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334
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
SEPTEMBER, 1891.
About this time Bayôbâi attained to puberty, that is she was twelve years old, and was one day walking on the sea-beach, when a great merchant arrived with a ship full of mộtin pôunlin, pearls and rabies. The merchant spied Baybai walking on the sea-beach, and was so enamoured of her beauty that he determined at any cost to get hold of her. So he began to enquire in the neighbourhood if it were possible, but the neighbours said, that they could not tell, that her parents were not at home, and that she was left under the care of a servant. So he sent for Bal@dada, and asked him, too, if he thought whether his mistress would allow his advances, and promised to give Baladada five hundred rupees, and Bayôbâi whatever she asked for. Baladâdê thought this the best opportunity possible of testing her, and went, therefore, running to Bayôbài, said to her : - "Bayőbdi, ék vártá sångtain te diktais ? Bayôbài will you listen to what I have to say ?"
Bayôbâi said she would, but Baladada again said to her : - "Vártá sángén té karsil te sángtain ; If you agree to what I say, I will tell you."
Bayôbâi, little stuspecting what the nature of the talk was to be, agreed to do as he should say. Then Bâlûd adá told her that a great merchant, who had arrived with a ship full of mótin póunlin, pearls and rubies, had told him to ask her whether she would admit his advances and to tell her that if she would, he would give her whatever she asked for.
Bayôbâi, upon this, said: "Ká re, Balidádá, mánza lis bápús gharan ndhin, ani túm aiši vártá kartes ? What, Bâlûdâda, my parents are not at home, and you tell me such a thing as this!"
Bâlûdada then said that if she did not agree he would leave her service and go away. Upon this Bayôbki said ::- “Baran, barani, kabúl hdin, z& tidlá sáng gé tráché hatchar kágal páije aisasin gé ratchani át ráztain tidlá gharan jhéin ani bárá vázliá ků lát márin báir kárin, ani tiáchain motion põunliancham tárin jhéin; Very well, very well, go and tell him that he must give me his word in writing that if I admit him at eight o'clock to-night, and turn him out again as soon as it strikes twelve, I may take his vessel of pearls and rubies."
Bâlâdâdâ immediately went and informed the merchant, and got a document prepared then and there. Then Bayôbâi sent Bâlûdâdâ to the bázár to purchase a lot of vegetables, fish, ghi, and such like things, and he went and brought them home. Punctually at eight o'clock that evening the merchant arrived, and Bayôbâi offered him a seat; and preliminaries being over, she began to cook in order to entertain her guest. She gave Balúdâda his meal as usual, and asked him to sleep in her house for the night; but he refused to do so, and leaving the house went and hid himself near & window, whence he could watch everything that passed. Now as Bayôbâi was cooking she wanted a cocoannt, in searching for which she spent nearly an hour and then another half hour in finding the klitá to break the cocoanut with, and in this way kept on spinning out the time. It was past eleven o'clock by the time she had finished cooking, and then she laid out the supper for the merchant. At supper the merchant was told that he must eat of everything that she might bring, and not rise from the table. Now Bayôbti had prepared so many dishes and so many kinds of sweets, which she brought on the table one by one, that before supper was over the clock struck twelve. Upon this Bayewê called ont to Baludâdâ in a loud voice, thinking he was asleep in his own hut. Our hero, who was close by, ran off at the first call, and came back running from the direction of his hut, growling, or rather pretending to growl, for having been aroused from sleep: - "KA tháilani, ká shúilan, kalá hänkävités ? What is the matter? What is the matter ? Why are you calling me
• Twelve years is generally supposed to be the time when a girl attains her puberty, and not many years ago girls in Salsette Were Varried at that age. The consummation of the marriage, however, did not take place for fow months, say six, and very often for the period of a whole year afterwards, though the wife lived in her husband's house.
