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NOVEMBER, 1896.] THE DEVIL WORSHIP OF THE TULUVAS.
THE DEVIL WORSHIP OF THE TULUVAS. FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE A. C. BURNELL. (Continued from p. 277.)
VIII.
295
Mr. MÄNNER'S VARIANTS.
No. 1. THE ORIGIN OF THE BEIDERLU.39
THERE was a Ballâl in the kingdom of Parmale. He was happy in his palace, surrounded by his children and other relatives and all the necessaries and comforts of life. He had a friend, a pujari, named Sama Alwa. He was a bosom friend, from whom he hid no secrets. Sama Alwa was a brave man, and was the only man who had the privilege of extracting juice from the palm-trees in the forest belonging to the Ballal of Parmalê. He used to come thrice a day to the budu to speak with the Ballal, and was very faithful to him. The Ballâl had a very extensive forest in which were countless palm-trees of various kinds. No one but Sama Alwa was able to climb those trees and extract their juice. This great forest was inhabited by great numbers of tigers, chitas, elephants, antelopes, boars, foxes, wolves and bears. Daily, when Sama Alwa went to the forest, he took a camel with him. Early in the morning he would go and return at noon.
On a certain day he went to the forest as usual, and tied the camel to a tree; and with his knife and dry gourd he climbed a palm-tree and took the pot containing the juice and poured it into his gourd. As he was thus occupied he heard the sound of weeping. He quietly listened and came to know that it was the sound of some human being. At this he was astonished, and, intending to go and see whence the sound proceeded, he got down from the tree and placed the gourd near the camel and went to the eastward. Then he listened, but heard only a faint cry. He could not distinguish from what quarter the weeping proceeded. But as he went further and further he distinguished the voice of a girl. Then he said to himself :"Alas! what monster of a man is he who has forsaken a girl in this frightful forest!"
Thinking and speaking thus within himself, he went further and further, until he heard more distinctly. Still proceeding and listening carefully, he saw a large clump of thorn-bushes, in the midst of which was a young and beautiful girl. She was blind-folded and her hands were tied behind her. Seeing a girl in such a state in the forest he was moved with compassion, and spoke to her thus:-"O child, who are you? Why do you weep? How did you come here ? Tell me, child."
At this, the girl cried more and more. Then he said:"Tell me, child, and be not afraid. I have female children like yourself, my child. I have many children like yourself, my child."
At this, she said to him:-"Who are you? You must tell me who you are."
Then he said: "I am Sama Alwa Beidya of Parmale. Now tell me who you are, my child. Where is your native place? Whose daughter are you? What are the names of your parents ? "
At this, she said:"First of all loosen the bandages over my eyes, and set my hands at liberty; then I will tell you. I am in great pain from these bandages."
Then he said: "I feel a doubt about you. It seems that you are a Brahman maid. How can I touch a Brâhman maid? I do not know what to do. I am a Billavar, and may I touch a Brahman maid ?"
32 This is a variant of the stories of Kôti and Channaya already given in this series. It is quite as quaint as those that have gone before. Mr. Männer, in writing to me under date, Mangalore, 7th June 1886, says: "The other version of the Beiderlu (Koți and Channaya] Story. I think it rather a fiction, but if you wish to have it, too, I will get you a copy of it." B. C. T..
