How a Woman became a Lapwing1

How a Woman became a Lapwing1

When no long time had gone after the elder sister was given in dīga, the elder sister’s husband died; and being without [anything] to eat or drink, the elder sister came to the younger brother’s house in order to beg for something.

At that time, the man said, “Aḍē! Give our elder sister amply to eat and drink, and having tied up and given a bag of paddy amounting to a load, send her on her journey;” and in order to look at his wife’s trustworthiness or untrustworthiness he stayed in a tree behind the house, looking out, near the path on which the elder sister goes.

Thereupon, the man’s wife, having given the man’s elder sister a piece of stale cake to eat, put in a [mat] box a little worthless paddy chaff that had been blown away when she fanned paddy, and gave her it.

After that, when this elder sister, being grieved, was going on the path, she went saying and saying, “Anē! If my younger brother were there she would not do thus. Sister-in-law gave me only paddy chaff and a few stale cakes; but [even] should my sister-in-law do magic against me, may a shower of flowers rain at my younger brother’s doorway.” Then, weeping and weeping she came home.

Then the younger brother who stayed in the tree having been hearing that word, came home, and asked his wife, “Aḍē! Didst thou give my elder sister amply to eat and drink?”

The woman said, “Andōma! When she had eaten I tied up a bag of paddy equal to a load, and gave it. What else will you tell me to give?”

Thereupon the man having said, “It is good,” and having been keeping it in his mind, after two or three days had gone, said, “Aḍē! Thy mother is ill. Prepare something and give me it [as a present for her, to enable me] to look at her and return,” he said. The man said it falsely.

Thereupon the man, taking the packet of cooked rice, went to the house of the man’s elder sister. That day he remained there without coming back.

That elder sister having unfastened the bag, when she looked [saw that] at the bottom of the rice there were thirty ridīs. Afterwards the elder sister called the younger brother and asked, “Younger brother, whence are these thirty ridīs at the bottom of the rice in this bag?”

At that time a washerwoman who stayed in that village brought clothes to the younger brother’s house. Thereupon this woman (his wife) asked at the hand of the washerwoman (radawī atin), “Washerwoman-aunt, our house man went to go to [my] village and return. Didn’t you meet him on the way?”

Then the man having come back, not contracting another marriage he remained providing subsistence for his elder sister.

North-western Province.