III
By his Hindu neighbours the Kachári is often looked upon as a Bœotian, a simpleton from whom little in the way of intelligent action is to be expected. And undoubtedly in the matter of mere book-learning he is never likely to take a very high place, nor will he shine brightly in the examination-room as an ordinary competitor. On the other hand, he is often endowed with certain practical qualities which are of great value to him in the battle of life. He usually has no small share of what is well called “the saving sense of humour,” which prevents him from taking himself too seriously, and does not a little to lighten for him the cares and toils of life. Of his possession of this invaluable endowment many illustrations will be found in the collection of Kachári Folk-tales, &c., referred to above, a volume which the curious in such matters will do well to consult. And in addition to his sense of humour, he has often a goodly supply of sound homely mother wit, which stands him in good stead when brought into relations with other men, who from a merely intellectual point of view are undoubtedly his superiors. These, and other like endowments of great price, often enable him to seize with unerring instinct on the weak points of an opponent’s position and to avail himself of them with no little dexterity and success. In the following amusing story, for instance, the simple (?) Kachári servant completely outwits his astute Bráhmin master, turning the tables on the latter to his no small dismay and discomfiture.
Kachári Girl (Kamrup District).
From a Photograph by Mrs. H. A. Colquhoun.
| Bámun áru bini sákor ni Khoráng. | The Bráhmin and his Servant. |
| Sáse Bámun dangman, áru bihá sákor sáse dangman. Sànse sáne zang Bámun ni bi-hau-bikhunzu-ni nåiau thang-nù-lági thálit gur gákhir sorai lánánai sákhor-kho bán hùná-nai, bikho khithánaise “Nang be thálit-furkho dá zá. Zábá, ánghá khithu fàtse bù megon dang.” Eru hannánai thángui thánaise. Pháre unau boi sákhorhá mikhàm ukhuibá, thálit-kho lánánai, thaise thaise binu un-phat-si khithinánai bebaidinu boibò-kho-bù zà-thro-lángnaise. Pháre unau bisur dàpseau zirai-hùibá, Bámun bibànkho nueákhai, sákhor-ni sigáng-au sungnaise “Bibáná má zákhu?” Oba sákhorá bungnaise, “áng duk-hui-nù nángnu khithinánai bi thálit-furkho zábai. Áru dá nang mánu sung-dang?” Bebaidinu Bámuná bolo[7] háekhai sri sri thánaise. Pháre besur beaunu khàm song-zá-nu-lági zothon khàmnaise, áru beaunu ná khawai má-ne-sù mandang-man. Bini sákhornu máse buá hunánai, gásenu Bámuná lánaise. Pháre zeblá khàm man-naise, sàne-bù zánu lági zodangman. Ereaunu sákhorá sungnaise “Bámun gohain, ná khawaaiá máse buá daugaiù, ná dulù dulù daugaiù?” Beaunu Bámuna bungnaise “Dulu dulu daugiaù.” Obà bi bini ná másekho bini khàm-au khubui-hot-detnaise, “Maná-thu be hàtsing dauganu háià, nang-ni zang dulùse záthang.” Beaubu gaigai-ni khoráng-zang-nu zennánai bikho mung-bá bung-nu haiá-khuise. Unau khàmkho sákhorá hàtsing manzánaise. | There was once a Bráhmin who had a servant. And one day when they were going to the house of the Bráhmin’s mother-in-law, the Bráhmin gave his servant a bunch of plantains and other things to carry, and said to him, “Now, mind you don’t eat those plantains, for I can see just as well behind as I can in front.” And, so saying, he marched ahead. And presently the servant, getting hungry plucked one of the plantains from the bunch, and, holding it out to his master’s back, ate it. And this he did again and again till all the plantains were gone. And when the Bráhmin presently asked what had become of the load, the servant said, “You told me you could see behind as well as in front. So I showed you each plantain before I ate it. And you never said anything.” So the Bráhmin went his way speechless. Presently they stopped to cook their midday meal, and they had got with them a few khawai fish. But the Bráhmin gave only one to his servant, and kept the rest himself. And when he was about to eat, the servant asked innocently “Oh! Bráhmin, do khawai fish swim about singly or in shoals?” To which the Bráhmin said, “Why, in shoals, of course.” So the servant said, “Then my fish had better go with yours.” And, so saying, he threw his fish on the Bráhmin’s mess, which was defiled. So the Bráhmin got no dinner, and the servant ate the whole. |
| Pháre binifrai thángui thángui simli bifáng dulùse nunánai, Bámun-kho sungnaise “Bámun gohain, be nunai bongfáng-frá má bongfáng?” Bámuná khithánaise “sirmolu.” Sákhorá bungnaise: “Sirmolu nunggá. Bikho hirmolu hanu.” Pháre obásu phong-bá phong-bá sonu lági khoráng khálai-naise. Pháre gurkhiá dulùse lugù mannánai, bisurkho sung-bá, “himulù” hannánai bisur bungnaise. Obánu sungá-hoá-lábá Bámunkho phongbá, sonaise. | A little later they came across a number of simul trees. Seeing them, the servant asked his master, “And what do they call these trees, master?” And the Bráhmin (being an educated man) said, “These are sirmolu.” But the servant said, “Not so, not so. These are himulu,” and offered to bet five blows that it was so. And, meeting some cowherd boys, he asked them what the trees were. And when they said “himulu,” he gave the Bráhmin five blows without further question. |
| Áru bebaidi thángui thángui burmá dulùse nunánai sákhorá Bámunkho sungnaise “Bámun gohain, boi gángsu zábai thánai zanthu-fur má, bungo?” Bámuná khithánaise “Bifur ság.” Sákhorá bungnaise “Nunggá, bifur ságoli.” Beaubu bibaidinu Bámuná phongbá so-zá-naise. Áru binifrai thángnánai dáu-ba dulùse nunánai sungnaise. “Bámun gohain, befur má dáu?” Bámuná bungnaise “Nang bifurkho mithiá? Bifurkho bog hanu.” Bi bungnaise “Má bog hanu? Nunggá. Bikho boguli hanu.” Beaubu bebaidinu Bámuná phongbá sozá naise. Unau bi manse slok hannaise: | Next they met a drove of goats. “And what may these be, Bráhmin, these animals that are grazing?” And the Bráhmin said, “These be called chág.” But the servant cried, “Not so, not so. These are chágali.” And the result, as before, was that the Bráhmin was worsted and got five blows. And next they came across a flock of paddy-birds, which the Bráhmin called “Bog,” but the servant “Boguli.” And again he was worsted and got his five blows. On which he consoled himself by reciting an Assamese saying, to the effect that it is ill arguing with a fool: |
| “Ság sirmolu bog ba-káran Tini pánch panra kil sudá akáran.” | “Ság sirmolu bog ba-káran Tini pánch panra kil sudá akáran.” |
| Phá binifrai thángnánai bihaibikhunzu ni nå kháthi manbá, sákhorkho thin-hot-gru-nánai khithanaise “Nang thángnánai mámár khàm songnu thin; manáthu ángha mikhàm ukhui-su-dang.” Pháre bibaidi-nù bi thángnánai, Bámun-ni bikhunzunu hángsu buthàtnánai sobai kháre zang mikhàm songnánai dinnu khithánaise, áru bungnaise, “Nangni nángzá-madùiá megongau gabàp nunggábá zaiá.” Obásu bi songnánai dinnaise. Pháre unau bizámádùiá so-fai-bánù, mamárui khàm khutnánai hunaise. Bizámádùiá ukhui-su-naï-khai, khàm megong mungbo básiá-lábá zánu gnáng zánaise. | And when they were now come near the Bráhmin’s mother-in-law’s house, and the Bráhmin was become very hungry, he sent his servant on ahead to beg them to get supper ready. So the servant went on ahead and bade the Bráhmin’s mother-in-law cook a duck and put in lots of plantain ashes, which the Kacháris use for salt, well knowing that his master disliked its acrid taste. So the duck was cooked with plenty of alkali. And when the Bráhmin arrived, his meal was set before him, and he was so hungry that he had to eat it whether he liked its savour or no. |
| Abásu unau bebaidinu baidi baidi lázi mannai zánaikhai, Bámuná bidánulági sitti gangse lit-nánai sákhorni ákhai-au hunánai nå-i-au hotnaise. Lámá sáse thángbá, beaunu litnu-gráng sáse mànsui lugù man-nànai, binu sitti khithinaise. “Beau má litdang, ángnu khithá.” Obásu, mànsuiá sitti-kho nainánai, “Nangkho dànnu láge Bámun ni bidá-kho thindang” erui bungbá, bi sitti-kho phisinánai bungnaise “Áfá nang ángnu gubun sitti gángse litnánai hù.” Áru be sittiau erehai lit, “ádá, nangni fisáhingrzauzang be sákhorá man-hui-bá-nù hábá khàmnánai hù. Áng benifrai thángnánai bisur-ni hábá nunu nánggá” Bebaidinu be sittikho langnánai Bámun-ni bidánu hùnaise. Khintu bi sittikho nunánai, monau dukhu man-su-naise. Theobu, bigùi-ni khoráng gárnu háekhai, fisázù zang mámár hábá khàmnánai hunángnaise. | And so in various ways the Bráhmin was put to shame by his servant. So he wrote a long letter to his brother, and putting it in his servant’s hand, bade him deliver it. But he went a little way, until he met a man who could read and write, and he bade him tell him what was written in the letter. And the man read him the letter, which was to the effect that the brother was to kill the servant. On this, the servant tore up the letter and bade his friend write another one, saying: “Dear brother, on receipt of this letter marry my servant to my niece without delay. I shall not be able to come to the wedding.” Taking this letter, the servant went to his master’s brother, who was much vexed, but dared not disobey. Accordingly, though reluctantly, he married the servant to his daughter. |
| Pháre sànse thánánai bi fainanai bidá-kho sungbá, gásenu khoráng khnánai, bi sákhor kho dánnùlági sri sri upai khàmnaise. Be upaikho sákhorni hingzauá mithinánai, bekho onnánai binu khithánaise. Khithábá, hingzau zang horau uduniau mosofisá máse khá-khrop-nánai futhunánai dinnaise. Pháre Bámuná fisázu zang udubai thádang mon khàmnánai, sri sri thangnánai mosofisákho dànnaise. Sàn-so-ba mosáfisákho dánfnáng-nai nunánai mámárùi bizámádui sákhor-kho gárhùinù lági thinnaise. Khintu bizámáduiá bisurni bariau lángnanai, lànzai dihonnánai, fopnánai dinnaise. Unau Bámuná mosá buthàtnai-ni nungge sri sri uddhar zánu lági gámini mànsuifurkho lingnánai phozu hudangman. Pháre mánsuifur zánu zobá, sákhorá báriau thángnanai moso lànzai-kho bunanai bungnaise “Bámuná mosobù buthárá-khùi phozù-bù huá khùi, hùi-sù.” Bebaidi bungbai-thábá, phozuni mànsuifrá khnánánai, phozu zaiákhùise. Bebaidinù bisùr ud dhár manákhuise. Zapbai. | And, when the master came to see if his servant had been disposed of, and heard what had happened, he set about to kill him. But his niece got to know of the matter and told her husband, who got a calf, and, binding it hand and foot, put it by her in her bed. And in the night the Bráhmin came, and thinking the calf was his niece’s husband sleeping by her side, killed it. And when he found out his mistake in the morning, and learned that he was guilty of cow-killing, he bade his niece’s husband go and bury the calf in all haste. And the servant dragged the calf into the garden and buried it with its tail sticking out of the ground. Meanwhile, the Bráhmin set to work to get himself purged of the offence of cow-killing, and summoned the villagers to a feast without telling them why. And when they were all seated,the servant ran out into the garden and hauling at the calf’s tail, called out, “The Bráhmin didn’t kill a cow, Oh, no. And that isn’t why he gives a feast, Oh, no.” So the feast broke up, and the Bráhmin was not absolved. And that’s all. |