The Leveret, or the Story of the Seven Women
Reading edition
At a certain city there were seven women. The seven went into the jungle for firewood. Out of them one woman met with a young female Hare (Hā paeṭikkī). The other six persons brought six bundles of firewood; the woman brought the Leveret.
There were seven Princes (sons) of the woman who brought the Leveret. Out of them, to the youngest Prince she gave the Leveret in marriage.
The above-mentioned seven Princes cut a chena. Having sown millet (kurahan) in the chena it ripened. After that, for cutting the millet the six wives of the above-mentioned six brothers having come out, said to the youngest Prince, “Tell your wife to come.”
Thereupon the Prince says, “How are there women for me? My parents gave me a female Leveret in marriage.”
Having waited [there] in this way, when it was becoming night she went into the jungle, and collecting the whole of the hares of both sides (m. and f.) went to the chena, and having cut all the millet they carried the whole to the store-room. After that, having allowed all the hares (hāhō) to go, the Leveret the same night came home.
After it became light, the above-mentioned female Hare’s husband went to the chena. At the time when he looked there, ascertaining that the millet is cut and finished, he said thus, “Anē! Elder brothers’ wives, with no helper, have finished the millet. Having divided the millet there they brought it [home].”
On the day for going there to the wedding they came [for them]. After that, the above-mentioned six women came out, and said, “Tell your wife to come out to go.”
Thereupon that Prince says, “How are there women for me? My two parents gave me a female Hare in marriage. I am unable to go,” he said.
Thereupon the female Hare says, “You go,” she said. So the Prince went.
Afterwards the female Hare went there; having taken off her hare jacket on the road, she went to the [wedding] feast.
The Prince [recognised her there, went back, and found and] burned the hare jacket which she had hidden [so that she was unable to resume her hare form again].
Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.
In Folk-Tales of Hindustan (Shaik Chilli), p. 54, the youngest of seven Princes married a female Monkey who in the end proved to be a fairy, and took off her monkey skin.