Indian Antiquary Vol 17

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

Page 89

MARCH, 1888.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA.
79
The youth went in, but was surprised to see and smacking his lips in anticipation of the woman weeping and sighing bitterly as she his favourite meal, when the brave prince made her bread.
dexterously hurled a number of cakes at " What ails you, good mother P" cried he in his feet and as he stooped to eat them he a kind voice. Tell me the canse of your grief, crept unperceived under his body and planged and I shall do my best to help you."
his sharp bright knife right into his Upon this the old woman said—“A fierce heart! The monster fell back with a groan, ogre has long infested this part of the country, and the prince, stepping aside, plunged his and of late he had been spreading his ravages knife again and again into his body before far and wide, and our king being unable to cope he had time to recover from his consternation, with bim was obliged to enter into an agree- and after a sharp encounter succeeded in ment to supply him with a cart-load of sweet | putting him to death. He then opened wheaten cakes, a couple of goats, and a young the ogre's large month, and cutting off his man every day, in consideration of which the tongue and severing his tail from his body ogre leaves the rest of the inhabitants un- he tied them up in a bundle, made full speed molested. Now the king finds the cakes and towards tho old woman's house, and feeling the goats himself, but calls upon the inhabi- very tired, soon fell fast asleep in her verandah. tants to supply the young men, and so each The next morning, when the cart-men went family has to give one every day. To-night it back with their bullocks to fetch the carts as is my turn, and I must send my dear son to be was their wont. they were surprised to s devoured by this monster.” So saying the old the goats unhurt, the man missing, and the ogre creature barst into a flood of tears.
lying dead at some distance. - Don't weep, my good woman," said the Now the king of the country had issued prince kindly, “but listen to what I say; let a proclamation some time previously to the me go to the ogre to-night in place of your effect that he would give half his kingdom son, and by the help of Isvara I shall kill the and his daughter in marriage to any one who monster."
would kill the ogre, so the cart-men thought But the old woman's son, who was also a that, as chance had thrown this opportunity of brave fellow, would not bear of a stranger enriching themselves in their way, they should sacrificing himself, as he thought, to save his make the most of it, and determined, therefore, life, so an altercation took place between them, to go and tell the king that they had killed which lasted till midnight, when the king's the ogre and claim the promised reward. guards came up to the door and demanded So they put a hundred pairs of ballocks toher son of the old woman.
gether and dragged the huge monster towards The young prince, however, shut him up in a the king's palace, and loudly proclaimed before room, and opening the door rushed out and the assembled court that they had killed him joined the guards. They soon mounted him by the sheer force of arms. upon one of the carts they had brought with The king, however, disbelieved their story them full of provisions, and binding him hand and asked them to produce the weapons with and foot drove away.
which they had fought the ogre and deprived When they arrived at the spot where they him of his life. nsually left the ogre's meal they stopped, and The poor swains were non-plussed at this, and unyoking the oxen went away with them, leav- for a time they could say nothing. At last one of ing the young man there with the goats and
man there with the goats and them mustered up courage to say “I wounded the cakes in the carts.
him with my knife, Maharaj, while my They had hardly gone a few yards when the friend here thrashed him with his elab and clever youth managed to extricate one of his between us two we managed to despatch him." arms from the cords with which they were tied, | “And will you show me the wonderful and pulling out a sharp knife from his pocket knife with which you killed such a monster ?" cut all the cords and set himself free. He then said the king. got out of the cart and hid himself under it. The cart-man thereupon drew out of his Presently the ogre came foaming at the mouth girdle & rusty old blade and showed it to the