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NOVEMBER, 1893.)
FOLKLORE IN HINDUSTAN; No. 7.
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Moon, and how, instead of giving birth to those luminaries, she had brought forth a broom and a log of wood, and how she had been consigned to prison in consequence. But the pari, who, as we said, was cognizant of the whole story, related to the assemblage the trick the elder Raņis had played upon the poor unoffending Brâhman girl, and the way in which they had mercilessly cast adrift her new born babes, and called upon the midwife, who was standing among the crowd around, to testify to the truth of what she said. The midwife, seeing the turn things had taken, made a clean breast of everything, and the whole assemblage thereupon heaped reproaches upon the heads of the offending Rânis for having so sinfully misled their lord and master and encompassed the ruin of the mother of the most illustrious twins ever born!
Unchhatra then introduced Sûrya and Chandrà to their father, and so great was the rage of the Rijå at the treatment they and their mother had experienced at the hands of the wicked co-wives, that he ordered a large pit to be dug near the city gates, and had them buried in it waist deep, and left there to be torn alive by beasts and birds of prey.
Sürya and Chandra, in the meantime, had hastened to the city with some of the Raja's attendants, and, breaking open the walls of the prison, brought out their poor long suffering mother! Just a spark of life was all that was left in her poor emaciated frame, but by care and attention she was soon brought round, and who can describe her joy, when she learnt that it was her own dear son and daughter, who had been the means of bringing about her deliverance from what had been to her but a living death.
She embraced her dear twins again and again, and forgot all her past misory in the joy of meeting them.
At last, when she was apprised of the fate of her cruel tormentors and was told that the Råjå repented of his conduct towards her, and asked to be forgiven, the good Rani shed tears, aud wished to be united to him once more. There was nothing but joy and rejoicings all over the kingdom, when the news went forth that the Raja had, after all, had the proud distinction of being the progenitor of the Sun and Moon in human shape upon earth.?
FOLKLORE IN HINDUSTAN.
BY WILLIAM CROOKE, C. S.
No. 7.- Why the fish laughed. A fisherman was once hawking his fish through the city of Agra and eame in front of the palace of Akbar Badshah. The princess heard his cries and sent for him into her presence. The moment she looked into the basket, every fish in it began to laugh at her. Now she was her father's only daughter and much loved by him. So she went to Akbar and said :
“Father, I have seen dead fish laugh to-day. I must know the reason or I shall die." Akbar replied: “Do not distress yourself. I will discover the meaning."
Akbar sent for Birbal, and told him that he wonld have him executed, if he did not explain why the fish laughed. Birbal asked for time and went home. There lo lay down on his bed in sore distress and would tell no one the cause of his trouble. At last his eldest son induced him to tell what was the matter. He promised his father that he would find out the secret, if his father would get Akbar to give him five thousand rupees for the expenses of his journey
He got the money and started. On the way he met an old man, who asked him where he was going. He replied that he was going in search of employment. They went on together and at last came to a river. As he was going into the water, young Birbal put on his shoes, and took them off when he reached the other side. Then as they passed under a tree the young
(This story appears in part to have been subjected at some time to Western influence, as the Moon is feminine throughout.-ED.)
1 A folktale told by Dwarika Prasad, Pathak Brahman, of Bithalpar, Pargana Kariyat Sikhar, Mirakpur.
