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336
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
They said to the corpse :-" Drink a bellyful of rain-water. Repair old plows and make new ones."
[DECEMBER, 1896.
So saying, they went on. On the way, a washerman asked them :-"What are those cries of men and groans of women in that plow-wright's house?"
"We kindled a fire, a spark flew from it and burnt a shed; therefore, the inmates of the house are crying out," said the brothers,
"Wherever you go, there ruin will never be wanting; for wherever the crab goes, there dirt will never be wanting," said the washerman.
"Do you compare us to a crab that lives in the water? Thou whoroson, that live by washing dirt from other men's clothes!" said the brothers. And holding him by the head they broke his neck, and hurled him down to the ground, so that he fell on his back. They then stabbed him three times.
They then said to the corpse :-" Bring dirty clothes, cleanse them, and eat your bellyful."
Saying thus, they proceeded on their way, and came to a small river, in which they washed themselves. Afterwards they sat down by the foot of an asvatha tree, and chewed betel-leaves and areca-nut. Thus, being refreshed, they went on and approached a toll-gate on the way. The toll-man, Dêre, saw them coming, and asked them who they were, They said that they were travellers.
"Look, there is the toll-gate, pay me the toll before you go away," said Dêre.
"Toll! What is it on? Do we carry any packs on our heads? our backs? Is it on any cattle that we have brought with us? family with us?" asked the brothers.
Do you see any loads on Have we brought a whole
To this, the toll-man, Dêre, answered: "The toll on the steel-dagger of the length of five feet that you carry with you amounts to a cash; pay that to me and then go away." The brothers said:"No man has set so low a price on our dagger; and now you have
been born."
"Is it any wonder that you should pay the toll? If the son of a Bant should pass this way he would pay toll on the slippers on his feet. Should the son of a merchant pass the toll-gate, he would pay toll on the white umbrella that he holds. If a king's son should pass this way, he would pay toll on his palankin," said the toll-man.
"You may proceed; I will pay the toll to Dêre and follow yon," said the younger to his elder brother.
So the elder brother went on. Then the younger brother took a cash from his purse and said:" Here, Dêre, receive the toll!"
Stretch your hand to the pial and pay it to me," said Dêre.
"Come down from the pial and receive it," said the younger brother,
"I will not descend from the pial," said the toll-man.
The younger brother then stood a while, gazing on him with fiery eyes; and twisting his red mustaches, got up upon the pial, and made Dêre to run round it three times. Then he held him by the head and broke his neck; and then he held him by the back, and broke the hack-bone, stabbing his breast and neck three times with his silver-hilted dagger. Dêre vomited all his food. His soul fled from his body to Kailasa,
The younger brother then said to the corpse:-"Eat your bellyful and thus feed your belly. Receive toll from Banga, Mûllys and Chanta."
