8. The birth and history of Lingo.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)
Like a tender cucumber hast thou come to me. So said the old man to the Gond,
Who began to fly. The old man followed him. The Gond then threw away the brand which he had stolen.
He ran onward, and was not caught. Then the old man, being tired, turned back.
Thence he returned to his field, and came near the fire and sat, and said, What nonsense is this?
A tender prey had come within my reach;
I said I will cut it up as soon as I can, but it escaped from my hand!
Let it go; it will come again, then I will catch it. It has gone now.
Then what happened? the Gond returned and came to his brethren.
And said to them: Hear, O brethren, I went for fire, as you sent me, to that field; I beheld an old man like a giant.
With hands stretched out and feet lifted up. I ran. I thus survived with difficulty.
The brethren said to Lingo, We will not go. Lingo said, Sit ye here.
O brethren, what sort of a person is this giant? I will go and see him.
So saying, Lingo went away and reached a river.
He thence arose and went onward. As he looked, he saw in front three gourds.
Then he saw a bamboo stick, which he took up.
When the river was flooded
It washed away a gourd tree, and its seed fell, and each stem produced bottle-gourds.
He inserted a bamboo stick in the hollow of the gourd and made a guitar.
He plucked two hairs from his head and strung it.
He held a bow and fixed eleven keys to that one stick, and played on it.
Lingo was much pleased in his mind.
Holding it in his hand, he walked in the direction of the old man’s field.
He approached the fire where Rikad Gawādi was sleeping.
The giant seemed like a log lying close to the fire; his teeth were hideously visible;
His mouth was gaping. Lingo looked at the old man while sleeping.
His eyes were shut. Lingo said, This is not a good time to carry off the old man while he is asleep.
In front he looked, and turned round and saw a tree
Of the pīpal sort standing erect; he beheld its branches with wonder, and looked for a fit place to mount upon.
It appeared a very good tree; so he climbed it, and ascended to the top of it to sit.
As he sat the cock crew. Lingo said, It is daybreak;
Meanwhile the old man must be rising. Therefore Lingo took the guitar in his hand,
And held it; he gave a stroke, and it sounded well; from it he drew one hundred tunes.
It sounded well, as if he was singing with his voice.
Thus (as it were) a song was heard.
Trees and hills were silent at its sound. The music loudly entered into
The old man’s ears; he rose in haste, and sat up quickly; lifted up his eyes,
And desired to hear (more). He looked hither and thither, but could not make out whence the sound came.
The old man said: Whence has a creature come here to-day to sing like the maina bird?
He saw a tree, but nothing appeared to him as he looked underneath it.
He did not look up; he looked at the thickets and ravines, but