Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
Lelha went at once to the raja, and enquired "What ails you,
father?" The raja replied, "Is there anything ailing me? Has Lelha
come here? I will beat him shortly." Lelha said, "Do with me what you
please. Why are you sulking? If you do not tell me, although it should
cost me my life, I will not leave, rather slay me here at once." The
raja thought within himself, "He annoys me, I will tell him to get
rid of him." So he said, "Your brothers have gone in search of hiras
and manis, and it is because I do not see the trees in my garden
adorned with these precious stones that I am sulking. Lelha said,
"I will also go." His father said, "Do not go child." But Lelha was
determined, and disregarded his father's command.
Lelha went to the bazaar and purchased rice and dal, and his mother
when she saw him bringing them home with him, said, "What is wrong? You
are completely out of breath." Lelha replied, "My brothers have gone
to search for hiras and manis, and I also am busy preparing to follow
them." She tried to dissuade him saying, "Although the mean fellows
beat you, still you will not keep away from them." Lelha quickly
replied, "What help is there for it, mother? Let my brothers beat
me or not, what is that to me? I must bear it all." So his mother
prepared food, and Lelha, having partaken of it, set out.
He went to the stable, and saddled the lame horse, as his brothers
had taken away the good ones, and mounting rode to the outskirts
of the city. He then dismounted, and turned the lame horse loose,
and went into the raja's flower garden, and said, "Oh! Indarpuri
Kuri, give me a horse instantly. My brothers have left me behind,
and gone I know not where. Give me such a horse as will enable me
to reach them at once." Immediately a horse was at his side, and
in a few seconds he was in sight of his brothers. He then alighted
from his horse, and said "Oh! Indarpuri Kuri, I return your horse,"
and instantly it disappeared, and he overtook his brothers on foot.
When his brothers saw him, they said, "He has overtaken us." Some of
them said, "Catch him and beat him," others said, "No, let him alone,
he will do our cooking. We can go in search of hiras and manis,
and leave him to guard our camp. Come let us push on, we have now
got a good guard for our camp." This pleased all, and they said,
"It is now evening, let us pitch our camp for the night." They did
so, and Lelha soon had supper ready, of which having partaken they
all retired to rest.
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