Part 30

"Afterwards he told me to throw down a Damba branch; I threw down two Damba branches. Saying and saying [it was only] until the time when the Leopard was going, I stayed in the tree.

"While I was there it became night. Then the Leopard told me to descend. I stayed [there] without descending. The Leopard told me twice to descend. Afterwards I descended. The Leopard, putting me on his back, came here. From that day I am living here."

Then the Princes asked, "Where is the Leopard?"

The Princess said, "This morning he went somewhere or other; he said he will not come for a day or two."

After that, the Princes said, "No matter for that one; let us go away home. We will take the things that are here."

The Princess said, "I will not." What of her saying, "I will not!" The Princes, having taken all the [household] things that were there, said to the Princess, "Let us go."

Afterwards the Princess through anger cut that child, and hung it aloft, near the hearth. She placed the small pot on the hearth, and taking a [piece of] muslin, all along the path tore and tore and threw down pieces, until the time when they went to the house. Having gone there, without eating she is crying and crying.

Then the Leopard came near the rock cave, and saw that the child having been cut had been hung up; and having seen, also, that the Princess was not there, came away.

Having come all along the path on which the muslin has been torn and thrown down, and having come up to the house [in a human form]; he saw that the Princess is there. While the Leopard is in the open space in front of the house, the Princess saw that the Leopard is [there]; and having come laughing, and given water to the Leopard to wash his face, and given sitting accommodation, and betel to eat, she is cooking in order to give the Leopard to eat.

Then the Princes placed an earthen pot of water on the hearth, to become heated. After it became heated, they cut a hole very deeply, and put sticks on it, and above that leaves, and above that earth; and having taken the pot of water and placed it there, they came near the Leopard, and said to the Leopard, "Let us go, brother-in-law, to bathe."

The Leopard said, "I cannot bathe, brother-in-law. As I was coming I bathed; I cannot bathe another time."

While the Leopard was saying he could not, having gone calling the Leopard they told him to place his feet at the place where those sticks and leaves and earth have been put; and having told him to bend, they poured that pot of boiling water on the Leopard's body. That one having fallen into the hole that was cut deep, died. Those seven Princes having thrown in earth and filled it up, came away and ate cooked rice.

That younger sister, having cooked and finished, seeks the Leopard. While she is seeking him the sisters-in-law say, "Sister-in-law, you eat that cooked rice. Elder brother is eating cooked rice here."

The Princess is [there] without eating. While she is there the sisters-in-law say again, "Sister-in-law, eat; elder brother is eating cooked rice here. He will not come there, having become angry that you have come [away]."

After that, the Princess came to look [for him]. Having looked at the whole seven houses without finding the Leopard, she went to the place where he bathed, and when she looked [saw that] earth was [newly] cut and placed there.

Having seen it, thinking, "Here indeed having murdered him, this earth has been cut and placed [over him]," she went into the house, and did not eat; and having been weeping and weeping, and been two or three days without food, the Princess died through very grief at the loss of the Leopard.

The eight Princes and the seven Princesses, taking the Leopard's goods and the Princess's goods, remained there.

North-western Province.

In The Indian Antiquary, vol. xiv, p. 135 ff. (Folklore in Southern India, p. 116), in a Tamil story by Natesa Sastri, a girl who had married and gone off with a tiger disguised in the form of a Brahmana youth, escaped when her three brothers, in response to her request sent by a crow, came to rescue her. She first tore in two the tiger cub she had borne, and hung the pieces to roast over the fire. The tiger followed in the form of a youth, was well received, and food was cooked. On the pretext of giving him the customary oil bath (of Southern India) before dining, the brothers put sticks across the well, and laid mats over them. When the tiger-youth sat there for the bath he fell into the well, which they filled with stones, etc. The girl raised a pillar (apparently of mud) over the well, with a tulasi (basil) plant at the top; and during the rest of her life she smeared the pillar in the morning and evening with cow-dung, and watered the plant.

In the Kolhan folk-tales (Bompas), appended to Folklore of the Santal Parganas, p. 454, a tiger which assisted a Raja by carrying a load of grass for him, received in marriage one of the Raja's daughters as a recompense. He ate her, and when he went to ask for another in her place, saying she had died, boiling water was poured over him while he was asleep, and he was killed. At p. 470, a Raja married a she-bear which took the place of his bride in her palankin; apparently the bear had a human form.

In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 57, the concealed pit-fall into which people fell is found. It was dug in one of the rooms of a merchant's house. A King, his son, and his wife the Queen were entrapped; but the King's daughter-in-law suspected some trick, refused to enter the house, and rescued them.

There is a variant in the coast districts on the north bank of the River Congo, in West Africa. In Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (Dennett), p. 49, a girl who had run away from home on account of her sisters' bad treatment of her, was married to a man who was a murderer. She wanted to return to her mother, made a flying basket, and escaped in it, carrying off his ornaments and slaves. Her husband saw the basket going through the air, and followed it. The girl's relations received him well, dug a deep hole and covered it with sticks and a mat, and prepared a great quantity of boiling water. Then they called the girl and her husband to sit there, placing the man over the hole. He fell into it, the water and burning wood were thrown over him, and he died.

This Sinhalese story contains the only instance I have met with in Ceylon of a belief in power of the lower animals to take the form of men, with the exception of tales in which they have a removable skin or shell which hides a human form. In China the fox is thought to have the power of taking a human shape at will, and in Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. i, p. 76, one of these animals became a man in order to obtain a bag of roasted grain to present to an aged Brahmana. In Folklore of the Santal Parganas (collected by Rev. Dr. Bodding), p. 442, a man who had learnt witchcraft turned himself into a tiger in order to eat a calf. He gave his wife a piece of root first, and told her that when she applied it to his nose he would become a man again. Such changes as that occur in the Indian story numbered 266 in vol. iii, and its Sinhalese variants, in which the animals can then resume their human form.

It is a common belief in Africa that some animals have this power (having the souls of men in them), and also that human beings can transform themselves into the lower animals, usually dangerous ones. In Reynard the Fox in Southern Africa (Dr. Bleek), p. 57, in a Hottentot story a woman became a lion at her husband's request, in order to catch a zebra for their food. In The Fetish Folk of West Africa (Milligan), p. 226, it is stated that "there is a man in the Gaboon of whom the whole community believes that he frequently changes himself into a leopard in order to steal sheep and to devour a whole sheep at a meal."

NO. 160

THE STORY OF THE FOOLISH LEOPARD

In a certain country, at the season when a Gamarala and his son are causing cattle to graze, having constructed a fold in a good manner the Gamarala encloses the cattle in the fold.

One day, the Gamarala's son having driven in the cattle, while he was blocking up the gap (entrance) of the fold the Gamarala said, it is said, "Ade! Close the gap well; leopards and other animals (kotiyo-botiyo [328]) will come."

When he was there, a big Leopard which was near having heard this speech that he is making, thinks, "The Leopard indeed is I; what is the Botiya?" In fear, with various ideas [about it], he got inside the fold; but having thought that the Botiya will come now, he went into the midst of the calves, and in the middle of them, his happiness being ended, he remained.

In the meantime, a thief having got inside the fold, came lifting and lifting up the calves [to ascertain which was the heaviest]. Having come near the Leopard, when he lifted it up he placed the Leopard on his shoulder [in order to carry it away], because it was very heavy. The Leopard thinks, "This one, indeed, is the Botiya." Having thought, "Should I [try to] escape he will kill me," it was motionless. And the thief because he went quickly in the night [with it], for that reason thought that the calf was very good. At the time when he turned and looked at it he perceived that it was a Leopard, and he considered in what manner he could escape.

Having seen a hill near there, near an abandoned pansala (the residence of a Buddhist monk), the man threw it down from the hill, and got inside the pansala. When he shut the door, anger having come to the Leopard by reason of the harm done to him [owing to his fall], at the time when he was near the door [trying to enter in order to kill the man], a Jackal asked the Leopard, "Why is this?"

When he told the Jackal the reason, the Jackal thought he would like to eat the Leopard's flesh, [and therefore said], "I will tell you, Sir, a stratagem for opening the door. Should you put that tail of yours, Sir, through that hole the door will open."

At the time when he said [this], the Leopard having thought that by this skilful act the door will open, put his tail through. Thereupon the thief twisted the tail round the post that was near the door.

At the time when he was holding it, the Jackal went to the rice field near there in which men were working. While the Jackal was crying and crying out to the men, "Please come near, please come near," they went near the pansala. Having seen the Leopard, and beaten and killed the Leopard, they took away the skin, it is said.

Then the Jackal with much delight ate the Leopard's flesh, it is said.

North-western Province.

This story is a variant of No. 70 in vol. i.

In The Orientalist, vol. iv, p. 30, Mr. W. Goonetilleke gave a nearly similar story. The fold was one in which goats and sheep were enclosed. The man carried off the leopard which was concealed among them, and on discovering his mistake threw it down into a stream as he was crossing an edanda, or foot-bridge made of a tree trunk. He then ran off and got hid in a corn-store, where the jackal told him to twist the tail round a post, as related in vol. i, p. 368.

In The Indian Antiquary, vol. xiv, p. 77 (Tales of the Sun, p. 93), in a Tamil story given by Natesa Sastri, a shepherd, when he left his flock temporarily, fixed his stick at the place with his rug over it, and told it to keep watch, or some thief or bhuta or kuta might try to steal one. A bhuta, or evil spirit, which had come for this purpose, overheard this, and being afraid of the unknown animal called a kuta, lay down amid the flock. Two men who came to steal a goat selected the bhuta, and carried it off as being the fattest. Thinking these were the kutas, the bhuta tried to escape, and eventually melted away. The later incidents do not resemble those of this Sinhalese story.

NO. 161

THE STORY OF THE DABUKKA [329]

In a certain country there were a man's eight asses. One of them having been lost one day, while he was going seeking and looking for it [he saw] in the night that there was a house near a great jungle. In the house he heard a talk. After that he halted, and when he is listening to ascertain what is this talk which he hears, a woman says, "Ane! O Gods, during this night I indeed am not afraid of either an elephant, or a bear, or a leopard, or a Yaka; I am only afraid of the Dabukka," she said.

The Leopard listening very near there said [to himself], "What is the Dabukka of which she is afraid, which is greater than the elephant, and the bear, and the leopard, and the Yaka?" Having become afraid in his mind he stood on one side, and remained looking [out for it].

Then the man who being without that ass sought for it, saw the Leopard [in the semi-darkness], and having said, "Is it the ass?" went running and mounted on the back of the Leopard. Saying, "O ass of the strumpet's son, why were you hidden last night?" he began to beat the Leopard. Having thought "Ade! It is this indeed they call the Dabukka," through fear it began to run away.

As it was becoming light, that man, perceiving that it was the Leopard, jumped off its back, and having gone running crept inside a hollow in a tree.

The Leopard having gone running on and fallen, a Jackal, seeing that it was panting, asked, "Friend, what are you staying there for as though you have been frightened?"

"Friend, during the whole of yester-night the Dabukka, having mounted on my back, drove me about, beating and beating me enough to kill me."

Then the Jackal says, "Though you were afraid of it I indeed am not afraid. Show me it. Let us go for me to eat up that one," he said.

The Leopard says, "I will not go first," he said.

The Jackal said, "Pull out a creeper, and tying it at your waist tie [the other end] on my neck," he said.

When they had tied the creeper, after the Jackal went in front near the tree in which that man stayed, the Leopard said, "There. It is in the hollow in that tree, indeed," he said.

The Jackal snarled. Then when the man struck the Jackal in the midst of the mouth his teeth were broken. After that, [both of them], the Jackal howling and howling, having run off and gone away, when they were out of breath a Bear came and asked "Friends, what are you panting for to that extent?"

The Leopard says, "Yester-night the Dabukka killed me. The Jackal having gone to eat it, when he howled and snarled it broke two [of his] teeth," he said.

Then the Bear said, "What of your being unable [to kill it]! Let us go, for me to eat up that one."

The whole three went, the Bear being in front and close to it the Jackal; the Leopard went behind them. Having gone, they showed the Bear the place where the man was. The Bear having put its head inside the hollow in the tree, roared. Then the man seized the hair of its head fast with his hand. When it was drawing its head back the hair came out. Then the whole three, speaking and speaking, ran away, with their teeth chattering and their tails between their legs.

Afterwards the man having descended from the tree to the ground, came to his village with a party of men.

North-western Province.

In Indian Fairy Tales (Thornhill), p. 227, a tiger heard an old woman say, "I do not fear the tiger; what I fear is the dripping; when the rain falls the dripping comes through the thatch and troubles me." The tiger lay still, dreading the coming of the terrible Dripping. A washerman whose ass had strayed came there, and thinking he had found it struck it with his stick and drove it to the village pound, where he fastened it by the leg, the tiger believing he must be the Dripping. In the morning it begged for mercy, and was allowed to go on promising to leave the district and not eat men.

In Old Deccan Days (M. Frere), p. 206, the same story is repeated, the ass being one belonging to a potter who seized the tiger, beat and kicked it, rode it home, tied it to a post, and went to bed. Next day everyone came to see it, and the Raja gave the man great rewards, and made him a General.

In Indian Nights' Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 211, when a weaver who had been ordered to kill a tiger was entering his house he saw it outside. Saying loudly that he was going to kill the tiger, he added that he did not care for the wet or the tiger, but only for the dripping of the rain from the roof. The tiger was afraid, and slunk into an outhouse, the door of which the weaver immediately shut and locked. Next morning he reported that he had captured it with his hands, without the use of weapons.

In a Malinka story of Senegambia in Contes Soudanais (C. Monteil), p. 137, a hare, while its partner, a hyæna, collected firewood, hid the flesh of a cow that they had killed, in a hollow baobab tree, the entrance being too small to admit the hyæna. The latter returned with an ostrich and saw the hare there. The ostrich came forward to seize it, but when its head was inside the hare slipped a noose over it and half-choked it. In its struggles the ostrich laid an egg, which the hyæna immediately devoured. The hare then induced it to believe that when they were half choked in the same way hyænas laid much better eggs. The hyæna accordingly inserted its head, and was noosed and strangled.

NO. 162

THE LEOPARD AND THE CALF

In a certain country, while cattle are coming along eating and eating food, a Leopard having been hidden and been there looking out seized a small Calf out of them, and at first ate an ear.

Then the Calf says, "I am insufficient for food for you. When I have become big you can eat me, therefore let me go," he said to the Leopard. At that time the Leopard having said, "It is good," allowed the Calf to go.

In a little time, having seen that the Calf has become big the Leopard came to eat him. Thereupon the Bull (the grown-up calf) says to the Leopard, "You cannot eat me in that way. Go to the jungle, and breaking a large creeper [330] come [back with it]," he said.

Then when the Leopard brought a creeper the Bull said to the Leopard, "Tie an end round your waist [331] and the other end tie on my neck," he said.

The Bull having dropped heated dung while the Leopard was doing thus, began to run in all directions [after they were tied together]. When he is running thus the Leopard says to the Bull [as he was jolted about],

Bale--di--no--kae--kota While young--not--having--eaten thee Ma--ata--modakan--kota On my--part--I--did--foolishly. Gassa--gassa--no--duwa Jolting,--jolting--me,--don't--run, Periya--kan--kota O thou--great--short--earèd--one.

The Leopard having been much wounded in this way, died.

The Bull went near his master's son; he unfastened the Bull.

North-western Province.

In Tales of the Punjab (Mrs. F. A. Steel), p. 70, a lamb escaped from several animals that wanted to eat it by telling them to wait until it grew fatter. In the end it was eaten by a jackal.

In Folk-Tales from Tibet (O'Connor), p. 43, a wolf that was about to eat a young wild ass was persuaded by it to wait a few months until it became fatter. When the time came for meeting it, the wolf was joined by a fox and a hare, to which it promised to give a share of the meat. The hare's suggestion that to avoid the loss of the blood the ass should be strangled was adopted, the fox borrowed a rope from a shepherd, the hare put slip-knots over the necks of each of the animals, and holding the end of the rope itself gave the word for all to pull. When they did so the wolf and fox were strangled, and the ass escaped.

NO. 163

THE ASH-PUMPKIN FRUIT PRINCE

At a certain time at a certain village there were a husband and a wife. During the time when they were [there] the two together went to a chena. Having gone, [after] plucking an Ash-pumpkin they brought it and placed it in a large pot under seven earthen cooking pots.

When not much time had gone, the seven earthen cooking pots were shaken. Then this party having opened the mouths of the cooking pots, when they looked a Python had filled up the large pot.

After that, the party plaited seven beds. [332] Having plaited them, they caused the Python to sleep on the seven beds.

Next, having gone to a place where seven daughters were, they asked for an assistant (a wife) for that Python. Having asked, they brought the eldest sister. Having brought her, when they opened the house door the woman having seen this Python and being afraid, said, "Ane! The way in which fathers have sought and given me in marriage!" and just as it became light the girl went home.

In that manner they brought the six women. All six being afraid of this Python went away.

They brought the youngest girl of the seven. [She] having come there, when two or three months had gone they opened the house door. After that, the girl having seen the Python and being afraid, said in distress, "Ane! The danger that my parents have made for me, having given me in diga [marriage] to a Python! There is no place for me to lie down."

Thereupon the Python having made room on one out of the seven beds, remained on six.

On the following day she spoke in the same manner. Then the Python, having made room on two out of the seven beds, remained on five. On the following day in the evening she spoke in the same manner; then the Python, having made room on three out of the seven beds, was on four. On the following day in the evening she spoke in the same manner; then the Python, having made room on four out of the seven beds, was on three. On the following day evening she said the same; then the Python, having made room on five out of the seven beds, was on two. On the following day evening she said the same; then the Python, having made room on six out of the seven beds, was on one.

On the seventh day morning the Python came to the veranda. At that time, the mother-in-law of the woman who had come in diga [marriage] to the Python, said to the woman, "Daughter, lower a little paddy from the corn store, [333] and having winnowed, boil it."

Then the woman (girl), for the sake of causing the Python to speak, applied (dunna, presented) the forked pole [for raising the conical roof] on the outer side of the eaves. [334]

Then the Python says, "In our country our mother said that on the other side (lit., hand) is the way."

Thereupon the woman, having applied the forked pole on the inner side, and raised the (conical) roof, and lowered paddy, put it on the outer side of the winnowing tray, and began to winnow it.

Then the Python says, "It is not in that way. In our country our mother said on the other side is the way." So the woman put it on the inner side of the winnowing tray, and winnowed the paddy.

Having winnowed it, still for the sake of causing the Python to speak she put the paddy on the outer side of the large cooking pot, and prepared (lit., made) to boil it.

Thereupon the Python says, "It is not in that way. In our country our mother said on the other side is the way." So the woman, having put it inside the large cooking pot, boiled the paddy.

Still for the sake of causing the Python to speak having [taken out the paddy, and] placed it on the outer side of the mat, she prepared to spread out the paddy to dry.

Thereupon the Python says, "It is not in that way. In our country our mother said on the other side is the way." So the woman, having put it on the inner side of the mat, spread out the paddy to dry.

The woman, also for the sake of causing the Python to speak, having [taken it up after it was dried, and] placed it on the outer side (end) of the paddy mortar, prepared to pound the paddy.

Thereupon the Python says, "It is not in that way. In our country our mother said at the other side (end) is the way." So having put it on the inside, and pounded the paddy [to remove the skin], she winnowed it. (It was now cleaned rice, ready for cooking.)