Kitabı oku: «The Kacháris», sayfa 5

2. Cremation. Very much the same procedure is in vogue in the case of cremation, which is looked upon as the more respectable method of disposing of the dead among the wealthier members of the community. Cremation usually takes place on or near the banks of running streams, and is prefaced by the formal buying of the land from the deity (madái) of the locality. Here too a certain difference is made in disposing of the corpse of a man and of a woman respectively; for in the case of a woman seven layers of wood are placed under the body and seven above it, whilst in dealing with a man’s corpse five such layers under and five above the body are held to be sufficient. After placing the body on the funeral pile, the deceased’s friends and relatives pass round it in procession, five times in the case of a man and seven in that of a woman (see above). The funeral pile is then set on fire on all four sides at once, and the fire carefully fed until every vestige of the deceased’s body is consumed. The ashes are not carried away, but four posts are usually placed in the ground enclosing the oblong space on which the cremation has been carried out; and on the tops of these a cloth is spread, which is held to shelter the spirit of the deceased from sun and rain.

Indications of belief in life after death. From what has been written above, it would certainly seem that the Kachári has some idea, however vague and unsatisfactory, of a life prolonged after the great change we commonly call “death,” though his notion of the future life is merely that of the “first (earthly) life renewed.” It has obviously little or nothing in common with the hope of life eternal in Christ, i. e., life in God, life with God, life like God, given us in the New Testament (see 1 Cor. xv.; Phil. iii. 20, 21; 1 John iii. 2).

Festivities.1. Domestic. From such information as the writer has been able to ascertain, there would seem to be few well-marked domestic festivities among the Kacháris, though the race is a very sociable and hospitable one, and the people entertain each other freely and frequently.

The two following may perhaps be mentioned: —

A. “Mikham gadán zánái,” i. e., the “eating of the new rice.” This is a feast held about December 10th (there is apparently no fixed date), in celebration of the commencement of the cutting of the great rice crop of the year (sáli dhán). It is on this occasion that the proceeds of the newly harvested rice are first partaken of as an actual article of food. There is perhaps nothing of a religious character about it, its main feature being a very free consumption of rice-beer, often resulting in much drunkenness.

B. “Mahu hanai” (or thàmfoi hasa-nai K), i. e., “the driving away of mosquitoes.” This is a form of merry-making got up mainly by the young people of a village about the latter part of November or early in December, to celebrate the departure of the mosquito plague for the cold season. Some twenty-five years ago the writer was passing the night in a school-shed, and was aroused from sleep by much shouting, dancing, &c., just outside the door. On looking out into the moonlight he saw a group of fantastic figures, some of them clothed in dry plantain leaves, and wearing a head-dress made of thatch of preposterous proportions resembling an enormous conical-shaped “dunce cap.” On inquiring the reason of the gathering, he was told that the performers were “driving away the mosquitoes.” No doubt this is an amusement got up by the younger members of the community, who are sometimes rewarded for their efforts by small gifts of money, food, &c., from their elders (cf. “Guy Fawkes,” at home).

2. Tribal. There would seem to be no distinctively tribal festivals characteristic of the Kacháris of this district (Darrang), unless the January and April Bihus can be regarded as such. The origin of these two festivals is still somewhat obscure and uncertain, and further light on the subject is greatly to be desired. Certainly they are not exclusively Kachári festivals, for they are observed by the Hindus in this neighbourhood as well as by the Kacháris.³⁸ Among the latter the January Bihu is usually celebrated about the 12th of that month. For weeks previously the young people have been busy building “Bihu huts” of jungle thatch; also in erecting tall bamboos, sometimes surmounted by ragged flags, &c., while straw, thatch and other combustibles are piled up around these bamboos to the height of many feet. On the appointed Bihu night these sheds, &c., are all set fire to amid much rejoicing, dancing, singing, &c., and of course there is, as on all like occasions, a liberal consumption of the national rice-beer. For a month or two previously to this festival, the village boys and young people have had to guard the growing and ripening rice crops night and day; and in all likelihood this merry-making, which is very much of the nature of a “Harvest home,” is largely an expression of their joy and gladness at being relieved from this hard and irksome duty.

The April Bihu, the origin of which it is not so easy to account for, seem to be a “Saturnalia” of much more objectionable character. The people abandon themselves freely both to drunkenness and other forms of licentiousness, and cases of serious assault and riot have been known to accompany and follow these gatherings. Among the Darrang Kacháris, this festival lasts for seven days, during which little or no work is done, the whole period being given up to merry-making, dancing, feasting, &c. As is the practice among their Hindu neighbours, on the opening day all cattle are taken to the nearest river or tank, and there formally bathed, and afterwards sprinkled with a preparation compounded of rice-beer (zu), tomatoes, and turmeric. The horns are smeared with oil, and occasionally oil, ashes, and pounded rice-flour are applied in patches to the bodies of the cattle. This duty discharged, the people abandon themselves to sheer merriment, the younger folks especially giving themselves up to dancing and singing, &c. The verses sung at these festivals seem for the most part to be little better than mere meaningless jingle-jangle rhymes, made up on the spur of the moment, though occasionally some of them give an insight into the peculiar humour of the Kachári character and temperament. One or two samples of what is sung at these gatherings are given below: —

 
1. Agŏi, Boisági, faidá nang.
Dána bathar jánai-khai rang zágan zang.
 
 
2. Adá Puá Rám, laga laga thángdang;
Gámsá hádang, fáli hádang, mána brábdang?
 
 
3. Ádá Ráguna, fáriyá, ai fáriyá,
Námoisă, gunoisă, fáriyá, ádá fáriyá;
 
 
Áma máseyakhosa zuriyá, ádá zuriyá;
Dáosá máseyá-khosa zuriyá ádá zuriyá,
&c. &c. &c.
 

The above represents an exchange of playful banter between two members (brother and sister) of a Kachári family who are about to take part in a Bihu festival or some similar merry-making. The brother, Puá Rám, with all a young man’s impatience and eagerness to enjoy the fun, calls to his sister, Boisagi, to come out from the house and join him at once, while she from within (couplet two) pleads womanlike for a few minutes longer grace to complete her personal adornment. Both brother and sister then join in calling on a near relative, a mauzadár, not to shirk his social responsibilities, but at once to provide the ways and means for a plentiful Bihu feast. The general sense of the three couplets, somewhat freely translated, is given below: —

 
1. Sister Boisagi, come out and play;
This is our Bihu holiday;
Don’t move inside the house all day.
 
 
2. Dear brother mine, I’ll come anon
I’m putting my best sari on;
Five minutes’ grace; don’t harshly press;
We ladies must have time to dress.
 
 
3. Uncle’s a wealthy mauzadár;
Long has he served the great Sirkar;
He’ll gladly give a bounteous feast,
A round half-dozen pigs at least.
&c. &c. &c.
 

II

The following couplet, which is not connected with the foregoing, calls perhaps for some explanation. The words, of which a free translation is appended, are supposed to be uttered by a Kachári damsel, the village belle, to a fickle lover, who, after paying court to her for a time, deserts her and marries another. The faithless swain is a man of some little importance in the village community as a dāng dāliyā, or drum-major, one of his functions being to beat the big drum (madal) at all festivals, marriage processions, &c. He has the misfortune to lose his wife after a month or two of wedded life, and then would fain return to the “old love.”

Armed therefore with his big drum of office and apparelled in his gayest attire, he presents himself before the Kachári belle and renews his suit for her hand. Now the average Kachári maiden has a wholesome sense of her own value (in married life she is not unfrequently the “better man” of the two), and no more relishes being “jilted” than her sisters in other and more civilised parts of the world. She at once, therefore, repels his advances in the most positive and unqualified way; and not only so, but in the presence of a large bevy of scornful village maidens, all highly resentful of the faithless lover’s fickleness, she proceeds to pour contempt on his suit in the following severely sarcastic couplet (”facit indignatio versus”): —

 
Dáng-dáliyá, dángdáliyá.
Mozáng mozáng gán-blá-ba
Náng-kho náng-li-yá; nang-li-yá
 
 
Handsome raiment though you wear,
I’m not for you, I do declare.
 

(The original Kachári verse is singularly emphatic.)

Or

 
“You come to me in bright array:
I’m not for you; be off, I say.
This dandy swain my mate would be?
No ‘second-hand lover,’ girls, for me.”
 

The above couplets may perhaps be fairly looked upon as typical illustrations of the Kachári temperament and character, and it may be inferred from them that human nature among this interesting race does not greatly differ from human nature in other and more civilised countries of the world.

It may perhaps be added that whilst the Garos living in the plains observe both the January and the April Bihus, their brethren in the Hills ignore both, though they would seem to have certain special harvest festivals of their own. The people of the North Cachar Hills, on the other hand, seem to observe only one annual Bihu, of the nature of a harvest home, at any time between October and December. These Kachári festivals are almost always attended by an immoderate consumption of the national rice-beer, not to say by actual drunkenness in not a few cases. On the other hand, they have their good side in that they help to keep the people to some extent beyond the influence of the destructive vortex of Hinduism, in which their simple primitive virtues might otherwise be so readily engulfed, and the adoption of which in whole or in part is invariably accompanied by a grave and deep-seated deterioration in conduct and character.

SECTION V
Folk-Lore, Traditions and Superstitions

On this section of the subject there is no need to dwell at any length; indeed, materials for the purpose are to a great extent wanting. Of traditions, properly so called, whether historical or otherwise, the Kacháris of this district would seem to be almost absolutely destitute. Nor can they be regarded as a superstitious race, for it is only when suffering from a serious outbreak of cholera, Kálá-azár, or other like public calamity, that they make frequent, and sometimes costly, offerings to their deities as shown in some detail in the preceding section. As a rule the people are of a bright, cheerful disposition; and as a planter friend once remarked to the writer, of all the various races employed on his extensive tea estates the Kacháris were the only people who might be frequently heard whistling merrily as they went to and from their daily toil. Moreover, the subject of Kachári folk-lore has already been effectively dealt with by a writer fully competent to do it ample justice; and perhaps the objects aimed at in this section will be best attained by re-issuing three or four of the more characteristic and typical of the interesting series of Kachári folk-tales collected by this writer, some fifteen years since, from an intelligent member of the Kachári race still (1906) resident in this district (Darrang).³⁹

I

In Section IV some reasons have been given for the view that the Kachári race has a special respect, if not reverence, for the element of water, especially perhaps for flowing water, rivers, &c. And the latter part of the following folk-tale furnishes some sort of explanation of this presumed respect and reverence.

Dùima dùisá ni khoráng.

How the rivers were made.

Sánùi brai burui man. Pháre unau bisur gothai brai-burui zálangbá, buruiá zingásínánai brainu khithánaise, “Brai, zangfurhá zi danai fisáfur dang, bísùr má zánánai thánggan?” Erui bungbá braiá mai hu khàmnu lági Khuberniáu thángnánai, mai sobai bisor áru lai-megong, láfá megong, bifùr máni-ni bígot-zului bínánai nå-i-au lábonánai sànsni sànzàt lámáibau hor thánánai, nå man-fai-nánai buruinu khithánaise: “Áng gásenu bigot-zului lábobai.” Pháre nå-i-au sànne-su thánánai, khet khàmnu lági sorai fithá-gúndui lánánai há nainu lági tháng-naise. Pháre gahàm há datse nai-ui frábui fátbrui-thing-bu zurá khánánai dinnánai nå fainaise. Unau sànse-ni-kháli khodál sekhá bifur máni lánánai thángnánai hágrá eonánai áru bi hágráfurkho saunánai hákho mazáng khámnaise. Binifrai, sànzá sànàp áru sà khlá fàtbruithing khulumnánai khoná bruithing phongse phongse záunaise.

Once upon a time there lived a man and an old woman. And when they were quite old, the old woman said to her husband, “How shall these our children get food when we are gone?” So the old man travelled afar to the great god Kuvera,⁴ the god of riches, and taking from him seedlings of paddy, pulse, mustard, and gourds, journeyed for eight days and so reached his home. And after staying a couple of days he set forth to cultivate, taking dry food with him. And first he marked out a piece of rich land by placing boundaries on all four sides of it, and so came home. And again he set out another day with hoe and axe, and cut and burned the jungle, and cleaned the soil, and after worshipping on each side of his field – on the east and on the west, on the north and on the south – he struck one blow with his hoe on each side.

Biaunu há gásenu mannaise. Pháre baidi baidi mai áru fifáng megong thaigong boikhobu funánai hunaise. Pháre hábá zapbá braia nåi-au thángnánai zirai-nánai thánaise. Obásu ázibu dang khalibu dang sànse buruiá mai nainu lági braikho lugu homnaise. Khintu braiá bungnaise “Lamáiau dui guiá. Nangha dui gángbá áng maunifrai hunu?” Theobu bi brai-ni khorang khnásongálábá embrábrá braikho homnaikhai lángnáng-naise. Pháre thángui thángui maini há man-si man-si zábá, burui-há dui gángnánai brainu khithábaí, braiá bungnaise, “Áng nangnu duhui-nu khithádangman, nongga? Theobu ángni khoráng khná-i-álábá fainanai ángkho dukhu hùiù.” Ereùi bungbá, buruiá bungnaise, “Dini áng dùi manlángábá thoi-si-gan. Nang áng-nu dui hunu-nánggo.” Pháre unau braiá mungbu upai mane zánánai, dùi namai-nángnaise. Namaiè namaiè fukurimanse nubá bi buruini megonkho hí zang khánánai be fukuri-hálági lángnaise. Aru braiá bungnaise “Nang be fukuri kho naiálábá dùi láng.” Khintu dùi lángbá-rù mábá mábá dùi ni dau áru hángsufrá birlai-bá, bikho khnánánai, bikho nainu lubuinánai nai-naise. Beaunu daufurni gelénai áru rong zlainai nunánai bihábu brai zang rong zlainu mon zánaise. Obásu braiá khàmá, buruiá ágárá. Pháre braiá, buruini khoráng lánu gnáng zánaise. Obásu bisurhá áji-bu-thaiu kháli-bu-thaiu gåthå gáthai zánaise. Zábá, bisurkho fisínu háekhai braiá bisurkho buruini khoráng-zang Hem-ni házo-au lángnánai beaunu fukuri manse khamnánai baidi baidi ná khàmnánai dùiau hogàrnánai dinbunaise.

And when all was ready, the old man planted his seedlings of various sorts, and finally went home and rested. And so, as time went by, the old woman desired vehemently to see how the crops were getting on. But the old man said, “There is no water on the road, and if you grow athirst you will get no relief.” But she persisted and prevailed, and made her husband take her along. And as they went and were now quite close to her husband’s field, behold, the old woman began to be very thirsty. And the old man, being enraged, cried “What did I tell you? There is no water and yet you would come.” But she, being a woman, said “If you do not give me to drink I shall die. So water you must procure as best you can.” So the old man, seeing no other way, went to seek for water. And after long search, seeing a tank, he bound the old woman’s eyes with a cloth and dragged her to the water’s edge and said to her, “Drink if you will, but look not upon the tank.” Now the ducks and other water-fowl were playing in the water, and were making a merry noise, clacking and quacking. And, the old woman being curious, like all her sex, peeped at them. And, seeing them at their play, she too desired to be happy in her husband’s society, and, though he was very loth, prevailed with him. And so in due course there were born to them many sons and daughters. And then, in order to provide for their food, he journeyed to the Himálayas and digged a great tank, stocked with many kinds of fishes.

Pháre unau Sri braiá suimá fudrun máse lánánai mùi sessá áru khusung námaibaie námaibaie dùi gángsu dangman. Ereaunu Sri braiá be fukuriau tháng-fnáng-naise. Beaunù dùi nunánai lángnu namaibá, náfrá bikho raidaunaise, “Áfá, nang beni dùi langbá, zangfurkho gahàm khamnánggan.” Beaunu bi sumai lánánai, dùikho lángbá, náfrá bungnaise, “Dá nang zangfurkhu Loitho hálági láng.” Beaunu Sri braiá gaigainu lauthi zang dru-dru bu-bu-bá khithu khithu dùi bù-hùi bùnai, aru náfrá bu fainaise. Bibaidinu dùisá zánaise. Obásu unau náfra Sri brai-nu láo thaise áru khumrá thaise hotnaise. Pháre bikhonu lábonánai sáse khurmá-ni nå-i-au hápfaibá binu zo mikhàm áru omá máse buthátnánai hùnaise. Pháre okhá naibá Sri braiá be khumrá-kho bini khurmánu hunaise. Hubá bi khumrákho dànkhaubá tháká gazá, mannánai áru báti-se khàm záhùnù lági omá buthátnaise. Áru omá bikhau² man-se dinnaise. Zákháng-ùi-frábui fainu námáibá omá bikhaukho Sri brainu hùnaise. Hùbá áru braiá laukhobu khurmánu hùnaise. Bi lau-au darbi gazà dangman. Khintu be khorángkho braiá mithiá. Áru bini khurmaiá-bu bi-nu khithá-i-a-khùise. Unau braiá nåi-au fainaise. Áru bihá nå-i-au bini fisázu-kho zábrá zánanai thánai nunaise. Bi láo aru khumrá-kho khurmá-kho hùláng-naikhai bibaidi zabrá zánai áru bini khurmaiá-bu be lao áru khumrá-kho lákhman-aikhai zabrá gabràp zánánai thánáise. Obásu bini unau náfrá ozá zá-thí-nánai bisur-ni nå-i-au thángnánai gadán nai-hùi-nánai³ khithánaise “Nang-sur zusá mairong áru goe zoráse áru dau màse lánánai duisá-i-au hùnánai khulumbá, nang-sur-há zabrá zágan. Besur bibaidi-nu khámnánai zabrá zanaise. Binikhai dá Båråfrá duisá duimá-furkho khulumu. Zapbai.

Now, one day the god Sri, the god of good luck, came that way with his white dog, a-hunting for deer and hares and tortoises. And when he came to the margin of the tank, behold he was very thirsty. But when he stooped to drink, the fishes said to him eagerly that he must grant them a boon in return for their water. To which he assented; and when he had satisfied his thirst, the fishes said, “Take us to the great river, the Brahmaputra (or Lohit).” So the god Sri tied them to his staff, and drew them after him, making runnels of water. And that is how the rivers were made. And the fishes in return gave him a pumpkin and a gourd. And, taking these with him to a friend’s house, his friend regaled him with rice-beer and pig’s flesh; and in the morning he gave his friend the pumpkin. But when his friend cut open the pumpkin, it contained nothing but pure silver. So he bade the god Sri stay another day, and brewed fresh beer and killed another pig, and when he was going away gave him a flitch of bacon to take with him. So the god Sri gave him also the gourd. But when he cut open the gourd, it contained nothing but pure gold. And so the god Sri journeyed to his home. And when he got there, he found that his little daughter was very ill. And that was because he had given away the presents which the fishes had made him. But the fishes took pity on him, and came to him in the guise of physicians, and told him that if he would worship and do sacrifice on the banks of rivers, then his daughter would be healed; which he did. And that is why we Kacháris worship rivers. And that is all.

² = a “side” of pork.

³ Gadán nai-hùi-nai means “observing omens.”

⁴ The hideous Kuvera, god of wealth. He was a white man with three legs and eight teeth. Apparently, the same as the Hindu Pluto; and lord of the shades as well as of wealth.

II

The moral of the following story is a thoroughly sound one. It is obviously a kind of sermon on such familiar texts as “Procrastination is the thief of time,” “Never put off to to-morrow what you should do to-day,” &c. Its teaching is clearly the same as that which finds expression in the well-known words:

 
“There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune:
Omitted, all the voyage of their lives
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.”
 

Sásè olsiá gåthå ni khoráng.

The Story of the Lazy Boy.

Sásè olsiá gåthå dangman. Bi málai háli oinánai mai gai zap-bá, obásu bi mámmár dubliau háli oi-hùi-dang. Pháre Buthur⁵ braiá olsiá gåthå-kho háli oinai nunánai bi thángnu haekhai, bungnaise, “Helùi gåthå, nanglai dá má háli oidang-ùi, buthurá mobábá-nu thángbai. Dá mai gaibá má zá-bau-nu?” Theobu bi bikho nai-finá, mosokno buá dhum dhum dhàm dhàm bunánai, natzret nat-flet háli oibai tháiù. Unau braiá khonle khonle sungnaikhai gåthåá bràp-nánai nai-gedau-nánai bung-naise, “Nanglai máuni brai lùi? Áng kho háli oinaiau be baidi sungbai tháiu? Ángha má zádang, áng su mithidang.” Beaunu braiá bungnaise “Nonggá, lui áfá, áng nangkho gahàm khoráng-sù khithánu námaidang.” Beanu gåthåá bungnaise “Má khoráng dang? Mámár kithá. Ángha háli oinu sàn zolángbai.” Obásu braiá bungnaise “Dá háli oinánai má zánu? Buthur thángbai,” hanbá, gåthåá bungnaise “Bi bobething thángkhu? Mau thangkhu, nang ángnu kithánánai hu. Áng mai gainu manábá, ma zánánai tháng-gan?” Obásu braiá bungnaise “Nang aglánù málai zang luguse háli oinánai mai gaibá hàmgauman, dálai buthurkho sùr nunù hágo, áru mábrui bikho laifin-nu?” Beaunu gåthåá bungnaise “Nang khithínánai hunu hábá, áng bikho zeruibábu lábonu hágan.” Hanbá bikho braiá bulu haekhai khithánaise “Nang bething thángui thábá khårå phut-thru-thru brai sáse thokon thunánai dubli gezer gezer thángnai nugan. Obániá nang bikhonu hom. Áru bi zere khíthá-i-u, nang bebaidinu khàmdui” hannánai, buthur braiá thángnaisei. Obásu gåthåá háli hogàrnánai nåiau fainánai bima buruikho mámár khàm songnu hùnánai, zaùi lángùi bimánù kithánaise “Ai, nang gábun fungzáni khàm songnánai hù, áru mairong khotháse bunnánai hù. Ang buthur braikho husu-láng-nù nánggo. Maná-thu dini áng háli oinaiau brai sáse fainánai mai gainaini Buthurá tháng-bai hannánai kithánái, áru bikho hùsù-lángbá mangan, áru bi zere khámnu thinu, bebaidi-nu khàm, hannánai kithalángnai.” Obásu buriá okhá naibá khàm songnánai gåthåkho zá-hù-ùi làng-hù-ui mairong khotáse bunnanai hunánai gåthå-kho hogárnaise. Gåthåá thángui thángui zaikhonu lugù manù, bikhonù sungù, bisur bungù: “Buthur thángbai hannanai mithigo. Bi mábrùi áru bobething thángkhu, bikho zangfur khithánu haiá.” Beaunu gåthåá gadau-srau zánánai bobething thán-gan hannánai zerenu manu erenu dubli gezer gezer thábai-baibá gazànau brai sáse nu-hotnaise. Nuhotbá binu buthur zánù nánggo nungnánai, bikho bungnaise “Áfá råthå; dase råthå. Áng nang-ni-au manse khoráng sungnu námaidang.” Theobu braiá khnásonglábá thángui tháiù. Gåthåá-bu khithu khithu thángui thángui khithálangu. Gabauzang braiá nai fafinnanai bungnaise “Má hekhong hekhong sùr gåthålùi mauni lùi nanglai?” hannánai sungbá gåthåá bungnaise “Áfá brai, dá braplùi. áng manse dukhuau gaglainá-nai, nangni kháthiau faidang,” hanbá braiá “Mámár khithá; mámár khithá; áng thángnu nánggo, ánghá nåá gazàn, hor-tho-hùi-gan;” hannaise. Obásu gåthåá khithánaise, “Áfá, áng nangkho buthur brai baidi nuïù. Binikhai nang ángkho dá buthàt. Málaiá boibu mai gaithrå-bai; áng un zánánai dase-bù gainu há-e-khuise. Binikhai nang dase tháng-fáfin-bá ángha mai zágan” bungnaikhai, braiá binu khithá-naise, “Áng dá faibai, tháng fá-finnu háliá, nang benifrai mámár tháng-nánai, zese háiu gatháng-gabrám háli oinánai mai gaihùitháng.” Obásu gåthåá fainánai zerenu manu erenu khothia⁶-khini-kho gaibrop-nánai dinnaise. Zapbai.

There was once a very lazy boy. And when everybody else had planted out his paddy, he was only setting forth to plough. But the old man of the season, seeing him, said “The season has gone; what are you ploughing for now? The paddy is all planted out, and it is late.” But the boy would not listen to him, and ploughed sturdily ahead, beating his cattle soundly as he went. And when the old man again and again questioned him, he cried “What sort of old man is this? Can he not see that I am busy? I know very well what I am about.” But the old man said gently, “Nay, my son: but it is for your good that I would speak to you.” And the boy said “Speak quickly then, and have done with it.” And the old man said, “My son, the season is gone; what avails it to plough now?” And then the boy cried “Where has it gone? And when has it gone? And why has it gone? And how shall I find it?” But the old man of the season said, “You should have ploughed when others did. The season has gone, and no man can bring it back.” But the boy said, “I must bring it back; else, how shall I eat, and how shall I live? Do tell me where it is gone.” And as he would not let the god go, finally, losing patience, he said “You go over there, and you will find an old man with a snow-white head ploughing in a field. You get hold of him and do as he tells you.” So saying, he made his escape. Then the lad hastened home to his mother and bade her cook supper quickly, and tie him up some rice to take with him on the morrow, for he was going to bring back the departed season for ploughing.

“For,” said he, “when I was ploughing to-day, an old man told me that the season was gone, and that if I went after him and pursued him I would find him, and that I must do as he would tell me.” So she rose very early in the morning, and, giving him to eat and drink, sent him on his way. And as he went, he asked all he met “Can you tell me where the old man of the season has gone?” But they said, “Everyone knows that the season is gone, but where it is gone, or why it is gone, who can say?” At last, when he was nearly in despair, he saw an old man ploughing afar off, and shouted to him “Stay a moment, father, stay; I want to ask you a question.” But the old man was busy, and went his way. Then the lad pursued him and never ceased calling after him till at last the old man losing patience, turned upon him, and said, “What pertinacious noisy lad is this, who won’t leave me alone?” But the lad said, “Be not angry, my father; I am fallen into great trouble, and it behoves you to help me.” “Speak quickly, then,” said the old man. And the boy said, “I take you to be the old man of the season, and I pray you not to slay me. All the others have planted out their paddy, and I have fallen behind, and have planted nothing. Therefore, unless you turn back, I cannot hope to get any harvest.” But the old man said, “It is too late for me to return. Go you back, and plant your paddy as best you can.” And so the lad hastened back and planted out his seedlings in such heedless haste as became him. And that’s all.

⁵ I.e., the season personified.

⁶ Assamese.

III

By his Hindu neighbours the Kachári is often looked upon as a Bœotian, a simpleton from whom little in the way of intelligent action is to be expected. And undoubtedly in the matter of mere book-learning he is never likely to take a very high place, nor will he shine brightly in the examination-room as an ordinary competitor. On the other hand, he is often endowed with certain practical qualities which are of great value to him in the battle of life. He usually has no small share of what is well called “the saving sense of humour,” which prevents him from taking himself too seriously, and does not a little to lighten for him the cares and toils of life. Of his possession of this invaluable endowment many illustrations will be found in the collection of Kachári Folk-tales, &c., referred to above, a volume which the curious in such matters will do well to consult. And in addition to his sense of humour, he has often a goodly supply of sound homely mother wit, which stands him in good stead when brought into relations with other men, who from a merely intellectual point of view are undoubtedly his superiors. These, and other like endowments of great price, often enable him to seize with unerring instinct on the weak points of an opponent’s position and to avail himself of them with no little dexterity and success. In the following amusing story, for instance, the simple (?) Kachári servant completely outwits his astute Bráhmin master, turning the tables on the latter to his no small dismay and discomfiture.

Bámun áru bini sákor ni Khoráng.

The Bráhmin and his Servant.

Sáse Bámun dangman, áru bihá sákor sáse dangman. Sànse sáne zang Bámun ni bi-hau-bikhunzu-ni nåiau thang-nù-lági thálit gur gákhir sorai lánánai sákhor-kho bán hùná-nai, bikho khithánaise “Nang be thálit-furkho dá zá. Zábá, ánghá khithu fàtse bù megon dang.” Eru hannánai thángui thánaise. Pháre unau boi sákhorhá mikhàm ukhuibá, thálit-kho lánánai, thaise thaise binu un-phat-si khithinánai bebaidinu boibò-kho-bù zà-thro-lángnaise. Pháre unau bisur dàpseau zirai-hùibá, Bámun bibànkho nueákhai, sákhor-ni sigáng-au sungnaise “Bibáná má zákhu?” Oba sákhorá bungnaise, “áng duk-hui-nù nángnu khithinánai bi thálit-furkho zábai. Áru dá nang mánu sung-dang?” Bebaidinu Bámuná bolo⁷ háekhai sri sri thánaise. Pháre besur beaunu khàm song-zá-nu-lági zothon khàmnaise, áru beaunu ná khawai má-ne-sù mandang-man. Bini sákhornu máse buá hunánai, gásenu Bámuná lánaise. Pháre zeblá khàm man-naise, sàne-bù zánu lági zodangman. Ereaunu sákhorá sungnaise “Bámun gohain, ná khawaaiá máse buá daugaiù, ná dulù dulù daugaiù?” Beaunu Bámuna bungnaise “Dulu dulu daugiaù.” Obà bi bini ná másekho bini khàm-au khubui-hot-detnaise, “Maná-thu be hàtsing dauganu háià, nang-ni zang dulùse záthang.” Beaubu gaigai-ni khoráng-zang-nu zennánai bikho mung-bá bung-nu haiá-khuise. Unau khàmkho sákhorá hàtsing manzánaise.