The Rākshasa having gone along the thief’s footprints, after he went to the place where the parrot was, the parrot was not [there]. He looked to see who killed this parrot:—“It is the very thief who killed this parrot.” Then the Rākshasa fell down and wept through grief that the parrot was not [there].
Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.
In the Mahā Bhārata (Śānti Parva, CLXX) a crane sent a poor Brāhmaṇa to a Rākshasa King who was his friend. He was well-received on account of the bird’s friendship, was presented with a large quantity of gold, returned to the bird, and killed and ate it. When the Rākshasa King noticed that the bird did not visit him as usual, he sent his son to ascertain the reason, the remains of the bird were found, and the Brāhmaṇa was pursued and cut to pieces.
In Santal Folk Tales (Campbell), p. 81, a hero in search of gems possessed by an Apsaras (Indarpuri Kuri) fed, as he went and returned, her three animal guards stationed at her three doors,—an elephant with grass, a tiger with a goat, and a dog with a shoe which it worried.
In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. i, p. 179, a man killed a monkey that had saved his life. In vol. iii, p. 51, a corpse was tied on a man’s back.
[1] The Yakā who gives effect to evil magic spells and charms, and to the evil eye and evil mouth, that is, evil wishes and curses. [↑]
[3] In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., pp. 411, 412, a Prince who was going for a magical sandal-wood tree, fed two tigers which protected it, with the leg of a sheep, and the serpents with bread and curdled milk, after which they did not attempt to harm him.