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APRIL, 1921]
HIR AND RANJHA
5
wives redoubled their taunts, saying: "You eat the bread of idleness and drink two men's share of buttermilk." And they meditated in their hearts some device by which they might be rid of him.
So they sent for the Qâzi and the assembly of the elders to measure the family lands They gave bribes to the Qazi and thus the good land was given to the brothers and the barren and inhospitable fell to the portion of Ranjha: and Ranjha's enemies flapped their arms exultantly and said:"Now Ranjha's brethren have entangled him in a net!" And they jeered at the Ja, saying:-"How can a man plough who wears long hair and anoints his head with curds? What woman will marry such a ne'er-do-weel?" And his brothers jeered saying:-" He wears a big looking-glass on his thumb like a woman. He plays on the flute all day and sings all night. Let the boy quarrel about the land if he so wills. His strength will not avail against us who are many."
So Ranjha heavy in heart, took out his yoke of oxen to the field to plough; but his soul was sad within him, and the sun smote him sore. And being tired of ploughing, when he came to a shady place, he took the yoke pegs out from the yoke and lay down to rest, and Sahiba his brother's wife brought him food. And he told of his sorrows to Sâhibâ
his brothers wife :
"Sister, I do not like this ploughing; the soil is hard, my hands are blistered and iny feet are exceeding sore. The good days when my father was alive are alas! gone and now evil days have fallen upon me."
And Sahiba replied tauntingly:-" Verily you were your father's darling but the very shame of your mother." Whereupon Rânjha's anger was hot within him and he replied "It is truly written in the Holy Quran:- Women are ever deceivers.' Did not women befool Raja Bhoj, put a bit in his mouth and drive him like a donkey round the place! Did not a woman destroy the Kauros and Pandos ? Did not a woman kill Râvan ? It is you who have stirred up strifeis: it you who have separated me from my brethren. I used to be happy day and night with my friends, but now your evil tongues have raised up the smoke of contention. You women make men into rams so that they fight with one another." Sahiba replied: "You eat too much milk and rice, hence you are proud and overbearing. You are the only blot on our family. If you would leave your home and go hungry for a time, perhaps you might give up this devilry. You are idle and do no work. You prowl about the village making eyes at the girls. The other women of the village taunt us at the spinning parties and say we are in love with you. For women fall in love with such beauty as yours even as flies are caught in honey. Day and night the women run after you. Your love has ruined many households."
Thereupon Ranjha was wroth and spoke angry words to his sisters-in-law, saying:"All the world knows that you are the most quarrelsome women in the village, and as for your beauty, it is such that your husbands need not fear that any men will want to ran away with you."
The eyes of Sahiba reddened with rage and her black curls glistened like angry
cobras:
"If we are not good enough for you," said she," go and marry one of the Sial girls go and play your flute among their houses and entrap some of their women. If you don's like our beauty go and marry Hir. Seek her day and night that you may entrap her. You
