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SEPT. 6, 1872.]
A BENGALI STORY.
285
BENGALI FOLKLORE-LEGENDS FROM DINAJPUR.
By G. B. DAMANT, B.C.S. (Continued from page 219.)
THE SIXTH STORY. The Four Friends.
THERE was once a king's son, a wazîr's son, a with his hand." The king at once dismissed them kotwal's son, and a barber's son, they were all great all from his service without hearing a word of friends, but none of them knw low to read and what they had to say. When they saw that he write, and they would not work for their living but acted in such a hosty manner, they told him that spent all their time in amusing themselves. One they would rob his palace, and annoy him in every day their guardians determined that when they possible way, but he paid no attention to what they came home to dinner they would give them nothing said. So they continued to live in the city, and to eat but ashes. The four friends, seeing this, metbegan to rob the king's palace until he lost nearly together and agreed to forsake their own country all his property, and although he made many Atand go elsewhere. As they were on their way one tempts he could not detect them. of them said "a camel has passed along this road," One day the king's eldest son said that he would another said it was blind," " it was a female" said undertake to catch the thieves: the king was very a third, and the fourth said "it was in foal." Now it glad to hear him say so, and provided him with everyhappened that just as the four friends were saying thing that was necessary and he started on his way. this, the king of that country had come out to hunt, Meanwhile the four friends consulted together, and and was concealed near, so that he heard what they agreed that they must show the king's son some said, and immediately sent persons to fetch them. thing that would astonish him. So they disguised
When the four friends came before the king he themselves and changed their dress, and went out asked them how they knew that a camel had passed to meet him. They contrived to separate him from by that way, and how they hail discovered all its his companions, and took hiin a little way, and left qualities, for a camel of his own wlich answered to him to walk on by himself. In the meantime the the description had gone astray, and he said further barber's son, pretending that he was going to shave that if they would not tell him, he would punish some one in the neighbouring village, passed near them as thieves. They replied, “We knew it was the king's son, and he being a very effeminato per a feinale because it stepped with the left foot fore- son admired the barber's beautiful hair, and asked most, and from the shape of its foot prints we could him how he obtained it. The barber replied, " Sir. tell that it was a camel, and we saw that it only if you will agree to suffer a little pain, I will make ate the grass on one side of the road, so that it must just as beautiful hair grow on your own head, I do have been blind." The king said, " very good, but not wish you to pay me anything, but if you get a how could you tell that it was in foal ?" One of good crop of hair, you can make me a little present." them answered, “We saw that the hind feet were The king's son believed all that he said, and asked more decply inpressed in the ground than the fore what was to be done ; so the barber made himn sit feet, and so we knew." On hearing this the king down, and cut off all his hair with a razor, and then began to think that they were no ordinary men and began to scrape off all the skin froin the front part must be possessed of rare qualities, so he enquireil of his head, so that the blood flowed all over his where they were going, and they told him they were body, but still he made no objection. The barber then travelling to seek for serviec. Ho then enrolled them rubbed some salt on his head, and told him to go to among his own guards. One night when the king's & pond, and dip his head in it, saying that the virtue Ron was on guard, he saw a snake hissing terribly of the charin was such that the deeper he dipped and going into the house where the king and queen the longer his hair would grow. So the prince were sleeping. He followed it and found it just about went into the water, and began to dip his hend, but to bite the king, so he instantly cut it in pieces with in the meantime the barber took his clothes, and his sword but a drop of its blood fell on the queen's went away. The prince continued to dip his head, breast. He considered that he had saved the life of and each time looked to see if his hair was growing the king, but did not at first see how he could pre- or not. After some time he saw that no good came serve the queen. At last ho cut tho snake in sinall of his dipping, and began to think that he had been pieces, and put it in a cnp. And hid it under the deceived, and found that both his clothes and the king's bed, he then put a piece of clothi on his tongue barber had disappeared. As he could not go home and licked the drop of blood from off the without any clothes, he stopped all day in the jan. queen's breast. She woke up, and said to the king, gal, and when it was night, went towards home; but " You have taken a gront deal of trouble to find as he did not come by the road, but through the these men, and now one of them has touched me jangal, all the people thought he was a thief
