190 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



Pulled a bottle-gourd from off it, 

 Pished Waduda from the river, 

 Stuck the one into the other, 

 Plucked two hairs wherewith 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 Eikad Gowree ; 

 Eikad Gowree lying snoring 

 By the fireside, mouth wide gaping, 

 Tushes horrible displaying, 

 Lying loglike 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 Jantur, 

 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 Eikad Gowree, 

 Quickly woke him from his slumber ; 

 Eubbed his eyes and looked about him ; 

 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 Maina. 

 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 fireside 

 To the warbling of the music. 



Soon at daybreak his old woman 

 Heard that strain of heavenly music ; 

 Came she wondering to the fireside, 

 Saw her old man wildly dancing 



Hands outstretching, feet uplifting, 

 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 ; 

 All my Koitor thus I teach will, 

 Thus in rows to sing and dance all, 

 At the feasting of the Gond Gods, 

 At the feast of the Dewali, 

 At the feast of Bu-dhal Pena, 

 At the feast of Jungo Eeytal, 

 At the feast of Pharsa Pena 

 Salutation to the Gods all 

 From this various tuneful Jantur ! " 

 Then he ceased the wondrous music ; 

 Hailed the old man from the treetop, 

 Saying " Uncle, Eikad Gowree, 

 See your nephew, on this tree-top ! " 

 Then the Giant, looking upwards, 

 Saw our Lingo on the tree-top ; 

 Called him down, shook hands, and 



said that 

 He was very glad to see him. 

 Asked him in and made him sit down; 

 Eang and called for pipes and coffee ; 

 Apologized for having thought of 

 Making breakfast of Ahkeseral ; 

 Thanked our Lingo very kindly 

 For his offer of the livers 

 Of those sixteen scores of Eohees ; 

 In return proposed to give him 

 All those seven nice young women, 

 "With their eyes bound, will they nill 



they, 

 To be wedded to the Brothers. 



And those seven nice young women 



