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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1897.
When urgently asked thus, the Bhůta said "O Ballal, you came with carpenters and intended to cut down this tree which is my habitation. Is it not so? It is well! It is commanded that my friend the Pañjurli Bhůta is to go to every town. I know it. And yet, what your budu is to you, this tree is to me. Therefore, you must not cut down this tree. You will get another tree elsewhere. If you go a little to the north you will find in a valley a group of blackwood trees!; and in the midst of it you will find a kiribun tree. You will get enough of timber to build a stána out of that tree. Did you not wish to know my name ? My name is Kallurti. When the god was born I was born at his right hand. I am not of to-day or yesterday. It is a long while since I have possessed this man. Now, therefore, I will go into my abode. You have also much business. On account of my coming it has stopped. Now I will leave this man. It will be well if you give me something to drink. Then I should be very much pleased with you."
At this the BallA! made a hole in a tender cocoanut which he had kept for himself, and giving it to the man possessed said:"Now, O Kallurti, take this in my name gladly."
Then the man possessed by the Kallurti took it from him and drank it at a single draught, and suddenly fell down on the ground and became senseless. After about one ghalige he became conscious and asked :-"Sir, what is this? You are standing. Why are you not felling the tree, but standing idle ?”
Then the carpenters who were with him said to him "What did you do ? Tell us what took place here up to this time."
Then he said: "I do not know anything; I only felt as if my head had been turned, I did not know where I was. Therefore, I feel as if I had lost my senses. I feel pain in my whole body. I feel quite tired. I feel as if I have been beaten with the fists. I have also pain in the back. I do not know what took place."
Then all the carpenters, who were with him, told him :-"Behold, Kallarti who is residing in this tree came upon you ; and Kallarti told us not to fell this tree as he was residing in it. So saying Kallurti left you. You know nothing, is it not so P”
At this he said :-" Then this is a great wonder; I do not know anything; what is the cause of my feeling this pain in my body? And yet, never mind; now what shall we do? What work shall we do?”
When he asked this question, the Balla! said :-" you carpenters, why do you idle away your time? Now I will have to pay your hire without your doing any work."
At this they were afraid and made haste, and went with him to the north and found the tree in the valley and felled it, and stripped its bark and branches and made it four-sided, and returned home.
In the night, after the meal was over, at the time of going to bed, the Balla!'s wife came near his bed and said : "Behold, by going daily to the forest to fell trees, you have been much burnt by the sun and much reduced. If this continue it will be hard for you. If any one else go instead of you, it would be a good thing. If you are alone, see, this will be your state. How many days more will this work of felling trees last ? For how may days will you have to go to the forest ? When I see your body, my life runs away. How will you get well henceforth P"
When she said thus, her husband said:"Now, in four days more, the work of felling trees will be over. Then we will cause them to be brought to our house. Then the work will be near the house. If we make the carpenters work near our house it is enough. There will be very little work, and it will be ensy for me."
1 Vatica laccifera.
21. e., about twenty-four minutes,
