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MAY, 1891.]
FOLKLORE IN SALSETTE; No. 9.
183
FOLKLORE IN SALSETTE.
BY GEO. FR. D'PENHA.
No. 9. - The Patel's Youngest Danghter-in-law. The páļala of a certain country had seven sons, six of whom were married, the seventh being yet young. The wives of the six brothers brought with them little or no dowry, but when the youngest son married, bis wife brought several hundred rupees' worth of jewellery.
Now it happened that, with the exception of the youngest daughter-in-law, the whole of the pagel's family were an indolent lot, and thus had to dispose of what little property they owned, and also the few jewels that the daughters-in-law had, to bay provisions and other necessaries. But the youngest daughter-in-law, who was wise and the only industrious person in the family, saw to what a pass they had come, and hit upon a plan. She went to her father-in-law, and thus said to him:
"Father, we have already lost everything through oar la ziness. Let us do something to get out of this wretched way of living. I propose to dispose of the jewellery, which my father has given me in dowry, and see what we can do with the proceeds."
The old påtal, who could suggest no other alternative, agreed to the proposal of his youngest daughter-in-law. So they took a portion of her jewellery, and, going to a goldsmith yot it weighed, and sold it for what value the goldsmith set upon it. She next went to the lezer and bought some rice, spices, and such like other necessities, and then proceeded to wash the rice before grinding it into flour, and asked the other women to help her; but they all refused, sume on the plea that their children were crying, others that they had to attend to some other work, and so on. At last, with the help of her husband and father-in-law, she managed to wash the rice, to spread it out on mats in the sun to dry, and afterwards, when dry, to collect and bring in the house. She had now to grind the rice into flour, and so she again asked the others to help her, but met with the same refusal. The old man and her husband again lent tlieir help, and she did the grinding of the rice. In this way she made their food last theni for some days, while she had still a good sum of money left. Now, it struck her that, if they continued so idle, the provisions would soon be finished, and in a short time also the inoney that remained would have to be spent, and they would once more have nothing to eat. She, therefore, made the following suggestion to her father-in-law : -
"Come, father, we will take a few labourers, and, going to a jungle, we will fell some trees und sell them as firewood, and I'm sure it will well repay our trouble."
The father-in-law, who loved her more than any of the others for her kindness and industry, at once gave his consent. So one day, having Atted out a ship, taking with her her husband, father-in-law, and some labourers, she sailed through a river, and came to a large forest. There she got felled several trees, with which, after they were dried, she filled the ship, and came back home.
One day a great merchant was passing by the pátel's house and saw the great heap of firewood. Being in need of firewood, the merchant inquired to whom it belonged, and having been told that it belonged to the patsi, he went to his house and asked him if he would sell the firewood. The pájél, as previously instructed by his youngest daughter-in-law, said : -
"No, no; we are not going to sell the firewood. The rains are fast approaching, and we shall want it all to ourselves.”
1 I take this opportunity of stating that, in my contributions of Folklore in Salsette, I have, when alluding to the people, called them " Selette Christians," but they are not to be mistaken for the "Bombay Portuguese," by which term are understood the “Goanese," and these latter have no connection with the Polklore in Salsette. The Native Christians of Bombay and Salsette, including Bassein, now call themselves "Bombay East Indians," and in my future contributions I shall call them as such, 6. e." East Indians."
* Until lately the palal was considered a person of great importance, and was respected and feared by all.
