798 The Hodesum (improperly called KolehanJ, [No. 104. 



Now, some time after the first man and woman had lived together 

 and known each other, Sing Bonga came down and asked them what 

 progeny they had ; they say unto him, " Grandfather, we have twelve 

 sons and twelve daughters ; these twenty-four lifted up their voices and 

 said, '' great grandfather, how can we brothers and sisters all live to- 

 gether ? — Sing Bonga said, " Go you and make preparations and make 

 a great feast, rice and buflfaloe's flesh, and bullock's flesh, goats, sheep, 

 pigs, and fowls of the air, and vegetables;" and they did so ; and when 

 the feast was prepared, Sing Bonga said, " Take ye two by two, man 

 and woman, that which shall please you most, and that shall ye have 

 for share, to eat all the days of your life, apart from the rest, so that 

 none shall touch his brother's share." 



And so when the feast was prepared, the first pair and the second 

 pair took buffaloe's and bullock*s flesh, even as much as they could 

 carry, and these became the Kole (Ho) and Bhoomij (Mootkan) 

 race ; then a pair took the rice ; and other pairs, male and female, 

 rice and vegetables, and these became Bramins, Rajpoots, Chuttries 

 and other Hindoos ; and others took away the goat's flesh and fish, 

 and became other kinds of Hindoos ; the Bhooians took the shell fish, 

 lastly, when nothing was left but the pig's flesh, came two pair and 

 took it away, and these are Sontals and Koormees to this day ; and 

 when all the feast was cleared away, there remained one pair who had 

 nothing, and to them the Koles gave of their share, and these are 

 Ghassees to this hour. 



And so all these went and lived separately, and peopled the world, 

 and multiplied exceedingly, and Sing Bonga taught those who lived 

 in far countries other languages, and he gave people of different trades 

 their implements. 



And after this from the Koles, from their senior house, sprung 

 the English, who also eat of bulloL-k's flesh. But they are the senior 

 children, and the Koles the junior ! 



And after the world was peopled, Sirma Thakoor destroyed it once, 

 with the exception of sixteen people, because people became incestuous, 

 and unmindful of God, or their superiors. (Some say he destroyed it 

 with water, some say with fire.) 



Wicked men are born again as dogs, pigs, or lizards. Those 

 who swing at churruck poojas, become, some kites, others flying 



