The Extravagant Hindu Legend.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2045, 15 August 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

The Extravagant Hindu Legend.

Of the Hindu legends the most striking feature is their wildness. la it a protest against the dull monotony of life in India? Or is life less monotonous to the native than to the European ? Lai Bahari'a tales, anyhow, are wilder than the wildest bits of the " Arabian Nights." A yeung man puts an egg of the toontoonia bird into a cupboard, and out of it comes a babe that grows into the loveliest girl the' world ever saw. The mannik stone in some snakes' heads is worth the wealth of seven kings. In a certain city an elephant is king maker, but the king of his choioe only reigns a day, for out of the queens mouth oomes a threadlike snake, which slays him in the bridal chamber. A long-lost son, who had fallen in love with his mother, and has mounted the cow-house roof that he may break in and carry her off, happily heara his life's story from two calves that are quietly discussing him below. A wife going out of doors on a dark night aeoidentally knocks up against a Sankohinni, white lady ghost, that sat on a low branch. The revengeful creature at once took her by the throat, thruat her into a hole in the tree, and went in, taking her shape so completely that the mother-in-law, that universal inmate of the Hindu hut, was deceived. The only difference was that, whereas the wife had been weak and languid, the ghost was brisk and aotive. " She has turned over a new leaf ; so muoh the better," said the mother-in-law, when the errands and the cooking were done in next to no time. But one day the old woman caught sight of the ghost fetohing something from the next room ghost fashion, by stretching out a long arm — for ghosts can stretoh their limbs a great way, though not as far as Bakahasis can. She said nothing, but told her son, and they watohed, and before long they saw the kitchen hearth ablaze, though they knew there was no fire in the house. Looking through a ohink they saw that the wife had thrust her foot into the oven, and that it was burning like a bit of wood. " She's a ghost," they whispered, as they went for the ojha, who tested her by burning tumerio under her nose. She proved her gho^tship by screaming, and was then beaten with slippers till aha confessed and showed where the real wife was, and was again beaten till she promised never to do the family any further harm. — All the Year Round.

A eaored burden is this life ye bear : Look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly, Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly. Fail not for Borrow, falter not for sin, Bat onward, upward, till the goal yo win.