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JULY, 1924 ]
FOLK-TALES FROM NORTHERN INDIA
"Kudr budi pandravin bhai, khúb urdi khâur ;
Ashikh de ghar ját hain, tum Vesya, ham Bhânr." i.e., "Up to the fifteenth of the month Krar I enjoyed myself and was fed on sugar-I now leave you with my blessing. You are a dancing-wench and I a buffoon."
14. Iron and gold. (Told by Kazi Shamsu'ddin of Babugark, Mcerut District.) Iron and gold once disputed which of them was the greater, and as they could not settle the matter themselves, they asked Raja Bhoj to arbitrate. Said Iron :-"What qualities dost thou possess, that thou dost not fall down and worship me?" Said Gold :-"Why should I fall down and worship thee, seeing that I am much superior to thee. I am measured by the rati and thou by the ser. I am the ruler and thou the slave." Said Iron - "The reverse is the case. My shoes are on thy head. Of me the anvil and hammer are made, and between them thou art hammered and fashioned. When thou art made into coins, the moulds are formed of me. When thou art shut up, it is under my lock and key. How canst thou call me one of menial caste?” Said Gold :-"How canst thou pretend to rival me, since it is of me jewels are made ?” Said Iron :-." True, but these are the ornaments of women. Of me are made armour and the weapons of war. It is I and not thou, who conquer the world." Said Gold :-"Thou art a rogue, while I am a gentleman. Everyone curses thee, while all love me." Said Iron :-"At the first shower of rain in Asarh all thy votaries have to mortgage thee to buy cattle and seed-grain. I help my votaries to earn their bread by honest labour, and all respect me. If anyone take me with him, he has no cause for fear. He may be sure of returning home in safoty, while he who carries thee is in constant fear of the thief and the robber."
When the arguments were ended, Raja Bhoj said :-"Iron has proved his case."
Said Gold -" This is only what might be expected from a Raja, but no Rajput ehal ever possess me." And this is the reason why Rajputs are usually thriftless and impoverished.
15. The tale of the cuckoo. (Told by Akbar Shah Manjhi of Mirzapur District, and recorded by Hamid Husain.).
A certain Raja had a beautiful garden, in which lived a koil or cuckoo, which used to sing morning and evening, and keep silence all day while she sought food. This annoyed the Raja, and he sent for some fowlers and ordered them to catch the cuckoo. When they went in search of her, she was absent, and they caught a kuch kuchiya bird (the red-headed Trogon) and brought it to the Raja, who shut it up in a cage. The bird had only one note, "Kaeh / Kaeh !," which it kept repeating. Thereupon the Raja struck at it with a stick, whereupon the bird said:
Kuh kuh bole koiliya nanda
Bin aparadh paryon main phanda i.e., "The cuckoo sings sweetly; but I have been snared for no fault." On this the Raja released the bird and punished the fowlers for their mistake..
16. The Kori's dilemma. (Told by Ramndth Tiwdri of Sarkandi, Fatehpur District. ) There was once a Kori weaver who was a great fool. One day his wife began to abuse him and said, “You are such a lazy fellow : You never do anything offhand.” So he went away, saying "Offhand" to every one he met. He came acron a fowler catobing birds in a net.
