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APRIL, 1891.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
147
thought there must be some connection with Bapkhadi and the children, and ordered the six sisters to explain it. They at first hesitated to disclose the facts, but, when they saw that the prince was determined, they revealed the whole story :- How when the first son was born they shut Bapkhadi's eyes and took and buried the child alive under a súyá tree, and substituted in its place an Orônta; how when the second son was born they substituted a bõvátrú, and buried the child alive under an áiśá tree; and lastly, how when the daughter was born she was buried alive in the Church, and in her place a nóváli was put. Upon this the prince embraced the children and also Bapkhadi, and asked her why she did not tell this story long ago, even though she was thrown into a dungeon. Bapkhîdi said that as her eyes used to be bandaged at her confinernent she knew nothing and hence her silence. The prince acknowledged the three children as his own, ordered them at once to be bathed, and afterwards got them handsomely dressed. Bapkhadi, also, was restored to her former position, and was again clothed and covered with jewellery
For the six sisters of Bapkhadi the anger of the prince knew no buunds. Having dispossessed thom of all their handsome clothes and jewellery, he ordered their hair and noses to be cut off, and having seated them on donkeys, banished them from the country. The donkeys galloped on and on for several hours, when the sisters said: "Gártá, gáruci, konsi vál; Donkey, donkey, which way p" • The donkeys replied: -"Chalá athari, túmché kartun í mchi ilod!; On, on, for yoar wrongs we have to suffer!"
After this the prince and, Bapkhadi, and their children lived very happily to a very old age, even after he had succeeded his father as king.
NOTES AND QUERIES. COLD RICE.
the morning rice. Here is one comparing cold The children's breakfast in Southern India oon
rice to Vishnu :sists usually of cold rioo, being the remains of the
जले शयानं जगदेकवन्य supper overnight soaked by the lady of the house,
विशेषतः प्रातरुपासनीयं । er & servant, in good drinking-water. Rioe thus treated will keep good for three or four days.
अलभ्यदातारमनिन्द्यकीति
पुरातनं पुण्यकृती लभन्ते ।। The first thing the Hindu child does after getting up, is to wash its teeth and face, and, if a
This may be freely translated thus: "It is only
the meritorious that obtain the boon of PuraBrahman, to repeat the prdtah-sandhyd-vandana, or morning ablution prayer, and then to eat the
tana, who sleeps on the water, who is worshipped cold rice breakfast, rendered palatable with ginger,
by the whole world, who is specially to be attend. pepper, lime, oranges, green chillies and other
ed to in the early morning, who is the giver of the oondiments. This style of breakfast is said to
unobtainable, and who is of unspotted fame." tend to good health, and is kept up usually till 15 There are pans and allusions here. Puratana or 16 years of age;. but many continue through. means Vishnu (the ancient one) as well as cold out life the taste thus acquired:
rice, and he is specially worshipped in the Children generally sit round their mother or
morning. some female elder of the house, with palms stretch- Another runs as follows: - od out to receive the welcome ball of rice, and
विशालकदलीदले विलसमभागे स्थितं are not uncommonly joined by older members of
निरन्सरधिनुतं लिकुचनीरममाकम् । the family.
वरांगि तब केलिजश्रमनिवृत्तये कारण The morning noe is generally prepared in one vessel for soaking, and transferred to another
पुरातनमुपास्महे जलजबान्धवस्वोदये। before we, and then mixed with salt and some A free tranglation would be :times spices.
"O lady, I go to my cold rice, which is served Many verses exist in South India in praise of in the front half of the plantain-leaf, and mixed
