Indian Antiquary Vol 16

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 41

JANUARY, 1887.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
29
"How did you like your moonlight excursion her relief and save her from such disgrace. last night?” she asked.
When, however, the youngest Rani heard of “Oh, immensely !" replied the Râņi, "how this cruel sentence, she felt sorely grieved at brightly the moon shone, how very pleasant it what she considered her husband's unjustifiable was, and how pretty the market place looked I" severity, and her spirit revolted at the idea of
“Indeed! and what did you see there, my another person suffering for a fault committed dear ?" asked her co-wife.
by her; so she nobly resolved to make a clean "Such pretty confectioners' shops with the breast of it to the Raja, to assure him of her sweetmeats so temptingly displayed."
cowife's innocence, and to tell him that if he "Oh indeed !" said the wily woman, smack- wanted to see justice done he had better sell ing her lips in anticipation of the great dis- her in the niarket-place, instead of the elder grace that awaited her rival," and what saw Rani. When the Rajâ heard this, he was you next, my dear? Do tell me."
greatly exasperated, though he could not "At a very pretty stall," she said, "I saw a belp admiring the noble conduct and love of man selling pán leaves and betel nuts and justice of his beloved wife. He therefore
"And you purchased none of the good forthwith revoked the harsh order, and set the things P” exclaimed the other interrupting her. elder Råņi free. But he thought he might as
“To be sure, I did," was the reply, "I well make an example of the guilty one, 80 as bought some sweetmeats at one shop, some to detor others from doing what she had done, • pan lon ves at another, and"
and socordingly ordered it to be proclaimed "And I and! comel, what next " cried out thoughout the city that the RAJA's youngest the Raja, unable to restrain himself any longer, wife, being found guilty of disobeying the while the wife, of whose faithlessness he now commands of her lord, was sentenced to stand felt convinced, waxed so eloquent, "what else in the market-place, baried up to her waist in a did you do "
pit dug for the purpose, and that whoever Alled. "Nothing more," replied the young lady the pit up to the brim with gold, was to have promptly and quite unabashed, "My eyes her. By fixing snch an enormous price on her, opened just as I left the pán-seller's stall and the Rájá flattered himself that he would never of course I found it was all a dream!"
be able to get any ono to boy her, but that the "A dream !" repeated the Raja, going up to degradation and insult to which she would thus her, "you have been speaking all this time of be subjected would tame her haughty spirit, a dream, and this jealous woman," he said, and make her more submissive to him in shaking his fiat at the other Rani, who was future. So the next morning the young Rani quite taken aback at the presence of mind was led away to the market place, and buried displayed by her young rival, and this up to ber waist in the ground. The poor jealous woman would lead me to believe you creature had no alternative but to stand there were really in the habit of wandering about and allow herself to be stared at by every by moonlight P Away with her to prison at passer-by. Beautiful though she was, she had once !" and in spite of all her protestations of to stand thus exposed for a considerable time, innocence, the poor woman was taken out of as the heavy price set upon her deterred people the room.
from coming forward to purchase her. The Rijâ was so enraged with her that he At last, when she was almost despairing of forthwith went to his own palace, and issued being released, and wished rather to die than to orders to the town-crier to proclaim through go back to the Rajâ whom she now hated for out the city that one of the Raja's wives was his shameful treatment of her, & yonng man, to be sold the next morning in the market- who appeared to be a stranger to the place, place, with all the jewellery apon her, for a walked up to where she was standing, and iá kh and a quarter of rupees. The poor Rani inquired of those around who the beautiful was very much distressed to hear of this order lady was, and why she was exposed like in her prison, and wished death would come to that in the market-place. On being made
FThis part
the tale is comparable with & well-known story in the 1lif Laila.-ED.]