148 
Bihar Legends and Ballads. 
[No. 2, 
Magha-Munger, in the district of Hunger. Having just reached 
the age of puberty, she learns with grief that her husband, a resi¬ 
dent of Madhapur in the same district, is about to set out with 
seven hundred laden bullocks on a commercial expedition, from 
which he is not likely to return for twelve years. She bewails her 
hard fate, and with tears entreats her father to celebrate the ‘ Ga- 
hona,’ a ceremony sometimes performed long after the marriage, 
when the bridegroom takes his bride home for the enjoyment of 
conjugal happiness. Her father calls at the house of his son-in- 
law, and demands that the ceremony should be gone through be¬ 
fore he sets out on his long journey. Laika, for so the son-in-law 
is named, is extremely vexed, and putting a handful of mustard 
seed into his father-in-law’s palm, tells him to return and to be 
ready to receive as many men as there are seeds in his hand, with 
whom he threatens to call at his house on the day of the cere¬ 
mony. The man returns home, weeping all way and cursing his 
daughter for the expense with which he is threatened and for the 
ill name he was to bear from inability to incur the same. His 
daughter, who is called Baritria, however, assures him that her 
husband will come only accompanied by four bearers, and no one 
else. Of course her prophecy is disbelieved, and her father makes 
extensive preparations to receive the party. But on the day of 
the ceremony, Laika comes in a palki borne on the shoulders of 
four bearers. The father-in-law repeatedly looks behind for hours 
and hours expecting more attendants, but none appear. When the 
ceremony is over, he lays heaps of gold and silver articles for his 
son-in-law’s acceptance, but by the advice of Baritria, he would 
not accept anything except a parrot and a Talinga bullock, 
which are believed to possess extraordinary virtues. The father- 
in-law unable, according to custom, to deny what his son-in-law 
wants, curses his daughter for suggesting such a request. Laika 
returns home, taking his beautiful and virtuous wife with him, but 
instead of retiring to her apartment, immediately sets out on his 
expedition. Baritria weeps, reminds him of her youth, threatens 
him with her infamy, but all to no purpose. After he had pro¬ 
ceeded four days’ journey, the parrot informs him that the time 
was so propitious, that a son conceived that night, would shod 
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