The legends of the Panjâb

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28 LEGENDS OP THE PANJ^B.
"If any one makes a promise, should it be fulfilled or
broken"
And they had all answered,
"It is certainly best to fulfil it.''
So Eani Saunkhni, taking all kinds of nice things with her,
set off to meet Dohman, the goldsmith. But when she began
to leave the city her attendants said,
" It is ten o'clock now, and it is not good for women to leave
the city at this time of night."
But Saunkhni would pay no attention, and went on, followed
by all her attendants. When they got to the right place she
told them that a man called Dohman, the goldsmith, was tinder
the pipal tree, and that they were to fetch him to her as she
wanted to speak to him. So they began calling out "Dohman
Dohman 1" but there was no Dohman, as he had not come,
owing to the rain.
However, an old Jatt, called Phabbat", a shopman, happened
to be under the tree, and when he heard the voices he became
very frightened, thinking they must be fairies, and that Dohman
must be some demon they were calling to, and he fell
down in a swoon from fright. And as the Rani and all her
sixty attendants were searching everywhere for Dohman, the
foot of one of them struck against Phabbar's head. In the
darkness they thought it was Dohman, who, they supposed,
had become senseless from the cold, and so they began to
feed him with the good things they had brought. The old Jatt
ate up all they had brought, weighing about ten sers, and the
attendants went and told the Hani that they had none- left,
for this sweet delicate la'd had eaten up fifteen sers of sweets at
a sitting.
" Then he can't be Dohman," she said, and made the slave
that had a lamp hidden in a vessel bring it out. Then they
found that it was not Dohman at all, but only old Phabbar, the
Jatt. This made the Eani to grieve greatly, as she said to
herself, "A fine husband Dohman would make that cannot
keep a promise,"