“The notion of a hiccough being an indication that some one is thinking of the
person affected, is equally common in Europe and in India.
“The same may be said of the superstition regarding an itching of the palm of the
hand; and further the idea that the palm should be rubbed against something to
make the event the more sure, prevails both in India and in England. In England
it should be ‘rubbed against wood,’ in India on the forehead.”[67]
We supply but one more illustration, and that shall be in folk lore; a nursery
story which presents virtually the same features in the East as in the West. The
following is the Hindu parallel to the old Saxon nursery tale of “The Woman that
found a Silver Penny.” The coincidence will be seen to be complete.
“Once upon a time, a little bird, on its way through the woods, picked up a pea,
and took it to the barbhunja to be split; but, as ill luck would have it, one half of
it stuck fast in the mill-handle, and the barbhunja being unable to get it out, the
little bird went off to the carpenter, and said, ‘Carpenter, carpenter, come and cut
the mill-handle; my pea is in the mill-handle; what shall I eat, what shall I drink,
and what shall I take to foreign countries?’ ‘Be off,’ said the carpenter, ‘is it
likely I shall come and cut the mill-handle for the sake of a single pea?’
“Then the little bird went to the king, and said, ‘King, king, chide the carpenter;
the carpenter won’t cut the mill-handle; my pea has stuck in the mill-handle;
what shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I take to foreign countries?’
‘Be off with you,’ said the king, ‘do you think that for the sake of a single pea I
am going to chide the carpenter?’
“Then the little bird went to the queen, and said, ‘Queen, queen, speak to the
king; the king won’t chide the carpenter; the carpenter won’t cut the mill-handle;
my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle; what shall I eat, what shall I drink,
and what shall I take to foreign countries?’ But the queen said, ‘Be off with you,
do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to talk to the king?’
“Then the little bird went to the snake, and said, ‘Snake, snake, bite the queen;
the queen won’t talk to the king; the king won’t chide the carpenter; the
carpenter won’t cut the mill-handle; my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle;
what shall I eat, what shall I drink, and what shall I take to foreign countries?’
But the snake said, ‘Be off with you, do you think that for the sake of a single
pea I am going to bite the queen?’
“Then the little bird went to the stick, and said, ‘Stick, stick, beat the snake;