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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
"My daughter," was the reply.
"Bring your daughter to me some day," said the mistress.
[JUNE, 1897.
Accordingly, the málakára took his adopted daughter to the palace one day, and she was at once, much to the regret of the foster father, taken into the service of the royal family as a suitable companion to the queen's daughter, who was of the same age.
Now, on a certain occasion, the queen gave a ser of pearls to one of the maid-servants, telling her to string them. The málakára's adopted daughter, who happened to be present, said she would do the work, but her mistress would not trust her with it. However, she insisted, and in an inauspicious moment began the work. While thus occupied Kuthuveluku was shouted at and called several times for her noon-day meal. So she left the pearls in a temple to Gansesa attached to the palace, and went to her food. But what was her surprise on her return to find that the pearls had completely disappeared.
The loss of the pearls was, in due course, brought to the notice of the queen. She was very wroth, and had the culpirt's head at once shaved? as a public insult. Besides this punishment the poor widow of Dêshadi Rajâ was made to sweep the verandahs, granaries and stable-yards during the day, and at night to act as a lamp-stand at the latter place.
Now, Dêshadi Raja was alive, notwithstanding the rumours of his demise, and had arrived in this country from his extensive travels in the land of Bharata and of Kasyapa Muni, embosomed and nestling amidst the Yamulgiri Parvatam; for the queen was no other than his sister. Here, in the palace, he saw poor Kuthuveluku standing alone during the night. at the entrance to his chamber, for her position had been shifted to the palace from the stableyard since the Râjâ's stay in the palace. He was very much displeased with the inhuman treatment meted out to the maid-servant: and was anxious to know the cause of such a harsh treatment, but somehow or other he forgot to ask about it.
During his stay with his brother-in-law and sister, Dêshâdi Râjâ asked that a mistress be provided for him. This, of course, could not be done without informing the queen. So she was informed, and said: "We had better send that girl who lost the lakh of rupees worth of pearls: she is beautiful. By this way at least the loss of the pearls will be recompensed."
Accordingly, Kathuveluku was ordered to dress herself and go to the newly arrived brother of the queen in the palace during his stay. She understood the purpose and wept much, but obey she must. So, fervently praying to Isvara inwardly to preserve her chastity, she, on the first day, heaving deep sighs, approached the entrance of the chamber and stood weeping. On the second night also she approached the entrance of the chamber with a heavy heart and stood weeping. The third day, too, saw her standing and weeping at the entrance. The fourth day also marked the tears of Kuthuveluku, wetting the ground at the entrance to the chamber of the Râjâ. But on the fifth day, when she had begun weeping after approaching the entrance and taking her stand, the Rajâ, who had observed her behaviour for the last four days, and taking her to be no prostitute, asked her who she was and why she was weeping. Upon this Kuthuveluku with clasped hands unfolded her tale of woes. She told how she had been married to the unfortunate Dêshâdi Râjâ, who had died while making acquaintance with different countries, and in consequence how she had had a funeral pile prepared and jumped into it to rejoin her husband in the next world, but how an unusually heavy rain at that moment came down from the high heavens, as ill-luck would have it, and
Shaving of the head, lopping of the ears, cutting of the noses of women and parading them in streets after making them sit on donkeys with their faces pointing to the tail of the animal, were old punishments inflicted on women for misconduct or infidelity to their husbands or other offences.
s Kashmir.
Himalaya Mountains.
