________________
SEPTEMBER, 1905.]
FOLKLORE FROM THE DAKSHINA-DESA.
211
yonder," and at the same time cunningly transferred three ladlefuls from his pot to hers. He saw the manoeuvre, however, by a side glance from bis eyes; and said to himself : - "Oho! I am to be butwitted like this, am I?"
And then as if a thought had suddenly struck him, he called :
“Grandmother, grandmother, there is no water to drink, do go and fetch some," and in the old woman's absence he transferred six ladlefuls from her pot to his. And then seeing a fowl he killed and dressed and added to it a lot of ghi, which he found.
In due course the old woman returned from the well and said :" What about curry, young man?"
"Oh," said Poggam Pâ pays, "I have been to the patéla and he gave me a fowl ready dressed. Here it is. Cook it."
It was in the old woman's mind to appropriate the fowl, but Poggam Pápaya was too sharp and served the meals himself. He also stayed the night and got up very early in the morning. He then proceeded to appropriate all the neck ornaments of the cows and buffaloes and then bacle the old woman good-bye :
"I am going !" * You are going?" "Yes," "What is your name?"
* My name is Six ladlefuls for three. Fowl besides cooked in ghi. Set a-going Poggam Papaya !"
She did not in the least understand him, but after he had gone she went to look at the cows and buffaloes and to her consternation found them all free and without their neck ornaments. After this she found that her fowl was gone and that the ghi in the house had been meddled with, Then she understood !
No. 2. - The Vicious Gurú.
ममो इच्छा समो नास्ति देव इच्छा प्रवर्तते राज कन्या राजद्वारे
विप्रं भालु भक्षते A certain king had a daughter as lovely as Párvati or Lakshmi, who was ten years old and becoming marriageable, and so the king spoke to his Gard and said:
"It is a heinous sin not to marry off a daughter before she reaches puberty. Tell me, O Gurů, by the stars the auspicious day for my daughter's marriage."
But the Guru had become enamoured of the girl's beauty, so he answered with guile, "It will be wrong to celebrate your daughter's marriage and will bring evil on both of you. Do you instead adorn her with the 86 ornaments and clothe her in the finest of her garments, cover her with flowers, and sprinkle her with perfumes, and set her in & spacious box afloat on the waters of the boundless ocean."
It was the time of Dwapara Yuga and the Gurd had to be obeyed. So it was done as he bid, to the great sorrow of the king and all his subjects. The king asked the Guru to comfort them all with
9 yillage beadman.
