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MARCH, 1897.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA; No. 44.
81
Thus contemplated a needy Brahman of Tanjore, when suddenly his wife entered his room with her child of four or five years. The girl was crying and pulling her mother towards her by the end of her cloth.
"Is the morning meal ready, my dear? I am unasually hungry to-day," said the poor Brahman.
Replied the wife: - "Ready! What else have I to do in this house ? Daily I get up at five in the morning, sweep and clean the house and the utensils, bathe, cook, eat, and sleep. Again I get up the next day, and the same routine is repeated. Last evening Uma, the daughter of Appavaiyyar, came down here to invite me for her brother's marriage. What a fine necklace sie has.? They say that gold sells very cheap now. How well would our child appear if, instead of standing bare like a palmyra-tree, she had a few ornaments to wear. We cannot try for many, for we are not rich. But one or two jewels, those most necessary for the cars and the neck, must be made."
At this point the bewildered husband smiled and tried to take up the child to play with it. But the wife, dragging the girl towards her, continued : ."O Gauri, thus your father deceives you, if we begin to speak about ornaments. Do not approach him."
. But the child said: "When will you make me a necklace, papa!"
"Soon, my dear girl. Come here." Then the conversation changed to other subjects, and in a few minates the whole party was reconciled and happy.
But the Brahman's mind ever remained raffled. He resolved to improve his condition in the world by some means or other, and the course he thought the easiest was to proceed to Banaras. He soon informed his wife of it, and promised to return as speedily as possible with loads of money and jewels. He also requested her to take special care of the house and their daughter Gauri. The wife assured him that she would take the best care of the family. Our hero was easy at heart, started for the sacred city, and reached it safely.
He spent two years on the banks of the Ganges, and socepted indiscriminately all kinds of donations. It is considered very objectionable to receive certain gifts, 6. 9., oil, baffaloes, etc.; and owing to this belief the accompanying fee offered for receiving such gifts is generally large, as an inducement to accept them. Our hero's object.was to make money. Who would perceive how it was made ? So he freely accepted them, and was amassing a large amount of money. In less than a couple of years he had made nearly Rs. 5,000. How glad will my wife be to receive me with so large an amount, thought our hero, and started on his return journey to Tanjore. When he had reached Poona it occurred to him that his wife would all the more be pleased if he brought her some ready-made jewels instead of jingling coins only. So he sent for a goldsmith, and, reserving only the necessary, money for his journey, gave him all the rest to be converted into two gold necklaces of a hundred' beads in each.
"Your orders will at once be executed, my lord," said the wily jeweller who had a most honest face. Like an obedient and honest servant he received the money, appointed a time for the delivery of the necklaces, and on the day before they were due he gave them to our hero. There were gold beads one hundred in number in each ; the weight was correct, and the quality of the gold the same as that of the gold originally purchased for making these jewels.
“You are the most honest and punctual goldsmith I have ever seen. It is rare to see one of your type in your art. Unfortunately, I have riot reserved any money with which to reward you for your punctuality," said the Brâhman, and the goldsmith, after thanking him for the kind words, took his leave.
