1871.] 
Bihcir Legends and Ballads. 
149 
pearls when weeping, and diamonds when smiling, and therefore 
advises him to go to his wife offering to carry him on its wings. 
He obeys, and is brought bach to the door of his wife’s chamber. 
She being awakened, refuses him admittance, though he professes 
that he has no other object in seeking her chamber than to 
take his turban which he had left behind by mistake. She consents 
at last to admit him, if his mother and sister are made aware of the 
circumstance, so that no infamy might attach to her name. But 
Laika says he was ashamed to wake his mother and sister, in order 
to enter his wife’s chamber at that time of night, when he was 
believed to be far off from home. Baritria suggests that his 
brother at any rate might be informed of the circumstance. 
Binding it impossible to prevail on her to open the door on other 
terms, Laika wakes his younger brother Chaturguni£, and tells him 
that he had returned to take back his turban which he had left in 
his wife’s room, but his wife would not believe him unless a 
witness attested his identity. The brother intercedes, the door 
is thrown open, Laika is admitted, but cannot approach his wife 
till he has promised to abandon his expedition and to stay at 
home. At dawn, however, the parrot wakes him and reminds him of 
his duty, at which he again sets out on his expedition and rejoins 
his bullocks, his short but unexpected visit remaining unknown 
to the other members of the family. Nine months elapse when 
Laika’s sister suspecting Baritria to be with child, takes her to 
fetch water; then handing her the well-rope, desires her to lift 
water from the well instead of doing it herself as she used to 
do before. Baritria obeys with fear and trembling but her waist¬ 
band is broken in the attempt. The sister informs her mother, but 
the latter indignantly refuses to believe in the infamy of one who is 
known to be exemplarily chaste. She consents, however, to subject 
her to a test. For this purpose, she gives her 2% seers of dhdn to be 
pounded into rice. Baritria attempts the feat, but is covered with 
shame and confusion at her failure. Her mother-in-law beats her, 
when her brother-in-law having tried to defend her by relating 
the particulars of Laika’s unexpected visit to her chamber at night, 
is accused of adultery. Her ill-teatment brings on the pain of 
delivery, but even the midwife of the family refuses to assist in 
