Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/384

376 offering of flowers she had laid beneath the tree. A bystander, who was questioned as to this ceremony, replied, "That is a sacred tree; the good spirits live up above amidst its branches, and the old woman is worshipping them."

There is an amusing legend connected with the neem and tamarind-trees, which is amusing as showing that doctors disagree all the world over. Natives say that the neem-tree is wholesome to sleep under, but that the "imli," or tamarind-tree, is noxious. In support of this theory, they tell the following tale. Once upon a time, two celebrated hakeems (doctors) lived, the one at Delhi the other at Lahore. They were far cleverer than any other doctors in the country, and their fame extended far and wide. But the Lahore doctor was jealous of his brother of Delhi, and determined to try and ruin his reputation. Accordingly, the next time that a very serious case came before him, he told his patient that he was quite beyond his skill, but that he had better go to the celebrated hakeem who lived at Delhi, and see what he could do. He warned him, however, that, throughout his journey to Delhi, he must never sleep under any tree save a tamarind-tree; no matter how much it might prolong his day's journey, under a tamarind-tree only must he sleep. The poor sufferer did as he was told, and arrived at last at Delhi, in a most exhausted and precarious state. The Delhi doctor, knowing that his brother at Lahore had no love for him, was at first much astonished and puzzled at his sending him a patient. One, too, whose case seemed really serious. Suspecting some treachery, and that it was a device to cause him harm, he began to question narrowly the patient. At last, he discovered the orders given to him about sleeping every night beneath a tamarind-tree. Immediately he saw through the deep-laid snare to catch him. He therefore impressed upon the patient the importance of his returning by easy stages to Lahore, and the vital importance to him of always sleeping beneath a neem-tree. The advice was as patiently and strictly carried out on the homeward journey as had been the opposite advice on the outward journey; but the results were different. The sufferer arrived at Lahore completely recovered. The neem had conquered the tamarind. There is, doubtless, some truth underlying this legend. Possibly the tamarind gives out some