Part 29 (1/2)

Told by RaM SINH, Haidar-Garh, district Barau Banki.

A Washerman has an a.s.s that brays on hearing a conch-sh.e.l.l, thinks he must have been a saint in a former life, but something went wrong (kahin chuk gaya) and he became an a.s.s--Names him Tulsi Das--a.s.s dies--”He was valuable to me,” shaves head, performs obsequies, gives feast to clansmen--Goes to shop of a Banya--”Why are you in mourning?” ”Tulsi Das, who was a great saint, is dead”--Banya shaves, too--Raja's sepoy asks him why--”Tulsi Das is dead”--Shaves, too--Comrades ask why--Same thing--Same with the chief of the sepoys--The minister, the raja, all shave--Queen asks why--Raja tells her--”But who is Tulsi Das?” ”A friend of the minister's”--So the report is traced back to the Washerman, who says, ”He was my a.s.s.”

_N.I.N.Q._, iii. -- 104, gives the same tale about an a.s.s named Sobhan (beautiful): told by Shyam Sundar, village accountant of Dudhi, Mirzapur district, recorded by Ahmad Ullah. Compare Temple's ”Wide-awake Stories,” 'The Death and Burial of poor Hen Sparrow;' Lady Burton's ”Arabian Nights,” iii. 228, 'The Unwise Schoolmaster who fell in Love by Report;' Jacob's ”English Fairy Tales,” 'Tetty Mouse and Tatty Mouse,'

and _note_, p. 234.

22.--The Parrot Judge

Told by MAKUND LaL, Mirzapur.

A Bird-catcher had a Parrot which knew only two words, Beshak (undoubtedly) and Cheshak (what doubt)--Took it to market, and gave out that it knew Persian, price 5 lakhs of rupees--n.o.bleman asks it, ”Do you know Persian?”--”Cheshak”--Buys it--Puts it in a gold cage, and gives it good food--King one day began to talk to the Parrot in Persian--It could say nothing but these two words--The owner threw it on the ground and killed it.

23.--The Frog and the Snake

Told by AKBAR SHaH, Manjhi, one of the jungle-folk of Manbasa, Dudhi, Mirzapur, and recorded by Pandit Ramgharib Chaube. _N.I.N.Q._, iii. -- 101.

No change. The King of the Snakes is Vasuki Naga.

24.--Little Miss Mouse

Told by AKBAR SHaH, Manjhi, of Manbasa, Dudhi, Mirzapur. _N.I.N.Q._, iv. -- 19.

No change in first part. The music-shop is in the original the house of the Chamar (a caste of labourers and leather-workers), who gives a drum, which is broken by a woman husking rice, who strikes it with a pestle.

The crop in the last scene is rice.

25.--The Jackal that Lost his Tail

Told by PARMANAND TIWaRI, student, Anglo-Sanskrit School, Mirzapur. _N.I.N.Q._, iv. -- 17.

A Kurmi (one of the agricultural tribes) used to go to his field--At noon his wife brought the dinner--Meets Jackal, and all falls out as in tale till the tail is cut off--Jackal returns and finds wife gathering cow-dung--”Your son (_sic_) has cut off my tail, and I must bite you.”

”He is dead, come to the funeral feast?”--He and his friends come--”To prevent you squabbling, let me tie you up”--Ties them to the cattle pegs, tailless Jackal with specially strong chain--Kurmi comes out with bludgeon--They break their ropes and flee, all but tailless Jackal, which Kurmi kills.

This is connected with the aesopian fable of ”The Fox who Lost his Tail.”

26.--The Wily Tortoise

Told by BRIJ MOHAN LaL, second master, High School, Manipuri, N.W.P. The bird is a _Hansa_. _N.I.N.Q._, iii. -- 295.

27.--The King of the Mice

Told and recorded by BABU GANDHARAB SINH, of Etah.

Kingdom of Mice--Mouse King and Fox Wazir--All animals of forest did homage--Caravan pa.s.sed--Camel left behind--Eats the Mouse King's garden--Fox brings him in--Mocks the King--Nose-string gets entangled--King says he is served right--He begs release and promises service--Mouse gnaws string--Camel serves him--Woodcutters find Camel and take him--King sends to fetch them--Demands his Camel--The Woodcutters tell their King--He refuses--King of Mice collects armies and burrows under Woodcutter's treasury--Brings all the money out in charge of a detachment of Mice--Wise man sees it--Covets the money--Old Mouse says, ”Why do you covet? our King will give you service”--Goes to the King--The King bids him fetch more of his brethren--With these the Mouse King invades the realm of Woodcutters--Mice undermine the walls of the enemy's fort--Woodcutters' army flee--King of Mice gets back his Camel, and makes the Woodcutter King his va.s.sal.

(The episode of the wise man seems to be interpolated, as the men play no part in the attack.)