Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/278

 Another curious flute story is current in Greece:A boy to whom some superhuman being has given a flute, goes with it to the public, where a quantity of crockery is for sale. He begins to play, whereupon all the pots, jugs, and basins begin to fly about in the air and are all broken to pieces. He also compels a priest to dance among thorns, which hurt his feet terribly. (Griechische und Albanïsche Märchen.)

A Hindu fairy tale relates how Seventee Bai, the daughter of a Rajah, dresses herself up as a boy and starts out in search of adventures. She meets Hera, an enchantress, who, supposing her to be a man, falls desperately in love with her. Seventee alleges that before marrying Hera she must perform an important mission. The enchantress gives her a little golden flute, telling her whenever she is in need of assistance to go into the forest and play it, promising that before the sound ceases she (Hera) will appear. The maid puts the flute in the folds of her dress and whenever she is in a difficulty she plays on it, whereupon Hera always appears, swinging in a silver tree. (Frere, Old Deccan Days.)

The legend of the Invisible Flute-player is current amongst the peasants of several parts of Germany. He usually haunts a particular house, playing sometimes in one room, sometimes in another. In some versions he visits a whole district. Whenever the inhabitants name or whistle a few bars of a certain tune, it is at once played by the invisible flautist. When the milkmaid in the dairy takes an apple in her