Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/207

 Miscellanea. 183

of rupees' worth; somebody must repay me." A crowd soon gathered on the spot, but the man would not Hsten to any one ; and as the crowd increased his cries became more piteous, and with sobs he told the multitude how he had been ruined. At length the affair reached the ears of the Raja, who was very kind- hearted and generous. He ordered the whole amount to be paid to the man. He quickly put the money in the bag, and throwing it on his shoulders hastened home. The brothers heard of his wealth, and came to ask him how he got it. " I sold the bag of ashes," said he, " to a merchant who deals in flour. He stood in great need of ashes, as he adulterates his flour with ashes, and thus makes a great profit." Hardly had he uttered these words before his brothers ran home and set their houses on fire. They then gathered the ashes, put them in bags, and each one carrying a bag on his shoulders went to the neighbouring market. At a grocer's shop they opened the bags and began to pour out the contents into the heaps of flour exposed for sale. When the grocer saw it he was very angry, and cried : " Why, fools ! what are you doing ? " " We are mixing ashes with your flour," said they. Whereupon the grocer got up and, rushing upon them, kicked them out of his shop. They w^ere now full of wrath against their brother, and determined to put an end to his life. Hurrying to his house, they caught hold of him and shut him up in a sack. They put the sack on their shoulders and carried it to the Ganges. When they reached the middle of the stream they threw the sack down into the river. By the man's good luck the sack floated ashore and rested against a bridge by the public way. A banker's son mounted on a good horse was going home with a bag full of jewels and gold and silver coins. When he approached the sack he heard a voice, saying : " Oh ! I enjoy the sight of the three worlds." The banker's son advancing nearer, said : " My friend, can I enjoy the sight too ? " " Yes," said the voice. " How?" asked the banker's son. "If you only come here," was the reply The banker's son opened the mouth of the sack and the man came out. " Go into the sack," said he to the banker's son, and when he had got in he closed up its mouth. He then mounted the horse and galloped home with his treasure. The brothers were amazed to see him, and asked him where he got the horse. " Our parents," said he, " gave me the horse ; they live inside the Ganges. They love you much more than me because