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diff --git a/35564.txt b/35564.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..baf6c45 --- /dev/null +++ b/35564.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3409 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India, by +Katherine Neville Fleeson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India + +Author: Katherine Neville Fleeson + +Illustrator: W. A. Briggs + +Release Date: March 12, 2011 [EBook #35564] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAOS FOLK-LORE OF FARTHER INDIA *** + + + + +Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + +The Contents are placed after the Introduction, as in the original. + +Italic type is marked with _underlines_ and bold with *asterisks*. +Footnote references are marked with [brackets] and the texts have been +placed at the end of each story. + +Changes to the original publication (possible typographic errors or +inconsistencies) are listed at the end. + + + + + Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India + + +[Illustration: A Group of Laos Girls.] + + + Laos Folk-Lore + of + Farther India + + BY + Katherine Neville Fleeson + + With Illustrations from Photographs taken by + W. A. Briggs, M. D. + + NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO + Fleming H. Revell Company + Publishers of Evangelical Literature + + + Copyright, 1899 + by + FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + + + + +Introduction + + +These Folk-Tales from the Laos country, a part of the kingdom of Siam, +in addition to their intrinsic merit have the charm of complete novelty. +Until the translator of this volume collected these stories, they were +even unwritten, with a single exception which was found in a Laos +manuscript. They are orally preserved in the provinces which constitute +the Laos country, just as they have been handed down from generations of +ancestors, with slight variations in words or incidents. The elders +among the people tell the stories at their merrymakings around the +camp-fires and within their primitive houses, to amuse and instruct the +youth and children. + +Living among the Laos in the friendly and intimate relation of a +missionary, the translator has had the advantage of long residence and +unrivalled opportunity for understanding the history, customs, religious +ideas and aspirations of this interesting people. Aptness in use of +their colloquial speech gave her special facility for gathering the +stories with exactness, as they fell from the lips of the narrators in +her hearing; and for the delicate additional task of translating them +into English. The scholar, who is a student of the world's Folk-Lore, +may be assured that he has here, the Laos tales unobscured, just as they +are told to-day. + +Reflecting, as they do, thoughts, desires and hopes common to our +humanity, these stories at the same time exhibit, in a pathetic way, the +need in Laos of the uplifting and transforming power of the Christian +religion. + + Willis G. Craig. + + McCormick Theological Seminary, + Chicago. + + + + +Contents + + + PAGE + + I. Tales of the Jungle 13 + 1 A Child of the Woods 15 + 2 The Enchanted Mountain 17 + 3 The Spirit-Guarded Cave 20 + 4 The Mountain Spirits and the Stone Mortars 23 + + II. Fables from the Forest 25 + 1 Right and Might 27 + 2 Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops 29 + 3 How a Dead Tiger Killed the Princess 32 + 4 The Monkeys and the Crabs 33 + + III. Nature's Riddles and their Answers 35 + 1 The Man in the Moon 37 + 2 The Origin of Lightning 38 + 3 Why the Parrot and the Minor Bird but + Echo the Words of Man 41 + 4 The Fatherless Birds 44 + + IV. Romance and Tragedy 47 + 1 The Lovers' Leap 49 + 2 The Faithful Husband 51 + 3 The Faithful Wife 57 + 4 An Unexpected Issue 60 + + V. Temples and Priests 63 + 1 The Giants' Mountain and the Temple 65 + 2 Cheating the Priest 67 + 3 The Disappointed Priest 69 + 4 The Greedy Priest 71 + 5 The Ambitious Priest 73 + + VI. Moderation and Greed 75 + 1 The Wizard and the Beggar 77 + 2 A Covetous Neighbor 80 + 3 A Lazy Man's Plot 83 + 4 The Ungrateful Fisherman 84 + 5 The Legend of the Rice 85 + + VII. Parables and Proverbs 87 + 1 "One Woman, in Deceit and Craft, + is More than a Match for Eight Men" 89 + 2 "The Wisest Man of a Small Village + is Not Equal in Wisdom to a Boy + of the City Streets" 93 + 3 "To Aid Beast is Merit; + to Aid Man is But Vanity" 95 + + VIII. The Gods Know and the Gods Reward 99 + 1 Love's Secrets 101 + 2 Poison-Mouth 103 + 3 Strife and Peace 105 + 4 The Widow's Punishment 107 + 5 Honesty Rewarded 109 + 6 The Justice of In Ta Pome 111 + + IX. Wonders of Wisdom 113 + 1 The Words of Untold Value 115 + 2 A Wise Philosopher 119 + 3 The Boys Who Were Not Appreciated 122 + 4 The Magic Well 126 + + X. Strange Fortunes of Strange People 129 + 1 The Fortunes of Ai Powlo 131 + 2 The Fortunes of a Lazy Beggar 135 + 3 The Misfortunes of Paw Yan 139 + 4 An Unfortunate Shot 141 + + XI. Stories Gone Astray 143 + 1 The Blind Man 145 + 2 "Heads, I Win. Tails, You Lose" 148 + 3 The Great Boaster 149 + 4 A Clever Thief 151 + 5 Eyeless-Needle, Rotten-Egg, Rotten-Banana, + Old-Fish and Broken-Pestle 152 + + + + +List of Illustrations. + + + A Group of Laos Girls _Frontispiece_ + Types of the Laos People _Facing page_ 15 + A Laos Forest-stream " " 28 + The Laos Governor's Wife at her Embroidery Frame " " 57 + A Group of Buddhist Priests } + The Interior of a Buddhist Temple } " " 66 + Monastery Grounds at Chieng Tung, Laos " " 72 + At Work in the Rice Fields " " 86 + The "Chow" and his Palace " " 96 + Laos Feast } + A Street in a Laos Town } " " 136 + + + + + I + Tales of the Jungle + +[Illustration: Types of the Laos People] + + +A Child of The Woods + +Deep in the forest of the North there is a large village of jungle +people, and, among them is one old woman, who is held in reverence by +all. The stranger who asks why she is honored as a princess is thus +answered by her: + +"Verily, I have much _boon_,[1] for I am but a child of nature. When I +was a young maiden, it fell upon a day that my heart grew hot with +anger. For many days the anger grew until it filled my whole heart, also +were my eyes so red that I could see but dimly, and no longer could I +live in the village or among my own people, for I hated all men and I +felt that the beasts of the forest were more to me than my kindred. +Therefore, I fled from the face of man into the jungle where no human +foot had ever gone. All day I journeyed, running as though my feet would +never weary and feeling no pangs of hunger. When the darkness closed +about me, I was not afraid, but lay down under the shelter of a tree, +and, for a time, slept peacefully, as peacefully as though in my own +home. At length, I was awakened by the breath of an animal, and, in the +clear light of the moon, I saw a large tiger before me. It smelled of my +face, my hands and my feet, then seated itself by my head and watched me +through the night, and I lay there unafraid. In the early morning, the +tiger departed and I continued my journey. Quieter was my heart. Still, +I disliked my own people but had no fear of the beasts or the reptiles +of the forest. + +During the day I ate of the fruit which grew wild in abundance, and at +night I slept 'neath a tree, protected and guarded by fierce, wild +beasts which molested not my sleep. For many days I wandered thus, and +the nights were secure; for the wild beasts watched over and protected +me. Thus my heart grew cool in my bosom, and I no longer hated my +people; and, after one moon had gone, I found myself near a village. The +people wondered to see me approach from the jungle, dreaded as being the +jungle of the man-eating tiger. When I related my story, the people were +filled with wonder and brought rich gifts to me. For a year and a day I +abode there, and no more the wild beasts molested their cattle. + +But my heart yearned to see the face of my kindred again, so, laden with +silver, gold and rich garments and seated in the howdah[2] of an +elephant, the people escorted me to my own village, and here have I +abode in content these one hundred years. + + 1: Merit. + + 2: The car placed on the back of elephants. + + +The Enchanted Mountain + +The hunters who are continually going about from place to place, +climbing up high hills, descending into deep ravines and making ways +through jungles in search of the wild bison and other game, tell strange +tales of an enchanted place away on the top of a lofty mountain. There, +is a beautiful lake, which is as bright and clear as a drop of morning +dew hanging on the petal of the white water-lily, and, when you drink of +it, you are no longer aweary; new life has come into you, and your body +is more vigorous than ever before. The flowers on the margin of this +enchanted lake are more beautiful than those that grow in any other +spot, and, such is the love of the cherishing spirits for it, that they +care for it as for no other place in this world. Bananas of a larger +growth than can be found in the gardens of man, and oranges, sweeter to +the taste than those we ever eat, are there. The fruits of all trees, +more beautiful to the eye and richer than man can produce, are there, +free to those who can find them. All the fowls usually nurtured by man +and flocking about his door are there, and they are not affrighted by +the presence of the hunter but come at his call. Should the hunter wish +to kill them, his arrow cannot pierce their charmed bodies to deprive +them of life, but the arrow falls harmless to the ground, because the +spirits protect them and their lives are sacred. Great fields of rice +are about this place, and the hunter marvels at the size of the grains +and at the strength of the stalks. No field cared for by man has seen +grain like that which the spirits nourish. + +Many men, on hearing of this wonderful mountain-top, have sought it, but +all have returned unsuccessful to their homes, saying, no such place is +on this earth. Only the hunter, who has chased the game through the +jungle, o'er the streams and up the steep mountain-sides, when tired and +discouraged because the coveted prize has gone far beyond his reach, is +rewarded for all his labor, when he finds himself in the garden of +fruit, or on the margin of the enchanted lake, whose waters give renewed +vigor to his wearied body. + +Often, when the hunter desires to eat of the flesh of the fowls, he +endeavors to kill the fowls, but no effort of his can take their life, +as the spirits hold them in their care. No mortal can harm them. Nor can +the hunter take any of the fruit away, for, as he leaves the spot, no +matter how he may hold it, it vanishes from his hand. Thus, no man, who +has not seen the place, has eaten of the fruit nor drank of the water; +so, many doubt their existence, for such is the heart of man that he +must touch with his hands, see with his eyes, or taste with his tongue, +ere he can believe. Nevertheless, on the top of the lofty mountain there +is the lake with the cool waters, clear and beautiful, where the fowls +swim on its surface, or drink from its margin, and the grain and the +fruit ripen for those who are loved of the spirits, and are led by them +to this cherished spot where they may rest and be refreshed, and then +return to their wives and children and tell them of the care of the +spirits. The little ones, who have hearts free from guile, believe. + + +The Spirit-Guarded Cave + +When the people of the far north[3] were molested by their foes and were +in continual fear, they consulted together, saying, "Our lives are spent +in trying to escape from our enemies and no joy can be ours. Let us flee +to the south country[4] where, if the people make slaves of us, we can, +at least, know that our lives will be spared, and life, even in slavery, +is better than this constant fear of our enemies destroying both +ourselves and our dwelling-places and taking our cattle for their own." +Therefore, they gathered together all their household goods, secreted +their money and jewels about their persons, and, loading their cattle +with rice, they commenced their toilsome journey through the narrow +jungle paths and across the high mountains on their way to the south, +where they hoped for peace and safety. The way was long and difficult, +and the rice was all eaten and the cattle killed and consumed before +they had nearly reached their journey's end. Then the fugitives +commenced to use their money to buy food that they might have strength +for the journey, and they whispered one to another that the people +looked with covetous eyes on their hoard of money and jewels, and they +feared they would be slain because of the greed of the people. + +One man, wiser than the others, said, "Why do we endanger our lives for +our possessions? Can we not find some secret place in which to leave our +money and jewels, and when brighter days come to us we can return and +find them even as we left them?" + +All the people cried, "Your words are wise. Let us do accordingly," and +as these people were loved of the spirits, they were led to a deep cave +in the midst of a wood where man seldom came, and there they left their +possessions in the care of the spirits who promised to guard them until +in the days, when life being brighter and more secure, the owners would +come and claim them. + +The people journeyed on to the south country, and there lived as slaves. +Many generations of them lived and died, but they could not escape nor +come to claim the vast wealth and jewels which they had left in care of +the spirits of the cave. + +The story became known, and the inhabitants of all the surrounding +countries went to the cave and sought to secure the treasure. But such +was the care of the spirits that no man with safety could enter the +cave. A light was instantly extinguished, if let down into the deep pit +leading into the chamber where the treasure was, for the spirits blew +their breath upon it and it was no more. All devices were tried to +obtain the treasure, and from all parts of the country the people came +to try to overcome the charm which the spirits had placed upon the cave, +but no one was able to break it. One man went even into the treasure +chamber and filled his hands with the precious stones, but he was +overcome by a deadly sickness and was forced to replace the jewels in +the treasure chest and flee for his life so as to escape the wrath of +the guarding spirits. Even the white, foreign strangers, who have come +into the land and placed their strong hands on the elephants and the +trees[5] of the forest and claimed them for their use, were baffled and +driven back by the faithful spirits when they endeavored to enter the +treasure chamber, and for all time this treasure shall remain there, +for, if the white foreigner, by his wisdom, or by his craft, fails to +obtain it, verily it will remain untouched forever. + + 3: In China. + + 4: Siam. + + 5: Teak-wood. + + +The Mountain Spirits and the Stone Mortars + +The spirits, who lived in the mountains near a large city, upon a time +wanted money for some purpose, and they brought down to the people of +the city a number of large and heavy stone mortars which they commanded +them to buy at an exorbitant price. + +The men of the city said, "The price you ask is too great; moreover, we +have no need of your mortars, as they are too large for us to use in +pounding out our rice, or for any other purpose. Therefore, we do not +wish to buy them." + +The spirits were very angry because they did not cheerfully agree to pay +the money, and answered, "If you will not buy these mortars which we +have brought for your use, you shall carry them up to our home on the +top of the mountain, for the labor of bringing them down has wearied +us." + +Not daring to incur the wrath of the spirits, and yet being utterly +unable to carry the huge mortars to the high mountain, they paid the +price, for, they reasoned, "Is any price too great to risk our falling +under the displeasure of the evil spirits?" + +The spirits departed with the money, and to this day, the stone mortars +are scattered about the streets of that city, and, when strangers ask +why they are there and what use is made of them, this story will be +told, and all people say it is verily the truth, for do you not see them +with your eyes, and how else could they have come here, had not the +spirits brought them? + + + + + II + Fables From the Forest + + +Right and Might + +While a deer was eating wild fruit, he heard an owl call, "Haak, +haak,"[6] and a cricket cry, "Wat,"[7] and, frightened, he fled. + +In his flight he ran through the trees up into the mountains and into +streams. In one of the streams the deer stepped upon a small fish and +crushed it almost to death. + +Then the fish complained to the court, and the deer, owl, cricket and +fish had a lawsuit. In the trial came out this evidence: + +As the deer fled, he ran into some dry grass, and the seed fell into the +eye of a wild chicken, and the pain of the seed in the eye of the +chicken caused it to fly up against a nest of red ants. Alarmed, the red +ants flew out to do battle, and in their haste, bit a mon-goose. The +mon-goose ran into a vine of wild fruit and shook several pieces of it +on the head of a hermit, who sat thinking under a tree. + +"Why didst thou, O fruit, fall on my head," cried the hermit. + +The fruit answered: "We did not wish to fall; a mon-goose ran against +our vine and threw us down." + +And the hermit asked, "O mon-goose, why didst thou throw the fruit?" + +The mon-goose answered: "I did not wish to throw down the fruit, but the +red ants bit me and I ran against the vine." + +The hermit asked, "O ants, why did ye bite the mon-goose?" + +The red ants replied: "The hen flew against our nest and angered us." + +The hermit asked, "O hen, why didst thou fly against the red ants' +nest?" + +And the hen replied: "The seed fell into my eyes and hurt me." + +And the hermit asked, "O seed, why didst thou fall into the hen's eyes?" + +And the seed replied: "The deer shook me down." + +The hermit said unto the deer, "O deer, why didst thou shake down the +seed?" + +The deer answered: "I did not wish to do it, but the owl called, +frightening me and I ran." + +"O owl," asked the hermit, "why didst thou frighten the deer?" + +The owl replied: "I called but as I am accustomed to call--the cricket, +too, called." + +Having heard the evidence, the judge said, "The cricket must replace the +crushed parts of the fish and make it well," as he, the cricket, had +called and frightened the deer. + + * * * * * + +The cricket was smaller and weaker than the owl or the deer, therefore +had to bear the penalty. + + 6: Haak--a spear. + + 7: Wat--surrounded. + +[Illustration: A Laos Forest-stream.] + + +Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops + +In the days when the earth was young lived a poor man and his wife who +had twelve daughters, whom they no longer loved and no longer desired. +Day after day the father and mother planned to be free of them, and upon +a day, the father made ready a basket; in the bottom he placed ashes, +but on the top he spread rice. Taking this basket with him, he called +his daughters to come go to the jungle to hunt for game. + +When the heat of the day had come, they all sat down to eat, and, after +they had eaten, the father gave each daughter a bamboo joint, and bade +her get water for him. The joints were so made that they would not hold +water, and while the maidens endeavored to make them so they would, the +father returned home. In vain did the maidens try to make the joints +hold the water and after a time they sought their father, but, lo, the +father was gone and only the basket remained! Examining the basket, they +found rice but on the top, and on the bottom filled with ashes, so they +knew their parents sought to be free of them by leaving them in the +trackless jungle. Unable to find their way out, there they slept +peacefully, for the wild beasts molest not those who fearlessly stay +with them. + +As the eye of day opened in the East, the forlorn maidens beheld, as +they awakened, a beautiful woman standing near, and of her they sought +help. + +"Come with me and be companions to my little daughter. Often am I away +from home and she is lonely. Come home with me, play with my daughter, +and, in exchange I will give you a home," said the beautiful woman. + +Gladly the maidens consented and went with the woman to her home far in +the jungle. All places save one small garden were they free to enter. +And upon a day, the fair woman said, "I go to the jungle and will not +return until the eye of day has closed. Do not play in the small +garden." Scarcely had she gone ere she returned, but the maidens had not +sought the garden. + +Again, upon a day, the fair woman said, "I go to the jungle but for a +short time. Go not to play in the small garden." + +Thinking she would this time be gone all day, the maidens sought the +small garden, and lo, it was strewn with human bones! Then they knew the +fair woman was a cannibal. Full of fear, they fled, and, as they fled +they met a cow. + +"Protect us," they cried. + +The cow opened its mouth and the maidens jumped in. Thus they journeyed +from the cannibal's home. As the cow returned, it met the fair woman +seeking the maidens. + +"Have you seen twelve maidens pass this way?" asked she. + +"No," answered the cow. + +"If you do not speak the truth, I'll kill and eat you," cried she. + +"I saw them as they made haste in that way," replied the cow. + +The cannibal woman pursued that way. + +After the cow left them, the maidens hastened on and as they hastened +they met an elephant and begged it to save them from the cannibal. + +The elephant opened its mouth and the maidens jumped in, but so slowly +did one jump that an edge of her garment hung out of the mouth. As they +journeyed the cannibal overtook them. + +"Did you see twelve maidens hastening toward the city?" asked the +cannibal. + +"No," answered the elephant. + +"From this time forth forever the lip of thy mouth shall hang down as a +garment," cursed the cannibal, for she had seen the edge of the maiden's +garment hanging out of the elephant's mouth and knew it was protecting +the twelve maidens. And to this day doth the lip of the elephant hang +down like a garment. + + +How a Dead Tiger Killed the Princess + +There was once a king who had a daughter at whose birth a wise man +foretold that she would be killed by a tiger when she was a maiden +grown. In order that no animal might approach her, the king built her a +house set upon one huge pillar, and there she and her attendants ever +dwelt. + +And it fell upon a day, when the daughter was well grown, that one of +the hunters, whose labor it was to kill the tigers of the country, +brought a dead one to the palace of the king. The princess, seeing her +dead enemy, came down from her tower and plucked a whisker from the +tiger, and, as she blew her breath on it, she cried, "I do not fear +thee, O my enemy, for thou art dead!" But the poison, which is in the +whiskers of a tiger, entered into the blood of the princess, and she +died. + +Then did the king make a proclamation, and sent messengers throughout +all his realm, commanding that, when a tiger was killed, all his +whiskers be immediately pulled out and burned, that a tiger may not be +able to slay when dead; and until this day, the people obey the command +of the king. + + +The Monkeys and the Crabs + +All the monkeys which live in the forests near the great sea in the +south, watch the tide running out, hoping to catch the sea-crabs which +are left in the soft earth. If they can find a crab above the ground, +they immediately catch and eat it. + +Sometimes, the crabs bury themselves in the mud, and the monkeys, seeing +the tunnels they have made, reach down into them with their long tails, +and torment the crabs until they, in anger, seizing the tormenting tail, +are drawn out and devoured by their cunning foes. But, sometimes, alas, +the crab fails to come out! No matter with what strength the monkey +pulls and tugs, the crabs do not appear, and the poor monkey is held +fast, while the tide comes in and drowns it. When the tide goes out +again, leaving the luckless monkey on the beach, the crabs come out from +their strongholds and feast on the dead enemy. + + + + + III + Nature's Riddles and Their Answers + + +The Man in the Moon + +There was a blacksmith once, who complained: "I am not well, and my work +is too warm. I want to be a stone on the mountain. There it must be +cool, for the wind blows and the trees give a shade." + +A wise man, who had power over all things, replied, "Go thou, be a +stone." And he was a stone, high up on the mountain-side. + +It happened a stone-cutter came that way for stone, and, when he saw the +one that had been the blacksmith, he knew it was what he sought and he +began to cut it. + +The stone cried out: "This hurts. I no longer want to be a stone. A +stone-cutter I want to be. That would be pleasant." + +The wise man, humoring him, said, "Be a cutter." Thus he became a +stone-cutter and, as he went seeking suitable stone, he grew tired, and +his feet were sore. He whimpered, "I no longer want to cut stone. I +would be the sun, that would be pleasant." + +The wise man commanded, "Be the sun." And he was the sun. + +But the sun was warmer than the blacksmith, than a stone, than a +stone-cutter, and he complained, "I do not like this. I would be the +moon. It looks cool." + +The wise man spake yet again, "Be the moon." And he was the moon. + +"This is warmer than being the sun," murmured he, "for the light from +the sun shines on me ever. I do not want to be the moon. I would be a +smith again. That, verily, is the best life." + +But the wise man replied, "I am weary of your changing. You wanted to be +the moon; the moon you are, and it you will remain." + +And in yon high heaven lives he to this day. + + +The Origin of Lightning + +There was once a great chief who desired above all things to be happy in +the future life, therefore he continually made feasts for the priests +and the poor; spending much money in making merit. He had ten wives, +nine of whom helped him in all the merit-makings, but the head wife, his +favorite, would never take part. Laughing, and making herself beautiful +in soft garments and jewels, she gave naught to the priests. + +And on a day, when the great chief and his nine merit-making wives were +no more, but had gone to live in the sky on account of their +merit-making, the great chief longed for his favorite, and taking a +glass, he looked down on the earth to see her. After many days, he +beheld her as a crane hunting for food on the border of a lake. The +great chief, to try her heart and to see if she had repented, came down +from his home in the sky in the form of a fish, and swam to the crane. +Seeing the fish, the crane pecked at it, but the fish sprang out of the +water, and when the crane saw it was alive, she would not touch it. +Again the fish floated near the crane and she pecked at it, but on +finding it was alive let it escape. Then was the heart of the great +chief glad, for he saw that his favorite wife would not destroy life +even to satisfy her hunger, and he knew that her merit was such she +could be born in the form of a woman again. + +It happened on a day that the crane died, and, when again born, had the +form of a gardener's child. As the child grew in years and stature, she +was fairer than any other in the land, and, when a maiden, the father +and mother made a feast, inviting all the people to come. During the +feast, they gave a wreath of beautiful flowers to their daughter and +said, "Throw this into the air, and on whosesoever head it falls, that +one will be to thee a husband." + +The great chief, her husband of old, seeking her, came down to the earth +in the form of an old man, and, when the maiden cast the wreath into the +air, it fell on the head of this old man. + +Great sport was made of him, and tauntingly the people cried, "Does this +bent stick think he is mate for our lotus flower?" + +But the fair maiden placed her hand in the old man's hand, and, together +they rose into the air. In vain they sought to detain them--the father +even shot at the old man, but they were soon lost to sight, and to this +day, when the people see the chain lightning in the sky, they say it is +the wreath of the beautiful maiden; when the lightning strikes, they say +it is the gardener shooting at the old man, and, when the heat lightning +flashes, they say it is the great chief flashing his glass over the +earth in search of his favorite and beautiful wife. + + +Why the Parrot and the Minor Bird but Echo the Words of Man + +Long ago people caught and nourished the sao bird, because it learned +the language of man more readily than either the parrot or minor bird. +While they had to be taught with much care, the sao bird had but to hear +a word and it could readily utter it; moreover, the sao bird could utter +its own thoughts. + +Upon a time a man of the north country, owning a sao bird, stole a +buffalo from his neighbor and killed it. Part of the buffalo the man +cooked and ate; the rest he hid either in the rice bin or over the rice +house. + +Seeking the buffalo, next day, the neighbor asked the man if he had seen +it. + +The man replied, "No." The sao bird, however, cried out, "He killed it; +part he hid in the rice bin, part over the rice house." + +The neighbor searched in both of these places and found the parts just +as the sao bird had said. + +"I did not steal the buffalo," insisted the man. + +But the bird ever called, "He killed it and put part into the rice bin, +and part over the rice house." + +Unable to decide between the words of the man and the words of the bird, +the neighbor appealed to the court. And, it happened, the night before +the trial, that the man took the sao bird, placed it in a jar, covered +the jar and poured water over the cloth and beat on the outside of the +jar. The noise of the beating was low and rumbling. All that night was +the bird kept in the jar, and not once did it see the bright moonlight, +which was almost as bright as day, for it was in the midst of the dry +season and full moon. When the eye of day opened, the man removed the +bird from the jar and placed it in its cage, and then took it to the +court as a witness. + +When the bird was called, it said, as before, "He killed it; part he put +in the rice bin, and part over the rice house." + +All people believed the bird. + +"Ask it another question. Ask it what manner of night it was last night. +Will you condemn me to death on the word of a bird?" cried the man. + +The question was put to the bird, but, remembering its fear, during the +night, of the rumbling noise and the sound of running water, it +answered, "Last night the sky called and the rain fell." + +Then the people cried, "Of a truth, the bird cannot be believed. Because +it has imperilled the life of an innocent man, from this time forth, the +sao bird must not be cherished by man." + +The thief was set free because there were but the words of the bird to +condemn him. + +No longer is the sao bird nourished by man, but lives in the forest. +Those who are full of fear, when they hear them talking in the forest, +say, "it is the spirits." + +When the sao bird saw the bright plumage of the parrot, and the black +and gold of the minor bird, it knew they were strangers who had come to +dwell in the north, and it asked the crow and the owl what manner of +birds they were. + +"Beautiful in plumage, as thou canst readily see," answered they. +"Moreover, they speak the words of man." + +"Speak the words of man," echoed the sao bird. "I'll warn them. Come, +let us greet them." And they went forth to meet the beautiful strangers. + +And upon a day, as they all came together in one place, the sao bird +cried out, "We, the chief birds of the north land, come to greet you and +to give you of our wisdom, as you are but strangers in our land. It is +told me you speak as does man; even so can I. Nourished by the hand of +man many years, I did see with my eyes and hear with my ears, and my +tongue uttered not only the things I beheld and heard, but things +displeasing to my masters. At one time, all men spoke well of me, but +afterward was I cruelly punished and driven from the homes of men. +Therefore come I this day unto you to warn you that, if man learns of +your speaking tongue, he will capture you and nourish you in his home. +Yet, should you speak other than he teaches you, you will be punished +and driven from the homes of men, for man loves only to hear _his_ +thoughts repeated and loves not even a bird that has wisdom or truth +greater than his own." + + * * * * * + +Fearful of uttering their thoughts, lest man resent it, the parrot and +minor bird but echo the words of man. + + +The Fatherless Birds + +A mother bird sat brooding on her nest. Her heart was sad, for her mate +had flown away in the morning and had not returned. When the little ones +stirred and clamored for food, with drooping wings she flew in quest of +it that they might not hunger. + +Day after day her heart grew sadder, for her mate came not, and alone +she struggled to provide for her fledglings. + +When the little birds had grown strong and were able to fly, sorrow and +heart hunger had so weakened the mother bird that she lay dying. The +little birds crowded about her asking what they could do to aid her, and +with her dying breath she cried, "Call, oh, call your father." + +The little birds, flying low over the plains, cried, "Paw hueey, paw +hueey," and children, left alone in their homes, while their parents +labor in the rice fields, hearing the wail of the birds, wept, crying +too, "Paw hueey, maa hueey."[8] + +Never has the father bird been found, and, to this day, flying low over +the plains, the little birds cry, in their plaintive voices, "Paw hueey, +paw hueey," and lonely children echo, "Paw hueey, maa hueey." + + 8: Paw hueey--Oh, father! Maa hueey--Oh, mother! + + + + + IV + Romance and Tragedy + + +The Lovers' Leap + +Many, many years ago there lived, on the mountains among the rapids of +the Maa Ping, a young man who loved a maiden and the maiden loved him +truly, but her father refused his consent to their union and commanded +that his daughter see her lover no more, nor hold communication with +him. At all times and in all ways the father of the maiden endeavored to +overcome her regard for her lover, but she would think of no other, +although many came to woo her. + +Often did the young lovers seek to meet, but so constantly were they +watched it was impossible and they could only wait patiently. Each knew +the other was true and each heart rested in this assurance. + +And upon a time the father of the maiden thought she had forgotten her +lover, and, greatly rejoiced, he made a feast and invited all the people +of the province to come and make merry with him, and he reasoned, "Now +that she has forgotten her former lover, will she not consent to marry a +man I choose for her?" + +While they were feasting the maiden wandered out to think of the one she +had not seen for so long and weary a time, and, suddenly, the dark +evening became to her as the bright noonday, for her lover was before +her. He entreated her to come with him and to be his wife. Thinking of +the dreary days she had passed and the more dreary ones to come, should +she see her heart's choice no more, she consented. As they were mounting +his strong, young horse, a servant saw them and ran to the house and +gave the alarm. Soon the father and all the men were in pursuit of the +lovers. For a time the young horse kept far ahead of its pursuers, but, +wearying of its double burden, it began to lag just as it reached the +top of a lofty hill overhanging a rushing torrent of the river far +below. + +Nearer and nearer came the father and all the men. The only escape, and +a most desperate venture was it, was to leap across the rushing torrent +to the hill on the other side. Looking into each other's eyes, then back +at their approaching pursuers, and then at the wide chasm, they chose +death together rather than life apart, and, urging their jaded horse to +the leap, they missed the opposite cliff and were dashed to pieces on +the rocks of the rapids below. + + +The Faithful Husband[9] + +Upon a day in years long since gone by, Chow[10] Soo Tome, wearied of +the talking of his slaves, wandered into the forest. As he walked in an +unfrequented path, he came to a lake where seven beautiful winged nymphs +were disporting themselves in the water. One, Chow Soo Tome readily saw +was more beautiful than the others, and he loved her and desired her for +his wife. On seeing the Chow, however, they all fled, but the most +beautiful one permitted herself to be overtaken. + +"When I saw thee, my heart was filled with love for thee. If thou dost +not consent to be my wife, of sorrow will I die," cried Chow Soo Tome. + +"Easily could I have escaped, had not love for thee made me loath to +leave thee," replied the nymph. And in great joy they returned to the +Chow's home. + +"My son, let me take the wings of thy wife, lest she fly and leave thee +in sorrow," urged the Chow's mother, and, readily did the nymph wife lay +aside her wings. + +But it happened that the head chow heard of the beauty of the wife of +Chow Soo Tome, and he coveted her, and seeking to do away with Chow Soo +Tome, he sent him to war, and commanded that he lead the battle. + +The young nymph wife knew the design of the head chow, and, as soon as +her husband had gone, she sought her mother-in-law and begged that she +give her back her wings. + +"I am filled with sorrow. Without Soo Tome I cannot remain in the house. +Give me my wings that I may fly in the air and be comforted," pled the +wife. + +"Consent that I tie a rope to thy feet. Then, I will give thee the +wings," answered Soo Tome's mother. + +The young wife consented, but, having donned her wings and flown up in +the air, she cut the rope fastened to her feet and was safe from the +head chow's pursuit. Her freedom made her think of the home of her +father in the kingdom of Chom Kow Kilat,[11] and thither she flew. + +Chow Soo Tome, unhurt and victorious, returned from the war and found +his home desolate without his nymph wife, and would not be comforted but +determined to seek her. "Now, I will go seek her in her father's +kingdom, Chom Kow Kilat, though seven years, seven months and seven days +be required for the journey." + +Through forest, over mountains and across plains toiled Chow Soo Tome +patiently. And, as he journeyed, upon a day, he met an ape. + +"My friend, where do you go?" asked the ape. + +"To a land far away, where the love of my heart abides, in the kingdom +of Chom Kow Kilat. The way I do not know, but my heart guides me," +answered Chow Soo Tome. + +The ape pitied him and sought to aid him, and what food he had or found +he shared with Chow Soo Tome gladly. Together they travelled many days +until they reached the sea. They had no means of crossing, and when the +ape realized he could no longer aid Chow Soo Tome, he cried bitterly, +saying, "No longer can I aid thee, now; therefore is my sorrow greater +than I can bear," and, lo, he died! For three days did Chow Soo Tome +mourn this kind friend, and, as he mourned, a fly came to eat of the +ape. + +"I am but alive and fear I will die if I do not have food at once," said +the fly. "The ape is dead and can feel no pain. I am alive and hunger, +thou art in trouble and need aid. If thou wilt give me to eat of the +flesh of the dead ape, whenever thou needst me, think on me and I will +come to thee," added the fly. + +"Eat," said Chow Soo Tome, and then he went on his way, but shortly +after, sat down under a tree. While there, he saw two eagles alight on +the tree. + +"When we are rested, we will fly across the sea and eat of the feast +which the king of Chom Kow Kilat gives in honor of the return of his +beautiful daughter," said one of the eagles to its mate. + +Hearing these words, Chow Soo Tome cautiously climbed into the tree and +crept under the wing of the larger eagle, who shortly after said to its +mate: "Before we fly hence, I must rid myself of an insect which is +under my wing and annoys me." + +"This is a sacred day, and, for some punishment has the insect come +under your wing; let it remain," counselled the other eagle, and then +they flew over the sea. When they rested in a tree on the other shore, +Chow Soo Tome crept from under the wing and climbed down the tree. After +a time he reached a _sala_[12] near a large city. Near the sala was a +well, and, as Chow Soo Tome rested, seven slaves of the king of Chom Kow +Kilat came from the city for water. + +"Why dost thou draw of the water?" asked Chow Soo Tome of a slave. + +"We are this day glad, for the most beautiful daughter of the king of +Chom Kow Kilat hath returned from the land of men and the water will be +poured over her head," said the slave addressed. + +Approaching the seventh slave, Chow Soo Tome asked that he might place a +ring in her water jar. Now, the ring was one which he had received from +his nymph wife, and he sought thus to turn her thoughts to him again. + +"Pour your water in such a manner that, when it falls, the ring will +fall upon the hands of the princess," directed Chow Soo Tome. + +The slave did as directed, and, as the ring fell on the hands of the +young princess, she knew her husband was near, and she asked the slave +who was at the well when she drew the water. + +"A chow of a far country," said the slave, "who rests in the sala by the +sacred well outside the city gate." + +In great haste and joy, did the young princess seek her father. "Outside +the city gate, in the sala by the sacred well, doth my husband await me. +Let me go to him, father," she pleaded. + +"I must first prove that he be thy husband. Let all my daughters make +ready a table spread with the best of the feast, and hide themselves. +The man shall be called, and, if he selects thy table, he is thy +husband, but, if he knows not thy table, he shall die," replied the +king. + +The tables were made ready, Chow Soo Tome was summoned and commanded to +select the table prepared by the princess whom he claimed as his wife. +Sore perplexed, Chow Soo Tome bethought himself of the fly's promise, +and he called it to his aid. Immediately the fly appeared and sat on the +table prepared by the wife of Chow Soo Tome, and there Chow Soo Tome sat +down. + +"Yet another test," said the king. "Make ready seven curtains and place +my daughters behind the seven curtains, allowing but one finger of each +princess to be seen. Then, from among the fingers, select that of thy +wife." + +Immediately did the grateful fly rest upon the curtain where lay the +finger of the young wife, and unhesitatingly Chow Soo Tome walked up to +the curtain and clasped the right finger. + +"It is enough. She is thy wife," declared the king, and so pleased was +he that he made Chow Soo Tome second in power in the kingdom of Chom Kow +Kilat. + + 9: This represents a very well-known maerrchen. + + 10: Chow--a prince or high official. + + 11: A fabulous city. + + 12: A rest-house for guests. + +[Illustration: The Laos Governor's Wife at her Embroidery Frame.] + + +The Faithful Wife + +The young and beautiful son of a head chow sought of a wise man what +manner of wife should be his. + +"As you walked by the way, whom did you meet?" asked the wizard. + +"No one," replied the young man. + +"Nay, my son, you saw a slave of your father's, cutting grass in a +garden. She is to be your wife." + +Distressed that such a woman should be his wife, the young man fled from +his own country. + +And it came to pass, that the chow saw the slave girl that she was kind, +noble, and beautiful, and he took her to his house as a daughter, and +she became more kind, more noble, and more beautiful. + +Years had gone by, and, upon a day the son returned, and, seeing in the +one-time slave a most lovable and lovely woman, sought and gained her as +his wife. Word reached the young man then that this was but a slave, +and, on learning the truth, he begged that he might be released to go on +a long journey. The young wife consented. + +A boat was made ready, and the chow's son had it in his heart never to +return. So, secretly, the chow had a gold image hidden in the bottom of +the boat. When the day of departure had come, the chow in haste sent his +servants to inquire of his son what he had in the boat. + +"I have but my possessions," replied the son. + +"Nay, you have the image of gold, which is the possession of my master, +the chow," insisted the servants. "If we find it in the boat, what will +you do?" they asked. + +"Return with you as a slave to my father!" exclaimed the son. + +All the goods were removed from the boat and the image was found. Then +the son returned as a slave to his father and was made keeper of the +elephants. + +Upon a day, the young wife of the son came to the chow and sought +permission to go to the forest to find her husband. + +Willingly did the chow say, "Go, my child," and forthwith he had a boat +put in readiness for her and sent with her many of his servants. One +servant was called, "Eye That Sees Well," another, "Ear That Hears +Well." + +Sailing down the river, they reached the province where the young man +was searching for elephants, and there they remained. + +The chow of the province sent a servant secretly to hide a golden image +in the boat. But the "Ear That Hears Well" heard and the "Eye That Sees +Well" saw, and together they took the image from the boat and hid it in +the sand. + +The following day, the chow sent a messenger asking why the princess had +taken the image. + +"I have not seen it," were the words of the princess. + +"If it is found in your boat, what will you promise?" asked the chow's +messenger. + +"I and my servants will be slaves to him, if the image be found in my +boat," replied the princess, "but, should the image not be found there, +what will your master promise?" + +"All his goods and his province, if the image be not found," readily +answered the messenger. + +A diligent search failed to discover the image of gold, and, true to his +word, the chow gave of his goods and his province to the princess. +Rejoicing, and hoping thus to discover her husband, the princess gave a +large feast, and bade all the people. While all were feasting, lo, a +man, in soiled garments and carrying a heavy tusk of an elephant, came +towards them, and immediately did the princess recognize her husband, +and the husband, realizing after what manner his wife loved him, grew to +love her, and together they lived in her province for many, many years. + + +An Unexpected Issue + +Far away from other men, on the side of a lonely mountain, a man and his +wife were preparing their ground that they might plant the hill rice. +Their work was hard, and they saw no one from day to day, and, upon a +time, when tired of their labor, the husband said, + +"Let us play that we are young and unmarried, and that I am coming to +visit you to try to gain you for a wife." + +The wife dressed herself as a young maiden, with flowers in her hair, +and sat at the spinning-wheel. + +The husband came as though from a distance, and in his hand he carried +the stem of a banana leaf, which he pretended was a musical instrument. +Playfully, he drew his fingers over it, singing, "It is pleasant to be +here. Where you are, I am happy. Where you are not, I am but of little +heart and sad." He drew near, and, as he was not forbidden, he walked up +into the house and sat down by the maiden. Bowing himself to the ground, +he spoke, saying, "O fair princess, I come but as your servant! May I +sit here near you?" + +Smilingly she answered, "To sit there is but a waste of time." + +"I am not sitting where another has sat. Tell me, do I talk to one who +has another lover?" + +"I fear that the one who loves you, and whom you loved ere you came to +me, will be angry with me and curse me," she coyly answered. + +Then he feigned anger, and moved away quickly. In his haste he did not +see where he was going, and he fell down the steps of the house, upon a +stone. Though he lay there groaning, and called, "O, help me!" his wife +thought him still in sport and sat quietly at her wheel. Having waited +some time, she arose and went to him, and, lo, he lay there dead! + +"Had we worked and not played as children, my husband would be yet +alive," lamented the wife. + + + + + V + Temples and Priests + + +The Giants' Mountain and the Temple + +In the time long since gone by, when the world was young, the men of a +large province desired to build a temple, a temple which might be seen +by men from afar. Their ground, however, was low, and there was no lofty +mountain on which they might rear it, and it was deemed wise by all to +entreat the giants, who lived in the far East, to help them bring the +earth together in one place for a mound. + +Willingly did the giants consent to aid them, but asked, "Why labor to +dig the earth and pile it into a mound? Behold the high hills are ours, +with our strong arms we can remove the top from one of them and bring it +to you and you may rear your beautiful temple thereon, and all men can +see it. Go, therefore, and make ready your bricks and mortar, bringing +to one place all the materials which you will require, whilst we carry +one of our mountains to you for your use." + +The giants went their way to bring a mountain-top from the far East to +the plains near the city. Day after day they labored and moved the +mountain top a great distance, but the people neither helped them nor +did they even commence to prepare the materials for the temple. As the +giants toiled, word was brought them that the people were sitting in +idleness on the ground. + +"Come help us, or gather the materials together," the giants sent word. + +"You, yourselves, offered to carry the mountain-top to us. Your words +are stronger than your deeds. You say you will aid us, then ask us to +help you," the people replied. This they said, thinking to goad the +giants on to the labor of bringing the mountain-top to the desired +place. + +"We offered to aid you," retorted the giants, "but you sit and watch +while we do all. Had you done your part, we would have done ours. Now, +you shall labor, and we, from our high mountain, will laugh at you." + +Thereupon they left the work and sought their homes, and wearily did the +men of the plains dig the earth, carrying it in small loads into one +place to build the mound, and sadly did they look toward the East, where +they could see the mountain-top the giants had carried such a distance +to them, and most bitterly did they repent not having done their share. + +The temple is builded now, and from afar the people can see the gleam of +the spire when the eye of day first opens in the East, or closes in the +West, and, to this day the mountain-top lies there far distant from the +mountain range and equally far distant from the city of the plains, and +the people point it out to strangers, saying, "If you ask aid from +others, it is well to put your own heart into the work." + +[Illustration: A Group of Buddhist Priests.] + +[Illustration: The Interior of a Buddhist Temple.] + + +Cheating the Priest + +Upon a time a man and his wife went a day's journey from their village +to the bazaar to sell their wares, and it fell upon the day of their +return that it rained heavily, and as they hurried along the highway, +they sought shelter from the head priest of a temple. He, however, would +not even let them enter. They begged to be permitted to sleep in the +sheltered place at the head of the stairs, but this also the priest +refused. Angered, they went under the temple and there rested. + +When the priest had lain down on his mat in the room just over the place +where the man and his wife were hidden, he heard the man say to his +wife, "It will be good to be again with our young and beautiful +daughter. I trust all is well with her." + +Having heard these words, the priest arose hastily and called, "Come up, +good people, and sleep in the temple. Here, too, are mats to rest upon." +And, as they talked of their beautiful daughter, the priest asked, "When +I am out of the temple, released from my vows, will you give me your +daughter to wife?" + +Looking at his wife, the husband replied, "It is good in our sight." + +When the morning came and they wished to steam some rice for their +breakfast, they had no pot, but the priest freely offered the use of his +pot and insisted upon their using of the sacred wood for their fire, the +wood which was used in propping the branches of the Po tree.[13] + +Being ready to go on their way, the priest presented them with gifts of +food, silver and gold, saying, "I will soon leave the priesthood and +come to marry your beautiful daughter." + +But three days had passed, when the man and his wife came again to the +temple and told the priest that their daughter was dead, and a long time +they all mourned together. + +"I will ever remain true to my love for your daughter. Never will I +leave the priesthood," vowed the priest, while the man and his wife +returned to their home, spent the silver and gold the priest had given +them, and cheerfully laughed at him, for never had they had a daughter! + + 13: The sacred tree of Buddhists. + + +The Disappointed Priest + +In a temple of the north lived a priest who had great greed for the +betel nut.[14] One day, compelled by his appetite, he inquired of a +boy-priest if no one had died that day, but the boy replied he had heard +of no death. + +A man, while worshipping in the temple, overheard the priest's words, +and on his return to his home, said, "The priest wants some one to die +so he can have betel to eat. Let us punish him, because he loves the +betel nut better than the life of a man. Make me ready for the grave, +then wail with a loud voice and the priest will come." + +When all was ready, they wailed with a loud voice and the priest, filled +with cheerful thoughts of satisfying his appetite, came quickly. + +The people all said, "We must hasten to the grave with our dead brother. +As it is already evening, we will not have the feast until we return." + +All hastened to the place of burning, and, upon reaching it, they took +one end of the cloth covering the body and placed it in the hands of the +priest, while the other end they left on the body of the supposed dead +man. + +"While you ask blessings on our dead brother, we will go prepare wood +for the burning," said the people, and, leaving the priest praying, they +returned as they had come, cut thorns and briars and placed them on and +about the path, so the priest could not escape unhurt. Then they hid +themselves. + +As the darkness closed about him, the priest prayed fast and loud. Lo! +the man stirred and groaned, and the priest cried, "O, my father, I am +asking blessings on thee! Why movest thou?" + +Again the man rose up and groaned even louder, and the priest, +terrified, ran away towards the temple. Caught by the briars, he fell +headlong, cut and bleeding. With great effort, he at last reached the +temple, and with much pain had his wounds dressed by the boy-priest. Not +until he had rested, did he inquire of the boy if the people of the dead +man had brought any betel to the temple in his absence. + +"No," said the boy-priest. "Go to the house of the dead man and eat with +them." + +But the priest most vehemently said, "If ten or twenty men die, I will +not go again. Die like that man! I shall never go again." + + 14: Areca nut. Chewing this nut is a habit common among all the + peoples of Farther India and Malaysia. + + +The Greedy Priest + +In the compound of a temple in the south there was a large fruit tree, +the fruit of which was coveted by all, as they passed, but the head +priest would permit no one to eat of it, because he was greedy and +selfish and wished but to satisfy his own appetite. + +Two men, talking together, said they would obtain fruit from the priest, +and they would have it without price. + +One came and asked for the fruit. The priest refused him gruffly, +saying, "I need it for my own use." The man replied, "I desired it to +eat with my venison curry, of which I have so much that I want you to +come and eat with me." On hearing this the priest said, "Take what you +want." Filling his scarf with the coveted fruit, the man left the +priest, saying, "I will call for you as the eye of day closes." + +Shortly after, the second man came and begged for fruit and likewise was +refused, until he said he wished it to eat with his pork curry, and, +that as the eye of day closed, he would come for the priest to eat with +him, when the priest said, "All you desire, take." And the man filled a +large basket with the coveted fruit. + +As the eye of day closed, the two men called together for the priest. + +When they reached a fork in the road, one laid hold on the arm of the +priest, and said, "Come with me first, my house is down this way." + +"Come with me first," said the other, "my family will already be +eating." + +Thus they disputed, drawing the greedy old priest this way and that +until he was bruised and tired, when he said, "It is enough. I will +neither eat of the venison, nor of the pork." + +And the men went home and laughed, for neither had the one venison nor +the other pork. + +[Illustration: Monastery Grounds at Chieng Tung, Laos.] + + +The Ambitious Priest + +There is a tale of an old priest who prayed each day that the gods would +give him a jewel of great price--one that had the power to make him fly +as a bird. + +A young priest in the temple hearing his prayer, secured the eye of a +fish and hid it in his room, and when again the old priest prayed for +the jewel, the young priest brought the eye of the fish and gave it to +him. Then was the old priest glad, "Now can I rise up as though on wings +and fly from this earth," said he. + +Selecting two large palm leaves, thinking "I must have wings first," he +tried to fly, but could not. + +The young priest said, "From here you cannot fly; it is not high enough. +Go up to the roof of the temple and fly from there." + +Acting on this suggestion, the old priest went up to the roof, but fell +from his high place, and, lo, when they came to him, he was dead! + + + + + VI + Moderation and Greed + + +The Wizard and the Beggar + +Once upon a time there was a poor man who ever begged for food, and, as +he walked along the road he thought, "If any one will give me to eat +until I am satisfied, never will I forget the grace or merit of that +person." Chanting these words as he walked slowly along, he met a +wizard. + +"What do you say as you walk along, my son?" asked the wizard. + +"If any one will give me to eat all I crave, I will never forget the +grace or merit of that person," said the poor man. + +"My son, the people of this day are ever careless and ungrateful. They +forget benefits," replied the wizard. + +"I will not forget," vowed the poor man. + +"Go on, my son," said the wizard. + +Chanting as before, the poor man went on his way, and as he walked he +met a dog. + +"What do you say as you go along, my son?" asked the dog. + +"Whosoever will give me to eat to my satisfaction, the grace or merit of +that person will I never forget," replied the poor man. + +"Men are prone to forget. None remember favors. When I was young and +strong, I guarded my master's house and grounds; now, when I am old, he +will not permit me to enter his gate, but curses and beats me and gives +me no food. By him are all my services forgotten," said the dog. + +Ever chanting, the poor man walked on, and as he walked he met a +buffalo. + +"What do you say as you walk along, my son?" asked the buffalo. And the +poor man repeated what he had told the wizard and the dog. + +"Man is ever ungrateful. When I was young and strong, I plowed the +fields so my master could have rice and my master was grateful to me. +Now that I cannot work, I am driven out to die," said the buffalo. And +the poor man, discouraged, sought the wizard again. + +"My son, will you ever remember benefits?" asked the wizard. + +"Never would I forget a benefit," vowed the poor man, vehemently. + +"Then here are two jewels; one, if held in your mouth, will enable you +to fly as a bird; the other, if held in the mouth, will give you your +desires, and this second one I now give to you," said the wizard, and he +handed the second jewel to the poor man. + +"Your grace and merit will ever be remembered by me. More than tongue +can utter, do I thank you. Ever will I wish you health and happiness and +pray for blessings on your head," declared the poor man. Having thus +spoken, the once poor man sought his home and, through the virtue of the +wishing jewel he had every wish for wealth gratified. + +"How do you secure your desires?" asked the neighbors of the once poor, +begging man. + +"A wizard gave me a wishing-jewel and, by simply placing it in my mouth, +all I wish to possess is mine," answered he. "Listen to me," he +continued, "the wizard has yet another jewel, which, if placed in the +mouth, will enable one to fly as a bird. Come, let us go and kill him +that we may all possess it together." + +With one accord they agreed, and, as they approached the home of the +wizard, the wizard, espying the man he had so benefited, called to him, + +"Why have you not visited me, my son?" + +"There was no time, much work have I had to do," replied the ungrateful +man. + +Now the wizard of course knew the intent of the wicked fellow, that he, +with his neighbors, had come to secure the second jewel, and he asked, + +"Why do you desire to kill me?" + +"Give to me the jewel you have, else I shall kill you, you old wizard," +cried the ungrateful fellow. + +"Have you the wishing-jewel with you? If so, show it to me first," said +the wizard. + +Eagerly did the greedy fellow thrust it toward the old wizard, but he, +having already placed the flying-jewel in his mouth, seized the +wishing-jewel and instead of giving the rascal the flying-jewel, flew +away, leaving both the man and his neighbors without either. + + +A Covetous Neighbor + +There was a poor and lonely man who had but a few melon seeds and grains +of corn which he planted; tenderly did he care for them, as the garden +would furnish his only means of a living. And it came to pass that the +melons and corn grew luxuriantly, and the apes and the monkeys from the +neighboring wilderness, seeing them, came daily to eat of them, and, as +they talked of the owner of the garden, wondered just what manner of man +he might be that he permitted them unmolested to eat of his melons. But +the poor man, through his sufferings, had much merit, and charitably and +willingly shared his abundant fruit with them. + +And upon a day, the man lay down in the garden and feigned death. As the +monkeys and apes drew near, seeing him so still, his scarf lying about +his head, with one accord they cried, "He is already dead! Lo, these +many days have we eaten of his fruit, therefore it is but just that we +should bury him in as choice a place as we can find." + +Lifting the man, they carried him until they came to a place where two +ways met, when one of the monkeys said, "Let us take him to the cave of +silver." Another said, "No, the cave of gold would be better." + +"Go to the cave of gold," commanded the head monkey. There they carried +him and laid him to rest. + +Finding himself thus alone, the man arose, gathered all the gold he +could carry and returned to his old home, and, with the gold thus easily +gained, he built a beautiful house. + +"How did you, who are but a gardener, gain all this gold?" asked a +neighbor, and freely the man told all that had befallen him. + +"If you did it, I, too, can do it," said the neighbor, and forthwith, he +hastened home, made a garden, and waited for the monkeys to feast in it. +All came to pass as the neighbor hoped; when the melons were ripe great +numbers of monkeys and apes came to the garden and feasted. And upon a +day, they found the owner lying as one dead in the garden. Prompted by +gratitude, the monkeys made ready to bury him, and while carrying him to +the place of burial, they came to the place in the way where the two +roads met. Here they disputed as to whether they should place the man in +the cave of silver, or the cave of gold. Meanwhile, the man was thinking +thus, "I'll gather gold all day. When I have more than I can carry in my +arms, I'll draw some behind me in a basket I can readily make from +bamboo," and, when the head monkey said, "Put him in the cave of +silver," he unguardedly cried out, "No, put me in the cave of gold." + +Frightened, the monkeys dropped the man and fled, whilst he, scratched +and bleeding, crept painfully home. + + +A Lazy Man's Plot[15] + +Upon a day a beggar, who was too lazy to work, but ever lived on the +bounty of the people, received a great quantity of rice. He put it in a +large jar and placed the jar at the foot of his bed, then he lay down on +the bed and thus reasoned: + +"If there come a famine, I will sell the rice, and with the money, buy +me a pair of cows, and when the cows have a calf, I'll buy a pair of +buffaloes. Then, when they have a calf, I'll sell them, and with that +money, I'll make a wedding and take me a wife. And, when we have a child +large enough to sit alone, I'll take care of it, while my wife works the +rice fields. Should she say, 'I will not work,' I'll kick her after this +manner," and he struck out his foot, knocking the jar over, and broke +it. The rice ran through the slats of the floor, and the neighbors' pigs +ate it, leaving the lazy plotter but the broken jar. + + 15: The motive corresponds to that of the venerable story of the + Milkmaid. + + +The Ungrateful Fisherman + +It happened on a time that a poor fisherman had caught nothing for many +days, and while he was sitting thinking sadly of his miserable fortune, +Punya In, the god of wisdom, came from his high home in heaven in the +form of a crow, and asked him, "Do you desire to escape from this life +of a fisherman, and live in ease?" And the fisherman replied, "Greatly +do I desire to escape from this miserable life." + +Beckoning him to come to him and listen, the crow told him of a far +distant province, whose chow lay dead. + +"Both the province and all the chow's former possessions will I give +thee, if thou wilt promise ever to remember the benefits I bestow," said +the crow. + +Readily did the fisherman promise, "Never, never will I forget." + +Immediately the crow took the fisherman on his back and flew to the far +distant province. Leaving the fisherman just outside the city gate, the +crow entered the city, went to the chow's home, and took the body of the +chow away, and, in the place put the fisherman. + +When the fisherman moved, the watchers heard, and rejoicing, they all +cried, "Our chow is again alive." + +Great was the joy of the people, and, for many years, the fisherman +ruled in the province and enjoyed the possessions of the former chow. + +But, as time went by, the fisherman forgot the crow had been the author +of all his good fortune, that all were the gifts of a crow, and he drove +all crows from the rice fields. Even did he attempt to banish them from +the province. Perceiving this, the god of wisdom again assumed the form +of a crow and came down and sat near the one-time fisherman. + +"O, chow, wouldst thou desire to go where all is pleasure and delight?" +asked the crow. + +"Let me go," replied the chow. And the crow took him on his back and +flew with him to the house where, as a fisherman he had lived in poverty +and squalor, and ever had he to remain there. + + +The Legend of the Rice + +In the days when the earth was young and all things were better than +they now are, when men and women were stronger and of greater beauty, +and the fruit of the trees was larger and sweeter than that which we now +eat, rice, the food of the people, was of larger grain. One grain was +all a man could eat, and in those early days, such, too, was the merit +of the people, they never had to toil gathering the rice, for, when +ripe, it fell from the stalks and rolled into the villages, even unto +the granaries. + +And upon a year, when the rice was larger and more plentiful than ever +before, a widow said to her daughter, "Our granaries are too small. We +will pull them down and build larger." + +When the old granaries were pulled down and the new one not yet ready +for use, the rice was ripe in the fields. Great haste was made, but the +rice came rolling in where the work was going on, and the widow, +angered, struck a grain and cried, "Could you not wait in the fields +until we were ready? You should not bother us now when you are not +wanted." + +The rice broke into thousands of pieces and said, "From this time forth, +we will wait in the fields until we are wanted," and, from that time the +rice has been of small grain, and the people of the earth must gather it +into the granary from the fields. + +[Illustration: At Work in the Rice Fields.] + + + + + VII + Parables and Proverbs + + +"One Woman in Deceit and Craft is More Than a Match for Eight Men" + +Chum Paw was a maiden of the south country. Many suitors had she, but, +by her craft and devices, each suitor thought himself the only one. +Constantly did each seek her in marriage, and, upon a day as one pressed +her to name the time of their nuptials, she said, "Build me a house, and +I'll marry you when all is in readiness." To the others, did she speak +the same words. + +Each man sought the jungle for bamboo for a house, and, it happened, +while they were in the jungle that they all met. + +"What seekest thou?" they asked one another. "What seekest thou?" The +one answer was, "I have come to fell wood for my house." + +And, as they ate their midday meal together, each had a bamboo stick, +filled with chicken and rice. Now, it happened that Chum Paw had given +the bamboo sticks to the men, and, lo, on investigation, they found the +pieces in their various sticks were the parts of one chicken, and with +one accord, they cried, "Chum Paw has deceived us. Come, let us kill +her. Each has she promised to marry; each has she deceived." + +All were exceedingly angry and vowed they would kill the deceitful +woman. + +Chum Paw, seeing the men return together, knew her duplicity was known +and realized they sought to kill her. + +"I entreat that you spare my life, but take and sell me as a slave to +the captain of the ship lying at the mouth of the river." + +Relenting, the suitors took her to the captain. She, however, running on +before, privately told the captain she had seven young men, her slaves, +whom she would sell him for seven hundred pieces of silver. Seeing the +young men were desirable, the captain gave Chum Paw the silver, and she +fled while the seven lovers were placed in irons. + +Chum Paw fled to the jungle, but, frightened by the wild beasts, she +sought refuge in a tree. And it came to pass that the suitors escaped +from the ship and they, too, sought refuge in the jungle. Unable to +sleep and also frightened, one of them climbed a tree that he might be +safe from the wild beasts, and, lo, it was the same tree in which Chum +Paw had taken refuge. + +"Be silent, make no noise, lest the others hear us," whispered Chum Paw. +"I love you and knew you were wise and would escape from the ship. I +only desired the silver for us to spend together." + +The unfortunate man believed, and sought to embrace her, but, as he +threw up his arms, Chum Paw threw him down, hoping thus to kill him. The +others, hearing the commotion, feared a large bear was in the tree and +hastily fled. Uninjured the suitor, whom Chum Paw had thrown from the +tree, fled with them. + +Chum Paw seeing that they all fled ran behind, as she knew no beast +would attack her while there was so great a commotion. As the suitors +looked back, they saw her, but mistook her for a bear and ran but the +faster, and finally, they all, the seven suitors and Chum Paw reached +their homes. + +Knowing the suitors would again seek her life, Chum Paw made a feast of +all things they most liked and bade the young men to come. (All the food +was prepared by Chum Paw and poisoned.) "I want but to make me _boon_ +before I die, so I beg you eat of my food and forgive me, for I merit +death," said the maiden, as they sat in her house. All ate; and all +died. + +Chum Paw carried six bodies into the inner part of the house, and one +she prepared for the grave. Weeping and wailing, she ran to the nearest +neighbor, crying, "I want a man to come bury my husband. He died last +night. As he had smallpox, fifty pieces of silver will I give to the one +who buries him." + +A man who loved money said, "I will bury him." When he came to the +house, Chum Paw said, "Many times has he died and come back to life. If +he comes back again, no money shall you have." + +The man took the body, made a deep grave, buried the man and returned +for his silver. Lo, on the mat lay the body! He made a deeper grave and +again buried it. Six times he buried, as he supposed, the body, and, on +returning and finding it a seventh time, he angrily cried, "You shall +never return again." Taking the body with him, he built a fire, placed +the body on it, and, while it burned, went to the stream for water. When +he returned, lo, a charcoal man was standing there, black from his work. + +Filled with wrath, the man ran up to him crying, "You will come back +again, will you? will cause me this trouble again, will you?" + +The charcoal burner replied, "I do not understand." Not a word would the +man hear, but fought the burner, and as they struggled, they both fell +into the fire and were burned to death. + +Chum Paw built a beautiful home and spent the silver as she willed. + + +"The Wisest Man of a Small Village is Not Equal in Wisdom to a Boy of +the City Streets" + +Once a boy of the city, watching a buffalo outside the gate of the +largest city in the province, saw three men approaching. Each was the +wisest man of the village from whence he came. The boy called to them, +"Where go ye, old men?" + +The men angrily replied, "Wherefore dost thou, who art but a child, +speak thus to us who are old and the judges of the villages from whence +we come?" + +The boy replied, "There is no cause for anger. How was I to know ye were +wise men? To me, ye seem but as other men from a country place,--the +wisest of whom are but fools." + +The three men were very angry, caught the boy and said, "We will not +enter into the city, but will go to another province and sell this +insolent boy, because he neither reverences age nor wisdom." + +The boy refused to walk, so they carried him. All day they walked along +the road, carrying the boy, and at night they slept by the roadside. In +the morning, when they craved water and bade the boy go to a brook, he +refused, saying, "If I go, ye will run and leave me. I will not go." + +Thirst drove one of the wise men for the water, and the boy drank of it +freely. + +Several days' journey brought them to a wall of a large city, and night +was spent at a _sala_ near the wall. Seeking to rid themselves of the +boy, they bade him go to the city for fire to cook food. Realizing their +motive, he answered, "Should I go, ye will leave me. I will not go, +though, if ye let me tie ye to the posts of the _sala_, then will I go." + +With one accord they agreed, saying, "Do thou even so. We are weary +carrying thee and cannot go for the fire." + +Tying them all, the boy ran to the city, where he met a man whom he +asked, "Dost thou wish to purchase three slaves? Come with me." + +The man returned with the boy, saw the men, and gave him full value for +each. + +Having thus disposed of his captors, the cunning little fellow joined +some men going to his native city, and as he walked along, he thought, +"I was ever wanting to see other places, and now I have been carried a +long journey, and have silver to last me many days ... surely, I have +much _boon_."[16] + + 16: Merit. + + +"To Aid Beast is Merit; To Aid Man is but Vanity"[17] + +A hunter, walking through a jungle, saw a man in a pit unable to escape. +The man called to him, "If thou wilt aid me to escape from this snare, +always will I remember thy grace and merit." The hunter drew him out of +the pit, and the man said, "I am goldsmith to the head chow, and dwell +by the city's gate. Shouldst thou ever want any benefit, come to me, and +gladly will I aid thee." + +As the hunter travelled, he met a tiger caught in a snare set for an +elephant, and the tiger cried, "If thy heart prompts thee to set me +free, thy aid will ever be remembered by me." He helped the tiger from +the snare, and it said, "If ever thou needest aid, call and I will come +to thee." + +Then again the hunter went on his way, and came to a place where a snake +had fallen into a well and could not get out, and the snake cried, "If +thou wilt aid me, I can aid thee also in the time soon to come," and he +assisted the snake. "When the time comes that thou needest me, think of +me, and I will come to thee with haste," said the snake. + +Now, it had happened that on the day that the hunter had rescued the +tiger it had killed the chow's child, but of this the hunter knew +nothing. And it came to pass that three days after, the hunter desiring +to test the words of the tiger, went to the forest. Upon calling it, the +tiger came to him immediately and brought with him a long golden chain, +which he gave to the hunter. The hunter took the chain home, and, +wishing to sell it, sought the goldsmith whom he had befriended. But the +goldsmith, seeing it, said, "You are the man who has killed the chow's +child." And he had his men bind the hunter with strong cords and took +him to the chow in the hope of gaining the reward offered to any who +might find him who had killed the child. + +The chow put the hunter in chains and commanded he die on the morrow. +The hunter begged for seven days' respite, and it was granted him. In +the night he thought of the snake he had helped, and immediately the +snake came, bringing with him a medicine to cure blindness. While the +household of the chow slept, the snake entered and cast of its venom in +the eyes of the chow's wife, and she was blind. + +Throughout all the province the chow sought for some one to restore the +eyes of his afflicted wife, but no one was found. + +It happened on a day, that word came to the chow's ears that the hunter +he had in chains for the death of his child, was a man of wisdom and +knew the merit of all the herbs of the field, therefore he sent for him. + +When the hunter came into the presence of the chow unto where the wife +sat, he put the medicine which the snake had brought him into the eyes +of the princess, and sight, even like unto that of a young maiden, was +restored unto her. + +Then the chow desired to reward the hunter, and the hunter told him how +he had come into possession of the golden chain, of the medicine which +the serpent had given him because he had aided it in its time of +trouble, and of the goldsmith, who had not only forgotten benefits +received, but had accused him so he might gain a reward. And when the +chow learned the truth, he had the ungrateful goldsmith put to death, +but to the hunter did he give half of his province, for had he not +restored the sight of the princess? + + 17: This only of the Folk Tales has been written before. It is taken + from an ancient temple book and is well-known in all the Laos country. + +[Illustration: The "Chow" and his Palace.] + + + + + VIII + The Gods Know and the Gods Reward + + +Love's Secrets + +There was once a poor woodsman, who went to the jungle to cut wood, so +he might sell it and buy food for his wife and child. And upon a day, +when the cool evening had come, wearied, the man lay down to rest and +fell into a deep sleep. + +From his home in the sky, the god who looks after the destiny of man was +hot-hearted[18] when he saw the man did not move, and he came down to +see if he were dead. When he spake in the wood-cutter's ear, he awoke +and arose, and the fostering god led him home. As they came near the +gate, the god said, "Stand here, whilst I go and see to the welfare of +thy wife." Listening without, the god heard the fond wife say to the +little child, "I fear some evil hath befallen thy kind father. Ever doth +he return as it darkens about us." + +The god knew from her words that the wife was good, and taught the child +love and reverence for its father, therefore was he pleased, and +returning to the woodsman, sent him in haste to his home, and said, "I, +myself, will lay the wood in its place." + +The next morning, when the eye of day opened, the fond wife went for +wood to build a fire that her husband might eat of hot food ere he went +to his daily labor, and, lo, when she saw the wood which her husband had +brought home, all was turned into gold! Thus had the cherishing god +rewarded a husband faithful in his work, and a wife loving and +thoughtful. + +Leaving the house of the worthy woodsman, the god met a man tardily +wending his way home with a small, poorly-made bundle of sticks. +Approaching him, the god said, "Wait at the steps. I will go first and +see how it is with thy wife." And the god went up unseen, and heard the +wife say to her son, "Ever is it thus. Thy father thinks naught of us; +he stays away so he need be with us but little." + +Sadly the god returned to the laggard, took the bundle from him, and +bade him go to his wife and child, saying he would put the wood in its +place. + +Late the following day, long after the husband had gone to his work, the +wife went for some wood, and, lo, found all the wood had turned to +venomous snakes! Then was she afraid, and she grew kinder of heart and +strove to make her husband better and happy. + + 18: Anxious. + + +Poison-Mouth + +There was once a poor father and mother who had a little daughter, +called "Poison-Mouth." + +And it happened on a day that a great number of cows came into the +garden, and when the mother saw them she cried angrily, "You but destroy +our garden. I would you were all dead." + +"Poison-Mouth" hearing her mother's angry words, called out, "Die, all +of you, for you are destroying our garden." And immediately all the +cattle dropped dead. + +Upon another day, the bees were swarming and great companies flew over +the house, and the mother said complainingly, "Why do you never come to +us that we may have honey?" + +Little "Poison-Mouth" called: "Come to us that we may have honey." And, +lo, before the eye of day had closed, the house was filled with bees and +the poor people had more honey than they could use. + +Word of "Poison-Mouth" reached a great chow, and, prompted by the god of +love to sweeten the poisoned mouth, he sent ten men with this message to +the child's parents: "Take good care of your child; let her hear no +evil, and when she is old enough, I will take her to wife." + +When the men approached the home of "Poison-Mouth" they said, "O, poor +people," but the mother would not permit them to finish, as their words +angered her, and she exclaimed, "You are bad dogs!" And the men were no +longer men, but dogs, snapping and snarling, for little "Poison-Mouth" +had also cried, "Bad dogs are you." + +Though greatly distressed, the chow sent yet again twenty men with his +message. And again, when the mother beheld these men, she exclaimed, +"See, the dogs coming yonder!" "Poison-Mouth" echoed, "Yes, twenty dogs +are coming now," and they also changed into dogs, fighting on the +streets. + +"Who can help me?" cried the chow, distressed though not despairing. + +An old man answered, "I will help you. I will go to the child." And, +while the mother was absent, he sought the little one, and thus softly +said, "My child, thy tongue is given thee to bless with, and not to +curse. Come with me, and learn only that which is good." The little one +answered, "I will come," and the old man took her to the chow, who, from +that time forth, spoke no evil, and, little "Poison-Mouth," hearing none +but beautiful and good words, grew beautiful and good, and her words +brought blessings ever. + + +Strife and Peace + +There was once a husband and wife who ever quarrelled. Never were they +pleasant with each other. + +A wealthy man sought to see if they could spend but a day in peace, so +he sent two men with one hundred pieces of silver to them, saying, "If +this day be spent without strife, this silver shall be yours." Then the +two men hid themselves near the house to watch after what fashion they +spent the day. + +"If we are to earn the reward, it were better thou shouldst hold thy +tongue with thy hand, else thou canst not endure throughout the day," +said the husband. + +"Ever am I quiet. It is well known of all the neighbors that thou, and +thou alone, art ever quarrelsome," retorted the wife. + +And thus they disputed until both grew angry, and the quarrel was so +loud that all the people living near heard it. Thereupon the two men +came forth from their hiding-place, and said, "The silver does not +belong to you, of a certainty." + + * * * * * + +Determined to find virtue, the rich man sent the two men with the silver +to a husband and wife who never quarrelled, and bade them say, "If this +day, you will strive one with the other, these one hundred pieces of +silver shall be yours." + +The husband greatly desired the money and sought to anger his wife. He +wrought a basket which she wanted to use in sunning the cotton, with the +strands of bamboo so wide apart that the least wind would blow all the +cotton out of the basket. Yet, when he handed it to his wife, she +pleasantly said, "This is just the right kind of a basket. The sun can +come in all about the cotton, as though it were not in a basket at all." + +Again, the husband made a basket so narrow at the top that it was +difficult to put anything into it, and also the mouth was of rough +material so that the hand would be scratched in putting in or taking out +the cotton. "Surely, this will anger her," thought the husband. + +Turning it from side to side, the wife said, "Now, this, too, is just +right, for when the wind blows, the cotton will be caught on the rough +wood at the mouth and cannot blow away." + +The two men in hiding all day heard nothing but gentle words, so, in the +evening, they returned to the rich man, saying, for they knew not the +efforts of the husband to provoke his wife, "Those two know not how to +quarrel." + +Gladdened, the seeker for virtue commanded them to be given the silver, +for they loved peace. + + +The Widow's Punishment + +Once there lived a woman who had a son and a nephew living with her. And +upon a day they came to her desiring money that they might go and trade +in the bazaar. She gave each a piece of silver of equal value, and bade +them so to trade and cheat that they might bring home much money. + +At the bazaar, one bought a large fish, the other, the head and horns of +a buffalo, and, as they rested by the roadside on their way home, they +tied the large, living fish and the buffalo head together, and threw +them in a muddy stream. When they threw the stones at the fish, it +jumped, thus causing the buffalo head to move as though it were alive. + +A man saw the head in the water and desired to buy the buffalo. The boys +named the price of a live animal, and, having received it, they fled. + +As they went along, not long after, they found a deer which a wild dog +had killed, but had not eaten of it. It they took with them, and, a +drover, seeing it, asked where they had found it. + +"Our dog," said the boys, "is so trained, it goes to the jungle and +catches the wild animals for our food." + +The drover desired to buy the dog. + +"No," said the boys, "we will not sell it." + +Their words but made the drover more eager to possess the dog, and he +offered ten of his best cattle in exchange. The exchange pleased the +boys, and, having received the cattle for their useless dog, they +hastened to a large city, where they sold them for much money and +returned home. On reaching it, they divided the money equally, but the +mother was dissatisfied and desired that her son have the larger +portion, therefore she insisted that they make an offering to the spirit +in the hollow tree near by, before the money could be rightly divided. + +While the boys were preparing the offering, the mother ran and hid in +the hollow tree, and when they had made their offering and asked the +spirit, "What division must we make of the money?" a voice replied, +"Unto the son of the widow, give two portions--unto the nephew of the +widow, give one portion." + +Greatly angered, the nephew put wood all about the tree and set fire to +it. Though he heard the voice of his aunt, saying, "I beg that thou have +mercy on me and set me free," he would not recognize it, and the widow +and the tree perished. Thus, she who had taught him to cheat, by her own +pupil was destroyed. + + +Honesty Rewarded + +In the far north country there lived a father, mother, and son. So poor +and desolate were they that their only possession was an old ax. Each +morning, as the eye of day opened on the earth, they went to the woods +and there remained until the evening, cutting the wood, which, when +sold, furnished their only source of a living. + +Upon a day, when the cutting was done, they placed the ax near the wood +and went deeper into the jungle for vines to bind the wood. It happened +the chow of the province came that way with twelve of his men; one of +whom bore an ax of gold, another bore an ax of silver and both belonged +to the chow. Yet, when the chow saw the old, wooden-handled ax lying +near the wood, he commanded that it be taken home with them. + +The family returning found their ax gone. Deeply distressed, they sat +down and wept, and thus in trouble, did the chow and his men find them +as they came that way again. + +"Why are your hearts thus troubled?" inquired the chow. + +They answered: "O chow, we had but one ax and it is gone and no other +means of earning food have we!" + +The chow replied: "I found your ax. Here it is." And he commanded they +be given the ax of silver, whose handle even was silver. + +"That is not ours," they cried, "not ours." + +The chow commanded the ax of gold be given them. Yet they wept but the +more, saying, "The golden ax is not ours. Ours was old, 'twas but of +steel and the handle of wood, but 'twas all we had." + +Their honesty gladdened the heart of the chow and he commanded that not +only their own ax be returned, but the ax of gold, the ax of silver, and +even a pun[19] of gold be given them. Thus was merit rewarded. + + 19: About 3 lbs. avoir. + + +The Justice of In Ta Pome + +Men of three countries wanted a chemical to change stones and metals +into gold, and they all came together to worship In Ta Pome, one of the +gods. One man was from China, one from India, and one from Siam. They +all worshipped at the feet of In Ta Pome, saying, "We beg thee, O In Ta +Pome, give unto us the chemical which will change all stones and metals +into gold." + +In Ta Pome replied, "Each of you kill one of your children, cut him into +pieces and put him into a jar. Cover this with a new, clean cloth, and +bring it unto me." + +The Chinaman feared to kill his child, so killed a pig, cut it up and +placed it in a jar, over which he tied a close cover. + +The Siamese did the same with a dog, but the Indiaman believed in In Ta +Pome, and killed his only son, put him into a jar, and covered it. + +All returned to the god with their several jars. + +In Ta Pome sprinkled the jar of the Chinaman first, saying, "Whatsoever +is silver, let it be silver; whatsoever is gold, let it be gold," but +the pig grunted, as pigs do, and In Ta Pome said, "From this time forth, +you shall take care of pigs and kill them to gain gold." Sprinkling the +jar of the Siamese, the god again said, "Whatsoever is silver, let it be +silver; whatsoever is gold, let it be gold," but the dog barked, as dogs +do, and In Ta Pome said, "You must plow the earth, and only by the sweat +of your brow shall you have enough to keep you in food." + +Taking the jar of the Indiaman, and having sprinkled it, In Ta Pome +cried, "Whatsoever is silver, let it be silver, and whatsoever is gold, +let it be gold," and lo, the child came to life! And to the Indiaman did +In Ta Pome give the chemical that changes all stones and metals into +gold, because he had believed, and had not tried to mock and deceive the +gods. + + + + + IX + Wonders of Wisdom + + +The Words of Untold Value + +In the days long since gone by, a young man, a son of a poor widow, +desired to go with two of his friends to Tuck Kasula,[20] the country +where one could learn the wisdom of all the world, but he had no gold +with which to buy the wisdom, for does not every one know that wisdom is +difficult to obtain, and is therefore of great price. + +Now, the two young friends had each two puns[21] of gold, but the +widow's son had but two hairs of his mother's, which, when he wept +because he had no money, the widow had given him, saying, "I have naught +but these two fine hairs to give thee, my son, but go with thy friends, +each hair will be to thee as a pun of gold." + +Then the son placed the two hairs in a package with his clothing, and +sealed the package with wax, and set out with his friends to visit Tuck +Kasula. + +After they had travelled some time, they grew hungry, and on arriving in +a village, they entered a house for food. The widow's son left his +package and his other goods on the veranda. While he was within the +house a hen ran away with the package and lost it. The owners of the hen +offered the son anything they had either of food or clothing to replace +his loss, but he would be content with nothing but the hen, and they +gave it to him. + +And again when they entered another house for food, the widow's son tied +the hen to a small bush in the compound, and, lo, an elephant stepped +upon it and killed it! + +The people offered the young man many things to make good his loss, but +he would be content with nothing but the elephant, and they gave him the +elephant. + +At last they reached Tuck Kasula, and while his two friends, with their +gold, sought the house of the teachers, the widow's son stayed under a +tree where he could hear the teachers instructing their disciples. + +"If you wish to know others, sleep. If you wish to see, go and look," +said a wise man. "These words are of untold value, but, for only two +puns of gold will I give them unto you," he added. + +The widow's son knew he had heard without price the wisdom for which his +two friends would each have to pay two puns of gold, so he quietly +turned the elephant and returned home. + +"I will buy your words of wisdom, if you will sell them," said the judge +to the widow's son. + +"For two puns of gold I will sell them," answered the widow's son. + +"Two puns of gold will I give thee," said the judge. + +"'If you wish to know others, sleep. If you wish to see, go and look,'" +said the widow's son, when he had in his possession the two puns of +gold. + +The judge, desiring to test the truth of the words, as he understood +them, called unto him his four wives, and said, "I am not well. Give me +water to drink, and fan me." Soon he seemed to be asleep, and his wives +talked thus together in low voices: + +"It is not pleasant to be the wife of this foolish man," said the first. + +"I like another man better," said the second. + +"I wish I could steal his goods and flee while he sleeps," said the +third. + +"I would like to make him a savory dish with poison in it to kill him," +said the fourth. + +Then the judge sprang up and cruelly punished his wives and put them in +chains. + +And upon another day, the judge arose early and went out to see how his +slaves worked. Under the house, hunting for something, he saw a man. + +"What do you seek?" asked the judge. + +"I have just stolen from the judge all of his silver, and, in trying to +get it through a small opening, I broke my finger-nail. If I do not find +it, the judge will die and all his possessions will be destroyed, for, +as thou knowest, ever is it thus, if a finger-nail falls near a house." + +When the man had found the broken nail, the judge said, "I, who stand +here, am the judge. I will but take from you the silver which you have +stolen and no punishment shall be yours, because of the truth which you +have told." Then the judge said to himself, "The two puns of gold was a +small price to pay for the wisdom which I have obtained." + + 20: A fabulous "City of Wisdom." + + 21: A pun--about 3 lbs. avoir. + + +A Wise Philosopher + +As a rich trader journeyed to another province, he rested by the road +under a tree, and, as he sat there, a poor young man approached and +asked that he might accompany him. + +"Come," said the trader, and, as they journeyed, they came to a place +where there were many stones, indeed there was naught else to be seen. + +"Here are there no stones," said the poor young man. + +"You are right, here are no stones," replied the trader. + +Soon they reached the shade of a large forest, and the young man said, + +"Here are no trees." + +"You are right, here are no trees," the trader assented. + +When they reached a large village, the poor young man said, + +"Here are no people." + +"You are right," spake the trader, but he wondered what manner of man +might he be who knows nothing and has neither eyes nor ears. However, as +he returned home and the poor young man begged to accompany him, he +agreed and took him with him. + +And, as they approached the trader's home his daughter called, "O +father, what have you brought?" + +"Nothing but this foolish young man," answered the trader. + +"Why do you call him a fool?" asked the daughter. "By his appearance and +manner I would judge he were the god of wisdom come down in man's form." + +"I can see no wisdom in one who, when he can see but stones, says, +'There are no stones here,' or, when he is in the forest, says, 'Here +are no trees,' or, when in the midst of a populous village, says, 'There +is no man here,'" replied the trader. + +"He meant, where the stones were all about, that none were precious; +where the forest was, that there was no teak, no wood good for man's +use; and, where the village was, there were no people, as the people had +all fallen away from the religion of Buddha, living but as beasts and +making no merit for the future life," argued the daughter. + +"If you esteem him so highly, take him for your husband," said the +trader. + +"If your daughter will have me as her husband, ever will I endeavor to +make the path on which she treads smooth and beautiful for her feet," +cried the poor young man. + +They were married and lived happily, and, upon a time, the head chow +summoned the trader to come watch his house during the night. Greatly +was the trader troubled. "I shall die this night," cried the trader. + +"Why shall you die, my father?" asked the son-in-law, in great concern. + +"The chow has called me to watch this night and for some time past he +has killed all who have watched for him; an evil spirit has possessed +him and he loves to punish with death the watchmen, for, he falsely says +they sleep and he has them killed but to satisfy the spirit in him," +answered the trader. + +"I will watch in thy stead," said the son-in-law. And fearlessly did he +go to the chow's, and, when midnight was come and the chow descended +secretly to see if the watchman slept, lo, the young man prayed aloud +for the god of wisdom to come teach him what to do. The chow, hearing +the sound of voices, listened, and heard one voice say, "The brave and +the strong govern themselves, then have they the power to govern others. +The wise make themselves loved because they are good and true, and are +served by others through love and not through fear," and another voice +steadily repeated the words. Three times during the night came the chow. +Each time the voice was speaking and being answered, and, lo, when the +eye of day opened in the East, the chow was found possessed of a kind +and loving spirit and no longer desired to destroy his people. The young +son-in-law of the trader was made a leader of the people, for the chow +declared unto all that the spirit of the god of wisdom dwelt in the +young man's heart, and, it came to pass that the whole land was blessed +because one young man had learned of the god of wisdom. + + +The Boys Who Were Not Appreciated + +Once there were two brothers. The elder watched and tended the younger +during the day, while their mother went to labor for food. It had +happened that the father had died, and the mother had taken another +husband who ever sought to teach the mother to dislike and neglect the +brothers. + +And it fell upon a day that the children waited and watched for their +mother's return until they were hungry, for all day had they had no +food. When the eye of day closed, they sought food and found some green +fruit. This they ate and then lay down to sleep. + +Long after darkness had settled, came the mother and her husband home, +and the mother cooked rice which they sat down to eat. + +Awakened by the odor of the rice, the children heard the talking, and +the elder led his younger brother to his mother and begged food, but the +husband said, "Do not give them of our food," and the mother beat them +and drove them from home. The elder brother carried his little brother +back to sleep under the house, but even thence were they driven. At last +they sought and found shelter with a neighboring widow, who gave them +mats to sleep on. As the eye of day opened, the two children set out to +find a new home. For many days did they walk, and upon an evening they +found a _sala_ near the chief city of another province. There they +slept. In the morning the elder boy sought food, and behold, he saw two +snakes wrestling under the _sala_. Both were wounded. One, however, +killed the other and then left it and ate some grass growing near, and, +lo, immediately the snake was whole as before. Waiting only until the +restored snake had gone, the boy gathered some of the grass, and put it +in the mouth of the dead snake, and forthwith it came to life and +blessed the boy. Gathering more of the grass, the boy returned to his +brother and they both ate of it and were strengthened. + +Not long after, a servant of the chow of the neighboring province came +to the _sala_, and the boys asked, "For whom is the mourning in the +city?" The servant replied, "The young daughter of the chow; and the +chow mourns. If any one will restore her unto life, the chow declares, +unto him will he give half of his province and goods." + +Eager to try the wonderful grass, the boy carried his young brother and +some of the grass even unto the chow's house, where he sought permission +to restore the child with the grass. Gladly the chow consented. The boy +placed the magic grass in the maiden's mouth, and immediately she came +to life. Full of joy, the chow shared his province and goods with him +and even gave his daughter in marriage, as promised. + +And upon a day after they had lived happily a long time in that province +and had grown wise and strong, the two young men thought of their +mother, and said, "We will go and visit her and her husband." + +They made ready joints of bamboo and closed them, after having filled +them with gold, in such a way that no one could see the gold. When all +was ready, with a great number of elephants and servants, they returned +to their native province. + +On reaching their home, they gave of the bamboo joints to their friends +and relatives, one each, but to their mother and her husband, gave they +five of the largest joints, and two of the largest gave they to the kind +widow. + +"The bamboo makes fine firewood," they said to their mother. "Cut it up +and burn it." + +The mother and her husband were angry and would not speak to the sons +who had brought but wood as a gift, and sorrowfully they returned to the +other province. + +Upon a day the widow visited the mother and urged that she cut the +bamboo joints. + +"Your sons say that the bamboo makes a good firewood. Where is yours?" +the widow asked. + +The mother replied, "It is outside. Our children came from a great +distance and brought to us but this firewood. We shall never touch it." + +But the widow urged, "I would believe and trust the love of my children. +I beg that you cut up the wood." At last they did so, and when the +husband cut into the joints, lo, he found them all gold. Then ran they +both to find the sons to thank them, but they were already too far +distant. Unable to endure their remorse, there the mother and her +husband died on the wayside. + + +The Magic Well + +The chow of a large province lay ill. All the doctors of many provinces +were summoned, but none could aid him, nor could any understand his +malady. Lying in his house one day, an old man begged he might see him, +saying he had a message from the spirits. Brought into the presence of +the chow, the old man said, "Last night, as I lay on my bed, I had this +vision. A spirit came to me and touched me and led me to the river's +brink. There I saw a boat prepared for my use. I entered the boat and it +was rowed swiftly by unseen hands down the stream. After a little time, +it stopped at the foot of a tall mountain. Up this the spirit led me, +and through which was no path. We journeyed until we reached the +mountain's top. On its summit were two great walls of rock, and between +the walls was a gate, looking like a gate which led into a city. Leading +me to the other side of the mountain, the spirit bade me ascend the rock +where the foot of man had never before trod, and, far up in the face of +the rock, I saw a small opening, like the mouth of a well. I lay down +and stretched my arm to its full length, but failed to reach the bottom +of the opening. By the side of this opening, on looking more closely, I +beheld a cup tied to the end of a staff. With the cup I dipped pure +water from the well. About to drink of the water, the spirit restrained +me and commanded I should come to thee and tell thee this water, and +this water alone, would heal thee. Therefore have I come, O prince, to +lead thee unto this place." + +The prince did not doubt him, but commanded the boats be prepared for +his use. Taking with him a large retinue of servants, and guided by the +aged man, they departed in search of the health-restoring well. + +After just such a journey as the man had described, at his bidding, the +boats landed at the foot of a tall mountain, where he led them +unerringly upward, although no path could be seen; the chow, leaning on +the arms of two strong men, followed. + +There indeed were the walls of rock and the gateway, as the guide had +described, and, after a long and weary climb, they reached the opening +in the rock. + +Taking the staff of the chow and binding his golden drinking-cup +thereto, the aged man dipped from the well and gave it to the prince to +drink. Having drank of the water, and having poured it on his head and +hands, the chow was healed of his sickness, and was as a new man. And to +this day, the water is used for the healing of the people. + + + + + X + Strange Fortunes of Strange People + + +The Fortunes of Ai Powlo + +Once upon a time a father and mother had a wicked son whose name was Ai +Powlo. One day, while in the rice fields together, the father sent the +son to his mother with a message. Instead, however, of delivering the +message, Ai Powlo said his father had been eaten by a tiger. Leaving his +mother in great distress, he returned to the rice fields and told his +father that both his mother and the house were burned, and, for three +days, did the father mourn for his wife, as he lay in the watchhouse. + +While the father was mourning, Ai Powlo moved his mother and the house +to a new place and then sought his father, saying, "I saw a woman in a +new house by the stream who resembles my mother. Would you like her for +a wife?" + +"If my son seeks her for me, I would be thankful," replied the father. + +Going to his mother, Ai Powlo said, "I have a man who would make thee a +good husband. He would work in the rice fields. Will you take him for a +husband?" + +Thinking of the work, the mother said, "I will. Go, bring him to me, my +son." + +Lo, when the father and mother met, they recognized one another, and +they knew their crafty son had deceived them! + +As Ai Powlo fled from the wrath of his mother and father, he journeyed +many days, and, upon a day it happened he stole some pork from a +Chinaman. Taking the pork, he sought the rice fields and there he saw an +old man at work. Running up to him, he called, "Father, do you not +hunger for some pork? I have some to share with you." + +"I do, my son," replied the old man. + +Together they went to the watchhouse to cook the pork, but found no pot +there. + +"Whilst I make a fire, go thou, my son, to my house and ask my wife for +a pot." + +"Your husband wants you to give me all the money in the house, as he has +heard of an elephant which he can buy now," said Ai Powlo to the wife. + +The wife refused to give it to him and Ai Powlo called to the husband, +who sat by the watchhouse waiting for the pot, "She will not give it to +me." The old man called back, as he was hungry for the pork, "Give it to +him. Make haste," and receiving all their store, Ai Powlo fled into +another province. + +Upon a day, as Ai Powlo walked by the highway, he saw four bald-headed +men pouring water on their heads to cool themselves. Running up to them, +he said, "I know a medicine which will make the hair grow. Rub your +heads until the skin is broken, whilst I make the medicine." + +Taking some red peppers, he pounded them to a soft paste, put some salt +in it, and then handed it to the four simple-minded old men, who had +already rubbed their heads until they bled. + +Having used the medicine, they suffered great pain and would have killed +Ai Powlo, but he fled and took refuge with the chow, to whom he said, "I +saw four old men on the way, who butted their heads together, trying to +see which could overcome the other. All have much strength, and their +heads are scratched and bleeding." Even as Ai Powlo spoke to the chow, +the chow espied the men, and, when they came up, he commanded them, +saying, "If you are able thus to wrestle for your own pleasure, you can +wrestle for my pleasure." Not daring to disobey the command of the chow, +the men painfully wrestled. While they struggled, Ai Powlo, fearing +their wrath, fled, and as he fled, he fell into a deep stream and was +drowned. + + * * * * * + +Many years after, two fishermen were fishing in the stream, and as they +drew in the net, they found not a fish, but a skull, and lo, the skull +both laughed and mocked! + +As the fishermen talked together of the curious skull, a man with a +boat-load of goods approached, and they called to him, asking, "Did you +ever see a skull which laughed and mocked?" + +"Never did I see such a skull, nor ever will I believe there is such a +thing," replied the man. + +"If we show you such a skull, what will you give unto us?" asked the +fishermen. + +"All the goods in my boat," laughingly answered the man. + +On beholding the skull, which, of a truth did both laugh and mock him, +the boatman forfeited his goods, but, in his anger, he cut the skull and +broke it into pieces, and, of these pieces he made dice with which to +gamble, and was it not fitting, as Ai Powlo, whose skull it was, in life +had but deceived, and ever done evil? + + +The Fortunes of a Lazy Beggar + +Once upon a time a man lived who was never known to work. When the +neighbors grew weary supplying him with food, he sought the forest, and +lay down under a fig-tree so the ripe fruit might drop into his mouth. +Often, when the food fell out of his reach, he would suffer hunger, +rather than make an effort. + +It fell upon a day that a stranger passed that way, and the lazy man +asked him to please gather some fruit and put it into his mouth, as he +hungered. The wily stranger gathered a handful of earth and put it into +his mouth, as he lay there with his eyes even closed. Tasting the earth, +the lazy man was angry, and he threw figs after the retreating impostor, +who ran away mocking him. + +Days after, a ripe fig fell into a stream near by and, floating down the +stream, was seen and eaten by the daughter of a chow. Delicious to the +taste, she grew dissatisfied with all other fruit and vowed that, from +henceforth, she would eat of no other fruit, and that the man who had +thrown the one beautiful fig should be her husband. + +Angered by such a caprice, her father urged her to be guided by his +judgment. Unable to restrain her, and, hoping to turn her desire +elsewhere, the chow made an elaborate feast and bade all the people of +the province to it. But, among all was not the one who had thrown the +fig into the stream. + +"Is there not yet a man who has not come to the feast?" asked the chow. + +"None save the lazy beggar who lies at the fig-tree," they said. + +"Bring him hither," commanded the chow, determined to have his daughter +see what manner of man she was selecting as her husband. + +Too lazy to walk, the lazy man was carried into the presence of the chow +and his guests. + +Ashamed that his daughter sought such as her husband, and would have no +other, as it was supposed that the lazy man alone had thrown the fig +into the stream, and he was too lazy to deny it, the chow had a boat +built for their use and commanded that they be floated down the stream +to the sea. This he did, hoping his obstinate daughter and her lazy +husband might be lost to the world forever. + +All day long the boat drifted; all day long spake the princess not one +word to her husband, nor would she have aught to eat. Fearing she would +not live, if she did not eat, the beggar made a fire to cook some rice +for her. Lazy as ever, he put but two stones under the kettle, and it +tottered. + +"I cannot endure your lazy ways. Put three stones under the kettle," +cried his wife. + +The husband did so, glad she had spoken to him. + +And when the boat had drifted many days, it came to a place where once +there had been a large rice field and there it remained. + +While the princess stayed in the boat, the once indolent beggar labored +day after day in the rice fields that they might live; moreover, he had +learned to love his princess wife. + +When the god, who looks to men's deeds, from his home in the sky saw the +man no longer loved his ease more than all else, but would toil for his +wife, he said within himself, "the man deserves reward." So he called to +him six wild monkeys from his woods, and gave into their care six magic +gongs, telling them to go beat them in the rice fields where the husband +toiled. + +The husband heard the monkeys and the clanging of the gongs, but, at +last, unable to endure the noise, finally caught the monkeys and secured +the gongs. He then threatened to kill the monkeys, but they plead that +they were sent, by the god who looks to men's deeds, with the gongs as a +reward for his merit. "Having seen your efforts to provide for your +wife, who loves not you, he sends you these gongs. If you strike this +one, you will grow beautiful; that one, you will have wisdom. Another +gives you lands and servants, and, another, if struck while holding it +in your hands, will cause people to do you reverence as though you were +a god," they told the man. + +Having permitted the monkeys to go, he beat the gong of beauty, and his +body grew straight and tall, also his face became most pleasant to look +upon. Beating the gong of power, and taking the others with him, he +sought his wife. She did not recognize him, and would have done him +reverence, but he said, "Do me no reverence. I am thy husband," and he +told her of the god's reward. When she heard of the magic gongs, she +entreated him to return to her father that he might forgive her for not +having heeded his counsel. + +Through the magic gongs, had they wealth, power and all benefits the +gods could bestow, and the father loved them, and indeed gave his +son-in-law power above all the princes in his province. And the once +lazy man thought within himself: "In former times the people derided me +as a lazy man, because I would not work, now that I am possessed of +wealth, they do me reverence; yet behold I am as lazy as ever, for I +open my mouth and food is ready for my use. Thus it is, that when a poor +man does not work, he is called a lazy beggar, but when a prince, or +rich man, does not work, he has power, and people do him reverence." + +[Illustration: A Laos Feast.] + +[Illustration: Street in a Laos Town.] + + +The Misfortunes of Paw Yan + +Upon a day, Paw Yan[22] said to his wife, "Today I shall build a +watch-tower in the rice fields." + +"You will need four posts about the size of our children here," replied +the wife. + +Taking the four children with him to the rice fields, Paw Yan dug four +post holes and made the children stand in them. Then he packed the earth +about their feet to make them firm, took the beams and laid them on +their shoulders, tied them in place, and went for more bamboo to finish +the watch-tower. + +The eye of day had closed in the West, yet the husband and the children +returned not, so the wife, in distress, sought them in the fields, and, +lo, when she reached them, there stood the four children as posts for +the watch-tower. + +"Know you not anything? I said take four posts the size of our +children," cried the wife. + +And upon another day did Paw Yan attempt to build the tower, but so +utterly did he fail that his wife said, "While I build the watch-tower +you gather the food for the pigs, and, when the eye of day closes, give +it to them." + +Paw Yan watched until the eye of day was about to close, but forgot to +gather the food for the pigs, so he took all the rice, which was the +food for the family, and went out to the pigs. He called, "Ow, ow, +ow,"[23] and the pigs ran about trying to find the food, but Paw Yan +forgot to throw it to them, for, while he stood there, he saw ants +running down the trunk of a tree, and he could think of nothing else. +"That's an easy way to get down a tree," thought Paw Yan. "I'll try it," +and, throwing the rice aside, he climbed the tree, and, head first, +started down, but fell to the ground and broke his neck! + + 22: Paw Yan--a blunderer. + + 23: Ow--take. + + +An Unfortunate Shot + +There was once a poor man too ill to work, and he had no one to give him +food. The chow of the province heard of him and sent for him to come to +his house. + +When the man reached the house of the chow, the chow gave him a bow and +arrow, saying, "Shoot upward toward the sky. When the arrow falls to the +earth, if it fall making a hole in the earth, I will weigh the earth +which the arrow digs up, and give thee the weight of it in gold. On +whatsoever thy arrow falls, that will I weigh and give its weight unto +thee in gold. If, in its fall, the arrow should make a hole in the +ground six feet long and six feet deep, that earth will I weigh, and +gold according to the weight thereof shall be thine." + +The poor man was indeed glad, and, shooting with all his strength into +the air, the arrow pierced a pomegranate seed, therefore the chow gave +unto him gold but the weight of the seed! + + + + + XI + Stories Gone Astray + + +The Blind Man + +A man and a woman had a daughter to whom they ever taught, in selecting +a husband, to take none but a man with rough hands, as then she might +know he would work. + +Overhearing this advice, and desiring a wife, a blind man took some +rice, pounded it, and having rubbed it over his hands, came to woo the +maiden. Though utterly blind, the eyes of the blind man appeared even as +the eyes of those who see, and the maiden loved him and gave herself to +him in marriage. Never did she suspect the truth. + +Many days they lived happily, but upon a time the wife made curry of +many kinds of meat, and her husband ate but of one kind. When she asked +him why he ate but of the one kind, the husband replied, "If a man eat +from a dish, that dish should he wash. If I eat but from one, I need +wash but one." + +Again, upon a day, as the husband plowed the rice field, he plowed up +the ridges between the fields. + +"Why dost thou work after that fashion?" asked the wife. + +"The places for planting the rice are small and narrow. I wish to make +them larger," replied the husband. + +When the rice had grown, the man went into the fields with his wife, +and, as they walked, he fell over the ridges, in among the rice. + +"Why dost thou fall upon the rice?" asked the wife. + +"I do but measure the distance between the plants. If the rice be good +this year, I will then know just how far apart to plant it next year," +he answered. + +And upon a time it happened the house was burning, and, as the wife +fled, she saw her husband lingering and unable to find the door. + +"Come this way, the door is here," cried the wife. + +"I know, I know. I but measure the house that we may build another of +its size," retorted the husband. + +Lo, as the husband left the burning house and was running, he fell into +a well. His wife placed a ladder for him to climb out, but, behold, he +climbed far above the mouth of the well. + +"Come down. Here is the ground," called the wife. + +"I know, I know. I am up here to see if the fire is out," called down +the husband. + +Long had the father of the wife suspected the husband was blind, and, +upon a day, he came to test his eyes. Carrying a bell, such as a buffalo +wears, the father hid in the bushes and rang the bell. + +"Go, bring the buffalo into the compound,"[24] directed the wife. + +Suspecting naught, the husband went to the bushes, and cried, "Yoo, +yoo!"[25] The father struck him, but he freed himself and returned to +the house and told his wife that the buffalo had been dangerous and had +horned him. But the father, convinced the husband had deceived them all, +drove him from the house. + +As the blind man walked, he met a man with palsied feet. + +"If thou wilt be eyes to me, I will be feet to thee," called the blind +man, and, forthwith, he put the palsied man on his back. As they +journeyed, they met a wizard, who said, "Would you prosper, that which +you grasp hold with a secure hand." + +And upon a day, the man with the palsy saw a bird's nest; thinking there +would be eggs therein, he bade the blind man go up the tree and bring +them. When the blind man grasped the nest, the head of a venomous snake +appeared, but his companion called, "Grasp it tightly," and, as he held +it, the snake cast of its venom in his eyes, and he saw all things. Just +lingering to place the snake on his afflicted friend, and seeing him, +too, restored, the husband hastened home to his wife, but as he ran, he +beheld her coming out to him. With these kind words did she greet him, +"O, my husband, come I will work for thee. I have ever loved thee!" but, +when she beheld that his eyesight was restored, she was exceeding glad, +and greatly did she rejoice. + + 24: Enclosed grounds or yard--generally a place of residence. + + 25: Yoo, yoo--stand still, be quiet. + + +Heads I Win, Tails You Lose + +A man once asked his newly-married son-in-law, "You will help me in the +work that the chow gives me to do, now that you are one of us, will you +not?" + +And the son-in-law replied, "I will promise this. Whenever you go, I +will stay at home, and when I stay at home, you will go and work." + +Pleased with the ready promise, the father said, "I thank you, my son." + +When the chow called the father, the son said, "This time you go, and I +will stay at home," and the father went. + +And when the chow again called, the son said, "Now, I will stay at home, +whilst you go." + +Then the father understood the promise of his son, and he did his +government work alone until the day of his death. + + +The Great Boaster + +There lived in the south a man who so continually boasted of his +strength and endurance that all the people called him, "Kee-oo-yai"--the +great boaster. Never entered into his ear a tale of danger, but his +mouth opened to speak of a greater one which had been his; never a feat +of strength but he could tell of one requiring greater strength which he +had done, so, when the men of the village talked together and saw him +drawing near, they would derisively say, "There is the great boaster +coming. We must flee from his face for, is not he as strong and brave as +the elephant? And we, compared to him are but as the dogs, or as the +pigs." And the company would separate, so when the boaster reached the +place no one would be there. + +Once, a young boy came from a distant province, and, hearing of the +boaster, said, "Verily, I can bring him to have a face of shame before +his neighbors, for, in one thing I can excel any man almost. I can run +for a short distance and my heart does not beat faster, neither can any +man say that my heart is quicker than when I am but seated, doing no +labor. I will challenge the boaster to run up a hill with me, breathing +but four times until the top is reached." + +The next day, the boy met and challenged the boaster to run to the top +of a small hill, drawing breath but four times on the way. "If you can +run and draw breath but four times, I can run the same distance and draw +breath but twice," the boaster said. + +When the race was run, many men ran along to see that neither of the +runners deceived the other. The boaster ran but a short distance, when +he shouted in pain and shame, "Had we been running down-hill, I am sure +that I could have done more than you." + +Then all the men mocked the boaster, saying, "Your words are truly +large, but your works are but small. Never again will we listen to you, +for a young lad has overcome one who says that he is stronger than the +strongest." From that time never were they troubled, for, +"Kee-oo-yai,"--the great boaster, was never heard to boast again. + + +A Clever Thief + +Once a man went into the field of a gardener and stole a melon. Before +he had had time to eat it the gardener discovered him, took the melon +and tied it to the neck of the thief, and led him to the home of the +head man of the village. + +As they walked along, the thief took his scarf and covered his head and +shoulders, and, as he was in front, he ate the melon without the +gardener's seeing him. + +When they reached the home of the head man, the gardener said, "This man +stole a melon from me. It is tied to his neck under the cloth which +covers his head and shoulders." + +"I thought this man but walked along. I did not know he would accuse me +of such a sin. If I stole a melon, where is it?" asked the thief. He +removed the scarf, and, lo, there was nothing to prove his guilt, and +the head man said, "I see no sign of guilt in this man. Do not again +falsely accuse one, or you will be punished." + + +Eyeless-Needle, Rotten-Egg, Rotten-Banana, Old-Fish and Broken-Pestle. + +Once upon a time there were five men so lazy and wicked that no one +would speak to them nor have anything to do with them. No one of their +native province would speak to them at all, and, to show their contempt +for them, the people had christened them by odious names. One was +called, "Eyeless-Needle"; one, "Rotten-Egg"; one, "Rotten-Banana"; one, +"Old-Fish," and the fifth, "Broken-Pestle." + +As there was neither shelter nor food for them in the village, they went +to live in the woods, and one day they saw a cannibal building a fire. +He had both a fine house and much goods, so one of the men said, "Let us +go kill him, and take his goods." + +"Eyeless-needle" said, "No, we must not kill him now. When he sleeps we +will kill him. I have planned just how it shall be done. You, +'Rotten-Egg,' go to the fireplace. You, 'Old-Fish,' jump into the water +jar. 'Rotten-Banana,' lie down at the top of the stairs, and, you, +'Broken-Pestle,' lie at the foot." + +As the eye of day had closed and the cannibal slept, "Eyeless-Needle," +from under the bed, pricked him. The cannibal thought insects were +biting him, and, unable to sleep, he arose to build a fire. When he +stooped to blow the flame, "Rotten-Egg" broke and flew up into his face; +when he sought the water jar to wash his face, "Old-Fish" jumped and +broke the jar and all the water was lost. Taking the dipper to go to the +well for water, the cannibal slipped on "Rotten-Banana" and fell +downstairs, where "Broken-Pestle" struck him on the head and killed him. +Then, taking much goods, "Eyeless-Needle," "Rotten-Banana," +"Rotten-Egg," "Old-Fish," and "Broken-Pestle" fled, and to this day, has +no one either seen or heard of them. + + + + +For Work Among Children + +*Practical Primary Plans.* For Sabbath School Teachers. By Israel P. +Black. Illustrated with diagrams. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. + +*Object Lessons for Junior Work.* Practical Suggestions, Object Lessons, +and Picture Stories. By Ella N. Wood. 16mo, cloth, with designs and +illustrations, 50 cents. + +*The Children's Prayer.* By Rev. James Wells, D.D. Addresses to the +Young on the Lord's Prayer. 16mo, cloth, 75 cents. + +*Bible Stories Without Names.* By Rev. Harry Smith, M.A. With questions +at the end of each chapter and the answers in a separate booklet. 16mo, +cloth, 75 cents. + +*Object Lessons for Children*; or, Hooks and Eyes, Truth Linked to +Sight. Illustrated. By Rev. C. H. Tyndall, Ph.D., A.M. _2d edition._ +12mo, cloth, $1.25. + +*Attractive Truths in Lesson and Story.* By Mrs. A. M. Scudder. +Introduction by Rev. F. E. Clark, D.D. _3d thousand._ 8vo, cloth, $1.25. + +*Pictured Truth.* A Handbook of Blackboard and Object Teaching. By Rev. +R. F. Y. Pierce. Introduction by R. H. Conwell, D.D. With illustrations +by the author. _3d thousand._ 12mo, cloth, $1.25. + +*Children's Meetings, and How to Conduct Them.* By Lucy J. Rider and +Nellie M. Carman. Introduction by Bishop J. H. Vincent. Cloth, +illustrated, _net_, $1.00; paper covers, _net_, 50 cents. + +*Talks to Children.* By Rev. T. T. Eaton, D.D., with introduction by +Rev. John A. Broadus, D.D., LL.D., 16mo, cloth, $1.00. + +*Conversion of Children.* By Rev. E. P. Hammond. A practical volume, +replete with incident and illustration. Suggestive, important, and +timely. Cloth, 75 cents; paper cover, 30 cents. + +*Gospel Pictures and Story Sermons for Children.* By Major D. W. +Whittle. Profusely illustrated. _47th thousand._ 12mo, cloth, 30 cents, +net; paper, 15 cents. + +*Seed for Spring-time Sowing.* A Wall Roll for the use of Primary, +Sabbath School and Kindergarten Teachers. Compiled by Mrs. Robert Pratt. +75 cents. + +Fleming H. Revell Company + + NEW YORK: 158 Fifth Avenue + CHICAGO: 63 Washington Street + TORONTO: 154 Yonge Street + + +The Home and Children + +*Child Culture in the Home.* By Martha B. Mosher. 12mo, cloth, $1.00. + +"Rarely has so helpful a book on the moral education of children +appeared. The emotions, the senses, the will, as well as the training of +the habits of the child and methods of training, are all +considered."--_The Outlook_. + +"It is written in a clear, straightforward manner, is rich in +suggestions and illustrations, and is thoroughly wholesome in +counsel."--_Cumberland Presbyterian_. + +*Studies in Home and Child-Life.* By Mrs. S. M. I. Henry. _Eighth +thousand_, 12mo, cloth, $1.00. + +"It is clear, concise and vigorous throughout, and has the charm of +Mother love and God love from first to last. We cannot conceive of a +more helpful manual than this would be in the hands of young parents, +and indeed of all who have to do with children."--_The Union Signal_. + +"The book is one we can heartily commend to every father and mother to +read and re-read, and ponder over and read again."--_The Observer_. + +*Child Culture; or, The Science of Motherhood.* By Mrs. Hannah Whitall +Smith, _3rd edition_, 16mo, decorated boards, 30 cents. + +"We have read nothing from the pen of this gifted woman which we have +more enjoyed than this wisely-written booklet, as spiritual as it is +practical, and as full of common sense as of exalted sentiment. Any +mother having prayerfully read this heart message of a true woman will +be a better mother."--_Cumberland Presbyterian_. + +*The Children for Christ.* By Rev. Andrew Murray, D.D. Thoughts for +Christian Parents on the Consecration of the Home Life. 12mo, cloth, +$1.00. + +"The author seems to have had a Divine vocation in writing this book, +and thousands of parents ought to derive blessings from it for their +children."--_The Evangelist_. + +*Home Duties.* Practical Talks on the Amenities of the Home. By Rev. R. +T. Cross. 12mo, paper, 15 cents; cloth, 30 cents, net. + +CONTENTS: Duties of Husbands. Duties of Wives. Duties of Parents. Duties +of Children. Duties of Brothers and Sisters. The Duty of Family Worship. +The Method of Family Worship. A Home for Every Family and How to Get It. + +"A model of what can be done in so brief a space."--_The Independent_. + +Fleming H. Revell Company + + NEW YORK: 158 Fifth Avenue + CHICAGO: 63 Washington Street + TORONTO: 154 Yonge Street + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + +In the first story, A Child of The Woods, the second paragraph starts +with an opening quote that is never closed or continued, this has been +left unchanged. + +List of changes from the printed edition (in parentheses the original +text): + +p. 72: "venison" for "vension" (I will neither eat of the vension, nor +of the pork) + +p. 80: "flying-jewel" for "flying jewel" (and instead of giving the +rascal the flying jewel, flew away) + +p. 155: ";" for "." 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