200 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTKAL INDIA. 



That so mucli has discomposed 



you." 

 At the crossing of a river, 

 In that straight and easy pathway, 

 Lingo saw the stick Wadiida 

 Floating down upon the current. 

 Saw he too a bottle-gourd tree, 

 Saw it growing by the river ; 

 Pulled a bottle-gourd from off it, 

 Fished Wadiid;i from the river, 

 Stuck the one into the other. 

 Plucked two hairs Avherewith to 



string it, 

 Made a bow and keys eleven, 

 Played a tune or two, and found he 

 Had a passable guitar. 

 Pleased was Lingo, and proceeded 

 To the field of Kikad Gowree ; 

 Kikad Gowree lying snoring 

 By the fireside, mouth wide 



gaping, 

 Tushes horrible displaying. 

 Lying logiike with his eyes shut. 

 Close by grew the tree called 



Peepul, 

 Peepul tall with spreading 



branches. 

 Quickly Lingo clambered up it, 

 Climbed aloft into its branches ; 

 Sat and heard the morning cock 



crow, 

 Thought this Giant soon would 



waken. 

 Then he took his banjo Juntur, 

 Struck a note that sounded 



sweetly. 

 Played a hundred tunes upon it. 

 Like a song its music sounded ; 

 At its sound the trees were silent; 

 Stood the mighty hills enraptured. 

 Entered then that strain of music 

 In the ears of Kikad GoAvree, 

 Quickly woke him from his 



slumber ; 

 Rubbed his eyes and looked about 



Looked in thickets, looked in 



hollows, 

 Looked in tree-tops ; nothing 



finding, 

 Wondered where on earth it came 



from, 

 Came that strain of heavenly 



music, 

 Like the warbling of the ]\Iain;i. 

 Back returning to his fireside, 

 Sat down, stood up, sat down, 



stood up ; 

 Listened, wondered at the music; 

 Jumped and danced he to the 



music. 

 Sung and danced he to the music ; 

 Eolled and tumbled by the fire- 

 side 

 To the warbling of the music. 



Soon at daybreak his old woman 

 Heard that strain of heavenly 



music ; 

 Came she wondering to the fire- 

 side, 

 Saw her old man wildly dancing — ■ 

 Hands outstretching, feet uplift- 



i n f 

 Head back reeling, dancing, 



tumbling, 

 To that strain of heavenly music. 

 Saw and wondered, saw and called 



out — 

 "Ancient husband, foolish old 



man ! " 

 Looked he at her, nothing said he, 

 Danced and tumbled to the music. 

 Said she, listening to that music, 

 " I must dance too." Then she 



opened 

 Loose the border of her garment. 

 Danced and tumbled to the music. 

 Then said Lingo, " Lo my 



Jantur ! 

 To thy strain of heavenly music 

 Dance this old man and his 



woman ; 



