Old Daniel | Page 6

musicians, dancing-girls, religious beggars, and many others. They also
had a Brahman to perform the appointed purifying ceremonies at the
tank. These being completed the procession came back with great pomp.
The priest, his wife, the hired Brahman, and some others, walked on
garments which had been spread in the way on purpose for them to
walk on. As the wife of the priest came along carrying a Kalasha, a
particular kind of water vessel, which for the time, with its contents,
was held to be pure and sacred, she pretended to be under the influence
of some god. She began to swing and roll herself about in a most
strange manner, trying to make the multitude believe that Bir-ap-pa, or
some other god or goddess, had entered into her. She struck and kicked
those persons who tried to hold her, and abused many in very foul
language. I saw and heard all this, and thought the woman was a great
hypocrite. I could not believe it possible that any god or goddess would
compel a woman to act in such a foolish way. I said to myself, "What a
shameful impostor this woman is!" After thinking a little as to what I
could do in order to expose her, and shew the people that she was
deceiving them, I watched for a favourable opportunity, and then cried
out, "Snakes! snakes!" as loud as I could. This produced immediate
confusion. The priest and his wife, through fear of being stung by the
snakes, tried to get away; no one knew which way to run; some were
knocked down, and the sacred things which the priest and his wife were
carrying fell to the ground and were broken. "The worshippers of
Bir-ap-pa, and the mob of followers all dispersed in vexation and grief;
but I went home greatly amused."

CHAPTER SEVEN.
SWORDS BEATEN INTO PLOUGHSHARES.
In the second chapter of Isaiah, and the fourth verse, we read, "They
shall beat their swords into ploughshares;" and by the context we know
that these words are part of a description of that universal peace which
will follow the preaching of the Gospel in every part of the world. This
beautiful poetic image made use of by the prophet Isaiah, has been
adopted by many writers ancient and modern, and the words are often
quoted by eloquent public speakers, when referring to millennial times;
but it is probable that none of them ever expected to hear of the words
being literally fulfilled. This, however, was accomplished in
Singonahully by our little friend Daniel. We have seen that Daniel's
heathen name was `Chickka,' and his father's name was `Veera
Chickka,' that is hero Chickka; but whether any deeds of heroism were
ever displayed, either by Daniel's father or by any of his ancestors, is
not upon record. However, we do know that when his old grandfather
left his native town and came to live at Goobbe, though he did not
bring the image of the family goddess with him, he did bring some old
swords which had been in the family very many years. These swords
had often been worshipped by Daniel's forefathers. We may here
observe, in passing, that all Hindoo mechanics and other workpeople
regularly worship their tools and other instruments by which they gain
their living. They put up any of their implements as representations of
Vishwa Karma, the architect and artificer of the gods, (Vishwa means
the World or the Universe, and Karma means Work), and pray to these
tools for success in business, war, agriculture, etcetera. Thus a
carpenter places a hammer or a saw before him, and putting both his
hands to his forehead bows to the instrument, and asks for its help in
the work to be done. The barber worships his razor; the blacksmith
worships his bellows; and the farmer his plough, oxen, etcetera,
etcetera. Daniel's forefathers having worshipped these old swords,
Veera Chickka continued the time-honoured custom. On a special
occasion he invited his relatives and friends to come and join in the
worship, and in the feast which always followed it. This happened
when Daniel was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. Preparatory to

the worship, his parents cleaned the rusty swords, decorated them with
flowers, and placed them upright against a wall. When the proper time
came, they and their visitors made offerings to the swords, of plantains,
cocoa-nuts, rice, etcetera. After this, they burned incense to their
ancestors who were the original owners of the swords, and then falling
prostrate before them they all cried out, "O, our gods, prosper us: O,
our gods, defend us." After the worship was over, all the visitors
partook of the feast prepared, passed the evening pleasantly in
conversation, and the next morning returned to their own homes.