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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(APBIL, 1893.
Pyû rejoined, "King Sakra's order was from the time that the child was born. That is now long past, and you cannot again become a snake. If your flesh and blood were indeed such as you formerly possessed, you could not remain so long a man ; you can avoid also being touched by or smeared with a drop of snake's blood." She became much troubled, so not wishing to hurt her feelings, and thinking also that it is wicked not to rescue the life of a human being, the Snake Prince took up his double-edged sword, and smote the boa-constrictor, so that it was divided in two and died. On cutting it, however, a drop of the boa-constrictor's blood touched the Prince, and he became a snake as before. A snake's mind also came into him, so that he no longer wished to stop in the house, but went off into the forest.
Dwê Pyll carrying their little son, followed him slowly weeping and saying, "Come back home, I will get you food," but it was in vain. Sometimes he would regain his intellect and speak to his wife and child, and again a snake's mind would come to him and he would try to bite them. After doing thus he said to his wife Dwê Pyü, “I will have to live in the forest away from human beings. If I live near them I shall bite and kill them when I have the snake mind in me."
Dwê Pyů, however, left her child with her parents and followed the hamadryad into the forest, but there again he struck at her unsuccessfully. Again recovering consciousness, he said to her, “I am not as before, when there is a snake's mind in me I do not recognise anybody, but only strike at them. You should, therefore, return home, as the child must be wanting its milk. Suckle it and take care of it, and live happily with it. I cannot remain with you,-1 must go into the darkest forests." Dwê Pyû replied, “Only come back home. I will get your food and take care of you. I cannot remain separated from you." She followed him again, and when they came near the ant-hill a snake's mind came into the Prince, and he was about to bite Dwê Pyû, but restrained himself in time. He decided in consequence that he would have to enter the top of the ant-hill, as if he remained outside he would certainly bite her; so he went inside the ant-hill. But Dwê Pyû remained outside weeping and calling sadly to her husband.
(To be continued.)
PARSI AND GUJARATI HINDU NUPTIAL SONGS.
BY PUTLIBAI D. H. WADIA. (Continued from Vol. XXI. page 116).
PART III. TRANSLATION.
No. 8. Song sung when the Bridegroom leaves his house to go to the Bride's, where
the Wedding ceremony takes place. Put your foot in the stirrup, brother Søråbji, to mount your horse. Your mother holds you by the hem of your garment. Let go, mother, let go your hold,
And I shall give you your due. 5 How can I forget the claims of her, Who rerred me, and loved me as her own life? I have got a beautiful súdi woven for my mother, And a bodice of cloth of gold.
Put your foot in the stirrup, brother Söråbji, to mount your horse. 10 Your aunt holds you by the hem of your garment.
Let go aunt, let go your hold: Your claims shall have dae recognition. How can I forget what is due to her,
Who sang the lullaby at my cradle ? 15 I have ordered a gold-embroidered sádi for my aunt,
And a bodice of green silk. 1 See note 17, Part I.
1 By way of asserting her claims.
