Bengal Fairy Tales

by Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt

 

BENGAL FAIRY TALES

 

 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

CHOTA NAGPORE

THE STORY OF AN INDIAN UPLAND

THE ROMANCE OF AN EASTERN CAPITAL

THROUGH PERSIA

'SYLHET' THACKERAY

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

 

THE MAN WHO WAS ENRICHED BY ACCIDENT

BENGAL FAIRY TALES
BY F. B. BRADLEY-BIRT
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
ABANINDRANATH TAGORE

 

LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD
NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY. MCMXX

 

WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES, ENGLAND

CONTENTS

PART I

STORIES TOLD BY BHABAGHURAY, THE TRAVELLER

chapter		page
I.	The Four Riddles	1
II.	Padmalochan, the Weaver	6
III.	Budhibanta, the Boy Weaver	11
IV.	Khoodeh, the Youngest Born	17
V.	Luckhinarain, the Idiot	23
VI.	The Four Swindlers	28
VII.	Katmanush, or the Human Being who was made of Wood	40
VIII.	The Wily Brahmin	45
IX.	Hati Sing, or the Vanquisher of an Elephant	49
X.	The Country of Swindlers	53
XI.	The Man who was enriched by Accident	59
XII.	Strange Friends in Time of Need	62
XIII.	Lakshmi's Gift	64
XIV.	The Redeeming Power of the Ganges	70
PART II
I.	Madhumala, the Wreath of Sweetness	77
II.	Pushpamala, the Wreath of Flowers	86
III.	Malanchamala, the Wreath in a Flower Garden	99
IV.	Kanchanmala, the Golden Wreath	116
V.	Shankha, the Garland of Shells	126
PART III
I.	Princess Kalabutti	139
II.	The Seven Brothers who were turned into Champa Trees	150
III.	Sheet and Basanta	153
IV.	Kirunmala, or the Wreath of Light	162
V.	Blue Lotus and Red Lotus	168
VI.	Dalimkumar	174
VII.	A Stick of Gold and a Stick of Silver	179
VIII.	Jackal, the Schoolmaster	186
IX.	Humility rewarded and Pride punished	191
X.	A Brahmin and his Wife	196
XI.	A Man who was only a Finger and a Half in Stature	200
XII.	The Petrified Mansion	205
XIII.	A True Friend	207

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1.	The Man who was enriched by Accident	Frontispiece
2.	Padmalochan, the Weaver	To face page	6
3.	Khoodeh, the Youngest Born	" "	18
4.	Kala Paree and Nidra Paree	" "	80
5.	The Burra Rani and the Sanyasi	" "	140
6.	The Man who was only a Finger and a Half in Stature	" "	200