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DECEMBER, 1909.]
LEGENDS FROM THE PANJAB.
321
Bait.
Verseg. " Agloi ghutid, Bahmanan ; sinbhal kdn tagd. "Thou hast been outwitted, Brahman; do thy
work skilfully. Morní didi la nishanidi maithon sundá jd. Hear the signs of Morni from me. Sajanhare sarjayd: rdp ditta Kartár.
The Creator made her the Creator gave her
beauty. wal maldi pdlwen; kundal kés pawei. Hair nourished with cream; locks curled in
ringlets.. Nalthd hai bhale chand dá, lal hardin de. Forehead as the full moon, ruddy as a rocket. Honth pandi toi pație, malúk pdn chaben. Lips thin as betel leaves such as beauties chew. Dand jaudhir hire, kach de môli jor karen. Teeth of jewels and diamonds, set like pearls of
glass. Gallai lal bambhiridi, lal hardin den.
Cheeks red as scarlet birds, ruddy as rockets. Kanin bukbuskudlidi; bahdi wélan wélidi. Ears full of rings; arms round as rollers. Chhalle apar apdr; unglidi arwd di phallida.
Rings without number; fingers thin as pease
pods. Sine ulte do iața dhare mashaldi bál.
Two globes as bright as torches on her breast. Dhunne tung sharab df; nude gurj dhare dhar Navel like a flask of wine; shoulders rounded as jar.
a ball. Pattis mds lipewdi; jhanjhah, de chhankár.
Thighs covered with flesh; jingling anklets. Chdl-chale wdge sher di ; úrde panchhi mardi
Gait like a tigress's; the jingling of her anklets jhanjhan di chhankdr.
kills the flying birds. Dhan ok rája ok da jiúnd, jis ghar Morní nár." Blessed is that rijd and his life, in whose house
Morni is wife." "Listen to me, O Brahman, I have described Morni to you. Dous she go about grinding flour? She is the Raja's daughter, what has she to do with such tasks?"
Rûp Chand gave her ten rupees and said: "Forgive me for beating you." And he gave her ten rupees more, telling her to get him some lac, 50 sheep's wool, scissors, and some firewood. She did so, and he pnt the lac into a pan, lighted a fire under it and laid bits of the wool beside him. When the lac had melted, he took it off the fire and when it was luke-warm; he told the slave-girl to paste it all over his body. She did so, and then stack pieces of wool all over him. Meanwhile, the wind blew and the lac was completly plastered over his body and the sbeep's wool bristled, so that he looked like an old, old Bråb man five hundred years old. Ghatk was now ordered by the Brahman to go and point ont Morni's palace to bim, as they passed throngh the bazar. He carried a brass pot in his band, and when people saw him, they said he must have come down from Heaven, and that if any one wanted an oracle, now was the time to ask for it. One man said: - "If you are going to give him anything, give it. He is in a bad way, let him go somewhere else, lest he die at our door.” Traversing the bazar he reached the watch-bouse, where one sentry asked him one thing, and another, another until the head sentry said : -" This Brahman is very weak, don't ask him any questions, bnt give him whaterer you mean to give, and let him go, lest he die bere." The Brahman held his breathal and in his terror fell down. The head sentry said they could now ask for oracles and omens. "A Bråbman had died at their door, and they must give Rs. 5 to buy fire-wood. The murder would be an extra charge, and they would have to go to the Ganges as well." Another sentry said : -" It's no affair of ours, we are Morni's servants, and she herself must burn him or go to the Ganges. Take him by the legs and arms, and throw him into the courtyard." So two men seized his legs and two his arms and threw him into Morot's yard.
(To be continued.) # Chapra, las fitted for commercial use.
Sanhghutna, to be stopped of the breath. # Thaggan, lit. to cheat, cheating, i.e., humbug.
