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OCTOBER, 1887.)
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
297
the town. He had been fasting from the nutmeg and made in the platter! These acts morning, and a grand feast was prepared for made his assistant strongly suspect the real him in the house of the next senior official, nature of the new 'Amildar; but then there which Gundappa entered to dine and take rest. was the order of the king, and it must be He there informed the officials that he would obeyed! Gundappa next asked his assistant be at the office at the 25th ghatiká of the to go on in advance of him to the office, evening. From the way in which he issued saying that he would be there himself in a the order all thought that he was really an ghafikd. The assistant accordingly left a able man, and that he had come in the guise messenger to attend on the '&mildar, and being of a simple priest in order to find out the real very anxious to see things in good order left state of his district. So every officer went his house for the office. home, bathed, ate his meal in haste and Gundappa now remembered the three bits of attended at the office.
advice given by the king, the first of which The chief assistant took the 'ámilddr to was that he should always put on when in office, his house, and entertained his guest is became a black countenance. Now be understood the his position. Gundappa, being a priest, was word "black" in its literal sense and not in . very good eater, for 'never for a day in his its allegorical one of "frowning," and so, going Kife he had spent money out of his own pocket into the kitchen he asked for a lump of charcoal on meals, so what reason had he to enquire paste. When this was ready he blackened the about the price of provisions? It was at whole of his face with it, and covering his the expense of others he had grown so fat! face with his cloth, -as he was ashamed to show After doing more than full justice to all the it-entered the office. With his face thus good things, much to the secret amusement of blackened and partly covered with a cloth the his host and assistant, Gandappa rose up from new 'Amilddr came and took his sent. Now his food, and washed his hands. He then and then he would remove the cloth from his wanted betel-leaves, thongh to ask for these eyes to see how his officers were working, and before the host offers them is very impolite.meanwhile all the clerks and others present Bat his subordinate interpreted it as an order were laughing in their sleeves at the queer from a master and brought the platter con- conduct of their chief. taining the necessary nutmog, mace, nuts, The evening was drawing to a close, and leaves, and chunam (lime).
there were certain orders to be signed. So Where is the dakshinal next asked the taking them all in his hand the asgistant ap'&mildar. His host did not quite understand proached the 'dmildar and stood at a respectful whether this was meant in earnest or in distance. Gandappe, however asked him to joke, but before he could solve the question come nearer, and nearer the assistant came. in his mind :
"Still nearer," said Gundappe, and nearer "Where is the dakshina P" reiterated the still came the assistant. 'ámildar, and his assistant, thinking that his 'The second bit of advice from the king now new superior was prone to taking bribes, at rushed into the 'amildár's mind that he should once brought a bag containing 500 mohars and bite the ears of his officials when he enquired placed it in the platter. Now, a dakshina to a into State affairs, and as Gundappa's -want of Brahman is not usually more than a couple sense always made him take what was said of rupees; but should an 'dmiladr ask for literally, he opened his mouth and bit the ear one his assistant would naturally mistake him, of his assistant, while in a mufied voice he and think he was hinting at a bribe !
asked him whether all his people enjoyed full Gundappa,greatly pleased at a princely dakshi- prosperity! The assistant, now in very fear of na such as he had never seen before in all his his life, roared out that all the people were in life, at once opened the bag and counted out the fullest. prosperity. But Gundappa would every gold piece in it, carefully tying them up not let go his er till the poor assistant had in hiş bundle. He then began to chew his roared out the answer more than twenty times. betel, and at one gulp swallowed up all the The assistant's ear soon began to swell
• Dakshina (fee given in donation to Brdhmens) is ordinarily given to prieste after feasting them.
