194 



THE HIGHLAXDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



Thither climbing, on the summit 

 Lingo saw the tree Manditii, 

 Saw beneath it Kirsaclita, 

 Sweetly-flowering Kirsadita. 

 There its perfume sweet inhaling 

 Lingered Lingo for a little. 

 Then he climbed the tree Mandita, 

 Climbed and looked forth o'er the 



forest, 

 To the valley Kachikopa, 

 To the Ked Hills, Lahugada. 

 Saw a little smoke ascending, 

 Saw and very greatly marvelled 

 At this circumstance portentous. 

 Wandered on, and soon discovered 

 In that forest shade primeval. 

 Manlike forms four discovered — 

 Saw the four Gonds that remained 

 Hiding fearful of the Great God. 

 Forest quarry having stricken, 

 Steaks of venison were roasting, 

 Pieces raw at times devouring. 



Seeing Lingo up they started ; 

 Seeing them our Lingo halted ; 

 Long time gazed they at each other. 

 But the brothers inwards pondered. 

 Brothers four we are, bethought 



them, 

 Let us take him for a fifth one, 

 Let us take him to our wigwams. 

 Then they brought him to their 



wigwams. 

 To their wigwams in the forest, 

 And set meat before their brother. 

 But he asked them whence the 



meat wa^, 

 And they answered, "Of a wild 



boar." 

 Then he asked them for its liver ; 

 And they sought lung for the liver. 

 But no liver could discover. 

 Then they told him, " Lo, a 



strange thing ! 

 Without liver is this creature 

 We have slain in the forest." 

 Lingo laughed at this conception 



Of a creature without liver, 

 Asked to see it in the forest — 

 Living creature without liver. 

 Then the brothers much con- 

 sidered 

 Where on earth they might- 

 discover 

 In the forest or the mountains 

 Living creature without liver. 

 One suggested, " He is little, 

 We are big, and practised roamers 

 Of the forest shades primeval. 

 Let us take him to the mountains 

 Rough and stony, to the thickets 

 Close and thorny ; he will fagged 



be, 

 Thirst for water, get so hungry, 

 Glad he will be to sit down, and 

 Give up looking for a creature, 

 Living creature, without liver." 

 Then they took their bows and 

 arrows — 

 Bows of bamboo from the moun- 

 tains, 

 Shafts of bulrush from the 



marshes ; 

 And they went by deepest thickets 

 Of that forest shade primeval. 

 Kurs the Antelope — they saw it. 

 Killed it, found it had a liver. 

 Mawk the Sambar — found and 



slew it. 

 Found it also had a liver. 

 Malul the Hare — they saw and 



killed it, 

 In it too they found a liver — 

 All the creatures had a liver. 

 Tired and Aveary were the Brothers ; 

 Lingo only was not wearied. 

 Thirsty very were the Brothers; 

 Clambered up upon a hill-top 

 Seeking water, but they found 



none. 

 Clambered down again, and wan- 

 dered 

 Tlirough a close and thorny jungle, 



