The morning news., 1894-11-24
HumoR IN INDIA.
Some Hoary Tales That Are stil Cur
rent There.

From the Times of India.
II is characteristic of India that IL does
not produce what the western mind re-
CARDS as humor either the cid or the new
In the circumstance that the latter order
is not forthcoming. we may doubtless find
matter for congratulation on both sides.
and II may be that even as far IS the for
mer is concerned the fault lies rather in
the western than in the eastern mind. Al
though the Oriental tIhes life seriously. it
requires little to move him TO that emotion
which. almost alone among emotions is
the prerogative of human kind. In the na-
tive theater fun of the srimmest kind
brings down the house equally with farce
of the broadest; but it is AT least doubtful
if humor is at the base OF either The
sense of incOnsruty is present. plainly
enough, but il IS hardly such q pleasing
uneXpectedness' as would til the English
essayist's definition of humor's chief in
gredient. Nor is there humcr, save of an
exceedingly dubious kind. in the folk-tale
told for the thousand-aud-frst time by
the village story teller beneath Ihe banyau
tree. Even among the eastern ancicnts
humor is rare, though caustiC Wit and a
certain grim pleasantly are common
enough. For one story like the Three
Truths we get dozen like the Tree
That Was Coveted Most people will no
doubt best remember these stories in the
"Gesta Romanorum," but their origin is
indubitably Sancript, Anyhow, they viii
bear retelling.
The first relates to a certain ruler who
decreed that any malefactor who was
brought before him should be put to death
unless he could declare three truths. This
seems to have been an excellent way of
keeping down the population, for it is re-
corded that there were very few who
passed the test. But on one occasion an
outlaw was brought up, and claiming to
be tried, declared. as the first truth. that
he had been a bad man from his youth up.
The judge had passed it as accurate. on
the second truth being demanded, the
outlaw declared that he did not like the sit
uation in which he then stood. That also
passed the test. "Now for the third
truth" cried the judge. Why" said the
man. ''if l once get out of this ccnfound-
ed place ! will never willingly re-enter it.'
He was acquitted. OF the second story,
many modern versions are current, not
withstanding. or perhaps by reason of,
its hoary antiquity. man called his
neighbors to him, and bewailed his fate
in that he had growing in his garden fa
tai tree on which his three wives in sue
cession had hanged themselves. We'll"
said one of his friends, I'm sur
prised that you should weep at such good
tree, and I'll share them among my neigh
bors." He gave the friend the sprigs,
and ever afterward found that tree the
most productive part of his estate. There
is the still older story of the fisherman
who asked 100 stripes on the bare back
for the price of "a basket of choice fish,
and explained to his astOnished patron
that the door porter refused him access
unless he promised that he should have
half the proceeds of his sales; and the
more modern but essentially Indian tale
of the maiden who feared that certain
man would kiss her if she approached
near him. The man was leading a goat,
carrying a rooster under his arm, a bucket
in his hand, and measure of corn on his
head, and was walking with stick Nat
urally in these circumstances he was in
dgnant at the girls suggestion, and
pointed out how impossible il would be
to kiss her against Will, loaded as he was.
All" said the artless maiden, but you
might stick the stick in the ground and
/ tie the goat to 1t, put the bucket over the
/ fowl and Che corn on top OF the bucket
and then you might kiss me against my
/ Will And. of course, 1t all fell out as she
had said; but the poor man himself would
never have thought of such a thing if she
had not suggested it.