Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
The elder then said to the younger, "You go and plough, and if the
plough catch in a root on the right hand, cut the root on the left
hand, and if it catch in a root on the left side, cut the root on
the right side, and in the meantime I will cook." He went and began
to plough, and in a short time the plough caught in a root on the
right, and not understanding the directions given to him, he struck
the left hand bullock a blow on the leg with his axe. The bullock
limped along a short distance. When the plough caught in a root on
the left, he smote the bullock on the right, wounding it as he had
done the other. Both of the bullocks then lay down, and although he
beat them they did not get up. He therefore called to his brother,
"These bullocks have lain down, and will not get up, what shall I
do?" "Beat them," was the reply. Again he beat them, but with no
better result. The elder brother then came, and found that the oxen
had been maimed, and were unable to stand, at which he became greatly
alarmed, and said, "Why did you maim the oxen? The owners will beat
us to death to-day." He then gave him some parched grain to eat,
and sent him to look after his goats. The sun being hot, the goats
were lying in the shade chewing their cud. He sat down near them,
and began to eat the parched grain. Seeing the goats moving their
jaws as if eating, he said, "These goats are eating nothing, they
are lying there mocking me," and becoming enraged, he killed them
all with his axe. Then going to his brother, he said, "Oh! brother,
I have killed all the goats." His brother asked, "Why did you kill
them?" He replied, "While I was watching them and eating the parched
grain which you gave me, I saw them chewing, and as they were eating
nothing I knew they were mocking me, and so I killed them all." The
elder brother became greatly alarmed, and calling to the younger to
come, they quickly ate their dinner, and then went to where the goats
were lying dead. From among them they chose the fattest, and carried
it off to the jungle, where they flayed, and cut it into pieces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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