Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes, 1879)

by Maive Stokes

For works with similar titles, see Indian Fairy Tales.

Indian Fairy Tales

COLLECTED AND TRANSLATED

BY

MAIVE STOKES.

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One hundred copies privately printed.

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CALCUTTA—1879.

To my dear Grannie, Susan Bazely.

PREFACE.

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THE first twenty-five stories in this book were told me at Calcutta and Simla by two Ayahs, Dunkní and Múniyá, and by Karím, a Khidmatgar. The last five were told Mother by Múniyá. At first the servants would only tell their stories to me, because I was a child and would not laugh at them, but afterwards the Ayahs lost their shyness and told almost all their stories over again to Mother when they were passing through the press. Karím would never tell his to her or before her. The stories were all told in Hindustani, which is the only language that these servants know.

Dunkní is a young woman, and was born and brought up in Calcutta. She got the stories, she told me, from her husband, Mochí, who was born in Calcutta and brought up at Benares.

Múniyá is a very old, white-haired woman. She has great-grand-children. She was born at Patna, but when she was seven years old she was taken to Calcutta, where she was brought up and married. She and Dunkní are both Hindús.

Karím is a Muhammadan and was born at Lucknow. He says that "The Mouse" and "The Wonderful Story" are both Lucknow tales.

The notes to this book were written by Mother, and Father helped her to spell the Native names and words. He also made the Index.

Dr. George King helped us in the Botany; Mr. Tawney and Mr. Campbell of Islay, who saw many of the stories in manuscript, have given us several remarks. So has my uncle John Boxwell.

M. S. H. Stokes.

Calcutta,
March 24th, 1879.

CONTENTS.

		PAGE
I.	—Phulmatti Rani, or the Flower Lady	1
II.	—The Pomegranate King	7
III.	—The Cat and the Dog	15
IV.	—The Cat which could not be killed	18
V.	—The Jackal and the Kite	21
VI.	—The Voracious Frog	24
VII.	—The Story of Foolish Sachuli	27
VIII.	—Barber Him and the Tigers	35
IX.	—The Bulbul and the Cotton-tree	39
X.	—The Monkey Prince	41
XI.	—Brave Hiralalbasa	51
XII.	—The Man who went to seek his Fate	63
XIII.	—The Upright King	68
XIV.	—Loving Laili	73
XV.	—How King Burtal became a Fakir	85
XVI.	—Some of the doings of Shekh Farid	95
XVII.	—The Mouse	101
XVIII.	—A Wonderful Story	108
XIX.	—The Fakir Nanaksa saves the Merchant's life	114
XX.	—The Boy who had a Moon on his forehead and a Star on his chin	119
XXI.	—The Bel-Princess	138
XXII.	—How the Raja's Son won the Princess Labam	153
XXIII.	—The Princess who loved her Father like Salt	164
XXIV.	—The Demon is at last conquered by the King's Son	173
XXV.	—The Fan Prince	193
XXVI.	—The Bed	201
XXVII.	—Panwpatti Rani	208
XXVIII.	—The Clever Wife	216
XXIX.	—Raja Harichand's Punishment	224
XXX.	—The King's Son and the Wazir's Daughter	234
	Notes	237
	Appendix to Notes	294
	Glossary	296
	List of books referred to	297
	Index	299