CHAPTER XXXIII.
HIRA'S GRANDMOTHER.
"Hira's old grandmother Walks about picking up A basket of cowdung.
With her teeth cracking pebbles.
Eating _jak_ fruit by the hundred." Hira's grandmother hobbled along with the help of a stick, followed by boys reciting the above unrivalled verses, clapping their hands and dancing as they went.

Whether any special taunt was meant by these verses is doubtful, but the old woman became furious, and desired the boys to go to destruction, wishing that their fathers might eat refuse (a common form of abuse).

This was a daily occurrence.
Arriving at the door of Nagendra's house, the grandmother escaped from her enemies, who at sight of the fierce black moustaches of the _durwans_ fled from the battlefield, one crying-- "Bama Charn Dobe Goes to bed early, And when the thief comes he runs away." Another-- "Ram Sing Pare With a stick marches boldly, But at sight of a thief he flies to the tank." A third-- "Lal Chand Sing Doth briskly dance and sing, Is death on the food, But at work is no good." The boys fled, attacked by the _durwans_ with a shower of words not to be found in any dictionary.
Hira's grandmother, plodding along, arrived at the dispensary attached to Nagendra's dwelling.

Perceiving the doctor, she said, "Oh, father, where is the doctor, father ?" "I am he." "Oh, father, I am getting blind.

I am twenty-eight or eighty years old; how shall I speak of my troubles?
I had a son; he is dead.