Classics Retold

The following night Shahrazad said: It was said that the captain of the robbers escaped after his great loss at the house of Ali Baba. Marjaneh [1] the slave girl whose diligence saved Ali Baba of his life and property, went to bed satisfied and pleased to have succeeded so well in saving her master. Ali Baba rose before dawn, unaware of the incidents which had taken place, went to bath followed by Abd-Allah.  When he returned he was surprised to see the oil jars, and the mules, and asked Marjaneh why the merchant did not leave. "O my master," answered she, "God preserved you and your family.  You will be better informed of what you wish to know when you have seen what I have to show you, if you will follow me."  Then she bade him look into the first jar, and see if there was any oil.  Ali Baba did so, and seeing a man, started back in alarm, cried out. "Be not afraid," said Marjaneh, "the man you see can neither do you or anyone else any harm.  He is...

Uttar Pradesh is called Hindi heartland, but in fact, it is a land of language diversity.  Uttar Pradesh is at the cross roads of several Indo-Aryan dialect zones - Western Hindi, Eastern Hindi, Central Hindi and Bihari.  Rather than a single homogeneous Hindi, U P hosts a continuum of dialects, many of which are mutually intelligible, but distinct in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.   In western U.P. (Delhi, Meerut, Saharanpur, and Agra) Khariboli, Braj and Haryanvi were prominent. Khariboli has a rich poetic tradition.  In Central UP ( Kanpur, Jhansi, Etawah, Fatehpur, and Hamirpur) Kannauj and Bundeli dialects were used in folk songs and communication.  Eastern UP (Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Mirzapur and Ballia) Awadhi and Bagheli, language of Ramacharitmanas was the dialect. North Central UP (Bareilly, Rampur, and Shajahanpur ) witnesses Rohilkhandi, a form of Western Hindi with Urdu influence from Rohilla and Mughal presence.  The term ...

Samuel Henry Kellog (1839 to 1899) was an American Presbyterian missionary and a Hindi scholar. Presbyterian refers to Protestant Christian tradition characterised by elected elders'  in church administration. The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek word Presbyteros meaning elders. His contribution to Hindi language is profound and lasting. He played a major role in bringing a system in Hindi grammar.  Born on September 6, 1939 and graduated from Princeton College in 1861, he studied theology at Princeton Theological seminary. Before receiving doctorate in Divinity he started his missionery work in northern India. He was stationed in Farrukhabad, situated on the banks of Ganges. Later he taught at Allahabad Theological Training Institute. He came here in 1864, Seven years after the Sepoy Mutiny. In fact Farrukhabad played an important role in 1857 Mutiny.  The British government was instrumental in bringing missionaries with a view to strengthen the cause of social and...

The following night Shahrazad said:  Ali Baba had already went to bed. The captain of the robbers had been planning to destroy Ali Baba, and entered the final phase of his plan. Thirty seven robbers in the thirty seven jars with weapons and the thirty eighth jar was filled with oil. The captain went to the yard, and took off the lid of each jar and gave his men orders what to do. Beginning from the first jar he said to each man, "As soon as I throw some stones out of the chamber window where I sleep, do not fail to come out, and I will immediately join you."  After this he went into the house, when Marjaneh taking up a light conducted him to his chamber. Marjaneh remembered Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linen ready, and ordered Abd-Allah to set on the pot for broth.  While it was preparing the lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the house.  So she took the oil pot, and went into the yard, and when she came near the first jar, the robber within said softl...

The following night Shahrazad said: A little after Baba Mustafa and the robber had parted, Marjaneh went out of Ali Baba's house upon an errand, and upon her return, seeing the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it.  "What can be the meaning of this marks?" she said to herself; somebody intends my master no good; however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable to guard against the worst."  Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk and marked two or three doors on each side, in the same manner without saying a word to her master or mistress. In the meantime the robber joined his troop in the forest; and recounted to them his success, expatiating upon his good fortune in meeting so soon with the only person who could inform him of what he wanted to know.  All the robbers listened to him attentively, and the captain after commenting his diligence, said to all, "Comrades, "We have no time to lose; let us set off well armed, but in disgui...

The following night Shahrazad said: The Captain of the robbers said to his followers, "Well, one of you, the boldest and the highly skilled must go into the town, disguised as a traveller and a stranger, and try to get any piece of information about the man we killed, try to find out who he was, and where he lived.  This is a matter of urgency; whoever undertakes this task without success shall suffer death." Without consulting his companions, one of the robbers started up and said, "I submit to this condition, and deem it an honour to expose my life to the cause of my troop." He then disguised himself and went to the town. It was daybreak when he reached the town, and he walked up and down, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustafa's stall which used to be open at the early hours. Baba Mustafa was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.  The robber greeted him, and seeing that he is an old man, said, "Uncle, you begin to work very early.  Is it...

The following night Shahrazad said: Kasim's wife was uneasy.  Her husband did not return.  Alarmed, she ran to Ali Baba. "Brother-in-law," she said, "You know, Kasim has gone to the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he has not returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him." After midnight Ali Baba departed to the forest with his three asses.  When he came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor his mules in his way, was alarmed at finding some blood split near the door, which he took for an ill-omen; but when he pronounced the words, and she door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's body.  He went into the cave, however, to find something to enshroud the remains; and having loaded one of his asses with them, covered them over with wood.  The other two asses he loaded with gold, covering them also with wood; then bidding the door shut came away.  When he came home, he drove two as...