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FOLK-TALES FROM NORTHERN INDIA.
[The following folk tales and fables were collected by the late Dr. William Crooke, C.I.E., and were probably intended to be published in book-form. After his death, they were forwarded to Mr. S. M. Edwardes, on the chance that he might be able to make use of them. As the tales are numerous and possess a value for students of folk-lore, it has been decided to publish a selection of thein in this Journal. In nearly every case Dr. Crooke had entered above each story the names of the persons who told it and recorded it. These names have accordingly been reproduced, as well as a few notes by Dr. Crooke appended to some of the stories.-ED.)
1. The slave discovered. (Told by Lala Sankar Lal of Saharanpur and recorded by Pandit Ram Gharib Chaube. )
A nobleman once had a slave who absconded with a large sum of money. Some time later his master found him by chance in a distant city. When he took him before the Kazi, the slave said "I am not this man's slave, but he is my slave." The master was con founded at his insolence. So the Kazi sent his servant outside. Then he made the master and man put their heads through a slit in the wall, and he called to his servant :-." Cut off the slave's head with your sword." The slave blenched at the order and drew in his head, while his master remained unmoved. Thus the Kazi decided which of them was the slave.
2. The man and the loaves. (Told by Lala Devi Prasad of Aligarh and recorded by Pandit Ram Gharib Chaube. )
A certain man used to buy six loaves daily at the baker's shop. To a friend who enquired how he consumed all this bread, he replied:-"One loaf I keep; one I throw away: two I give in discharge of a debt ; and two I lend." The friend asked him to explain, and he answered :-" The loaf which I keep, I eat myself ; the loaf I throw away I give to my wife; the two for the discharge of debt I give to my parents; and the two which I lend I give to my children."
8. The cuckoo and the owl. (Told by Ganesa Lal, Schoolmaster, Digh, Fa ahpur District. ) A cuckoo and an owl once dwelt in the same tree. One day the cuckoo flew to the court of Indra and sang so sweetly that he and all his fairies were delighted and gave him many presents. "Who are the other sweet singers in the land of inen?" asked Indra Raja, and the cuckoo replied “The peacock, the bumble bee, the maina and the nightingale, the parrot and myself are the six great singers."
When the cuckoo returned and showed his presents to the owl, the latter was envious and flew himself to Indra's court, and alighting on a tree began to hoot. Indra, hearing him, thought some Rakshasa had come to trouble him. So he called him and said :--"Who are the great singers in the land of men ?" The owl replied :-"The owl, the ass, the dog, the jackal, the crow and the cat-these are the best singers in the world." So Indra drove him forth with blows, saying, “You with your hooting would alone destroy the land of fairies. The earth must be made of iron to stand you and your five friends."
4. The two Fakirs. (Told by Misna Gomati Prasád of Bansi, Basti District. ) One day a Hindu fakir came to the court of Akbar and presented somo holy ashes Granh). Then came a Munglman fakir who presented some sweet basil (sabz, sabja). Tha Muhammadan courtiers remarked “How much better is the gift of the Musalman
