hair over it, and of course it frizzled up with hard for him to solve. The beloved muffins a nasty smell! He was horrified ! "What must not be torn in pieces; so he said to his will my master's wife say if I do not return wife that either he or she mast take the reher the hair she gave me P” So he became maining one. But how were they to decide mightily afraid and ran away!
which should be the lucky one ?
