"And eaten some, too, I warrant," grumbled the man, still in a bad
humour, as he wrapped up the sweets in a large green leaf and gave it to
Chola, who paid him with some tiny shells, threaded on a string, which
he took from the wallet he carried in his dress. These _cowrie_ shells
are used for small pieces of money and are carried on strings. As you
may imagine, each shell is not of a great value.
"Let us eat our sweets here," said Chola, squatting in the shadow of a
wall; and, with his finger, drawing a circle round them in the dust.
This was intended as a sort of a boundary-line to keep any _low-caste_
person from coming too near them while they were eating. The boys
greatly enjoyed their candies, which they thought all the better for
being made with _ghu_, a sort of rancid butter.
Just as they were finishing the last bit, some one came up and touched
Nao on the shoulder.
"Who comes here to make my food unclean," he cried, jumping up angrily.
"Hush! It is a little Sahib. Doubtless he knows no better," said Chola,
as he looked around and saw an English boy standing by.
"I think those things look better than they taste," the boy said,
smiling, as he pointed to the sweets; "but I meant no harm. I only
wanted to ask if you could tell me where Colonel Scott lives. I think I
have lost my way."
"Ah, every one knows the Colonel Sahib; but the house is far from here;
in the street with the great trees near the Chutter Munzil," said Chola.
"Where the roofs look like big gold umbrellas, I know," said the English
boy. "My name is Harry, and Colonel Scott is my father. My mother and I
have just come from England; but my papa has been here a long time.
While he was buying something in one of the shops, I followed a man who
had a lot of performing birds; and the first thing I knew I had lost my
way." Harry rattled away, glad to find some one to talk to.
Chola could understand him fairly well, for he had been taught a little
English at his school.
"Yonder stands a '_rickshaw_.' It will take you quickly to your home,"
said Chola, proud to be able to talk to a little Sahib.
The little Hindu boys hailed the "_rickshaw_," and, nearly bursting with
importance, bargained with the man who pulled it to take the little
Sahib home.
"Perhaps I shall see you again, for I am going to live here now," said
Harry, as he thanked the boys and climbed into the "_rickshaw_," which
looked like a big perambulator. Away the man went with it at a lively
trot, with Harry waving his cap in the air as a good-bye to his
new-found friends.
Chola could talk of nothing but the "little Sahib" as they jogged home
in the "_ekka_" in the dusk of the evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account