ON THE FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE OF GILGIT. 113 



to inflict harm upon the people, they themselves did not dare to put an unclean thing into 

 the spring ; and therefore on such occasions a foreigner was employed to perform this 

 act, receiving as remuneration a large quantity of grain collected for the purpose at the 

 rate of two seers per house. After receiving this grain he threw some unclean thing into 

 the spring ; and took it out when the rain was no more required. There are two other 

 similar springs : one in the Bagrot Valley, called Chakrot Bari ; and the other near the 

 Tarshing village in the Astor District, called Komachon uts. 



"Rashoo ai Yudaini." 



(The Fairies' Drum of Rashoo.) 



The Doms of Bulchhi, a village in the Bagrot Valley, have still in their possession a 

 small drum about one foot in diameter and three feet in circumference. This is called 

 " Rashoo ai Yudaini." It was once carefully kept in'a handsome cover by Rashoo, a Rono 

 •Wazir of Gilgit, who had ruled for the chief in that place. It is said, that whenever 

 Rashoo intended to advance against any chief, the Yudaini was brought and kept before 

 him. If it made a noise, without having been beaten by anybody, Rashoo believed it an 

 omen of success. But if it were silent, Rashoo postponed his expedition. 



The Hoof Mark of a Horse. 



Between Edgah and Balan villages in the Astore district there are seen on a rock 

 near the old road which faces the Phina village, a few small flags. It is said that at this 

 place there is a mark on a stone of the hoof of a horse. The story of the hoof-print 

 is this — The place was once haunted by a giantess, who was a bitter enemy of mankind, 

 and had become the terror of the people. The people wished to get rid of her. By the 

 providence of God, one day a venerable Darwesh — some say that the Darwesh was no one 

 else but Hazrat Khizar himself — halted on the river-bank close to the foot of the Phina 

 village, and saw the giantess across the stream. He flung himself on his horse and, 

 spurring it vigorously, came upon the giantess with the speed of lightning. She had no 

 alternative left but to take to her heels, which she did, leaving the noise of her shrieks 

 behind, and was never seen again. The horse had come upon it with such a vigour 

 that the stone gave way under its weight, and there burst forth from the stone a spring 

 of cool, fresh water. Though there exists no trace of it now, it is still looked upon as 

 a sacred place, and the people from far and near gather together annually to celebrate 

 the event by killing a sheep, feasting upon it, and making merry. 



XI. 



The Foot of Malik the Ra of Gilgit. 1 



It is said that one of the feet of Malik, an ancient Ra of Gilgit, was naturally formed 

 like the hoof of an ass. ' He took great care to conceal this defect from all people. One 

 of his old servants had, however, a knowledge of the mystery ; but he was strictly 

 forbidden by the Ra to disclose the secret. The servant kept it from becoming known 



1 [Cf. the Greek story of Midas and his ears, and of how their asinine form was revealed to the people.— Ed.] 



