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JONE, 1894.]
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA; No. 20.
163
The cow, for so we must still continue to call her, consented readily, for what man, short of a Raja, could be fit mate for one so beautiful, but she stipulated that she must obtain the consent of the girl's father before she could give her in marriage to him. So the Raja sent his men to invite the farmer into his presence that he might obtain his consent. The farmer's wife, however, felt so highly flattered at her husband being thas bidden into a Raja's presence, that she too went underground with the messengers, accompanied by her own daughter.
The farmer was duly presented before the Raja as the beautiful lady's father, and he humbly ard most thankfully gave his consent to her marriage. Meanwhile his crafty wifo remained with the cow, and, not knowing her in her transformed state, thanked her for befriending her step-daughter, and said that she had been very much grieved at the poor child's unaccountable absence from home, adding that she had always loved her, and had only chastised her occasionally for her own good. The cow, however, know how much of this to believe, but she shook her head and said nothing, and even allowed her to do all the kind offices, which it is a mother's privilege to perform when her daughter is to be married.
And here the wicked woman saw her opportunity and seized it. On the day appointed for the wedding she herself elected to bathe and dress the bride, and, under pretence of applying some perfume to her head, she thrust a long sharp magic needle, that she had concealed abont her person, deep into her head. The poor girl was speedily transformed into a bright little bird, and flew away into the air before any one could know what had happened, and her scheming step-mother at once installed her own daughter in her place, and quickly dressing her in the bridal clothes threw a chhatlar round her as is the custom, and carried her in her Own arms to the side of the bridegroom! The ceremony was then soon performed over them, and the princely bridegroom, without suspecting whom he had married, joyously bore his bride home.
In due course, however, the fraud was discovered, and poor Mutkuli Rani soon found herself consigned to a dungeon, dark and dismal. But the Raja's disappointment at the loss of his charmer was so great that he nearly wept his eyes out, and caused every search to be made for her, but in vain. He also threatened the farmer, as well as the cow, with death if they failed to reveal what had become of her, but they protested their entire ignorance of her whereabouts, and the Rajâ had therefore to give her ap for lost, and to bear his grief as best he could.
Some days after this it happened that a beggar came to the door of his palace and asked for alıns, and his servants threw him a copper, as usual, for even a Rajâ cannot give more than a copper to each beggar, since thousands come to his door every day. That day, however, the beggar would not go away with what he had got, but said: "What anomalies are to be inet with in this world! Within a stone's throw of this place lives a Dhõbi, and at his door I have just got a handful of pearls — real rare pearls - for alms; while here in a king's palace I have buon given only a copper coin! Why, judging from what an humble subject of his bas giron me, I should at least get a cart-load of pearls, if not more, at the Raja's door! This must indeed be a strange country where a subject is richer or more generous than his sovereign ! "
These words of the beggar fell upon the Raja's ears, and both startled him and wounded his pride. What must be the meaning of them ! " Surely, that man's gains must be ill-gotten. since he gave away so lavishly," thought the Raja, and he forthwith sent his men and had the Dhobi brought before him. And what a strange and romantic tale did this humble individual unfold to his sovereign! He said that he had long been doing the washing of the Royal house. hold, and that it was not by robbing or killing any one that he had come by his wealth, but that it had pleased Isvara to bestow his bounty upon him in a miraculous way. On being asked to explain himself, he proceeded in these words :
"Of late, a little bird has taken to coming and perching on one of my hanging lines, cach night exactly at the stroke of twelve, and every time it comes it puts this strange question to
