the

e!"

One

sed

eed

ied

e a

the

men

ole

ho

for

en

me

ge

a

he

is

in

g

s

1,

y

=

2. Tawney, I 509 573( n)

XXVI.

Ndz/.m. 11/

Sanesi, Merlin XXX

THE BRAHMARAKSHAS AND THE HAIR.= Best Short Stories 1.

JM. Nates& Jastri Folkline of Southern Indias

Bomber 1884

11

2. Dankes, Ceylon I 3751

In a certain village there lived a very rich land-lord, who owned several villages, but was such agreat miser that no tenant would willingly cultivatehis lands, and those he had gave him not a littletrouble. He was indeed so vexed with them that heleft all his lands untilled, and his tanks and irrigationchannels dried up. All this, of course, made himpoorer and poorer day by day. Nevertheless he neverliked the idea of freely opening his purse to histenants and obtaining their good will.

While he was in this frame of mind a learnedSanyasi paid him a visit, and on his representing hiscase to him, he said:-

66

' My dear son,-I know an incantation( mantra)in which I can instruct you. If you repeat it forthree months day and night, a Brahmarakshas willappear before you on the first day of the fourthmonth. Make him your servant, and then you canset at naught all your petty troubles with your