ON THE FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE OF GILGIT. 117 



companions to go down to their village, with instructions to keep what they had seen 

 a secret. Shamsher became filled with the desire to make himself ruler of Gilgit, and 

 began to instigate his wife to murder her father and to raise the Danyori people secretly 

 against him. Sakina, whose passions had mastered her sense of duty, prepared 

 to take her father's life for the sake of her beloved stranger. Shri Badat, being 

 the descendant of giants, had no fear of being attacked by sword or arrow, as these wea- 

 pons had no effect on his body, and no one knew what his soul was made of. The first 

 thing therefore for Shamsher to inquire was the secret of his soul. So, on a certain 

 day, in order to gratify this desire, and to prove the trust his wife had in him, he pro- 

 phesied that as soon as the leaves of a certain tree should decay and become yellow, she 

 should no more see her father. It happened that the leaves of the tree decayed much 

 earlier than usual, and Sakina, thinking that it meant the death of her father, went down the 

 hill lamenting ; but she was much surprised to find that he was still alive. She related to 

 her father that a few days ago a certain fakir had gone up the hill and had foretold that 

 as soon as the leaves of a certain tree should turn yellow she should unfortunately find 

 herself an orphan. On this day the leaves of the tree had turned yellow, and, considering 

 this an ill-omen, her filial love had caused her to present herself at his feet, but she thanked 

 God it was not so, and that the fakirs statement had proved false. Shri Badat said 

 in reply, " O my affectionate daughter, nobody in the world can kill me, as no one knows 

 of what my soul is made. How can it be injured until someone knows its nature? It 

 is beyond a man's power to inflict harm on my body." Sakina said that her happiness 

 depended on his life and safety. As she was dearest to him in the world, he should 

 have no hesitation in informing her of the secret of his soul. She would, moreover, be 

 able to forestall any unfavourable omens, and to show her filial love by devoting her 

 life to the safety of her kind father. He used much finesse in turning the topic of conver- 

 sation, and made many pretences in order to keep his secret from his daughter, in spite 

 of her pertinacity. His paternal love at last compelled him to grant her wishes, and 

 he informed her that his soul was made of ghi (butter), a substance which cannot be 

 melted without much heat; and that whenever she should see a large fire burning in 

 or around his fort, she must consider it the last day of his life. But he did not know 

 that he was putting his life in danger by confiding in a weak-hearted woman, who was 

 being used to take his life. Miyo Khai passed a few days with her father and 

 then went up to her hill-abode, where she found her beloved Shamsher anxiously awaiting 

 her arrival. To him she related her conversation with Shri Badat. He was extremely 

 glad to receive this description of Shri Badat' s soul, as he was prepared to spare no 

 pains in taking his life. The information acquired now led him to think of the speedy 

 fulfilment of his hopes. He is said to have sent for his Danyori companions secretly, 

 who had accompanied him to the hill, and whose loyalty was unquestionable, since 

 they believed him to be born of a fairy. The cruelty of Shri Badat knew no bounds, so that 

 he had earned the title of man-eater ; and his subjects were already looking for an 

 opportunity of getting rid of the tyrant in order to save the lives of their innocent 

 children. In a few words therefore Shamsher won the Danyore men's approval of the plot 

 against the life of Shri Badat, adding that he was now master of the secret of their ruler's 



Mem. A.S.B, 



