Nagoba The Snake-king
: Deccan Nursery TalesOnce upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
a Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of
time the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day [12]. In
honour of the festival, one little daughter-in-law went to her
grandpapa's house, another went to her great grandpapa's house,
another went to her father's house, until at last only the youngest
daughter-in-law remained be
and she had no uncles and no aunts and no little brothers or
sisters. So the poor little daughter-in-law felt very sad and
sat down and cried in a corner. Then she remembered that it was
Nagpanchmi Day, and that it was a festival in honour of Nagoba, the
great snake-king. So she prayed under her breath, "Please, please,
snake-king, come and pretend that you have been sent to fetch me
to my father's house!" And the great snake-king heard the prayer
and felt quite sorry for the poor little daughter-in-law who was
crying in the corner. He assumed the guise of a Brahman and came to
the house where the little daughter-in-law was, and said that he had
been sent to fetch her to her father's house. Her father-in-law was
very much astonished. For he wondered why, if the new-comer really
was a relative of the little daughter-in-law, he had never paid him
a visit before. At last he asked the little daughter-in-law who the
new-comer was. She did not know in the least. But she was so overjoyed
that some one should have come for her that she at once answered,
"He is my mother's brother." Her father-in-law believed her and sent
her off in the care of Nagoba, the snake-king. Still disguised as a
Brahman, he took her to the entrance of his underground palace and
there he told her who he was. He then reassumed his true appearance,
and, expanding the mighty hood behind his head, he seated the little
girl on it and took her down to his splendid dwelling-house beneath
the earth. In the central hall he presented her to the snake-queen
and to all the snake-princes, and told them that in no circumstances
whatever were they to bite the little daughter-in-law.
One day the snake-queen was about to be confined. So she asked
the little daughter-in-law to sit by her side with the lamp in
her hand. The little daughter-in-law did so, and a little time
afterwards the snake-queen gave birth to a fresh litter of little
snake-princes. When the little daughter-in-law saw them all wriggling
about, she was frightened out of her wits. She let the lamp slip
out of her hands. It fell on the ground and burnt all the little
snakes' tails off. The snake-queen did her best to comfort them,
but the stumps of the little princes' tails ached so dreadfully that
it was ever so long before the snake-queen could put them off to
sleep. When the snake-king came home that evening, she told him what
had happened. And she was so cross with the little daughter-in-law,
that the snake-king had to promise that she should go back to her
father-in-law's house. A few days later, the snake-king assumed once
again the guise of a Brahman, and, loading the little daughter-in-law
with presents, took her back to her husband's home. In the course of
time the little snake-princes grew up, but their tails never grew
again. So their father, the snake-king, called one little prince,
No-tail; and the second little prince, Cut-tail; and the third little
prince, Dock-tail. And one day they asked the snake-queen how it was
that their tails had been broken off. She told them how the little
daughter-in-law had burnt them off by dropping the lamp on them.
The snake-princes, when they heard their mother's answer, were
terribly cross with the little daughter-in-law, and they vowed that
they would be revenged on her. So they found out where she lived,
and they sent a message to her house, saying that they were coming to
pay her a visit. But they really meant to bite her to death directly
they saw her. The little daughter-in-law was overjoyed when she heard
that the snake-princes were coming to visit her. For ever since the
snake-king had pretended to be her uncle, she always thought of little
No-tail and little Cut-tail and little Dock-tail as if they had been
her own cousins. Now it so happened that the very day on which they
were expected at the little daughter-in-law's house was Nagpanchmi
Day. The little daughter-in-law was sitting in the house all alone
waiting for little Prince No-tail, little Prince Cut-tail, and little
Prince Dock-tail. They were late in coming, so to pass the time she
drew pictures of Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on
the wall. When she had finished the pictures, she worshipped them and
offered them milk and food. Then she prayed to the great snake-king,
"Please please, King Nagoba, guard from all hurt, wherever they may
be, my little cousins No-tail and Cut-tail and Dock-tail." And last
of all she prostrated herself at full length before the pictures
which she had drawn on the wall and on her dining-platform.
In the meantime little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and
little Prince Dock-tail had come up without the little daughter-in-law
noticing them. But when they saw the honour which she was paying
their father, King Nagoba, and heard the prayer which she had offered
on their behalf, they no longer wished to kill or bite the little
daughter-in-law. On the contrary, they made themselves known to
her and stayed all that day in the house and were as good and as
nice as possible. When night fell, they drank the milk which she
had offered to the snake-king. And in its place they put a necklace
with nine beautiful jewels in it. Before day broke they went away
quietly and returned to their father's palace under the ground. Next
morning when the little daughter-in-law woke up she saw the lovely
necklace lying where the milk had been. She gave a shout of delight,
and putting it round her neck, she ran all over the house showing it
to everybody. And every one was perfectly charmed with it. And the
snake-princes never again came to bite any one in that household. And
the little daughter-in-law and her husband and her father-in-law and
little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and little Prince
Dock-tail, they all lived happily for ever so long afterwards.
More
-
Mongan's Frenzy
CHAPTER I The abbot of the Monastery of Moville sent word to the story-tellers of Ireland that when they were in his neighbourhood they should call at the monastery, for he wished to collect and write down the stories which were in danger of be... Mopsa The Fairy
RETOLD FROM JEAN INGELOW "For he that hath his own world Hath many worlds more." A boy, whom I knew very well, was once going through a meadow which was full of buttercups. He sat down by an old hawthorn hedge which was covered wit... Morning-glory
Once upon a time there was a very little Morning-glory that grew on the end of a high vine, and one day when the wind was blowing a brisk breeze passed by the little Morning-glory, making it wish it, too, could go along and see more of the world.... Mother
BY ROSE FYLEMAN When mother comes each morning She wears her oldest things, She doesn't make a rustle, She hasn't any rings; She says, "Good-morning, chickies, It's such a lovely day, Let's go into the ... Mother Holle
Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them was beautiful and industrious, the other ugly and lazy. The mother, however, loved the ugly and lazy one best, because she was her own daughter, and so the other, who was only her... Mother Holle
ONCE upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them was pretty and clever, and the other ugly and lazy. But as the ugly one was her own daughter, she liked her far the best of the two, and the pretty one had to do all the work of t... Mother's Darling Jack
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened it would not be told. There was once a man who had a child. This child was the youngest of seven which the Lord had given him, so it was destined from its birth to be lucky. It was christ... Mother's Way
BY CARRIE WILLIAMS Nowadays girls go to cooking-school And learn to cook just so by rule; But all I know, I'm glad to say, My mother taught me day by day. She did not need a great cook-book; She knew how much and... Motiratika
Once upon a time, in a very hot country, a man lived with his wife in a little hut, which was surrounded by grass and flowers. They were perfectly happy together till, by-and-by, the woman fell ill and refused to take any food. The husband tried to ... Moving Pictures
<p>One of the best developers of imagination is the Moving Picture. Sometimes called Pantomime, or Dumb-show which means all signs without sounds.</p> <p>The one who is to put on the "movie" is given a subject and must then stand out on the... Mr And Mrs Owl's Storeroom
"Two owls," commenced daddy, "lived in a soft feathered nest in the big woods. After a time they got a little tired of talking and scolding and hunting and midnight parties, so Mrs. Owl, who was always saving odds and ends, thought it would mak... Mr And Mrs Vinegar
Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar, a worthy couple, lived in a glass pickle-jar. The house, though small, was snug, and so light that each speck of dust on the furniture showed like a mole-hill; so while Mr. Vinegar tilled his garden with a pickle-fork and gre... Mr Crow Goes And Tells
Mr. Coon and Mr. Possum lived near each other in the woods, and one day they decided to give a supper the first bright moonlight night. "It will be much easier for us to provide the supper together," said Mr. Coon, "because we are bachelors and... Mr Crow Looks On
Nimble and his friend Dodger the Deer picked themselves up off the ground where they had fallen after their collision in the air. They did not feel any too pleasant. One of Dodger's sharp tines had given Nimble a good prick. And one of Nimble's po... Mr Fly And Mrs Mosquito
One day in the summer, Mr. Fly and Mrs. Mosquito stopped to rest on the window pane of a house in the country. Mr. Fly, after sitting for some time rubbing his nose with his front feet, looked up and said, "Good morning." "Mr. Fly," replie... Mr Fox
Lady Mary was young and Lady Mary was fair, and she had more lovers than she could count on the fingers of both hands. She lived with her two brothers, who were very proud and very fond of their beautiful sister, and very anxious that she should... Mr Fox Cuts The Cottontails
Mr. Fox decided that the only way to get all the wood animals to have a good opinion of him was to give a big dinner, for he had somehow got rather a bad name among the animals for being so tricky. So all day long he went about telling all the ... Mr Fox's Housewarming
Mr. Fox had been so much disturbed by Mr. Dog and his master that he decided to try living somewhere besides on the ground floor of the woods. One night he took a look around in the moonlight, and to his delight he discovered the very place fo... Mr Lincoln And The Bible
BY Z. A. MUDGE (ADAPTED) A visitor in Washington once had an appointment to see Mr. Lincoln at five o'clock in the morning. The gentleman made a hasty toilet and presented himself at a quarter of five in the waiting-room of the President. He aske... Mr Nightingale's New Friend Mr Blackbird
"I heard a story the other day," said daddy, "a quite true story. Mr. Nightingale had built too large a nest. "After a while he thought of a visitor he would like to have all the time, and off he started on his travels. "As he went along, ... Mr Pepys His Valentine
AS RELATED BY HIMSELF IN 1666 (ADAPTED) This morning, came up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer, to be her valentine; and brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself, very pretty; an... Mr Plain Sparrow Calls On Ducks
"It was such a hot day yesterday," said daddy, "that Mr. Plain Sparrow simply could not get cool. You see he never goes away in the winter and so he gets used to really cold weather. On a day as hot as it was yesterday he simply doesn't know wh... Mr Wardle's Servant Joe
AN old country gentleman named Wardle had a servant of whom he was very proud, not because of the latter's diligence, but because Joe, commonly called the "Fat Boy," was a character which could not be matched anywhere in the world. At the time whe... Mrs Deer Explains
For the first time in his life Nimble felt quite grown up. He forgot that he had not yet lived a whole summer. He had made a suggestion to his mother which she had promptly acted upon. It had never happened before. And that was enough to cause him... Mrs Veal's Ghost
Now you are going to hear a ghost story published, but he says, not written, by Daniel Defoe the author of 'Robinson Crusoe.' If you read it carefully, you will find how very curious it is. Miss Veal, or as she was then called according to custo... Muckle-mou'ed Meg
"O wha hasna heard o' the bauld Juden Murray, The Lord o' the Elibank Castle sae high? An' wha hasna heard o' that notable foray, Whan Willie o' Harden was catched wi' the kye?" Of all the towers and castles which belonged t... Munachar And Manachar
There once lived a Munachar and a Manachar, a long time ago, and it is a long time since it was, and if they were alive now they would not be alive then. They went out together to pick raspberries, and as many as Munachar used to pick Manachar ... My Cock Lily-cock
An inferior version of the following, which was obtained from Essex, is printed in Mr. Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland, ed. 1847, p. 190. A Swedish version, or rather a variation, in Lilja, p. 17, commences as follows: "I served a farmer for f... My Daughter Jane
Eccleshall version, played as a game by the schoolgirls. See the Nursery Rhymes of England, p. 114. Suitors. Here come two dukes all out of Spain, A courting to your daughter Jane. Mother. My daughter Jane, she is ... My Dearest Is A Lady
BY MIRIAM S. CLARK My dearest is a lady, she wears a gown of blue, She sits beside the window where the yellow sun comes through; The light is shining on her hair, and all the time she sews, She sings a song about a knight, a ... My Dolly
Hush, Dolly, bye, Dolly, sleep, Dolly, dear, See what a bed, Dolly, I've for you here; Therefore, to sleep, Dolly! don't fret and cry; Lay down your head, Dolly, shut up your eye. When the bright morn, Dolly, once more ha... My Little Garden
See my little garden, How I rake it over, Then I sow the little brown seeds, And with soft earth cover. Now the raindrops patter On the earth so gayly; See the big round sun smile On my garden daily. ... My Lord Bag Of Rice
Long, long ago there lived in Japan a brave warrior known to all as Tawara Toda, or "My Lord Bag of Rice." His true name was Fujiwara Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change his name. One day he sallied forth in... My Maid Mary
My maid Mary She minds her dairy, While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn. Merrily runs the reel And the little spinning-wheel While I am singing and mowing my corn. ... My Possessions
I'm a rich man, If ever there was one: I've a horse and an apple, And both are my own. But some others might wish Such fine presents to keep; So I'll take them to bed, To hold while asleep. ... My Sow Has Pigged
A game at cards, played now only by children. It is alluded to by Taylor the Water-poet, in his Motto, 12mo. Lond. 1622, and it is also mentioned in Poor Robin's Almanac for 1734. The following distich is used in this game: Higgory, diggory... Nagoba The Snake-king
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of time the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day [12]. In honour of the festival, one little daughter-in-la... Naming The Fingers
BY LAURA E. RICHARDS This is little Tommy Thumb, Round and smooth as any plum. This is busy Peter Pointer: Surely he's a double-jointer. This is mighty Toby Tall, He's the biggest one of all. This is dainty R... Nature-songs
Rhymes upon natural objects and rural sayings are perhaps more generally interesting than any other relics of the popular anthology. They not unfrequently contain scientific truths, and have been considered worthy of examination by the philosopher... Ned And Rover And Jack
A boy named Ned had a little puppy-dog named Rover. One day, Ned's papa gave him a nice new toy wagon. Ned was pulling it around the yard when he saw Rover. "Come, Rover!" he said, "I will give you a fine ride." So he took Rover and put him in the w... Neglect The Fire
And You Cannot Put It Out Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy... Nelson And Hardy
Lord Nelson was one of the greatest seamen that ever lived. He commanded the British fleet at the battle of Trafalgar, when the navies of France and Spain were beaten, and England was saved from a great danger. He did not look like a famous admira... Nettles Grow In An Angry Bush
Nettles grow in an angry bush, An angry bush, an angry bush; Nettles grow in an angry bush, With my High, Ho, Ham! This is the way the lady goes, The lady goes, the lady goes; This is the way the la... New Year's Day
God bless the master of this house, The mistress also, And all the little children That round the table go; And all your kin and kinsmen, That dwell both far and near; I wish you a merry Christmas, ... Niddy-noddy
A simple but very amusing game at cards, at which any number can play. The cards are dealt round, and one person commences the game by placing down a card, and the persons next in succession who hold the same card in the various suits place them dow... Niels And The Giants
On one of the great moors over in Jutland, where trees won't grow because the soil is so sandy and the wind so strong, there once lived a man and his wife, who had a little house and some sheep, and two sons who helped them to herd them. The elder o... Nimble's Mistake
One morning Nimble's mother said to him, "To-night, just as the moon rises, we'll start for Farmer Green's garden patch." He knew what that meant. It meant that he was going to know, at last, what carrots tasted like. And he was delighted. "Y... Nine Lives Of A Cat
<p class = "illustration"> <img src = "/images/cover.jpg" width = "447" height = "565" alt = "NINE LIVES OF A CAT by CHARLES BENNETT" /> </p> <!-- png 02 --> <p class = "page"> </p> <!-- png 03 --> <p class = "illustration"> <img src = "/images/... Nippit Fit And Clippit Fit
In a country, far across the sea, there once dwelt a great and mighty Prince. He lived in a grand Castle, which was full of beautiful furniture, and curious and rare ornaments. And among them was a lovely little glass shoe, which would only fit th... Nix Naught Nothing
Once upon a time there lived a King and a Queen who didn't differ much from all the other kings and queens who have lived since Time began. But they had no children, and this made them very sad indeed. Now it so happened that the King had to go an... Noel
N. for a word of deniance, E. with a figure of L. fiftie, Spelleth his name that never Will be thriftie. MS. Sloane 2497, of the sixteenth century. ... Nonsense Alphabet
BY EDWARD LEAR A was an ant Who seldom stood still, And who made a nice house In the side of a hill. a Nice little ant! B was a book With a binding of blue, And pictu... Nonsense Rhyme
from the Negro quarters Jay-bird a-sittin' on a Hickory limb. He winked at me, I winked at him. 'Taint gwine to rain no mo'. Hawk and Buzzard went to law; Hawk fell down and broke his jaw. 'Taint gwine to... North Acre
The Lord Dacre Was slain in North Acre. North Acre is or was the name of the spot where Lord Dacre perished at the battle of Towton in 1461. He is said to have been shot by a boy out of an elder tree. ... Norwegian Bird-legends
The Norwegians have several quaint old legends connected with some of their birds. This is the story of the goldcrest, known in Norway as the "bird-king": Once upon a time the golden eagle determined to be publicly acknowledged as king of the b... Not Angles But Angels
In old days the people of England were not all free, as they are now. Sometimes young men, and women, and little children were sold as slaves, and had to work hard for their masters. Many of these slaves were sent to Rome, for the Romans thought... Noureddin And The Fair Persian
Balsora was the capital of a kingdom long tributary to the caliph. During the time of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid the king of Balsora, who was his cousin, was called Zinebi. Not thinking one vizir enough for the administration of his estates he ... Number Rhymes
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 One Two Three Four Five I caught a hare alive. Six Seven Eight Nine Ten I let it go again. ... Nursery Antiquities
Although the names of Scott and Grimm may be enumerated amongst the writers who have acknowledged the ethnological and philosophic value of traditional nursery literature, it is difficult to impress on the public mind the importance of a subject a... Nursery Songs
The earliest and simplest form in which the nursery song appears is the lullaby, which may be defined a gentle song used for the purpose of inducing sleep. The term was generally, though not exclusively, confined to nurses: Philomel, with m... Oeyvind And Marit
Oeyvind was his name. A low barren cliff overhung the house in which he was born, fir and birch looked down on the roof, and wild-cherry strewed flowers over it. Upon this roof there walked about a little goat, which belonged to Oeyvind. He was kept... Oh Where Are You Going?
Oh, where are you going, My pretty maiden fair, With your red rosy cheeks, And your coal-black hair? I'm going a-milking, Kind sir, says she, And it's dabbling in the dew Where you'll find me. ... Oh Where Do Fairies Hide Their Heads?
BY THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY Oh, where do fairies hide their heads When snow lies on the hills, When frost has spoiled their mossy beds, And crystallized their rills? Beneath the moon they cannot trip In circles o'er... Oisin's Mother
CHAPTER I EVENING was drawing nigh, and the Fianna-Finn had decided to hunt no more that day. The hounds were whistled to heel, and a sober, homeward march began. For men will walk soberly in the evening, however they go in the day, and dogs wi... Old Hopgiant
Once upon a time there were two neighbors: one of them rich and the other poor. They owned a great meadow in common, which they were supposed to mow together and then divide the hay. But the rich neighbor wanted the meadow for himself alone, and... Old King Cole
"Old King Cole was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he: He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, And he called for his fiddlers three. Every fiddler had a fine fiddle, And a very fine fiddle ... Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard To get her poor dog a bone; But when she came there The cupboard was bare, And so the poor dog had none. She went to the baker's To buy him some bread, ... Old Mr Owl Writes A Book
"Old Mr. Owl wanted to write a book and he asked the fairies how to set about doing it," commenced daddy. "'Well,' said the fairy queen, 'it makes a good deal of difference, old Mr. Owl, what you want to write about.' "'What nonsense!' he ... Old North Wind
Old North Wind lived away up in the North Pole Land in the winter, and there her children, the Icebergs, grew. Old North Wind was very proud of her huge children, and when the long, cold winter was at an end she said: "My big, strong children, ... Old Sultan
A shepherd had a faithful dog, called Sultan, who was grown very old, and had lost all his teeth. And one day when the shepherd and his wife were standing together before the house the shepherd said, 'I will shoot old Sultan tomorrow morning, for he... Ole-luk-oie The Dream God
THERE is nobody in the whole world who knows so many stories as Ole-Luk-Oie, or who can relate them so nicely. In the evening while the children are seated at the tea table or in their little chairs, very softly he comes up the stairs, for he wa... On Popular Education
I suppose each of us has had more than one occasion to come in contact with monstrous, senseless phenomena, and to find back of these phenomena put forward some important principle, which overshadowed those phenomena, so that in our youthful and e...