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APRIL, 1896.]
FOLKLORE IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES; No. 5.
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drinking your blood has arrived, for your lives are in my power." The rat-king ran off in terror and hid himself under a stone, but a dove named “The Virtuous One' who saw him trying to escape, turned round thrice and said :-" The rat-king is very vain, thongh he neither knows nor can do anything. His pride is greater than the dragon's. Ran quick, leaving your trail of dirty foot-prits! You ought to be ashamed to make the lying boast that neither gods, devils, nor man can conquer you."
The rats thus deserted by everyone and trembling with terror humbly besought The Infernal Cat to spare them, crying " Have mercy on ns, spare our lives! We did not willingly desecrate the sacred offerings, we only ate a little under the pangs of hunger, and carried off a little as we were so very poor; but we now repent and promise never to commit such offences again, and from this day forth we shall always obey the hermit."
When the hermit heard the rats confess their sorrow for their sins, and their repentance he gave them this religious advice, after invoking his god and saints, saying:- " Alas, O my Lâma guide and the Three protecting Gods, may all animals live in peace and may their passionate hearts be calmed! Bless, purify and enlighten me !" Then turning to the mts he said, “ you rats, hearken to me. Because of the bad deeds done by you in a former existence, when you were human beings, you have received the low bodies of beasts in the present life, and your impurity bas bred ill-will. Because you gave no charity to the priests in your former life when yon were men, you have in this life become poor. Be not avaricious therefore in the future, and, remembering your own case, do not injare others. Now promise never again to molest me and my property or my pions offerings to God," Then the rats gave the askedfor promise, and besought the hermit to forgive them. He did so, and each of them returned to his own bome. And since that time the hermit has received no harm from the rats, and he has daily increased his deeds of virtue. This history has been composed by me, á Yogin, 12 of the name of Blo-gros-ts'ul-krims (Skr. Silamati) at the retreat known as Brag-skya-sen-gehi-p'ug.
FOLKLORE IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES OF INDIA.
BY M. N. VENKETSWAMI OF NAGPUR.
No. 5. - The Self-sacrificing Fairysl a Story of Sirens. ONCE upon a time, in certain country, there lived > king who had seven sons, all advancing or advanced towards manbood. The father loved the princes very tenderly; so, when he learned of their firm determination to see the world, he addressed them thus:
"My beloved sons, with great reluctance I permit you to see the world in order to gain experience of it, or, to use your own words, to put a finishing touch to your high and manly accomplishments as befitting nobles of the first order. But for your own welfare I cannot refrain from tendering you a piece of advice; viz., that you go in the seven directions, but under no circumstances make the slightest acquaintance with the eighth. For in connection with that direction I have heard thrilling accounts that have made my hair to stand on end."
The princes travelled in the seven directions, and found the countries traversed as uninteresting as they were devoid of adventures, -adventures which would at least compensate for their trouble; , consulting amongst themselves, and, setting aside the advice of their father, they resolved to extend their travels in the eighth direction also.
19 Bya-bral.wa, literally, 'One who is freed from deeds.
1 Narrated by Shekh Farid alia. Paddar, a young chuprási in the Comptroller's Office, Nagpur. (Though no doubt "improved by the English rendering given it by the recorder, this is a remarkable tale, quite out of the ordinary run of Indian folktales. - ED.)
