October 25. Story of the Day: The Paila and the Paili

This story comes from Indian Folk Tales by E. M. Gordon.

The classification is TMI Z39.8. Small grain-measure runs away.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.



THE PAILA AND THE PAILI

Once upon a time a Paila, a large grain-measure, had a quarrel with the Paili, a small grain-measure, and the Paila beat the Paili so that the Paili ran away from her husband in a temper.

When the Paili was on the roadside she met a crow seated in a nim-tree. The crow said to the Paili, "Where are you going to, O Paili?"

The Paili replied that her husband, the Paila, had beaten her, and she was running away from him.

Said the crow, "Well, come and stay with me; do not go away in anger."

The Paili replied, "What will you give me to eat and what to drink, what to wear and what to spread?"

The crow replied, "I will place one wing under you and the other above, and the food left over by others I will bring you to eat."

But the Paili said she would not stay, and so saying she went on her way.

On the side of a tank the Paili met a Bagula (a crane or heron), and the Bagula also begged her to remain with him.


The Paili said to him, "What will you give to eat, what to drink, what to wear, and what to spread?"

Said the Bagula, "I will place one wing below you and the other above, and I will feed you with fishes."

But the Paili would not stay with the Bagula, and went on her way.

Next the Paili came to a place where a Raja was holding his Darbar. Then the Raja asked of her, "Where are you going to, O Paili?"

The Paili replied, "The Paila beat me, so I am going away in a temper."

But the Raja begged of her to remain with him. The Paili asked him what she would get to eat and what to drink, what to wear and what to spread. The Raja said,  I will place one cushion below you and one above, and whatsoever you desire you may have to eat."

But the Paili refused to stay with the Raja.

As she went on her way she met a dog coming from the river after having had a bath. The dog said, '' Where are you going to, O Paili?" and the Paili replied that the Paila had beaten her and she was going away from him in a temper.

Then the dog also asked the Paili to stay with him, and the Paili said, "What will you give me to eat and what to drink, what to wear and what to spread?"

The dog replied that in the Raja's store there was a quantity of gur (raw sugar), and they would eat from that as much as they pleased. Then the Paili consented to stay with the dog. And they both lived in the Raja's storehouse.

One day the Raja sent his daughter to bring gur from his store. So the daughter, taking the scales and weights, went to the store to fetch the gur. First she threw the scales into the store, and was about to follow herself, but the scales struck the dog on the head, and Paili jumped out, saying —

On the nim-tree I left the crow,
On the tank I left the bagula,
Oh now my wounded dog,
The weights have crushed your head.

Lim bharahbar kauwa chharev, 
Tal bharabhar bagula, 
Hai re mor bucha kukur, 
Paseri mur kucha.

No comments: