Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/393

 of the price in cowries and the rest in dust of rice. _ Kalaketu said ‘O my uncle this is far from being 06601 the ring: ~1- shall return it to. its owner. The money-changer said ‘well, well, 1 agree to give five datas more. You won't find any dishonesty in me! Why, I had money transaction with your father Dharmaketu. But Isee that you are far cleverer than your father ever was!’ ‘No uncle, said Kalaketu, we need not quarrel over the matter. Allow me to go to some other merchant.’ ‘All right’ the money-changer said, ‘‘I offer you two and half do0r7s more. You need not take the dust of rice, it shall all be paid in cowries.”’ Thus 15141550915 straight-forwardness and Mu- rari’s craft are shewn in contrast. Murari hides himself in his house for fear of having to pay an old debt and when at last, getting scent of a pro- fitable bargain he comes out, he accuses the hunter of not having visited his house! 151215600৮৮ 15 in- telligent enough to understand his knavery, but he is above pettiness and gives him frank and cordial replies. We find, portrayed in the poems of Mukunda- rama all classes of our people, from the wealthiest to the poorest,—all ranks of our society represented as vividly asin life itself. In Calivahana and Vikra- makegari we have types of our great land-owners— those rajas whose caprices were equal to their favours,—the luxury of their courts, and the great pressure put upon the Kotwals or town-inspectors for any mal-administration complained of by the The contrast, The characters 819 11167 11155,
 * IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 357 of thisneed not be paid in cash. Take a portion