Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/126

102 water at a well to give him water to drink; the girl contemptuously refused. Next came a wife, and she very gladly gave him water to drink; so the man cursed the place, saying "Beti ranr, Bahu sohagin," i. e., (may the) daughters (of the village) be husbandless and the daughters-in-law fortunate; hence people do not marry the daughters of the village, and if they do, they are sure to die soon; and when any one does venture to take one of the daughters of the village, it is done without music or processions of any kind, but in a thievish sort of way. The village girls are so anxious to get husbands, that it is said they run away with any one who, by venturing to play on any musical instrument in the village, shows that he is ignorant of the traditional curse that hangs over the place.  

The following is the legend of the Báwan Gangá rivulet:

There was a Dosâd living in Râjgir whose daughter used to take the household pigs out in the field to feed. It happened that as she was so engaged on the day of the full moon of a certain great festival, she saw a Brahman walking on very rapidly. On questioning him, he replied he was going to bathe in the Ganges on the full moon. The girl replied, "You can’t possibly reach the Ganges in time; but if you believe me and your mind be full of faith, this is the exact moment of the full moon and here is a pool (in which her pigs were wallowing); dip into it and you will realise the full fruits of bathing in the Ganges at this auspicious moment." The Brahman did as desired, and when he was in the pool she said, "Now is the exact moment; dive in and see what you get." The Brahman did as desired, and found the bottom full of valuable gems, of which he clutched a handful and came up. "Dive again," said the girl. He dived again, and found only mud at the bottom. "You see," said the girl, that I told you only the truth, when I said you will be too late if you go to the Ganges, for at the moment of your first diving the moon was at its exact full and you got your reward." The Brahman was astonished, and, seeing her as lovely as she was wise, proposed marriage. She referred him to her father, who refused, saying he could not presume to ally his daughter of low caste to a high caste Brahman. The Brahman thereupon threatened to kill himself, and the Dosâd, fearful of incurring the guilt of Brahmahatya, consented after consulting his friends; the marriage was duly solemnised, and the girl then taught her 