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Great was the rejoicing when the queen heard of this, the begin- ning of her triumph, as she thought. 212 Frequently did this man visit the king privately, and the king appeared to welcome his visits. When the nobles and conrtiers saw this they wore very jealous, and afraid lest this " risen " wood-cutter should impeach them ; and so they got to know this man more intimately and began to give him handsome gifts by way of a bribe to check his tongue concerning themselves. The wood-cutter had now become the king's great companion, and having amassed still more wealth, the queen thought that it would not be inconsistent, if he made a great feast and invited the king and many of the nobles to grace it by their presence. The king readily accepted the invitation. The dinner was served on a most magnificent scale, and everybody seemed pleased. Before the company retired the queen went np unperceived to the king, and told him that his host was the poor wood-cutter of former years, and that she was his " wise minister." A reconciliation was then and there effected between the king and his wife. They retired to the palace together, and ever after- wards lived together most happily, Tasbih chdni chham gunnsd hisho, murid dishii leardn hham, Shek chinihhheyitham hisham hisJio^ tsuh ai pir tah rahzan kam. Your rosary is like a poisonous snake to me ; when you see a disciple you twirl it. You ate six full dishes of rice, O if you are a saint, who is a robber ? Shekh Nur-ud-din, a very famous saint in Kashmir, during the end of the eighth century was accustomed to wander about teaching and preaching as he went. At night he would frequently sleep in a mosque. One evening he arrived at the mosque of another very holy man, concerning whom it was said that the angels often came to converse with him during the hours of darkness. This report obtained credence everywhere, and to such an extent in the village itself that the people subscribed together and brought him every day six full dishes of food to feed the angels with. The truth, however, was that he himself ate the food. Xow when this saint saw that Nur-ud-dfai intended to lodge there that night, he was afraid that something of his wicked ways would be discovered ; and so Xur-ud-din was advised to depart because of a great monster which sometimes came and troubled the place. Nur-ud-din, however, declined to go, saying " that he was not afraid if God watched over him." The evening wore away until at last Nur-ud-din laid down to sleep. The other pir was by, and when he thought that his unwelcome visitor was fast asleep he began to take out the six dishes of food, which had been brought to him that day, and to eat them. He ate them all, and then lay down as if one dead. 213 At early morning he arose, took out his rosary, and began to mumble. But Nur-ud-din liatl seen all that ha<l transpired during the night, and telling the man so, said also to him the words of this saying and left. Talisni katns wasik muflah. The skill will come off from the warm sheep. Now is the time. Batchers flay the sheep qnickly afte killing it ; becanso if the flesh were left to get oold, the sldn would not then come off without great difficulty. Tavit wovmui. Like roasted-corn sown. Good words and deeds are wasted upon some people. Taz-Bat't-kdn. Tiiz-IJat*s arrow. A wind-fall. Once upon a time a king p1ace<1 a ring upon a wall and sent forth :i proclamation that whosoever could 8h(M)t an arrow from a certain ilintance, straight through the ring, should receive two thousand I pis as a reward. The best and bravest archers in the kingdom iod, but none succeeded. At length a man called XAz-Bat, a poor :iiorant fellow, was one afternoon passing by that way and firing is arrows in all directions in a mot reckless fashion, he came to the place where the ring was hanjfing, and more from a playful feeling than from any thought of accomplishing the ditficult feat, he let go an arrow, which to his great astonishment passed clean through the ring. Tiz-Bat was at once taken to the king, who praised him and gave him the promised reward. Cf. " Oarih yilih" Sec. Bat is commonly mot with both in Hindd and Mnhammedan names. (T4z-Bat in the saying was a Mnhammedan) Very pro- bably it is derived from Batah, which means a Hindfi. Whenever a Mnhammedan has this name it would seem to prove that his ancestors where Hindus, who were converted per vim to the faith of Muhammed during the supremacy of the Mughals in *' the Happy Valley." Telak andrai chhuh til nert'n. From the sesame-plant oil is expressed. Fruit according to the tree, and wages from labour, Ac. 214 Telih hd-mdlih dsan hri/dmatih herayi yelih tjuhti papan tseran suet. When apples ripea the same time as apricots ripen, then, O father, will come the day of resurrection {i.e., the resurrec- tion will happen at a most unlikely time, when men look not for it). Telih tosh, yeJih nosh garah u'dtL "When your daughter-in-law reaches home then he glad (and not before, as you may rejoice to no purpose). Don't count your chickens before they're hatclied. Telilcih, Zai IDdrah beyih yihlah doh tdrah. O Zai Dara of former times, come again and stay a few days. Mourning over the weaknesses of old age. Zdi Vara was a very strong man, who lived to a very great age. He used to say in his declining years, " 0 Zai Dira of former times," &c. Tare nah situr tah merd nah Icatah-wam. You have not got your cotton and I have not the price of my spinning; (we are quits). Quoted to those who are lax in paying for the making up of any article, e. g., a man gives some cloth to a tailor to make up into a coat, and promises that he will pay him eight au^s for making. In a day or two the man goes and asks the tailor for his coat, but declines to pay the promised money just then. As a general rule the tailor, who has been forced to do so from a past bitter experience, replies, "Xo, no, you don't get your cloth, and I don't get the price of my labour ; we are quits." Teshal gaikhai peshemdn, mydniv achhiv deshemdn. O proud woman, you will regret it, my eyes see it. Cited when from pride any gift or work is refused. Pe^^henidn (for Pashemdn) is always thus pronounced by the female, and very uneducated male, population of Kashmir. Tetis Idras zan Uuianas Icalah. He was beheaded like the bitter end of a cucumber. A speedy punishment. The Pathin rulers were famed for their quick justice (very often injustice). Xo sooner was the order given "Behead the man." or **Take out his eyes," or '* Cut ofE his nose," than the executioner left and did the cruel deed. Tham kale tah ham nah hale. The pillar may move but I shall not move. A fixed, determinate character. 215 Thnrih posh chhih nah warih gafjhan. All the buds upon a bush do not blossom. Every child in a family dK)S not thrive. Thuhak n^chuv muJcaddam, A stammering sputtering son as the headman of an office or of a village. A man not titted for liis position. Thnah fforih gayih dud hnnit. The milkmaids have sold their milk and gone. After n(>on it is almrist impossible to got milk in Kashmir, as it is gonemlly all sold by that time. Persian. — An kada bishkast o (in dM na mdnd, Tifjhui tjitwai har yul matlnai Ichar ; tah luh wuchhanai tnmiUhih. I will have such a row with you, that it will be as if the asses had gone mad ; and the people will come out to see the sight. If I do quarrel with you, I will (inarrol. Tot marit tah hot iaiydr. The dear one dies and the gallows are ready. Bettor to die. for the world is as a gallows set np, constantly troubling and d(>8troying. Viifno and others of his day speak of having seen bodies ' >\. ;!..:i lt" from the bridfres, &c., as they passe<l up the river th 1. ^1 inngar. Now-a-days, however, capital punishment is no* }Hn uuLU .1 in the valley as it would be contrary to the Hindu law. (It is very seldom that one hoars of a murder in Kashmir.) Trah sih sah; Uataji zih pataji ; ahefh zih breth. A man of thirty years of age is like a lion ; a man forty years old is like a turn, worn, mat ; and a man sixty years of age is a fool.