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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1892.
some hesitation sle said “The six girls, whom your brothers have taken to live with you, are the daughters of a demon, and he eats men. When he comes back he will devour all the six princes." "Is there any way of escapep” asked the prince. “Well!" she answered, "If you get hold of the horses of the demon and cross the ocean at & single jump you can escape. To-morrow make a pretence of going out to hunt and do this. They did so, and just as they were jumping across the ocean the demon rushed up and seized hold of the hind legs of the horse, on which the youngest prince was mounted. Then the handmaid called out to her lover "Take your sword and cut off the hind legs of the horse and you will escape." The young prince did so, and the demon was left behind, and they crossed the ocean in safety. When they got over, the daughters of the demon asked, “How did you manage to escape our father P" "By doing as the maid, who was with me, told me to do," replied the Prince, who could not keep the secret. Then the demon's daughters fell on the maid and tore her to pieces.
"By this," said the parrot princess, "you may learn that a man is never to be trusted." "Now, what have you to say?" asked the king of the parrot prince.
"Well," he replied, "there was once a Raja, who married a Ráni, and was bringing her home in a litter. By chance he got separated from his followers, and as they were going along the Râni was suddenly taken sick and died. The Râjâ took her corpse out of the litter and laid it on a river bank. Seeing this dreadful sight the bearers all ran away. The Raja sat down by the corpse, and began to sing Ram ndmi. The God Mahaded, who generally lives in solitary places, came up and asked the Râjâ why he was lamenting. He told Mahade of the misfortune that had fallen on him. “If I bring the Râni to life, will you surrender half your life P" Asked Mahâdê8. "I agree," said the Râjâ. So Mabade8 poured a little water on the Rint out of his jar (leamandal) and the Râni came to life again. Mahad88 went away and the Raja and Rani lay down to rest. While the Raja slept a merchant (mahdjan) came up with a horse laden with gold mohars, and the faithless Râni abandoned the Râjâ, who had saved her life, and ran away with the merchant."
"By this," said the parrot prince, "you may learn that all women are faithless."
Then the Raja, who was trying the cause gave his decision-"Men as well as women," said he, “have their faults and the best thing you can do is to get married."
And so they were married and ruled their two parrot kingdoms for many a year in happiness.
NOTES AND QUERIES: SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT ANIMALS IN MADRAS. Kito there is a tradition among the Hindus of
It is considered one of the greatest sins that a Southern India, that the bird serves as the vdha. man can commit to kill a cow or taste its flesh: nam (vehicle) of Vishnu, and on Sundays he is and it is also laid down that to eat curde, ghi,
supposed to ride on it in the morning. Hence and honey together is an equal sin.
the Brahmans especially anxiously look out for it
on Sunday mornings, in order to pay their respects When cattle oross your path it is considered
to Vishnu, through his sacred bird. On seeing a sin to pass through them. You must wait till
it the ordinary Brahman recites the following the way is cleared and then go on.
slkam, which he supposes to be Sanskrit :When flying-foxes are flying about during the
Kunkumamkita varnaya day, it is a sure sign of a shower of rain
Kundhåndhu kavalayicha immediately.
Vishnuvdhana namasthubhyan About the Garudan or Royal Eagle or White
Pakshirdja áthe namaha.
(This is a very interesting variant of the notion of the difficulties that hedge round the folktale demon and life-index.-ED.)
•[So sensible and moral an ending to a "tricks of women" story is well worthy of remark.-ED.]
