d with it
in the belief that as the oil falls so the child will be born. If a
child is a long time before learning to speak they give it leaves of
the pipal tree to eat, because the leaves of this tree make a noise
by rustling in the wind; or a root which is very light in weight,
because they think that the tongue is heavy and the quality of
lightness will thus be communicated to it. Or the mother, when she
has kneaded dough and washed her hands afterwards, will pour a drop
or two of the water down the child's throat. And the water which
made her hands clean and smooth will similarly clear the child's
throat of the obstruction which prevented it from speaking. If a
child's neck is weak and its head rolls about they make it look at a
crow perching on the house and think this will make its neck strong
like the crow's. If he cannot walk they make a little triangle on
wheels with a pole called _ghurghuri_, and make him walk holding on
to the pole. The first teeth of the child are thrown on to the roof
of the house, because the rats, who have especially good and sharp
teeth, live there, and it is hoped that the child's second teeth may
grow like theirs. A few grains of rice are also thrown so that the
teeth may be hard and pointed like the rice; the same word, _kani_,
being used for the end of a grain of rice and the tip of a tooth. Or
the teeth are placed under a water-pot in the hope that the child's
second teeth may grow as fast as the grass does under water-pots. If
a child is lean some people take it to a place where asses have lain
down and rolled in ashes; they roll the child in the ashes similarly
and believe that it will get fat like the asses are. Or they may lay
the child in a pigsty with the same idea. People who want to injure
a child get hold of its coat and lay it out in the sun to dry, in
the belief that the child's body will dry up in a similar manner. In
order to avert the evil eye they burn some turmeric and juari flour
and hold the newly-born child in the smoke. It is also branded on
the stomach with a burning piece of turmeric, perhaps to keep off
cold. For the first day or two after birth a child is given cow's
milk mixed with water or honey and a little castor oil, and after
this it is suckled by the mother. But if she is unable to nourish it
a wet-nurse is called in, who may be a woman of low caste or even a
Muhammadan. The mother is given no regular food for the first two days,
but only some sugar an