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JULY, 1924 )
FOLK-TALES FROM NORTHERN INDIA
When he had gone some distance, he saw a carpenter who was digging earth, and as he dug it, he threw it over a hill close by.
The potter said-“You are a very powerful man." He answered—“I hear that there is a potter who is even stronger than I am."
So they started off together. When they had gone some distance, they saw a cowherd taking one of his buffaloes on his back to a tank to bathe her. Him also they made join their company. When they went a little further, they came upon a goldsmith who, when his anvil got out of shape, hammered it straight with his hand. He also joined them. Then they came to a well and they told the carpenter to go and draw some water. When he put in his lota, the fairies who were in the well caught hold of it. So he jumped in; and when he did not come out, they sent in the cowherd; and after him went in the goldsmith also. So the potter was left alone outside. Then up came a Rakshasa, who was lord of the well, and challenged the potter to fight him. The potter after a fierce fight killed him, and then he too went down into the well. There they found the palace of the fairies, who were of heavenly beauty; and they had a store of all manner of wealth. Here the heroes and the fairies lived ever after.
19. The Ahir and his Guru. (Told by Pandit Chandrasekhara, Zilla school, Cawn pore) There was once an Ahir, who was the servant of a Thakur, and one day his master's Guru came to see him. This was in the month of Baisakh, when the weather was very hot. So the Thakur gave the Guru a seat, bathed and fanned him, and gave him sherbet to drink. Just at that time the Thakur was in trouble because his wife was barren, and he had a dispute with his relations; but soon after the Guru arrived, his wife conceived and the quarrel was settled.
When the Ahîr saw what had happened, he thought it would be much to his advantage to get initiated himself. So he went about looking for a Guru.
One day his younger brother came running to him in terror and said
"I was just passing the river, when I saw a terrible animal chewing an enormous bone in its mouth and making an awful noise. Perchance he may injure our flocks, and we bad better slay him." Now it was the month of Magh and very cold weather, and this was a poor Sanyasi who was sitting by the river, making his Sandhya oblation and blowing his conch-shell. The Ahîrs stole up behind him and struck him a blow with a club. But when they saw that it was a Sanyasi, they were grieved, and making their excuses to him, carried him to their house. They wished to treat him with the utmost respect, and the Ahir, remembering how his master had treated his Guru, seated him on a chair, poured a lot of water over him, though it was freezing, and made him drink a lot of sherbet. In consequence the unfortunate Guru died, and the Ahir was never able to find another.
20. The Ahir and his Guru.
(Told by Hanuman Prasad, teacher, Rai Barèli. ) There was once an Ahîr who thought that he was neglecting his religion; so he got himself initiated by a Guru. Soon after, the Guru came to see him, and the Ahir gave him all the milk and butter there was in the house. The Guru thought the Ahir a very liberal man; so he used to come every ten days or so; and whatever he found in the house the Ahîr would give him. The Ahir's wife did not like this and said to herself, “Since this Babaji has taken to coming to the house, I might as well have no buffalo at all; for my husband gives
