196 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
deities, who have been content to display their supe- 
riority over mortal cunning by turning the devices of 
their delinquent votaries to their own advantage. There 
is one tale, the burden of a song familiar to all lovers 
of Hindostanee music, which appears to me so pretty 
and ingenious, that I think I shall be excused for in- 
troducing it here. 
THE BANIAS VOW. 
Near the little village of Mohur-ki-chowki, in the 
Sivalic range of mountains, beneath a sacred banian 
tree, whose curved and twining branches, descending 
to the earth, had taken root and overspread a very large 
space of ground, there dwelt an aged bania (a dealer 
in grain), who had an only son, of great personal 
beauty, the heir to his estate and to his entire wealth, 
which was reputed to be very great, being the produce 
of a life of diligence, good husbandry, and good fortune. 
This opulent man delighted in charity, and was be- 
loved by all his neighbours, and had no cause for care 
or sorrow except in one respect. In the fulness of his 
love for his child it was evident that he had been over- 
indulgent, and he became sensible that the youth, whom 
he had desired to see prudent in all things, and espe- 
cially in respect of his property, was reckless and pro- 
digal, fond of display, and a gambler. Now the 
afflicted parent, with all his wealth about him, had 
little regarded these failings in his darling child, until 
