________________
NOVEMBER, 1902.)
FOLKLORE IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES.
451
of the Wire Hill appeared before him and said, “You have come at last after such a long time!" and wanted to embrace him, but he said, “Mother, don't touch me." She took the hint, bathed him with hot-water bath and fed him well. After this, the Nymph of the Wire Hill in front, and the prince behind her, set out, and had almost reached the foot of the Hill, where she cried out, “My parrot cage! my parrot cage!” The prince said at once, “Mother, I will fetch it," and went up the Hill by the aid of the wire.
In the meantime the two princes saw the Nymph of the Wire Hill at the foot of the Hill. "Ho has already married three princesses, and is now carrying away the Nymph of the Wire Hill," said the brothers, greatly bewildered, and what was their astonishment to see the prince descending with the cage along the Wire Hill. "If we cut the wire he will be dead and gone," said one brother to another, and, suiting their action to the words, did as their evil minds bid them, and down came the young man with the parrot cage with a great crash, and was instantly killed. The princes, then, compelling tho Nymph of the Wire Hill to mount their steed, set out for home.
The evil omens showed themselves to the prince's wives. The first wifes mangalasuaram Decaine black. "Some mishap has befallen my husband. He asked me to go to the Hill," said she to herself in tears and set ont lamenting. The flower given to the second wife withered and darkened. “My husband had come by some harm. He asked me to go to the Hill," said she to herself and started weeping. On the road the first two wives came together. "Why do you weep?" asked the one, " Why do you weep?" asked the other. “My husband has gone to the Wire Hill. He has come by death. I am going there," said the second wife. "My husband also has gone to the Wire Hill. He has met his fate there. I am going thither," said tae first wife, " Then we are both his wives," said the two princesses after a little conversation, and started on their course with one object in common. In the meantime the third lamenting wife of the prince met them. “Why do you weep," asked they of her. “My husband has gone to the Wire Hill. He has suffered death there. I am going thither," replied she. "Your husband and our husband is one and the same. We three of us are his wives. Our goal is the same," said the two princesses, and with one object in common all three moved on and in due course reached the Hill. There they saw their husband's bones scattered.
The youngest wife askud her co-wives to collect and adjast the bones while she retired for a while. She left them and went to a cistern, and, having bathed there seven times, putting on wet clothes and standing in the attitude of half-contemplation, wept, and spread out the folds of her garments as if to receive something. Parameshwar heard her lamentations and Párbati spoke to him:-"She is crying to her gods that her husband be brought to life." Instantly Parameshwar threw a life-giving rod into the folds of the princess's garments, and she returned to her co-wives, who had by this colleoted the bones and adjusted them in their proper places. The life-giving rod: instilled life into the prince and he sat up and exclaimed - What a sweet sleep I have had slept." The next moment he saw his three wives and asked the reason of their being there, and they explained it to him.
Half an hour after this the youngest princess went again to the cistern, and, having bathed seven times, threw the life-giving rod into it and returned, and very soon afterwards the prince and his three wives set ont, and in due course reached the youngest wife's father's capital, where after staying for three days and receiving presents of elephants, horses and retinue from the king, he moved on. He reached the ogantry of the father of his second wife, where staying for three days and receiving presenta of elephants, horses and retinge, he set out again. In due Course he reached the country of the father of his first wife, where also after staying for three days and receiving similar presents of horses, elephants and retinno, he started once again, and by rapid marches renohed his own country, and pitched his camp in a garden.
