Indian Antiquary Vol 20

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

Page 91

FEBRUARY, 1891.1
the body sticking out of the wall of Ankusetti's house. He at once preferred a complaint before the king, that Ankubetti had killed his comrade. At that time an extremely stupid king, named Mahamudha ('great fool'), reigned over the kingdom of Punganur, who was surrounded by equally stupid ministers; and as soon as the complaint was made, he ordered his servants to arrest Aikusetţi at once, and in due course the poor merchant stood before the king! Said the king: "Why did you raise up a wet wall, and thereby kill a thief???
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA; No. 35.
"Your excellent Majesty !" said the poor merchant. cooly whom I engaged for the repairs built the wall.
"It was not my mistake. The He must account for it. Said the king:
"Why did you,
The cooly was at once summoned and questioned. O cooly, make the wall wet, and thereby cause the death of a man ?"
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Said the cooly:-"Most gracious king! It was not my mistake. me the mud for raising the wall, gave it me mixed with more than the of Fontes
The cooly who handed usual quantity of water." woolly in o
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Why did you give mud.
At once the second cooly too was summoned. Said the king: mixed with an unusual quantity of water, and thereby cause the death of a human being?""
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Said the second cooly:-"Most mighty sovereign! It was not my mistake. The pot from which I was using the water, had a wide mouth, and so while I was engaged in my business, more than the proper quantity fell out and made the mud watery. So the potter who made the pot, is responsible for the mistake."
The potter was at once sent for and questioned. Said the king: you make the mouth of the pot wide, and thereby cause the death of a human being?"
"Potter! Why did
Said the potter: "Most supreme sovereign! It was not my mistake that the mouth! of the pot was so wide. The day on which I was shaping that pot on my wheel, I noticed a dancing-girl passing along the street. My attention was thus diverted. Though my hand was engaged in the work, my mind was absent from it, and the mouth of the put became wide. So she is responsible for the mistake."
The dancing-girl was at once summoned. There was some difficulty at first in finding out the exact girl, but the potter, who had observed her minutely, gave a complete description of her, and she stood before His Majesty. But she had taken care previously to attire herself in her best clothes, and to wear her choicest jewels. Said the king: "Why did you, vile woman, pass by the potter on the day on which he was shaping his pots, and divert his attention, which made the mouth of the pot wide, and thereby indirectly you caused the death of the thief ?" terup una delle uds
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Said the dancing-girl:"Most beautiful king! I had given a jewel to be reset by a goldsmith, and I was proceeding to demand it from him. Had he returned it in time, I would never have left my house. So he is the cause of the death!
The king, who was already pleased by her address, now summoned the goldsmith for his explanation. The goldsmith argued that a small quantity of gold was wanting for the jewel he was resetting, and that he had been very careful to demand it often and often from a Komatţi who traded in the higher metals. As he refused to give it in time; he was delayed in preparing the jewel. The Komatți was at once summoned, and as he belonged to a class of people not generally intelligent, he had no excuse. The king and his ministers at once set him down as the person responsible for causing the death of the thief, and passed orders that he should be driven to the stake, and impaled, for causing the death of the thief!
Thus usually ends the story, to which is generally attached the moral: "Never live in the Kingdom of the Tughlaqs." It is also said that the ministers commented upon the Komatti's stoutness, a peculiarity of the class brought on by want of exercise and sedentary habits, and said that that also shewed he was the proper person for the stake; hence the proverb, Kaluvukketta Komaṭṭi, "the Komatti that suits the stake." insere a guid