Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/341

 TABULATION OF FOLKTALES. 59

[No. 20.]

Title of Story — Saltan Darai.

Dramatis Personse Gazelle.— Carpenter. — First wife.— Their daughter.—

Her husband, Hamdani, afterwards Sultan Darai. — Carpenter's second wife (was widow on marriage). — Her daughter. — Kinsman. — Neighbours.— People.— Slaves. — Sheikh.— Mualims. — Muhadim. — Men. — Almighty God. — Sultan. — His daughter. — Soldiers. — Robbers. — Old woman. — Snake.— Ladies. — Woman-servant.

Abstract of Story. — (l) Carpenter and wife had a daughter ; wife died, husband thought he should marry some one to look after child ; advised by kinsman to marry widow with one daughter. Carpenter sent kinsman to ask her to be his wife ; she consented. Next day kinsman took woman, clothes, and dowry, who fixed marriage on the morrow. Kinsman told carpenter this, and told woman to be ready. After they had been married a week, living in bride's house with his daughter and step -daughter, car- penter resumed work. — (2) Woman cooked food ; gave to her daughter good rice, but to step-daughter hard, dry rice (skin, from peculiar way of cooking). Husband returning at noon, told woman to dish up food and call children. Woman asked if children should eat twice. Husband said he did not know they had eaten. Evening meal given same way as before. Husband's question and woman's answer about children's food repeated. Afterwards husband told wife to bring him the tambure (leaf of betel pepper, in which tobacco is folded for chewing). Finding no tobacco in it, told her to look in end of bedstead, where he had put it. She could not find it at first, as it was in the side. Next morning man told his wife his child was to play with her sister in enclosure. Woman cooked food, called children, who answered, " Here, mother." Step-daughter, on being taunted for not being her child, went away crying. Woman's daughter asked her why. Girl bewailed her treatment. Daughter asked mother what she had done to her ; woman said she was not her child, but bid her be called in for her food. She refused to come; asked for rice to be brought out. Woman's daughter having eaten her rice, was sent to see if step-daughter had eaten hers. She had not, but gave it to goat. Father returned, had supper, question and answer about children's food repeated. Woman says it is wife's place to manage house. Next morning husband did not feel well enough to go to work, so went to a neighbour's and played at bao, under- standing that a child Avas to call him when food was done. He returned before child came; as before, step-daughter had dry rice, of which she did not eat all, crying at her step-sister having good rice. — (3) Step-daughter went crying to her mother's grave, from which she gathered two tangos (a vegetable size and shape of vegetable marrow, tasting like cucumber), ate one, and took other home to make doll. Step-mother asked her where