The Wife Who Would Not Be Beaten

: Part I.
: Folklore Of The Santal Parganas

There was once a Raja's son who announced that he would marry no woman

who would not allow him to beat her every morning and evening. The

Raja's servants hunted high and low in vain for a bride who would

consent to these terms, at long last, they found a maiden who agreed

to be beaten morning and evening if the prince would marry her. So

the wedding took place and for two or three days the prince hesitated

to begin the
beating; but one morning he got up and, taking a stick

from the corner, went to his bride and told her that she must have

her beating. "Wait a minute" said she "there is one thing I want to

point out to you before you beat me. It is only on the strength of

your father's position that you play the fine gentleman like this:

your wealth is all your father's and it is on his wealth that you

are relying. When you have earned something for yourself, and made

a position for yourself, then I am willing that you should beat me

and not before."



The prince saw that what his bride said was true and held his

hand. Then, in order to earn wealth for himself, he set out on a

trading expedition, taking quantities of merchandise loaded in sacks;

and he had a large band of retainers with him, mounted on horses and

elephants, and altogether made a fine show. The princess sent one of

her own servants with the prince and gave him secret instructions

to watch his opportunity and if ever, when the prince was bathing,

he should throw away a loin cloth, to take possession of it without

the prince knowing anything about it and bring it to her. The prince

journeyed on till he came to the country called Lutia.



The Raja of Lutia was walking on the roof of his palace and he saw

the cavalcade approaching, and he sent a sipahi to meet the prince

and ask him this question, "Have you the secret of prosperity for ever

or of prosperity for a day?" When this question was put to the prince

he answered that he had the secret of prosperity for ever. When the

Lutia Raja was told of this answer, he ordered his men to stop the

prince's train; so they surrounded them and seized all the merchandise

and the prince's retainers fled on their horses and elephants and

left him alone and penniless. In his distress the prince was forced

to take service with a rich Hindu, and he had nothing to live on but

what his master chose to give him, and all he had to wear was a loin

cloth like the poorest labourer.



The only man who did not desert him was the servant whom the Princess

had sent; and one day he saw that the prince had thrown away an old

loin cloth while bathing; this he picked up and took home to his

mistress, who put it away. When she heard all that had happened to

her husband, she set out in her turn to the Lutia country and all

she took with her was a mouse and a shawl. When she reached the Lutia

country the Raja as before sent a messenger to ask whether she knew

the secret of prosperity for ever or of prosperity for a day.



She answered "prosperity for a day." Thereupon the Raja had her sent

for and also all the retainers who had deserted the Prince and who

had collected together in the neighbourhood. When they had all come

the Raja said that he would now decide who should have all the wealth

which had been taken from the prince: he produced a cat and said that

the person towards whom the cat jumped should have all the wealth. So

they all sat round the Raja and the Princess had her mouse hidden

under her shawl and every now and then she kept uncovering its head

and covering it up again. The cat soon caught sight of the mouse and,

when the Raja let it go, it jumped straight to the Princess in hopes

of catching the mouse. The Raja at once adjudged all the merchandise

to her, and she loaded it on the horses and elephants and took it

home accompanied by her husband's retainers.



A few days afterwards her husband came home, having got tired of

working as a servant, and, putting a bold face on it, he went up to

her and said that now he was going to beat her; all the retainers who

had accompanied him when he set out to trade and also the servant whom

the princess had sent with him were present. Then, before them all,

the princess took up the old loin cloth and asked him if he knew to

whom it had belonged; at this reminder of his poverty the prince was

dumb with shame. "Ask your retainers" continued the princess "to whom

all the merchandise with which you set out now rightfully belongs,

ask them whether it is yours or mine, and then say whether you will

beat me."



The prince had no answer to give her and after this lesson gave up

all idea of beating his bride.



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