Our Little Hindu Cousin

en the mats of the veranda. Nao lived in a pretty pink house next to Chola'

is father the little looking-glass which the barber had brought with him, as he reclined on a rug while the barber shaved him. The barber made his

outside the gate with a basket," replied Nao, in a

et with baskets," returned Chola; bu

a flute," answered his

ke-charmer!" cried

arber. Give me the mirror, and tho

ink, with a basket on his arm. He had seated himself down in the

everal snakes were crawling and wriggling around in the dust, all keeping time to the music of the flute. Soon the snakes began to climb and crawl all over the man, winding themselves around his

ugh to send most of the children flying away; for, though they had enjoyed the performance, many of them were not

e-charmer with a deep salaam. Then he picked up his basket ag

hou been to the temple?" asked Nao, as

e can he be?" said Chola, ru

which he always carried to school, while Shriya hu

yesterday, oh, tardy

ala, giving it a final polish a

e festival of Sarasvati, the Hindu Goddess of Learning,

stands before the queer image of the Goddess of Le

e holiday," called out N

ant to be a widow some day; and the grandmother says this is what wou

their way toward the temples, all dressed in bright yellow in honour of the day, so

Mahala, after they had dutifully laid their i

potter and beg a bit of clay from him. It

o watch him take the clay and put it on a revolving wooden wheel before him and mould dishes and jugs and bowls of all sorts and shapes. Each neighbourhood has a potter whose business it is to make the

s explained what they wanted. "Here it is then," he said, good-naturedly, and gave them each a

in his cradle. His cradle was a kind of little hammock, swung between two bambo

handful of

a bit

amarind rip

for thee

t may be that he has a fever, the mother fears,"

d Chola seated himself and began to mould

acred one that stole the sweets ye

ngers!" exclaimed Mahala, impati

d let me try," sa

d riddance, too," and Mahala h

e one; but wait, I must put a saddle on him," h

ahala; "it looks as much lik

he horns stick on

thy buffalo's tail, too!"

tinued, "Shriya's a

ndeed made the two little dolls whic

eal cloth on their head

sun to dry," said Chola, admir

s' will come to the garden to-night and make them

e being who came during the night and made th

red and gold, and took his seat in another, for the grown people were as fond of riding in a merry-go-round as the children. The boys were already holding on tight, each in one of the funny little swings; and away they went, the long ends of

d Mahala came home from school, Shriya met th

lking with thy father. He says the only way to make thy little brother w

heir big hookahs, while the women, with their faces tightly wrapped in long veils, sat a little back of them gossiping together. As the children slipped into their places, everybody was earnestly watching the old Brahmin pri

e gods that the little one b

Sacred River." They think that their sins will be washed away and that they will

"We will make the pilgrimage and bathe in the waters of the holy

ngs, just as children in our country cry over their medicine. His mother even dressed him in girl's clothes, and then charms were brought from the temple written on pieces of paper, and Lalla, the baby

he gods of the temple." This would ensure their making the pilgrimage safely. The Brahmins are very cunn

o be heard. She liked to doctor her grandchildren herself; and was rather jealous of the supposed effects of

son; "it is right

He thought the "fire-wagons," as they called the railway trai

noise," answered his father. "But it will take us q

andmother, "nor shall the son of my son" (meaning her grandson)

all over our country," she continued, throwing back her veil in her ex

be; so the old lady had her own way, and it was settled that they should travel in t