New Dolls and Old

By RABINDRANATII TAGORE.

[Translated from the original Bengali by Bhatani Bhattacharyal AMAN used to make dolls for children in the palace. Every year a fair of dolls took place in the palace yard. There, this man got the lion's share of the honour due to his craft.

When he was eighty years old a new craftsman, named Xishenlall, came to the city. He was young and his style of making dolls was new. He left his dolls deliber- ately half-finished ; and he painted them in an original way.

The new order said : " This is what we call boldness."

The old order replied : " Boldness ! "Why, this is simply audacity ! " But the young princesses said : " We want these new dolls."

Their attendants tried to dissuade them. But the princesses remained obstinate.

The old man's shop no longer attracted crowds. His rows of unsold dolls stood staring like rows of men waiting at the riverside for the return of the ferry-boat.

A couple of years passed, and the old man's name was forgotten. Kishenlall became the chief purveyor of dolls at the palace.

The old man broke down in spirits. He found it hard even to make a living. His daughter, a married woman, called one day and said : " Come over to our home, Father, and pass your last days in comfort and happiness."

The old man's daughter used to be engaged all day in housework. His son-in-law made earthen lamps and sold them in the towns.

As the old man was blind to the changes of times and tastes, he was also blind to the fact that his granddaughter was no longer a child, but a maiden of sixteen.

He sat in the corn-fields to scare away the birds, and dozed. His granddaughter came and flung her arms around his neck, making his bones quake with pleasure.

" Make a doll for me, Grandpapa," she said.

" But you won't like my dolls, darling," he repliedi " Who can make them better than you ? "- " Why, Kishenlall."

" Kishenlall ! Nonsense ! " she said.

They argued about it again and again. At last the old man brought his tools and a lump of clay, and put on his big round glasses.

" But, darling, the crows will eat away the corn—" " I will scare them away, Grandpapa."

Daylight began to fade. The tinkling of cow bells came from afar. The girl kept the crows at bay and the old man made his dolls.

One morning the old man was busy in his work when his daughter came striding up to him. "Subhadra is old enough to do a bit of housework," she said. " And you encourage her to waste her time. She should give up playing with dolls, shouldn't she ? "

" Why, . yes," the old man said quickly. " But I am making these dolls for children in the palace. I want -to earn some money with which to buy a wedding gift for Subhadra."

His daughter was annoyed. " Who will buy your dolls ? " she sneered.

The old man bent his head. But Subhadra shook her curls and said : " I'll see if they'll buy Grandpapa's dolls or not."

. Two days later, Subhadra gave a gold coin to her mother. " The price for Grandpapa's dolls," she ex- plained.

Her mother asked : " Where did you get it ? "

" At the palace."

The old man laughed and said : " There you arc ! And if only I had better sight and my hands didn't tremble so—" Mother was delighted.

" Sixteen of such coins will make a gold chain for Subhadra's neck," she said.

" She shall have it soon," said the old man.

Subhadra clung to his arms and whispered : " Grand- papa, no one will have to worry finding a bridegroom for me."

The old man laughed and became young again. Sitting in the shade of a tree, he made dolls while Subhadra scared away the crows, and the tinkling of cow bells came from afar. One by one sixteen gold coins were procured and the .necklace was bought.

Mother .said : " Only the bridegroom is yet to come." Subhadra whispered in the old man's ear : " Grand- papa, the bridegroom is ready."

The old man asked : " Where did you find him, darling ? "

Subhadra said : " When I went to the palace for the first time, the doorkeeper asked, ' What do you want ? ' I said I wanted to sell those dolls to the princesses. He told me that those dolls wouldn't do, and he wouldn't let me go in. I was coming back in tears when a man stopped me and said, ' Let me change their dress a little and they are sure to sell.' If you happen to like that man, Grandpapa, I shall be so glad to marry him."

" Where is he now ? " asked the old man.

" Down there—under the pipal tree."

Then Kishenlall came and touched the old man's feet. The old man took him in his arms.

" Before you robbed me of my clay dolls," he said, " and to-day you are robbing me of the doll of my heart ! "

Then Subhadra flung her hands round the old man's neck and whispered : " Yes, Grandpapa, but he's taking you with me, as part of the bargain."