Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-01

Hindoo stories Like Uncle Romus'.
From the St. Louis Republic.
Nearly all these stories, while rcsemb-
ling the Greek, Roman or Teutonic tale,
have at the same time certain trsits peculiar
to the liindoo character. Some Of them are
specimens of ready wit and repartee and
humor which far surpass the Western tale
of similar style. In many of them the
actors or characters are animals, and here
again Is a strange thing. In the folklore
of the negroes of our Southern states we
find the rabbit always the hero, contending
with the fox and other animals but invar-
iably coming oil victorious. So, In the
Hindoo tales the jackal usually overcomes
his enemies. In both cases II Is the
triumph of the small over the great. OF
wit over brute force. But here is the diff
ference. The rabbit conqners, no matter
how wicked, but in the Hindoo tale the
jackal must yield to the camel, who IL
always the type of patient honesty.
In one story the iackal invites the camel
to carry him across stream. and by his
yelping and bowling he brings all the
| villagers down TO the banks, and they beat
and bruise the poor camel, who Is quietly
eating the sugar-cane. The animal asks
the jackal why he treats him so. 81 don't
know, " says the jackal, "it Is a custom /
have. Ialways like to sing little after
dinner" The camel says nothing, but
when he got Into deep water began to roll.
80, 1t Is q custom of mine" said the camel,
~ always like to roll little after dinner. :"
So he rolled the jackal of, and the tricky
creature came near being drowned
The evil beast never gets of easily. and
| there IL q keen distinction made between
cutcness" (as tho yankees have it) and
| downright meanness. A Jackal, putting
| his paw into tho water TO catch crabs, finds
| II seized by an Alligator. but the Jackal
| says: "Clever Alligator, to catch the bull
rush root instead of my paw" The Alli-
| gator drops the paw, but, finding himself
laughed Mt, resolves to do better next time.
| Next day the Jackal, fearing that the ALI
| gator is hidden under tho water, calls out
Whenever | go TO look for my dinner l
see the nice little crabs peeping up Through
the mud. Then catch them and eat them.
How | wish l could find some now !"
| The Alligator at once shows his snout
| hoping 1t would be taken for crab, and,
| at once, the Jackal says +" Thanks, friend,
for showing me where danger lies" and
runs oil to find his dinner elsewhere. The
next day the Alligator thinks he will
| surely pay the Jackal for his bad conduct,
so when Friend Jackal stands on the bank
and says: +" cannot sec the crabs to-day.
Generally, even when they hide them
selves. the water goes bubble, bubble,
bubble, and all the little bubbles go pop,
pop, pop" The poor silly Alligator tries
| to make bubbles like the crab and is
of course cheated aud resolves TO try once
more. The Jackal, coming home from Il
hunting-trip to his own den next day Is
afraid To venture inside, and says: Little
house, dear little house, why don't you
sing me little song? Always when |
come home, if all is right. you sing a little
song for me. II ANYTHING IL wrong YOU
are silent" The Alligator begins TO COO
like dove and sings, "Sweet little Jackal,
come, for everything is all right" The
Jackal laughs gayly, and says: THANK
you. my dear creature, / Will come as
soon as l make "A fire to cook my dinner I"
And while the Alligator waits patiently
for him to come in and be snapped up,
| the Jackal makes fire mt the door of the
den and smothers him with the smoke Q.
| Those who have read the "Songs and
Sayings of Uncle Remus" will see a grea /
| similarity between the doipgs of the rabbit
| and tho jackal and the fox aud alligator.