Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
The raja went to bathe, and Lelha going to the shopkeeper bought
several kinds of grain, which he carried home and gave to his mother,
saying, "Roast a seer of each, and cook some rice for me. I have
succeeded in persuading my father to rise. He has bathed and dined,
and is refreshed. He was sulking because he can see no flowers in
his garden. It was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him
to get up." His mother said, "What does my Lord want with roasted
grain?" Lelha replied, "Let me do with it as I chose, you prepare
it. I will take it with me at night when I go to watch in the flower
garden." His mother said, "Have you forgotten your brothers' threats
to beat you?" Lelha replied, "My brothers may beat me, but no other
person. What help is there for it?"
At nightfall, Lelha, having supped, tied up in the four corners of
his plaid four kinds of roasted grain, and entering the garden climbed
up on a raised platform, and began his vigil.
After a short time he untied one of his parcels of roasted grain,
and began leisurely to eat it, one grain at a time. Just as he had
consumed the last one, an Indarpuri Sadom descended from the East and
alighted in the garden to browse upon the flowers. Lelha seeing it,
crept noiselessly up, and laid hold of it, and at the same instant its
rider, an Indarpuri Kuri, [16] exclaimed, "Hands off! Lelha. Hands
off! Lelha. Touch me not." Lelha replied, to the Indarpuri Kuri,
"Besides touching you, I will bind and detain you till morning. You
have become bold. You have caused my father to fast; but I have
captured you to-night. Where will you go?" "Let me go," she said,
"I will bless you." Lelha rejoined, "You are deceiving me." The
Indarpuri Kuri made answer, "I am not deceiving you. I shall give
you whatever blessing you may desire. Place your hand upon my head,
Lelha." He did so, and a lock of hair adhered to his hand, when he
withdrew it. The Indarpuri Kuri then said, "When you desire anything,
take that lock of hair into your hand, and say, Oh! Indarpuri Kuri,
give me this or that, and instantly you shall receive it. Of a
truth it shall be so. I shall never fail you." Lelha then released
the Indarpuri Sadom, and it mounted up into the air, and he and his
Indarpuri Rider vanished into space.
By the time Lelha had eaten all the roasted grain from another
corner of his plaid, another Indarpuri Sadom with his Indarpuri Kuri
rider descended from the West. Lelha caught these as he had done the
first. This Kuri was a younger sister of the other, and she gave a
like blessing to Lelha before he released her horse.
Lelha now began to eat his third parcel of roasted grain, and just as
he had finished it he saw another Indarpuri Sadom with an Indarpuri
Kuri rider descend from the North, and alight in the garden. Lelha
also captured these. The rider was a younger sister of the last. She
also gave Lelha a blessing, and was allowed to go.
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