Page:Santal Folk Tales.djvu/64

Once upon a time there lived seven brothers and a sister. The brothers were married, but their wives did not do the cook-ing for the family. It was done by their sister. The wives for this reason bore their sister-in-law much ill will, and at length they combined together to oust her from the office of cook and general provider, so that one of themselves might obtain it. They said, "She does not go out to the fields to work, but remains quietly at home, and yet she has not the meals ready at the proper time." They then called upon their Bad Bonga* and vowing vows unto him they secured his good will and assistance; then they said to the Bad Bonga, "At mid-day " when our sister-in-law goes to bring water, cause it thus to " happen, that on seeing her pitcher the water shall vanish, and " again slowly re-appear. In this way she will be delayed. " May the water not flow into her pitcher, and you keep the " maiden as your own." At noon when she went to bring water, it suddenly dried up before her, and she began to weep. Then after a while the water began slowly to rise. When it reached her ankles she tried to fill her pitcher, but it would not go under the water. Being frightened she began to wail as follows ; —

" Oh ! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles,

" Oh ! my brother, the water reaches to my ankles,

" Still, Oh ! my brother, the pitcher will not dip, " Still, Oh ! my brother, the pitcher will not dip."

The water continued to rise until it reached her knee, when she began to wail as follows ; —

" Oh ! my brother, the water reaches to my knee, •

" Oh ! my brother, the water reaches to my knee,

" Still, Oh ! my brother, the pitcher will not dip,

" Still, Oh ! my brother, the pitcher will not dip."

• The spirit believed to preside over a certain class of rice land.