Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/296

 288 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FOLK-LOKE.

revealed the paramour. When asked who he was he said he was the angel of death, come for the life of the goat. This so terrified the husband that he was glad when he went away.

Story No. 8. — A woman was with her paramour, and hearing her husband coming she put out the light. On opening the door her husband enquired why the lamp had not yet been lighted. She thereon told him a story of what she had just seen. " Our neighbour is a bad woman, and I saw her with her paramour with the lamp lighted ; and when her husband came she put it out and put a blanket over his head, just like this ! " and with that she put one over her husband's head and let her lover out. When he had freed himself, all her husband said was, " Don't bother yourself about what your neigh- bours do."

Story No. 9. A penniless youth was travelling, and was received into his s/jo;; out of pity by a seller of betel-leaves (jmnwdri). In searching about for employment he chanced on the panwdrPs house. The mistress, being a bad woman, called him in and lay with him, and giving him Rs.2 told him to come again at the same hour daily. Not knowing who she was, he related the adventure to his friend, her husband. So the husband went next day to catch his wife, but she hid the youth in a mat. This adventure the youth accordingly re- peated to him. The next day he was hidden in a reservoir ; on a third day in a box : all of which was duly related to the husband. So the husband called a meeting of his caste (panchdi/at), and while the youth was explaining the story to them, he got a sign from the wife, and saw how matters really stood. So he went on to the end of the story, and said, '• and then I awoke ; " and explained it was all a dream. On this the ^?a7icAa?/af told the husband he was a fool to bring charges against his wife on the strength of a dream.

Story No. 10. — An evil-disposed woman was sent by her husband to buy sugar. Wanting to get it for nothing, she induced the shop- man to consent to give it her on condition she lay with him. While they were inside the shopman's servant undid the bundle of sugar and filled it with dust. When her husband opened the bundle and found it full of dust he asked her what it meant, whereon she, being ready-