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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1896.
At this the nephew said to the uncle :-"What shall we say, uncle? By what names shall we call them ?"
His uncle said :-"Whatever names the Ballal will be pleased to suggest, we will give them."
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Then the Ballal said:" In this town, if any Billavar woman brings forth twin-boys, they are called Koti Beidya and Channaya. Beidya. Therefore,. let us call these children by these
Hames."
So the parents called them Koți Beidya and Channaya Beidya. The grand-parents also ealled them by these names, and so did all their relatives and friends. Thus passed the ceremony of giving names. After sixteen days Deyi Beidyadi. was strong enough to be able to get up from her bed and walk about a little. In this manner she slowly recovered. One day the Ballal called his nephew and said:" Child, that Billavar maid, Deyi. Beidyadi, gave me medicine and cured me of my pain. She has saved my life. I am very grateful to her. She was pregnant and about to be delivered, and yet she came as far as my budu and gave me medicine. I wish to give her some present. What shall it be,. child ?"
He replied:"Give her whatever you wish. I shall raise no objection."
"I wish to give her a few acres of land and a house," said the Ballal. "She has saved: my life, therefore whatever I may give her will not be equivalent to what I owe her."
The nephew consented and said:-"I am glad of it. I have no objection to offer."
After some days Sayana. Beidya came to the Ballâl and said:"O Ballal, you have been very kind to us. My wife has been under your roof many days and has been well tended and nourished by your kindness. Now, please be kind enough to send her and the children with the cradle to my house."
At this, the Ballâl said: "It is not yet two months since she has been confined. She will be very weak and unable to walk."
"Bat," said Sayana Beidya, "I will make her walk slowly, and I will carefully take her kome."
Then," said the Balla, "you may go to-morrow. Remain here to-night and go. to-morrow early in the morning."
Afterwards, in the evening, the Ballal went to Deyi Beidyadi's room, and saw her and said:"O Deyi Beidyadi, your husband has come to take you home. You are going away to-morrow morning. As you have given me medicine and cured me; I wish to give you a present. I will give you laud enough to sow four muras of paddy, and a house. It will produce one corjee of rice for you annually."
At this she said:"Sir, you have been very kind' to me and supported me in my confinement. Why should you give me land and a house? I shall be eating your salt all my life. Why then should you give me a present of land? God has been gracious to me and given me twin-boys. It is enough if you kindly send me back to my home with the cradle and the children."
So on the next day, in the morning, the Ballal ordered his servants to prepare a feast of fine things for Deyi Beidyadi and her husband. He also ordered his steward to get ready a new cradle and new strings and a fine milch-cow yielding plenty of milk, in order to present them to Deyi Beidyadi when returning to her home. So the feast was prepared and Deyi Beidyadi and her husband took their meals and went to the Ballal to ask the permission to return home. The Ballal gladly gave them permission and sent them home together with a cradle and a cow and her calf. So they joyfully returned to their home. While they were yet afar off Sama Alwa's sister recognised her son and daughter-in-law, and called her sons and said:"Look
