Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
In course of time a son blessed the union, and when the child was
able to walk Jhore's wife said to him, "Where is the large herd of
buffaloes which you boast so much about? If they were here "Sonny"
would have milk and curds daily." Jhore plucking up courage, replied,
"If you do not believe me order a stockade to be constructed thirty-two
miles long and thirty-two miles broad, and you shall soon behold my
buffaloes." So they made a pen thirty-two miles long and thirty-two
miles broad. Then Jhore said, "Give me my old flute, and you all remain
within doors." So they brought him his flute, and he went up on to the
roof of the palace, and played. The music seemed to call as follows:
A staff of Pader wood
A flute of Erandom
Return, return, return,
Oh! wild buffaloe cows.
The sound startled the wild buffaloes in their forest home, and they
said one to another, "Sister. What does Jhore say?" Again the music
seemed to say,
A staff of Pader wood
A flute of Erandom
Return, return, return,
Oh! wild buffaloe cows.
At Jhore's second call the herd of wild buffaloes dashed off at
their utmost speed, and never halted till they reached the raja's
palace. They came in such numbers that the pen could not contain them
all, many remained outside.
Those that entered the pen are the domesticated buffaloes of to-day,
and those who were without are the wild buffaloes still found in the
forests of India.
THE GIRL WHO ALWAYS FOUND HELPERS.
There were once upon a time, six brothers and a sister. The brothers
were married. They were merchants, and their business often took them
to a distance from home. On such occasions the wives were left alone
with their sister-in-law. For some reason or other they hated the girl,
and took every opportunity to harass and worry her.
One day when the brothers were away on a journey they said to her,
"Oh! girl, go to the forest and bring a load of firewood without
tying it." What could the girl do? She must obey her sisters-in-law,
or else they would beat her, and give her no food. So she went to the
forest with a heavy heart, bewailing her unhappy lot in the following
plaintive song,
Woe is me! For I must bring
Unbound a fagot on my head.
Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing
While business you far hence hath led.
Seeing her grief a Jambro snake asked, "Why daughter, do you cry?" She
replied, "My brothers have gone away on business, and my sisters-in-law
persecute me. They have sent me to bring a bundle of firewood on
my head without tying it." The Jambro took pity on her and said,
"Gather firewood." Then the Jambro stretched himself full length upon
the ground and said to the girl, "Lay the sticks on me." When she
had done so the serpent twined itself round the fagot like a rope,
and said, "Now lift it on to your head, but when you reach home,
lay your burden down gently."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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