Folklore of the Santal Parganas, Cecil Henry Bompas [sad books to read .TXT] 📗

CXXXII. (The Cure for Laziness.)

 

There was once a man who lived happily with his wife, but she was very

lazy; when work in the fields was at its height she would pretend

to be ill. In June and July, she would begin to moan as if in pain,

and when every one else had gone off to work she would eat any rice

that they had left over; or if there were none, would cook some for

herself; Her father-in-law decided to call in some _ojhas_ to examine

her and if they could not cure her, then to send her back to her

father: so he called in two _ojhas_ and told them to do their best,

as he did not want the woman's relations to complain that she had

not been properly treated.

 

So the first _ojha_ felt her pulse and smiled and said nothing, and

the second _ojha_ felt her pulse and smiled and said nothing, and

when the father-in-law asked them if they knew what was the matter,

they answered that the illness was very serious and medicines must be

applied; the father-in-law said "Yes; but you must get the medicines

or tell me exactly what is wanted and I will arrange for it;" this

conversation took place before the woman; the _ojhas_ said "Very well,

we will do what you want but before applying the medicine we shall

have to do some incantations;" the father-in-law answered "Do whatever

is necessary to make a good job of it. Don't spare anything; try and

get everything ready by to-morrow: for we are in great difficulty; I

do not like to leave the patient alone in the house and yet I cannot

spare anyone to look after her;" the _ojhas_ promised and got up

and went out with the father-in-law, and in the village street they

told him that laziness was all that was the matter with the woman,

but that they knew a medicine which would cure her; so they went

to the jungle and dug up two very big tubers of the _tirra_ plant,

as big as pumpkins, and in the evening they went to the man's house

and told him that they had found the medicine, and that the whole

household was to come to the cross roads at the end of the village

very early the next morning with the patient and they would exorcise

the disease and apply remedies.

 

At cockcrow the next morning the two _ojhas_ brought the two tubers

and put them down at the end of the village street, and then went to

the house where the sick woman lived and awoke the inmates, and they

borrowed a pot of water and some vermilion and an old winnowing fan

and then they all went to the place where the tubers had been left,

and the _ojhas_ made the patient sit on the winnowing fan facing the

east and painted her with vermilion; then they waved pig's dung round

her head and tied the two tubers round her neck and told her to walk

up and down the village street three times; and that would remove

the spell that was on her. So the woman began to walk up the village

street and every one laughed at her and the children ran after her

and smacked her and jumped and shouted for joy and the _ojhas_ called

out to her "You must not take off the tubers until you are cured."

 

The woman walked up and down twice, but then she was so ashamed at

being laughed at that she threw away the tubers and ran off home;

then they all laughed the more; and followed her to the house, and

the _ojhas_ asked whether she was cured that she had taken off the

remedies they had applied; she only smiled in answer and they told

her to take care because if she ever got ill again they would apply

the same remedy; but from that day the woman completely recovered

and did her fair share of all the work.

CXXXIII. (The Brahman's Powers.)

 

A long time ago a Brahman came from the west and did many wonders to

the astonishment of those who saw him. He came to a certain village

and at first put up in an old bamboo hut; there he sat motionless

for three or four days and so far as anyone could see ate and drank

nothing. The villagers said that he must eat during the night, so

four men arranged to watch him continuously; two by day and two by

night; but though they watched they could not detect him eating or

drinking. Then the villagers collected and began to question him

and as his answers seemed worthy of credit they began to bring him

offerings of milk; one day he asked to be supplied with coolies

that he might rebuild the hut in which he had taken up his abode;

so coolies were brought and he made them collect bricks and prepare

mortar and at the end of the day's work they asked to be paid; then

the Brahman wrapped himself in his cloth and repeated some _mantras_,

whereupon pice fell tinkling down from his body and with them he paid

the coolies; and so it was every day until the house was finished. All

this was a source of great wonder to those who saw it.

CXXXIV. (Ram's Wife.)

 

It is a custom among us Santals that husband and wife do not mention

each other's names; and even if a husband sometimes mentions his

wife's name in a case of urgent necessity, the wife will never speak

her husband's; in the same way a man may not mention the name of his

younger brother's wife or of his wife's elder sister; women again may

not use the name of their younger sister's husband or their husband's

elder brother. Our forefathers have said that if any one breaks this

rule his children will be born deaf or dumb; we believe this and fear

to break through the custom.

 

There was once a man named Ram who was ploughing his field; when he

got to the end he found that he had not brought the seed with him;

so he called out to his wife, pretending however that he was speaking

to his daughter "Seed, daughter, seed!" And she called back "What

do you want it for? Are you going to sow it?" (eram = will you sow)

and every time he called, she answered "Eram?" At this he lost his

temper and ran up to the house and asked what she meant by speaking

his name, when he told her to bring out the seed for sowing; and

thereupon he proceeded to give her a good thrashing. His wife said to

him "Your name is the same as the word for 'sow,' it is a very fine

name you have got." At this Ram laughed and asked how he could help

having the name which his father and mother had given him. At this

she giggled. "Then why are you hurt by it? You had better in future

take out the seed corn with you and then you won't have to call to me;

if you do I shall answer you as I did to-day."

 

To the present day people do not use the forbidden words; or if

compelled to they spit on the ground first; even Christian converts do

not like to infringe the rule if many people are present and usually

speak of a person with a forbidden name as the father, or mother of

such and such a child.

 

CXXXV. (Palo.)

 

There was once a man named Dhuju, and he had sons named Ret Mongla,

Saru Sama and Chapat champa; and their wives were named Chibo, Porbet

and Palo.

 

One rainy season the family was busy with the ploughing: Ret Mongla

used to take the plough cattle out to get some grazing before the sun

rose; and his two brothers took the ploughs to the fields a little

later and the old father used to look on and tell them what to do. It

was their practice when they wanted to attract each other's attention

to call out: "Ho!" and not "Ya!" or "Brother." One day it had been

arranged that they should sow _gundli_ in a field; but when the

eldest brother arrived at the place with the bullocks ready to plough

he found that his two brothers had not turned up with the ploughs;

so he began to call "Pal, ho!" (Pal = plough share).

 

Now just then the wife of the youngest brother, Palo, had gone towards

that field to throw away the sweepings of the cowshed and she thought

Ret Mongla was calling her name; this surprised her and made her

very angry; and she made up her mind to pay him back and then if she

were scolded for not paying proper respect to her husband's eldest

brother to explain that he had insulted her first. So that morning

when she took out their breakfast to the men working in the field,

she pretended to be in great hurry, and putting down her basket near

the place where the three brothers were ploughing, called out to them:

"Come, stop ploughing," and then with scarcely an interval: "Look

sharp and come and eat; or if you don't I will take your breakfast away

again." So the brothers stopped their work and ate their breakfasts.

 

But when Palo had gone back and they were sitting having a chew

of tobacco, the eldest brother began: "Did you notice how that girl

behaved to me just now; she spoke to me in a most rude way as if I were

not a person to whom she owed respect." The other two said that they

had noticed