Page:Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes, 1879).djvu/39



HERE once lived a poor old widow woman named Hungní, who had a little idiot son called Sachúlí. She used to beg every day. One day when the son had grown up, he said to his mother, "What makes women laugh?" "If you throw a tiny stone at them," answered she, "they will laugh." So one day Sachúlí went and sat by a well, and three women came to it to fill their water-jars. "Now," said Sachúlí, "I will make one of these women laugh." Two of the women filled their water-jars and went away home, and he threw no stones at them; but as the last, who also had on the most jewels, passed him, he threw a great big stone at her and she fell down dead, with her mouth set as if she were smiling. "Oh, look! look I how she is laughing!" said Sachúlí, and he ran off to call his mother.

"Come, come, mother," said he, "and see how I have made this woman laugh."

His mother came, and when she saw the woman lying dead, she was much frightened, for the dead woman belonged to a great and very rich family, and she wore jewels worth a thousand rupees. Hungní took off all her jewels and threw her body into the well.

After some days the dead woman's father and mother and all her people sent round a crier with a drum to try and find her. "Whoever brings back a young woman who wears a great many gold necklaces and bracelets and rings