1890.] 
A Grammar of the Chhatlisgarhi dialect. 
143 
Twelve yeai’S have I dwelt here, and now the memory of my home 
cometh to me. Here no longer is my heart happy.” When they 
heard these (words), Rewa and Parewa said as follows : — 
“ Grieve thou not, and be not mournful in thy heart. 
We Rewa and Parewa have given thee our hearts, and our 
hope is in thy remaining.” 
That is to say; — “0 Dhold, grieve not in thy heart, he not dis- 
heartened. We two sisters only exist in seeing thee.” But he 
replied, “ the memory of my wedded wife cometh to me. Twelve 
years have passed and I know nought (of her). I will not 
remain. I will go to mine own land.” 
While here this consultation of phold was going on, there the 
damsel Marti was distressed as she called the prince to mind. So 
one day she said to her maid, “ twelve years have passed, and 
counting the days my fingers are worn away and my eyes have 
become hollow, but still my Lord doth not appear.” And the maid 
said, “ I have never gone outside the house, and from here the fort 
of Pingalii is eighty kos distant, so how shall I bring thee Prince 
Dhola ? ” Again Marti spoke thus to all her maids, and asked them 
saying “ Take care of mo, and cause me to meet my Lord,” but 
all of them said “ no.” Then Marii spoke to her parrot and the 
parrot replied “ I am the bird of the forest. What can I do ? But, 
O Lady {lit. elder sister). Hear me 
Grieve thou not, and bo not mournful in thy heart, 
I am but a pax’rot, and I will bring the news of Prince Dhola. 
Tear the border of thy garment for paper, and use the 
collyrium of thine eyes for ink. 
Write on it, ‘ Dhola come to mo for (the feast of) the Dasahra.’ ” 
That is to say, — “ Lady Marti, grieve not in thy heart. I will 
find a clue to Prince Dhola and will bring him. It is a few days to 
the feast of the Dasahra. But do thou this ; tear the border of thy 
garment for paper, and use the collyrium of thine eyes for ink, and 
write in it, ‘ Let my Lord return by the Dasahr^.’ ” Then Princess 
Marti did even so, and at her command the maid cut the parrot’s 
chain, took it out of the cage, and gave it gU and sugar to eat. 
Then the parrot at once flew up a league into the air, and Marti’s 
sister Sarua (or Saru) who was sitting near her said, “ A parrot 
hath no certainty. No matter how much thou cherish it, it is a 
faithless bird. It hath flown away. Now what shall we do ? ” 
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