1883.] C. Swynnerton— Folktales from the Upper Panj&b. • 89 
up.” “ Agreed,” said the dog, “ when I go for food, you shall hide in the 
jungle, and whatever I find I will fetch to you, and we’ll share and share 
alike.” So the two friends set out. After a time they began to approach 
a village, and the dog said, “ Now I am going forward for food, but do 
you remain here. Only, first of all, if anything should happen to you when 
I am away, how shall I know it ?” Said the cock, “ Whenever you hear 
me crow several times, then hasten back to me.” So for some time they 
lived happily, the dog bringing in supplies every day, while at night he 
slept beneath the tree on which the cock sat safely at roost. 
One day in the absence of the dog, a jackal came to the tree and look¬ 
ing up, said, “ 0 uncle, why, pray, are you perched so high ? Come down 
and let us say our prayers together!” “ Most willingly,” answered the 
cock, “but first let me cry the bhangh* for all good Musalmans to come 
and join us.” So the cock crew most lustily three or four times, until the 
dog in the village heard him, and said, “ Ah something is about to happen 
to my friend—I must get back.” He at once started for the jungle, but 
the jackal, when he perceived his approach, began to sneak off. Then cried 
the cock, “ O good nephew, don’t go away, stop at any rate for prayers. 
See, here’s a pious neighbour coming to join us !” “Alas, friend, I would 
stop with pleasure,” replied the jackal, “ but it just occurs to my mind 
that I quite forgot to perform, my ablutions.f Farewell!” And quicken¬ 
ing his pace, he disappeared. 
XIII. The Silversmith and his Mother’s Bangle. 
Silversmiths as a class bear a bad reputation for mixing up an undue 
quantity of alloy in the silver of their customers. There was once a silver¬ 
smith who in a moment of disinterestedness promised his mother that he 
would give her a bangle which should contain nothing but pure silver. 
“ You are my mother,” said he, “ and I as your son who owe you so much 
cannot do less.” So he cast a bangle for his mother out of unmixed silver* 
and when it was finished, he stored it up for her and went to bed. But he 
was quite unable to get a wink of sleep. He turned from side to side, and 
moaned and fretted in torment, frequently exclaiming, “ Ah that wretched 
bangle ! What a simpleton was I to make a bangle without alloy !” At 
last he could stand it no longer, so he got up, lighted his lamp, and did 
not rest until, having melted down the silver once more, he had recast it 
with a considerable admixture of base metal. Then with a conscience 
purged of offence he returned to his deserted couch, and in an instant he 
* The Musalman cry to prayers is called the bhangh. So also is the crow of 
a cock. 
f Literally, “ Proh dolor, amice, pepedi: domum redire me decet ut ablutiones 
meas perficiam. Yale !”—a satirical reference to the frivolous regard which the 
stricter Muhammadans pay to the punctilios of ceremonial washings. 
N 
