Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
jungle, where the thief was caught by the branches of the trees, and
dragged off his back. He did not return to the rice fields to sleep,
as he feared some other animal might come to eat him, but went to
his own home.
As the bear fled, he again met the jackal who asked him, "Well! did
you eat him?" The bear replied, "You Sir, are a great cheat, you told
me he was ghur pank. He is kara upar chap." [7] The two quarrelled
over the matter, and the bear tried to catch the jackal to eat him,
but he managed to escape.
THE MAGIC FIDDLE
Once upon a time there lived seven brothers and a sister. The
brothers were married, but their wives did not do the cooking for
the family. It was done by their sister. The wives for this reason
bore their sister-in-law much ill will, and at length they combined
together to oust her from the office of cook and general provider,
so that one of themselves might obtain it. They said, "She does not
go out to the fields to work, but remains quietly at home, and yet
she has not the meals ready at the proper time." They then called
upon their Bad Bonga, [8] and vowing vows unto him they secured his
good will and assistance; then they said to the Bad Bonga, "At mid-day
when our sister-in-law goes to bring water, cause it thus to happen,
that on seeing her pitcher the water shall vanish, and again slowly
re-appear. In this way she will be delayed. May the water not flow into
her pitcher, and you keep the maiden as your own." At noon when she
went to bring water, it suddenly dried up before her, and she began
to weep. Then after a while the water began slowly to rise. When it
reached her ankles she tried to fill her pitcher, but it would not
go under the water. Being frightened she began to wail as follows;--
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles,
Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles,
Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip,
Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip."
The water continued to rise until it reached her knee, when she began
to wail as follows;--
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my knee,
Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my knee,
Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip,
Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip."
The water continued to rise, and when it reached her waist, she wailed
as follows;--
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my waist,
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my waist,
"Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip,
"Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not dip."
The water in the tank continued to rise, and when it reached her
breast, she wailed as follows;--
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my breast,
"Oh! my brother, the water reaches to my breast,
"Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not fill,
"Still, Oh! my brother, the pitcher will not fill."
The water still rose, and when it reached her neck she wailed as
follows;--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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