Folk-tales of Kashmir / by the Rev. J. Hinton Knowles.

  • Knowles, James Hinton.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Folk-tales of Kashmir / by the Rev. J. Hinton Knowles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The old fanner left him in despair, and entered his house lau^hiim. O O “ There is a man in yonder field,” he said, after return- ing their greetings. “ He has come the greater part of the way with me, and I wanted him to put up here as long as he had to stay in this village. But the fellow is such a fool that I cannot make anything out of him. He wants to know if*the beam of this house is all rioht.^ O The man must be mad ! ” and savim^ this, he burst into a fit of laimhter. O \ “ Father,” said the farmer’s dauHiter, who was a very sharp and wise girl, ‘‘ this man, whosoever he is, is no fool, as you deem him. He only wishes to know if you can afford to entertain him.” “Oh! of course,” replied the farmer. “I see. Well perhaps you can help me to solve some of his other mysteries. While we were walking together he asked whether he should carry me or I should carry him, as he thought that would be a pleasanter mode of proceeding.” “ IMost assuredly,” said the girl. “ He meant that one of you should tell a story to beguile the time.” “ Oh yes. Well, we were passing through a corn-field, when he asked me whether it was eaten or not.” “ And didn’t you know the meaning of this, father ? He simply wished to know if the man was in debt or not; because, if the owner of the field was in debt, then the produce of the field was as good as eaten to him ; that is, it wmuld have to go to his creditors.” “ Yes, yes, yes; of course! Then, on entering a certain village, he bade me take his clasp-knife and get two horses wfith it, and bring back the knife aaain to him.” “ Are not two stout sticks as good as two horses for helping one along on the road ? He only asked you to 2 Virdm kari chheyih dar—“Is able?” Running along the upper your beam strong?”—is a Kashmiri storey of a Kashmiri house is a long saying, meaning, “ Can you entertain strong beam called narikot, upon me well? Can you make me comfort- which the whole roof depends.