The allusion here is to a common tale. The story goes that a man who had two wives wanted to cross a river. Both wives wanted to go across first with him, so in the end, leaving the elder to walk, he took the younger on his shoulder, who mocked the elder with the words—

Ik sarî, dûî balî;

Dûî jâî mûnde charhî.

First she was vexed, next she grieved;

While the other went across on the shoulder.

Hence the sting of the old sparrow's taunt.

Verses

.—In the original—

Ik chamkhat hûî; Chirî rangan charhî;

Chirâ bedan karî;

Pîpal patte jharî;

Mahîn sing jharî;

Naîn bahí khârî;

Koïl hûî kânî;

Bhagtû diwanî;

Bandî padnî;

Rânî nâchnî;

Putr dholkî bajânî;

Râjâ sargî bajânî;

One hen painted,

And the other was dyed,

And the cock loved her,

So the

pîpal

shed its leaves,

And the buffalo her horns,

So the river became salt,

And the cuckoo lost an eye,

So Bhagtû went mad,

And the maid took to swearing,

So the Queen took to dancing,

And the Prince took to drumming,

And the King took to thrumming.

THE PRINCESS PEPPERINA

Princess Pepperina

.—In the original

Shâhzâdî Mirchâ

Filfil Shâhzâdî: mirch

is the

Capsicum annuum

or common chilli, green and red.

Sheldrakes

.—The

chakwâ

, male, and

chakwî

, female, is the ruddy goose or sheldrake, known to Europeans as the Brâhmanî duck,

Anas casarca

Casarca rutila

. It is found all over India in the winter, and its plaintive night cry has given rise to a very pretty legend. Two lovers are said to have been for some indiscretion turned into Brâhmanî ducks, and condemned to pass the night apart from each other, on the opposite sides of a river. All night long each asks the other in turn if it shall join its mate, and the answer is always 'no.' The words supposed to be said are—

Chakwâ, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwî!

Chakwî, main âwân? Nâ, Chakwâ!

Chakwâ, shall I come? No, Chakwî!

Chakwî, shall I come? No, Chakwâ!

PEASIE AND BEANSIE

Peasie and Beansie

, p. 167.—In the original Motho and Mûngo.

Motho

is a vetch,

Phaseolus aconitifolius

; and

mûng

is a variety of pulse,

Phaseolus mungo

. Peasie and Beansie are very fair translations of the above.

Plum-tree

, p. 167.—

Ber, Zizyphus jujuba.

THE SNAKE-WOMAN

King 'Ali Mardân

—'Ali Mardân Khân belongs to modern history, having been Governor (not King, as the tale has it) of Kashmîr, under the Emperor Shâh Jahân, about A.D. 1650, and very famous in India in many ways. He was one of the most magnificent governors Kashmîr ever had, and is now the best-remembered.

Snake-Woman

—In the original

Lamiâ

, said in Kashmîr to be a snake 200 years old, and to possess the power of becoming a woman. In India, especially in the hill districts, it is called

Yahawwâ

. In this tale the

Lamiâ

is described as being a

Wâsdeo

, a mythical serpent.

Wâsdeo

is the same as Vâsudeva, a descendant of Vasudeva. Vasudeva was the earthly father of Krishna and of his elder brother Balarâma, so Balarâma was a Vâsudeva. Balarâma in the classics is constantly mixed up with Sèsha (now Sesh Nâg), a king of serpents, and with Vâsuki (Bâsak Nâg), also a king of serpents; while Ananta, the infinite, the serpent whose legend combines that of Vâsuki and Sêsha, is mixed not only with Balarâma, but also with Krishna. Hence the name Wâsdeo for a serpent. The Lamiâ is not only known in India from ancient times to the present day, but also in Tibet and Central Asia generally, and in Europe from ancient to mediæval times, and always as a malignant supernatural being. For discussions on her, see notes to the above in the

Indian Antiquary

, vol. xi. pp. 230-232, and the discussion following, entitled 'Lamiâ or Λαμια' pp. 232-235. Also

Comparetti's Researches into the Book of Sindibâd

, Folklore Society's ed.,

passim

Dal Lake

—The celebrated lake at Srinagar in Kashmîr.

Emperor of China's Handmaiden

—A common way of explaining the origin of unknown girls in Musâlman tales. Kashmîr is essentially a Musalmân country._

Shalimâr gardens

.—At Srinagar, made by the Emperor Jahangir, who preceded 'Ali Mardân Khân by a generation, for Nûr Mahal. Moore,

Lalla Rookh

, transcribes in describing them the well-known Persian verses in the Dîwân-i-Khâs (Hall of Private Audience) at Delhi and elsewhere—

'And oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,

It is this, it is this.'

The verses run really thus—

Agar firdûs ba rû-e-zamîn ast,

Hamîn ast o hamîn ast o hamîn ast!

If there be an Elysium on the face of the earth,

It is here, and it is here, and it is here!

Shâh Jahân built the Shâlimâr gardens at Lahor, in imitation of those at Srinagar, and afterwards Ranjît Singh restored them. They are on the Amritsar Road.

Gangâbal

.—A holy lake on the top of Mount Harâmukh, 16,905 feet, in the north of Kashmîr. It is one of the sources of the Jhelam River, and the scene of an annual fair about 20th August.

Khichrî

.—Sweet khichrî consists of rice, sugar, cocoa-nut, raisins, cardamoms, and aniseed; salt khichrî of pulse and rice.

The stone in the ashes

.—The

pâras

, in Sanskrit

sparsamani

, the stone that turns what it touches into gold.

Attock

.—In the original it is the Atak River (the Indus) near Hoti Mardân, which place is near Atak or Attock. The similarity in the names 'Ali Mardan and Hotî Mardân probably gave rise to this statement. They have no connection whatever.

THE WONDERFUL RING

The Wonderful Ring

.—In the vernacular

'ajab mundrâ

: a variant of the inexhaustible box.

Holy place

.—

Chaunkâ

, a square place plastered with cow-dung, used by Hindus when cooking or worshipping. The cow-dung sanctifies and purifies it.

Aunt

.—

Mâsî

, maternal aunt.

THE JACKAL AND THE PEA-HEN

Plums

, p. 195.—

Ber, Zyziphus jujuba

THE GRAIN OF CORN

The verses

.—In the original they were—

_Phir gîâ billî ke pâs,

'Billî, rî billî, mûsâ khâogî'

Khâtî khûnd pâr nâ!

Khûnd chanâ de nâ!

Râjâ khâtî dande nâ!

Râjâ rânî russe nâ!

Sapnâ rânî dase nâ!

Lâthî sapnâ mâre nâ!

Âg lâthî jalâve nâ!

Samundar âg bujhâve nâ!

Hâthî samundar sukhe nâ!

Nâre hâthî bandhe nâ!

Mûsâ nâre kâte nâ!

Lûngâ phir chorûn? nâ!'

He then went to the cat (saying),

'Cat, cat, eat mouse.

Woodman won't cut tree!

Tree won't give peas!

King won't beat woodman!

Queen won't storm at king!

Snake won't bite queen!

Stick won't beat snake!

Fire won't burn stick!

Sea won't quench fire!

Elephant won't drink up sea!

Thong won't bind elephant!

Mouse won't nip thong!

I'll take (the pea) yet, I won't let it go!'_

It will be seen that in the text the order has been transposed for obvious literary convenience.

Verses

.—In the original these are—

Usne kahâ, 'Lap, lap, khâûngî!' Phir gîâ mûsâ ke pâs, 'Mûsâ, re mûsâ, ab khâ jâoge?' 'Ham bhî

nâre katenge.'

Phir gîâ nâre ke pâs, 'Nâre, re nâre, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham bhî

hâthî bandhenge.'

Phir gîâ hâthî ke pâs, 'Hâthî, re hâthî, ab bandhe jâoge?' 'Ham

bhî samundar sûkhenge.'

Phir gîâ samundar ke pâs, 'Samundar, re samundar, ab sukhe

jâoge?' 'Ham bhî âg bujhâenge.'

Phir gîâ âg ke pâs, 'Âg, rî âg, ab bujhâî jâogi?' 'Ham bhî lâthî

jalâvenge.'

Phir gîâ lâthî ke pâs, 'Lâthî, re lâthî, ab jal jâoge?' 'Ham bhî

sâmp mârenge.'

Phir gîâ samp ke pâs, 'Sâmp, re sâmp, ab mâre jâoge?' 'Ham bhî

rânî dasenge?'

Phir gîâ rânî ke pâs, 'Rânî, rî rânî, ab dasî jâoge?' 'Ham bhî

râjâ rusenge.'

Phir gîâ râjâ ke pâs, 'Râjâ, re raja, ab rânî rus jâoge?' 'Ham

bhî khâtî dândenge.'

Phir gîâ khâtî ke pâs, 'Khâtî, re khâtî, ab dande jâoge?' 'Ham

bhî khund kâtenge.'

Phir gîâ khund ke pâs, 'Khund, re khund, ab kâte jâoge?' 'Ham

bhî chanâ denge.'

Phir woh chanâ lekar chalâ gîâ?

The cat said, 'I will eat him up at once!'

(So) he went to the mouse, 'Mouse, mouse, will you be eaten?' 'I

will gnaw the thong.'

He went to the thong, 'Thong, thong, will you be gnawed?' 'I

will bind the elephant.'

He went to the elephant, 'Elephant, elephant, will you be bound?'

'I will drink up the ocean.'

He went to the ocean, 'Ocean, ocean, will you be drunk up?' 'I

will quench the fire.'

He went to the fire, 'Fire, fire, will you be quenched?' 'I will

burn the stick.'

He went to the stick, 'Stick, stick, will you be burnt?' 'I will

beat the snake.'

He went to the snake, 'Snake, snake, will you be beaten?' 'I will

bite the queen.'

He went to the queen, 'Queen, queen, will you be bitten?' 'I will

storm at the king.'

He went to the king, 'King, king, will you be stormed at by the

queen?' 'I will beat the woodman.'

He went to the woodman, 'Woodman, woodman, will you be

beaten?' 'I will cut down the trunk.'

He went to the trunk, 'Trunk, trunk, will you be cut down?' 'I

will give you the pea.'

So he got the pea and went away.

THE FARMER AND THE MONEY-LENDER

Money-lender

—

Lîdû

, a disreputable tradesman, a sharp practitioner.

Râm

—Râma Chandra, now 'God'

par excellence

Conch

—

Sankh

, the shell used in Hindu worship for blowing upon.

THE LORD OF DEATH

Lord of Death

.—

Maliku'l-maut

is the Muhammadan form of the name,

Kâl

is the Hindu form. The belief is that every living being has attached to him a 'Lord of Death.' He is represented in the 'passion plays' so common at the Dasahra and other festivals by a hunchbacked dwarf, quite black, with scarlet lips, fastened to a 'keeper' by a black chain and twirling about a black wand. The idea is that until this chain is loosened or broken the life which he is to kill is safe. The notion is probably of Hindu origin. For a note on the subject see

Indian Antiquary

, vol. x. pp. 289, 290.

THE WRESTLERS

The Wrestlers

.—The story seems to be common all over India. In the

Indian Antiquary

, vol. x. p. 230, it is suggested that it represents some aboriginal account of the creation.

Ten thousand pounds weight

.—In the original 160

mans

, which weigh over 13,000 lbs._

GWASHBRARI

Gwâshbrâri, etc

.—The Westarwân range is the longest spur into the valley of Kashmîr. The remarkably clear tilt of the strata probably suggested this fanciful and poetical legend. All the mountains mentioned in the tale are prominent peaks in Kashmîr, and belong to what Cunningham (

Ladâk

, 1854, ch. iii.) calls the Pîr Panjâl and Mid-Himâlayan Range. Nangâ Parbat, 26,829 ft., is to the N.W.; Harâ Mukh, 16,905 ft., to the N.; Gwâshbrâri or Kolahoî, 17,839 ft., to the N.E. Westarwân is a long ridge running N.W. to S.E., between Khrû and Sotûr, right into the Kashmîr valley. Khru is not far from Srinagar, to the S.E.

Lay at Gwâshbrâri's feet, his head upon her heart

.—As a matter of fact, Westarwân does not lay his head anywhere near Gwâshbrâri's feet, though he would appear to do so from Khrû, at which place the legend probably arose. An excellent account of the country between Khrû and Sesh Nâg, traversing most of that lying between Westarwân and Gwâshbrâri, by the late Colonel Cuppage, is to be found at pp. 206-221 of Ince's

Kashmîr Handbook

, 3rd ed., 1876.

THE BARBER'S CLEVER WIFE

Hornets' nest

.—Properly speaking, bees. This species makes a so-called nest,

i.e.

a honey-comb hanging from the branch of a tree, usually a

pîpal

, over which the insects crawl and jostle each other in myriads in the open air. When roused, and any accident may do this, they become dangerous enemies, and will attack and sting to death any animal near. They form a real danger in the Central Indian jungles, and authentic cases in which they have killed horses and men, even Europeans, are numerous.

Fairy

.—

Parî

, fairy, peri: the story indicates a very common notion.

THE JACKAL AND THE CROCODILE

Verses

.—In the original they are—

Gâdar, ghar kyâ lâyâ?

Kyâ chîz kamâyâ?

Ki merâ khâtir pâyâ.

Jackal, what hast thou brought home?

What thing hast thou earned?

That I may obtain my wants.

The story has a parallel in most Indian collections, and two in

Uncle Remus

, in the stories of 'The Rabbit and the Wolf' and of 'The Terrapin and the Rabbit.'

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WAS BORN

Raja Rasâlu

—The chief legendary hero of the Panjâb, and probably a Scythian or non-Aryan king of great mark who fought both the Aryans to the east and the invading tribes (? Arabs) to the west. Popularly he is the son of the great Scythian hero Sâlivâhana, who established the Sâka or Scythian era in 78 A.D. Really he, however, probably lived much later, and his date should be looked for at any period between A.D. 300 and A.D. 900. He most probably represented the typical Indian kings known to the Arab historians as flourishing between 697 and 870 A.D. by the synonymous names Zentil, Zenbil, Zenbyl, Zambil, Zantil, Ranbal, Ratbyl, Reteil, Retpeil, Rantal, Ratpil, Ratteil, Ratbal, Ratbil, Ratsal, Rusal, Rasal, Rasil. These are all meant for the same word, having arisen from the uncertainty of the Arabic character and the ignorance of transcribers. The particular king meant is most likely the opponent of Hajjaj and Muhammad Qasim between 697 and 713 A.D. The whole subject is involved in the greatest obscurity, and in the Panjâb his story is almost hopelessly involved in pure folklore. It has often been discussed in learned journals. See

Indian Antiquary

, vol. xi. pp. 299 ff. 346-349, vol. xii. p. 303 ff., vol. xiii. p. 155 ff.;

Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal

for 1854, pp. 123-163,

etc

.; Elliot's

History of India

, vol. i. pp. 167, 168, vol. ii. pp. 178, 403-427.

Lonan

—For a story of Lonân, see

Indian Antiquary

, vol. ix. p. 290.

Thrown into a deep well

—Still shown on the road between Siâlkot and Kallowâl.

Gurû Gorakhnâth

—The ordinary

deux ex machinâ

of modern folk-tales. He is now supposed to be the reliever of all troubles, and possessed of most miraculous powers, especially over snakes. In life he seems to have been the Brâhmanical opponent of the mediæval reformers of the fifteenth century A.D. By any computation Pûran Bhagat must have lived centuries before him.

Pûran Bhagat

.—Is in story Râjâ Rasâlû's elder brother. There are numerous poems written about his story, which is essentially that of Potiphar's wife. The parallel between the tales of Raja Rasâlu and Pûran Bhagat and those of the Southern Aryan conqueror Vikramâditya and his (in legend) elder brother Bhatrihari, the saint and philosopher, is worthy of remark.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WENT OUT INTO THE WORLD

Bhaunr' Irâqi

.—The name of Rasâlu's horse; but the name probably should be Bhaunri Rakhi, kept in the underground cellar. 'Irâqi means Arabian.

Verses

.—In the original these are—

Main âiâ thâ salâm nûn, tûn baithâ pîth maror!

Main nahîn terâ râj wandânundâ; main nûn nahîn râj te lor.

I came to salute thee, and thou hast turned thy back on me!

I have no wish to share thy kingdom! I have no desire for empire.

Mahlân de vich baithîe, tûn ro ro na sunâ! Je tûn merî mâtâ hain, koî mat batlâ! Matte dendî hai mân tain nûn, putar: gin gin jholî ghat! Châre Khûntân tûn râj kare, par changâ rakhîn sat!

O sitting in the palace, let me not hear thee weeping!

If thou be my mother give me some advice!

Thy mother doth advise thee, son: stow it carefully away in thy

wallet!

Thou wilt reign in the Four Quarters, but keep thyself good and

pure.

Verses

.—In the original these are—

Thorâ thorâ, betâ, tûn disîn, aur bahotî disî dhûr:

Putr jinân de tur chale, aur mâwân chiknâ chûr.

It is little I see of thee, my son, but I see much dust.

The mother, whose son goes away on a journey, becomes as a powder

(reduced to great misery).

HOW RAJA RASÂLU'S FRIENDS FORSOOK HIM

Verses

.—Originals are—

Agge sowen lef nihâlîân, ajj sutâ suthrâ ghâs!

Sukh wasse yeh des, jâhan âeajj dî rât!

Before thou didst sleep on quilts, to-day thou has slept on clean

grass!

Mayest thou live happy in this land whither thou hast come this

night!

Snake

—Most probably represents a man of the 'Serpent Race' a Nâga, Taka, or Takshak.

Unspeakable horror

—The undefined word

âfat

, horror, terror, was used throughout.

Verses

—Originals are—

Sadâ na phûlan torîân, nafrâ: sadâ na Sâwan hoe:

Sadâ na joban thir rahe: sadâ na jive koe:

Sadâ na râjiân hâkimî: sâda na râjiân des:

Sadâ na hove ghar apnâ, nafrâ, bhath piâ pardes

Tcrîs

(a mustard plant) do not always flower, my servant: it

is not always the rainy season (time of joy).

Youth does not always last: no one lives for ever:

Kings are not always rulers: kings have not always lands:

They have not always homes, my servant: they fall into great

troubles in strange lands.

These verses of rustic philosophy are universal favourites, and have been thus rendered in the

Calcutta Review

, No. clvi. pp. 281, 282—

Youth will not always stay with us:

We shall not always live:

Rain doth not always fall for us:

Nor flowers blossoms give.

Great kings not always rulers are:

They have not always lands:

Nor have they always homes, but know

Sharp grief at strangers' hands.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU KILLED THE GIANTS

Giants

—

Râkshasa

, for which see previous notes.

Nîlâ city

—Most probably Bâgh Nîlâb on the Indus to the south of Atak.

Verses

—In the original these are—

Na ro, mata bholîe: na aswân dhalkâe: Tere bete ki 'îvaz main sir desân châe. Nîle-ghorewâlîd Râjâ, munh dhârî, sir pag, Woh jo dekhte âunde, jin khâiâ sârâ jag

Weep not, foolish mother, drop no tears:

I will give my head for thy son.

Gray-horsed Raja: bearded face and turban on head,

He whom you see coming is he who has destroyed my life!

Verses

—In original—

_Nasso, bhajo, bhâîo! Dekho koî gali! Tehrî agg dhonkaî, so sir te ân balî! Sûjhanhârî sûjh gae; hun laihndî charhdî jâe! Jithe sânûn sûkh mile, so jhatpat kare upâe!

Fly, fly, brethren! look out for some road!

Such a fire is burning that it will come and burn our heads!

Our fate has come, we shall now be destroyed!

Make some plan at once for our relief._

Gandgari Mountains

—Gandgarh Hills, to the north of Atak; for a detailed account of this legend see

Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal

for 1854, p. 150 ff.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU BECAME A JOGI

Hodînagarî

—A veritable will-o'-the-wisp in the ancient Panjâb geography: Hodînagarî, Udenagar, Udaynagar, is the name of innumerable ruins all over the northern Panjâb, from Siâlkot to Jalâlâbâd in Afghânistân beyond the Khaibar Pass. Here it is more than probably some place in the Rawâl Pindi or Hazârâ Districts along the Indus.

Rânî Sundrân

—The daughter of Hari Chand.

Alakh

—'In the Imperishable Name,' the cry of religious mendicants when begging.

Verses

.—In original—

Jâe

Eelmine 1 ...15 161718 Järgmine

Teised selle autori raamatud

Loe

Steel Flora Annie Webster

The Adventures of Akbar

Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India

Selle raamatu lugejad loevad ka

Teised selle autori raamatud