112 GHULAM MUHAMMAD 



A Pearl Tree on the Deobani Mountain. 



•On the east of Tashot, a village in the Bagrot Valley, there stands a snow-covered 

 mountain called Deobani. The people say that there is a large pearl tree on its top, 

 which is the property of the fairies and giants. A good mountaineer is said to have once 

 reached its summit. Gathering a load of the pearls, he started down towards his home. 

 But he was surprised to see a crowd of giants and fairies coming after him, and, being 

 frightened by their approach, he thought it better to throw away all the pearls in order 

 to save his life ; he was surprised, however, to find that a fairy still followed him as far as 

 his house. There he closed his door. While changing his clothes he found that a pearl 

 was hidden in his shoes. The pearl was then thrown towards the fairy ; she picked it up 

 and disappeared. A similar story is related about Nanga Parbat, a mountain on the 

 west of Astor. 



Shangali Ween. 



At about two miles east of Danyore, a village about three miles east of Gilgit, there is 

 seen on the northern side of the road leading to the Bagrot Valley a small piece of ground 

 about one yard square surrounded by walls about three feet high. This place is called 

 " Shangali Ween " (place of putting chain). It is said that there used to be a golden 

 chain hanging in the air without any support. In ancient times, when any case was to be 

 decided on oath, both the parties were carried there and each of them addressed the 

 chain in the following manner : " O Sojio Shangali (sacred chain), whoever of us is sinful 

 please accuse him by striking his neck ; and the chain used miraculously to whirl round 

 the neck of the man who was guilty. The man was then convicted and punished by 

 the authorities- according to law. No chain is now found at the spot, and the people 

 relate an interesting story about its disappearance. They say that two men of the 

 Bagrot Valley were once coming together to Gilgit : one of them had brought some gold 

 with him which the other succeeded in stealing. Making a small hole in his stick, he put 

 the gold secretly into it. The men, after a long quarrel about the lost gold, decided 

 that the case should be settled by the Shangali. When they were entering the place, the 

 guilty man gave his stick which contained the gold to the other, and they both began to 

 beg before the Shangali, asking that, whichever of them had gold in his possession, he 

 might be struck by the Shangali. The Shangali, who was aware of the trick, was 

 much enraged at this attempt to deceive, and, considering itself offended, at once dis- 

 appeared for ever without settling their case. The loser of gold was now very angry, 

 and in a fit of his anger struck the stick on the walls of the enclosure. The stick broke 

 and the lost gold was disclosed. 



NONG AND CHAKROT BARI. 



Near Laos village in the Astor district there is a small fountain called Nong. 

 The people consider it a sacred one and offer sacrifices at the place for the ful- 

 filment of their wants. If owing to drought a loss of their crops is expected, or if for any 

 other reason heavy rain is required, the people used to throw some unclean thing in- 

 to the spring, such as the bone of a dog; it then began to rain, and continued until the 

 object was taken out. Owing to the belief that the spring was sacred and, moreover, able 



