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DECEMBER, 1892.]
FOLKLORE IN SALSETTE; No. 13.
875
tales, and produced a bovatra (Goa broom), saying that his wife had given birth to it! The husband was very much incensed against his wife, but cooled his ire, and had patience with her.
Wben a few more years bad passed his wife again became pregnant, and for the third time her husband went on a voyage, leaving his wife to the care of his mother, who promised all care and to take every precaution that would ensure a successful delivery. Before he went away, he said : -" Múlá sôkrá hóil té manje tároárar sôniachá pániin parél, ani sókri hôil té rúpiachá pánin parel; Should a son be born to me there will fall on my ship a shower of gold, but if a danghter hen a shower of silver."
Now in due time the wife felt her time approaching, and, therefore, asked her mother in-law if she might use the sleeping apartment, but she only got the same old answer: - "Kámbri hái té déván dharmáchá; The sleeping-room is assigned to the gods and religious rites."
So also when she asked for a place in the hall, she was told :-“Sál hái lé útjá baisávchan ; The hall is meant for people to sit in."
She now pleaded for the verandah, but was put off by the same answer: - "Oud hái tó étian sátianchá; The verandah is meant for passers-by."
The poor woman saw no alternative, but had again to resort to the jungle, and was delivered this time of a daughter, ander a tamarind tree (chinch). After her delivery she left the child there and went home, occasionally going back to suckle it. Her husband witnessed a heavy shower of silver, and, after again distributing sugar to the crew, returned home; bot only to be disappointed for the third time, for he was now shown a movall (date-palm broom).
Now, this time the old woman told him so many tales that he was mad with rage. She told him to get rid of his wife, and said she would get him married to another. Her son believed every word that was told him, and having chastised his wife most brutally, went and hanged her on an or tree (Ficus religiosa), and left her there a long time. Fortunately for her, however, there passed that way some gouhlás (onw-herds) who felt deeply for her, and thought within themselves : - "Bichárisin ka gúnia kéléi kón siné : pún ápin sorvin tila; What offence the poor woman may have committed, who can say? But we will, nevertheless, set her free."
So they get her free, and went their way to graze their cattle. She now went and fetched together her children. The two boys were pretty well advanced in years, and the girl had made wonderful progress in her growth. So they built a hut, and lived in it.
The old woman, in the meanwhile, made arrangements for getting her son married to another girl, and on the appointed day our hero was dressed ap ready to go to the Church. But his former wife, who came to know that her husband was about to go to Church to be married to some one else, called to her children and taught them to say:
Ambiá bírchid ambayá dádá, kázů búrchia kaziiyá dadd, chinché búrché sálóp bayê, lál tópivdla dmchá báp, ôróvar tángléi amchi ái, dharam kar gó kausálné dje; Brother Mango from under the mango tree; Brother Catchu-nut from under the catcho-nut tree; Sister Salòp from under the tamarind tree; the man with the red hat is our father, our mother is hanging on the banian tree; give alms, oh tale-telling grandmother!"
When they were able to repeat this by heart, she told them to go and say it near their father's house. The children went and standing before the house repeated what their mother had taught them. Their father, who had never seen them before, was taken by their faces, and, as he did not understand what they had said, he told them to repeat it again, upon which they said :
Ambiá búrchia ambayá dádá, kású búrchid kúzáyd dddd, chinché búrché sálóp báyé, lai topivdlá Amchá báp, Ordvar tangléi ámchi ai, dharam kar gô kausálné ajé ; Brother Mango from under
