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diff --git a/37884.txt b/37884.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0eebc91 --- /dev/null +++ b/37884.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4706 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Tales of the Khasis, by K. U. Rafy + +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: Folk-Tales of the Khasis + +Author: K. U. Rafy + +Release Date: October 30, 2011 [EBook #37884] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-TALES OF THE KHASIS *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + FOLK-TALES OF THE KHASIS + + By + + Mrs. RAFY + + + + Illustrated + + Macmillan and Co., Limited + St. Martin's Street, London + 1920 + + + + + + +FOREWORD + + +Without any apology I offer to the public this imperfect collection +of the quaint and fascinating Folk-Tales of the Khasis, believing that +the perusal of them cannot fail to cheer and to give pleasure to many. + +Of some of the stories there are several versions current in the +country,--sometimes conflicting versions,--but this in no way +diminishes their charm. In such cases I have selected the version +which appeared to me the most unique and graceful, and seemed to throw +the truest light on the habits and the character of this genial and +interesting Hill race. + +Several of these tales have been published by me from time to time +in The Statesman of Calcutta, by whose courtesy I am permitted to +reproduce them in this volume. + +I shall consider the book amply rewarded if it bears the fruit I +anticipate, by rendering more cheerful an hour or two in the life of +its readers during these busy and strenuous times. + + +K. U. R. + +August 10, 1918. + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + Page + 1. What makes the Eclipse 1 + 2. The Legend of Mount Sophet Bneng 8 + 3. How the Peacock got his Beautiful Feathers 10 + 4. The Goddess who came to live with Mankind 18 + 5. The Formation of the Earth 24 + 6. U Raitong (The Khasi Orpheus) 26 + 7. The Tiger and the Monkeys 37 + 8. The Legend of the Iei Tree 43 + 9. Hunting the Stag Lapalang 49 + 10. The Goddesses Ka Ngot and Ka Iam 52 + 11. U Biskurom 55 + 12. U Thlen 58 + 13. How the Dog came to live with Man 68 + 14. The Origin of Betel and Tobacco 75 + 15. The Stag and the Snail 81 + 16. The Leap of Ka Likai 85 + 17. The Shadows on the Moon 89 + 18. U Ksuid Tynjang 92 + 19. What makes the Lightning 97 + 20. The Prohibited Food 100 + 21. The Cooing of the Doves 104 + 22. How the Colour of the Monkey became Grey 106 + 23. Ka Panshandi, the Lazy Tortoise 108 + 24. The Idiot and the Hyndet Bread 111 + 25. U Ramhah 116 + 26. How the Cat came to live with Man 120 + 27. How the Fox got his White Breast 123 + 28. How the Tiger got his Strength 128 + 29. How the Goat came to live with Man 131 + 30. How the Ox came to be the Servant of Man 134 + 31. The Lost Book 137 + 32. The Blessing of the Mendicant 140 + + + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + In the Neighbourhood of the Mountain + of the Iei Tree Frontispiece + + Page + Khasi Peasants 3 + At the Foot of Mount Shillong 19 + At the Foot of the Mountain of the Iei Tree 44 + A Khasi Waterfall in the Neighbourhood of the + Mountain of the Iei Tree 45 + The Haunt of Ka Kma Kharai 60 + Sacred Grove and Monoliths 63 + At the Foot of the Shillong Mountains 69 + A View in the reputed Region where U Ramhah the + Giant committed his Atrocities 76 + The Leap of Ka Likai 86 + The reputed Haunt of U Ksuid Tynjang 93 + A Khasi Industry--Frying Fish in the Open Air 141 + + + + + + +I + +WHAT MAKES THE ECLIPSE + + +Very early in the history of the world a beautiful female child, whom +the parents called Ka Nam, was born to a humble family who lived in a +village on the borders of one of the great Khasi forests. She was such +a beautiful child that her mother constantly expressed her fears lest +some stranger passing that way might kidnap her or cast an "evil eye" +upon her, so she desired to bring her up in as much seclusion as their +poor circumstances would permit. To this the father would not agree; +he told his wife not to harbour foolish notions, but to bring up the +child naturally like other people's children, and teach her to work and +to make herself useful. So Ka Nam was brought up like other children, +and taught to work and to make herself useful. + +One day, as she was taking her pitcher to the well, a big tiger came +out of the forest and carried her to his lair. She was terrified +almost to death, for she knew that the tigers were the most cruel +of all beasts. The name of this tiger was U Khla, and his purpose +in carrying off the maiden was to eat her, but when he saw how young +and small she was, and that she would not suffice for one full meal +for him, he decided to keep her in his lair until she grew bigger. + +He took great care of her and brought home to her many delicacies +which her parents had never been able to afford, and as she never +suspected the cruel designs of the tiger, she soon grew to feel quite +at home and contented in the wild beast's den, and she grew up to be +a maiden of unparalleled loveliness. + +The tiger was only waiting his opportunity, and when he saw that +she had grown up he determined to kill her, for he was longing to +eat the beautiful damsel whom he had fed with such care. One day, +as he busied himself about his lair, he began to mutter to himself: +"Now the time has come when I can repay myself for all my trouble in +feeding this human child; to-morrow I will invite all my fellow-tigers +here and we will feast upon the maiden." + +It happened that a little mouse was foraging near the den at that +time and she overheard the tiger muttering to himself. She was very +sorry for the maiden, for she knew that she was alone and friendless +and entirely at the mercy of the tiger; so the little mouse went +and told the maiden that the tigers were going to kill her and eat +her on the following day. Ka Nam was in great distress and wept very +bitterly. She begged of the mouse to help her to escape, and the mouse, +having a tender heart, gave her what aid was in her power. + +In the first place she told the maiden to go out of the den and to +seek the cave of the magician, U Hynroh, the Giant Toad, to whom +the realm was under tribute. He was a peevish and exacting monster +from whom every one recoiled, and Ka Nam would have been terrified +to approach him under ordinary conditions, but the peril which faced +her gave her courage, and under the guidance of the mouse she went +to the toad's cave. When he saw her and beheld how fair she was, +and learned how she had been the captive of his old rival the tiger, +he readily consented to give her his protection; so he clothed her in +a toadskin, warning her not to divest herself of it in the presence +of others on pain of death. This he did in order to keep the maiden +in his own custody and to make her his slave. + +When the mouse saw that her beautiful friend had been transformed +into the likeness of a hideous toad she was very sorrowful, and +regretted having sent her to seek the protection of U Hynroh, for +she knew that as long as she remained in the jungle Ka Nam would be +henceforth forced to live with the toads and to be their slave. So +she led her away secretly and brought her to the magic tree which was +in that jungle, and told the maiden to climb into the tree that she +might be transported to the sky, where she would be safe from harm +for ever. So the maid climbed into the magic tree and spoke the magic +words taught her by the mouse: "Grow tall, dear tree, the sky is near, +expand and grow." Upon which the tree began to expand upwards till +its branches touched the sky, and then the maiden alighted in the +Blue Realm and the tree immediately dwindled to its former size. + +By and by the tiger and his friends arrived at the den, ravenous +for their feast, and when he found that his prey had disappeared +his disappointment and anger knew no bounds and were terrible to +witness. He uttered loud threats for vengeance on whoever had connived +at the escape of his captive, and his roars were so loud that the +animals in the jungle trembled with fear. His fellow-tigers also became +enraged when they understood that they had been deprived of their +feast, and they turned on U Khla and in their fury tore him to death. + +Meanwhile Ka Nam wandered homeless in the Blue Realm, clothed in the +toadskin. Every one there lived in palaces and splendour, and they +refused to admit the loathsome, venomous-looking toad within their +portals, while she, mindful of the warning of U Hynroh, the magician, +feared to uncover herself. At last she appeared before the palace +of Ka Sngi, the Sun, who, ever gracious and tender, took pity on her +and permitted her to live in a small outhouse near the palace. + +One day, thinking herself to be unobserved, the maid put aside her +covering of toadskin and sat to rest awhile in her small room, but +before going abroad she carefully wrapped herself in the skin as +before. She was accidentally seen by the son of Ka Sngi, who was a +very noble youth. He was astonished beyond words to find a maiden of +such rare beauty hiding herself beneath a hideous toadskin and living +in his mother's outhouse, and he marvelled what evil spell had caused +her to assume such a loathsome covering. Her beauty enthralled him +and he fell deeply in love with her. + +He hastened to make his strange discovery known to his mother, and +entreated her to lodge the maiden without delay in the palace and to +let her become his wife. Ka Sngi, having the experience and foresight +of age, determined to wait before acceding to the request of her +young and impetuous son until she herself had ascertained whether a +maid such as her son described really existed beneath the toadskin, +or he had been deluded by some evil enchantment into imagining that +he had seen a maiden in the outhouse. + +So Ka Sngi set herself to watch the movements of the toad in the +outhouse, and one day, to her surprise and satisfaction, she beheld +the maiden uncovered, and was astonished at her marvellous beauty +and pleasing appearance. But she did not want her son to rush into an +alliance with an enchanted maiden, so she gave him a command that he +should not go near or speak to the maid until the toadskin had been +destroyed and the evil spell upon her broken. Once again Ka Sngi set +herself to watch the movements of the toad, and one day her vigilance +was rewarded by discovering Ka Nam asleep with the toadskin cast +aside. Ka Sngi crept stealthily and seized the toadskin and burned +it to ashes. Henceforth the maiden appeared in her own natural form, +and lived very happily as the wife of Ka Sngi's son, released for +ever from the spell of the Giant Toad. + +There was an old feud between U Hynroh and Ka Sngi because she +refused to pay him tribute, and when he learned that she had wilfully +destroyed the magic skin in which he had wrapped the maiden, his anger +was kindled against Ka Sngi, and he climbed up to the Blue Realm to +devour her. She bravely withstood him, and a fierce struggle ensued +which was witnessed by the whole universe. + +When mankind saw the conflict they became silent, subdued +with apprehension lest the cruel monster should conquer their +benefactress. They uttered loud cries and began to beat mournfully +on their drums till the world was full of sound and clamour. + +Like all bullies, U Hynroh was a real coward at heart, and when he +heard the noise of drums and shouting on the earth, his heart melted +within him with fear, for he thought it was the tramp of an advancing +army coming to give him battle. He quickly released his hold upon Ka +Sngi and retreated with all speed from the Blue Realm. Thus mankind +were the unconscious deliverers of their noble benefactress from the +hand of her cruel oppressor. + +U Hynroh continues to make periodical attacks on the sun to this day, +and in many countries people call the attacks "Eclipses," but the +Ancient Khasis, who saw the great conflict, knew it to be the Giant +Toad, the great cannibal, trying to devour Ka Sngi. He endeavours to +launch his attacks when the death of some great personage in the world +is impending, hoping to catch mankind too preoccupied to come to the +rescue. Throughout the whole of Khasi-land to this day it is the custom +to beat drums and to raise a loud din whenever there is an eclipse. + + + + + + +II + +THE LEGEND OF MOUNT SOPHET BNENG + + +Sophet Bneng is a bare dome-like hill, about thirteen miles to the +north of Shillong, and not far from the Shillong-Gauhati highroad to +the East, from which it is plainly visible. Its name signifies the +centre of heaven. + +From the time of the creation of the world a tall tree, reaching to the +sky, grew on the top of this hill, and was used by the heavenly beings +as a ladder to ascend and descend between heaven and earth. At that +time the earth was uninhabited, but all manner of trees and flowers +grew in abundance, so that it was a very beautiful and desirable +place, and they of heaven frequently came down to roam and to take +their pleasure upon it. + +When they found that the land in the neighbourhood of Sophet Bneng +was fertile and goodly, they began to cultivate it for profit, but +they never stayed overnight on the earth; they ascended to heaven, +according to the decree. Altogether sixteen families followed the +pastime of cultivating the land upon the earth. + +Among the heavenly beings there was one who greatly coveted power, +and was unwilling to remain the subject of his Creator, and aspired +to rule over his brethren. He was constantly seeking for opportunities +whereby to realise his ambitions. + +One day it happened that seven families only of the cultivators +chose to descend to the earth, the other nine remaining in heaven +that day. When they were busy at work in their fields, the ambitious +one covertly left his brethren, and, taking his axe secretly, he cut +down the tree of communication, so that the seven families could not +return to their heavenly home. + +Thus it was that mankind came to live on the earth, and it is from +these seven families--called by the Khasis "Ki Hinniew Skum" (the +seven nests, or the seven roots)--who descended from heaven on that +fatal day that all the nations of the earth have sprung. + + + + + + +III + +HOW THE PEACOCK GOT HIS BEAUTIFUL FEATHERS + + +When the world was young and when all the animals spoke the language +of mankind, the peacock, U Klew, was but an ordinary grey-feathered +bird without any pretensions to beauty. But, even in those days, +he was much given to pride and vanity, and strutted about with all +the majesty of royalty, just because his tuft was more erect than the +tuft of other birds and because his tail was longer and was carried +with more grace than the tails of any of his companions. + +He was a very unaccommodating neighbour. His tail was so big and +unwieldy that he could not enter the houses of the more lowly birds, +so he always attended the courts of the great, and was entertained +by one or other of the wealthy birds at times of festivals in the +jungle. This increased his high opinion of himself and added to his +self-importance. He became so haughty and overbearing that he was +cordially disliked by his neighbours, who endeavoured to repay him +by playing many a jest at his expense. + +They used to flatter him, pretending that they held him in very high +esteem, simply for the amusement of seeing him swelling his chest and +hearing him boast. One day they pretended that a great Durbar of the +birds had been held to select an ambassador to carry the greetings +of the jungle birds to the beautiful maiden Ka Sngi, who ruled in the +Blue Realm and poured her bright light so generously on their world, +and that U Klew had been chosen for this great honour. + +The peacock was very elated and became more swaggering than ever, +and talked of his coming visit with great boastings, saying that not +only was he going as the ambassador from the birds, but he was going +in his own interests as well, and that he would woo and win the royal +maiden for his wife and live with her in the Blue Realm. + +The birds enjoyed much secret fun at his expense, none of them dreaming +that he would be foolish enough to make the attempt to fly so far, +for he was such a heavy-bodied bird and had never flown higher than +a tree-top. + +But much to the surprise of every one, the peacock expressed his +intention of starting to the Blue Realm and bade his friends good-bye, +they laughing among themselves, thinking how ridiculous he was making +himself, and how angry he would be when he found how he had been +duped. Contrary to their expectations, however, U Klew continued his +flight upwards till they lost sight of him, and they marvelled and +became afraid, not knowing to what danger their jest might drive him. + +Strong on the wing, U Klew soared higher and higher, never halting +till he reached the sky and alighted at the palace of Ka Sngi, the +most beautiful of all maidens and the most good. + +Now Ka Sngi was destined to live alone in her grand palace, and her +heart often yearned for companionship. When she saw that a stranger +had alighted at her gates she rejoiced greatly, and hastened to +receive him with courtesy and welcome. When she learned the errand +upon which he had come, she was still happier, for she thought, "I +shall never pine for companionship again, for this noble bird will +always live with me"; and she smiled upon the world and was glad. + +When U Klew left the earth and entered the realm of light and sunshine, +he did not cast from him his selfish and conceited nature, but rather +his selfishness and conceit grew more pronounced as his comforts and +luxuries increased. Seeing the eager welcome extended to him by the +beautiful maiden, he became more uplifted and exacting than ever and +demanded all sorts of services at her hands; he grew surly and cross +unless she was always in attendance upon him. Ka Sngi, on the other +hand, was noble and generous and delighted to render kindnesses to +others. She loved to shine upon the world and to see it responding to +her warmth and her smiles. To her mate, U Klew, she gave unstinted +attention and waited upon him with unparalleled love and devotion, +which he received with cold indifference, considering that all this +attention was due to his own personal greatness, rather than to the +gracious and unselfish devotion of his consort. + +In former times Ka Sngi had found one of the chief outlets for her +munificence in shedding her warm rays upon the earth; but after the +coming of U Klew her time became so absorbed by him that she was no +longer able to leave her palace, so the earth became cold and dreary, +and the birds in the jungle became cheerless, their feathers drooped, +and their songs ceased. U Slap, the rain, came and pelted their +cosy nests without mercy, causing their young ones to die; U Lyoh, +the mist, brought his dark clouds and hung them over the rice fields +so that no grain ripened; and Ka Eriong, the storm, shook the trees, +destroying all the fruit, so that the birds wandered about homeless +and without food. + +In their great misery they sought counsel of mankind, whom they knew +to be wiser than any of the animals. By means of divinations mankind +ascertained that all these misfortunes were due to the presence of U +Klew in the Blue Realm, for his selfish disposition prevented Ka Sngi +from bestowing her light and her smiles upon the world as in former +times; and there was no hope for prosperity until U Klew could be +lured back to jungle-land. + +In those days there lived in the jungle a cunning woman whose name +was Ka Sabuit. Acting on the advice of mankind, the birds invoked her +aid to encompass the return of the peacock from the Blue Realm. At +that time Ka Sabuit was very destitute, owing to the great famine; +she had nothing to eat except some wild roots and no seed to sow in +her garden except one gourdful of mustard seeds--the cheapest and +most common of all seeds--and even this she was afraid to sow lest the +hungry birds should come and devour it and leave her without a grain. + +When the birds came to seek counsel of her she was very pleased, +hoping that she could by some design force them to promise not to +rob her garden. After they had explained to her their trouble, she +undertook to bring U Klew back to the jungle within thirteen moons +on two conditions: one, that the birds should refrain from picking +the seeds from her garden; the other, that they should torment the +animals if they came to eat her crops or to trample on her land. These +appeared such easy terms that the birds readily agreed to them. + +The garden of the cunning woman was in an open part of the jungle and +could be seen from many of the hill-tops around, and in past days the +sun used to shine upon it from morning till night. Thither Ka Sabuit +wended her way after the interview with the birds, and she began to +dig the ground with great care and patience, bestowing much more time +upon it than she had ever been known to do. Her neighbours laughed +and playfully asked her if she expected a crop of precious stones to +grow from her mustard seed that year that she spent so much labour +upon the garden, but the elderly dame took no heed. She worked on +patiently and kept her own counsel while the birds waited and watched. + +She shaped her mustard bed like unto the form of a woman; this provoked +the mirth of her neighbours still more and incited many questions +from them, but Ka Sabuit took no heed. She worked patiently on and +kept her own counsel while the birds waited and watched. + +By and by the seeds sprouted and the plot of land shaped like a +woman became covered with glistening green leaves, while the birds +continued to watch and to keep the animals at bay, and the cunning +woman watered and tended her garden, keeping her own counsel. + +In time small yellow flowers appeared on all the mustard plants, so +that the plot of land shaped like a woman looked in the distance like a +beautiful maiden wearing a mantle of gold that dazzled the eyes. When +the neighbours saw it they wondered at the beauty of it and admired +the skill of the cunning woman; but no one could understand or guess +at her reason for the strange freak and Ka Sabuit threw no light on +the matter. She still patiently worked on and kept her own counsel. + +Up in the Blue Realm U Klew continued his despotic and arrogant sway, +while his gentle and noble wife spared no pains to gratify his every +wish. Like all pampered people who are given all their desires, the +peacock became fretful and more and more difficult to please, tiring +of every diversion, and ever seeking some new source of indulgence, +till at last nothing seemed to satisfy him; even the splendours and +magnificence of the palace of Ka Sngi began to pall. + +Now and then memories of his old home and old associates came to +disturb his mind, and he often wondered to himself what had been the +fate of his old playmates in jungle-land. One day he wandered forth +from the precincts of the palace to view his old haunts, and as he +recognised one familiar landmark after another his eye was suddenly +arrested by the sight of (as it seemed to him) a lovely maiden dressed +all in gold lying asleep in a garden in the middle of the forest +where he himself had once lived. At sight of her his heart melted +like water within him for the love of her. He forgot the allegiance +due to his beautiful and high-born wife, Ka Sngi; he could only think +of the maiden dressed all in gold, lying asleep in a jungle garden, +guarded by all the birds. + +After this U Klew was reluctant to remain in the Blue Realm. His whole +being yearned for the maiden he had seen lying asleep on the earth, +and one day, to his wife's sorrow, he communicated his determination +to return to his native land to seek the object of his new love. Ka +Sngi became a sorrowful wife, for there is no pang so piercing to the +heart of a constant woman as the pang inflicted by being forsaken +by her husband. With all manner of inducements and persuasions and +charms she tried to prevail upon him to keep faithful to his marriage +vows, but he was heartless and obdurate; and, unmindful of all ties, +he took his departure. As he went away Ka Sngi followed him, weeping, +and as she wept her tears bedewed his feathers, transforming them into +all the colours of the rainbow. Some large drops falling on his long +tail as he flew away were turned into brilliant-hued spots, which +are called "Ummat Ka Sngi" (the Sun's tears) by the Khasis to this +day. Ka Sngi told him that they were given for a sign that wherever +he might be and on whomsoever his affections might be bestowed, he +would never be able to forget her, Ka Sngi, the most beautiful and +the most devoted of wives. + +Thus U Klew, the peacock, came back to the jungle. The birds, +when they saw his beautiful feathers, greeted him with wonder and +admiration. When he informed them that he had come in quest of a lovely +maiden dressed all in gold, they began to laugh, and it now became +clear to them what had been the object of the cunning woman when she +shaped her mustard bed like unto the shape of a woman. They invited +U Klew to come and be introduced to the object of his love, and they +led him forth with great ceremony to the garden of Ka Sabuit, where he +beheld, not a beautiful maiden as he had imagined, but a bed of common +mustard cunningly shaped. His shame and humiliation were pitiful to +behold; he tried to fly back to the Blue Realm, but he was no longer +able to take a long flight; so, uttering the most sad and plaintive +cries, he had to resign himself to the life of the jungle for ever. + +Every morning, it is said, the peacock can be seen stretching forth +his neck towards the sky and flapping his wings to greet the coming +of Ka Sngi; and the only happiness left to him is to spread his lovely +feathers to catch the beams which she once more sheds upon the earth. + + + + + + +IV + +THE GODDESS WHO CAME TO LIVE WITH MANKIND + +(A LEGEND OF THE SHILLONG PEAK) + + +Shillong Peak is the highest mountain in the Khasi Hills, and although +it bears such a prosaic name in our days, the mountain was a place of +renown in the days of the Ancient Khasis, full of romance and mystery, +sacred to the spirits and to the gods. In those days the mountain +itself, and the whole country to the north of it, was one vast forest, +where dwelt demons and dragons, who cast evil spells and caused dire +sickness to fall upon any unfortunate person who happened to spend +a night in that wild forest. + +In the mountain there lived a god. At first the Ancients had no clear +revelation about this deity; they were vaguely aware of his existence, +but there was no decree that sacrifices should be offered to him. After +a time there arose among the Khasis a very wise man of the name +of U Shillong who was endowed with great insight to understand the +mysteries, and he discovered that the god of the mountain was great +and powerful, and sacrifice and reverence should be offered to him, +and he taught his neighbours how to perform the rites acceptably. The +name of the deity was not revealed, so the people began to call him "U +'Lei Shillong" (the god of U Shillong) after the name of the man who +first paid him homage. Then gradually he came to be called "the god +Shillong," and in time the mountain itself was called the mountain +of Shillong, and from this is derived the name of the present town +of Shillong. + +Possibly the god Shillong was, and remains, one of the best-known +and most generally reverenced of all the Khasi gods, for even on +the far hill-tops of Jaintia altars have been raised to his service +and honour. Although sacrifices are being offered to him at distant +shrines, the abode of the god is in the Shillong mountain, more +especially in the sacred grove on the summit of the peak itself, +which is such a familiar landmark in the country. + +Judging from tradition, this deity was regarded as a benign and +benevolent being, forbearing in his attitude towards mankind, who were +privileged to hunt in his forests unhindered by dangers and sicknesses, +and the dances of mankind were acceptable in his sight. He frequently +assisted them in their misfortunes and helped them to overcome the +oppression of demons. It was he who endowed U Suidnoh with wisdom +to fight and to conquer U Thlen, the great snake-god and vampire +from Cherrapoonjee, and it was by his intervention that Ka Thei and +her sister were delivered from the grasp of the merciless demon, +U Ksuid Tynjang. + +Tradition also points out that this famous deity had a wife and +family, and three at least of his daughters are renowned in Khasi +folk-lore. One of them transformed herself into the likeness of +a Khasi maiden and came to live with mankind, where she became +the ancestress of a race of chiefs. Two other daughters, out of +playfulness, transformed themselves into two rivers, and are with us +in that form to this day. This is the story of the goddess who came +to live with mankind: + +Many hundreds of years ago, near the place now known as Pomlakrai, +there was a cave called the Cave of Marai, near to which stood a +high perpendicular rock around which the youthful cow-herds of the +time used to play. They gathered there from different directions, +and passed the time merrily, practising archery and playing on their +flutes, while keeping an eye on their herds. The rock was too high +for them to attempt to climb it, and it was always spoken of as +"the rock on which the foot of man never trod." + +On a certain day, when the lads came as usual to the familiar +rendezvous, they were surprised to see, sitting on the top of the +rock, a fair young girl watching them silently and wistfully. The +children, being superstitious, took fright at sight of her and ran +in terror to Mylliem, their village, leaving the cattle to shift +for themselves. When they told their news, the whole village was +roused and men quickly gathered to the public meeting-place to hold +a consultation. They decided to go and see for themselves if the +apparition seen by the children was a real live child, or if they +had been deluded by some spell or enchantment. Under the guidance of +the lads, they hurried to the place on the hill where the rock stood, +and there, as the boys had stated, sat a fair and beautiful child. + +The clothes worn by the little girl were far richer than any worn +by their own women-folk, so they judged that she belonged to some +rich family, and she was altogether so lovely that the men gazed +open-mouthed at her, dazzled by her beauty. Their sense of chivalry +soon asserted itself, however, and they began to devise plans to +rescue the maiden from her perilous position. To climb up the face +of that steep rock was an impossible feat; so they called to her, +but she would not answer; they made signs for her to descend, but +she did not stir, and the men felt baffled and perplexed. + +Chief among the rescuers was a man called U Mylliem Ngap, who was +remarkable for his sagacity and courage. When he saw that the child +refused to be coaxed, he attributed it to her fear to venture unaided +down that steep and slippery rock. So he sent some of his comrades +to the jungle to cut down some bamboos, which he joined together and +made into a pole long enough to reach the top of the rock. Then he +beckoned to the child to take hold of it, but she sat on unmoved. + +By this time the day was beginning to wane, yet the child did not stir +and the rescuers were growing desperate. To leave her to her fate on +that impregnable rock would be little less than cold-blooded murder, +for nothing but death awaited her. They began to lament loudly, as +people lament when mourning for their dead, but the child sat on in +the same indifferent attitude. + +Just then U Mylliem Ngap noticed a tuft of wild flowers growing near +the cave, and he quickly gathered a bunch and fastened it to the end +of the long pole and held it up to the maiden's view. The moment she +saw the flowers, she gave a cry of delight and held out her hand to +take them. U Mylliem Ngap promptly lowered the pole and the child +moved towards it, but before she could grasp the flowers the pole was +again lowered; so, little by little, step by step, as the men watched +with bated breath, the little maid reached the ground in safety. + +U Mylliem Ngap, with general consent, constituted himself her +champion. He called her "Pah Syntiew," which means "Lured by Flowers," +for her name and her origin were unknown. He took her to his own home +and adopted her as his own daughter, cherishing her with fondness +and affection, which the child fully requited. + +Ka Pah Syntiew, as she grew up, fulfilled all the promises of her +childhood and developed into a woman of incomparable beauty and her +fame went abroad throughout the country. She was also gifted and wise +beyond all the maidens of the neighbourhood, and was the chosen leader +at all the Khasi dances and festivals. She taught the Khasi girls to +dance and to sing, and it was she who instituted the Virgins' Dance, +which remains popular to this day among the Khasis. Her foster-father, +seeing she possessed so much discretion and wisdom, used to consult her +in all his perplexities and seek her advice in all matters pertaining +to the ruling of the village. She displayed such tact and judgement +that people from other villages brought their disputes to her to be +settled, and she was acknowledged to be wiser and more just than +any ruler in the country, and they began to call her "Ka Siem" +(the Chiefess, or the Queen). + +When she came of age, U Mylliem Ngap gave her in marriage to a man +of prowess and worth, who is mentioned in Khasi lore as "U Kongor +Nongjri." She became the mother of many sons and daughters, who were +all noble and comely. + +After her children had grown up, Ka Pah Syntiew called them all to +her one day and revealed to them the secret of her birth. She was +the daughter of U 'Lei Shillong, the mountain god, permitted by her +father to dwell for a period among mankind, and at last the time was +at hand for her to return to her native element. + +Not long after this Ka Pah Syntiew walked away in the direction of the +cave of Marai, and no one dared to accompany her, for it was realised +that her hour of departure had come. From that day she disappeared +from mortal ken. Her descendants are known to this day as two of the +leading families of Khasi chiefs, or Siems, and in common parlance +these two families, those of Khairim and Mylliem, are still called +"the Siems (the Chiefs) of Shillong," or "the Siems of the god." + + + + + + +V + +THE FORMATION OF THE EARTH + + +When the earth was created, it was one great plain, full of vast +forests and smooth rivers. Then it happened that the mother of the +three goddesses, Ka Ding, Ka Um, and Ka Sngi, died while wandering +abroad one day on the earth. These goddesses are Fire, Water, and +the Sun. It became necessary for the daughters to discover some means +whereby their mother's body could be put away out of their sight and +not be left exposed on the face of the earth. + +According to the decree, it was decided that Ka Sngi, being the +youngest, should perform the rites of destroying the body; so Ka Sngi +went out in all her strength, and put forth great heat till the rivers +were dried up and all the leaves of the forest and the grass withered, +but the body of the mother was not consumed. So Ka Sngi returned +to her sisters and said, "I have exhausted all my powers, but our +mother's body still lies on the face of the earth in our sight." + +After this the next sister, Ka Um, undertook to perform the rites, and +she went forth with a great company of clouds, and poured incessant +rain upon the earth till the rivers and pools were all flooded, but +her mother's body was not destroyed. So Ka Um also returned to her +sisters and said, "I have exhausted all my powers, but the body of +our mother still lies on the face of the earth in our sight." + +Thus it remained for the elder sister, Ka Ding, to undertake to do +the necessary rites, and she spread forth great flames which swept +over the forests and caused the earth to burn and to crumble till the +vast plain lost its contour and the body of the mother was consumed. + +Ever since then the earth has remained as the fire left it, full of +mountains and valleys and gorges. It became a much more beautiful +place, and in time mankind came here from heaven to dwell. + + + + + + +VI + +THE LEGEND OF U RAITONG, THE KHASI ORPHEUS + + +A few miles to the north of Shillong, the chief town of the Province +of Assam, there is a fertile and pleasant hill known as the Hill of +Raitong, which is one of the most famous spots in ancient folk-lore, +and for which is claimed the distinction of being the place where +the custom of suttee--wife-sacrifice of the Hindus--originated. The +legend runs as follows: + +Many ages ago there lived a great Siem (Chief) who ruled over +large territories and whose sceptre swayed many tribes and clans of +people. As befitted such a great Siem, his consort, the Mahadei, was +a woman of great beauty: her figure was erect and lissom and all her +movements easy and graceful as the motion of the palms in the summer +breeze; her hair was long and flowing, enfolding her like a wreathing +cloud; her teeth were even as the rims of a cowrie; her lips were red +as the precious coral and fragrant as the flower of Lasubon; and her +face was fair like unto the face of a goddess. Strange to relate, +the names of this famous royal couple have not been transmitted +to posterity. + +It came to pass that affairs of the State necessitated the absence of +the Siem from home for a protracted period. He appointed deputies to +govern the village and to control his household during the interval, +while the Mahadei, who was unto him as the apple of his eye, was placed +under the joint guardianship of her own and his own family. When he +had made all satisfactory arrangements he took his departure and went +on his long journey accompanied by the good wishes of his people. + +Among the subjects of the Siem was a poor beggar lad, who was looked +upon as being half-witted, for he spent his days roaming about the +village clothed in filthy rags, his head and face covered with ashes +like a wandering fakir. He never conversed with any of the villagers, +but kept muttering to himself incessantly, lamenting his own forlorn +and friendless condition. + +His name was U Raitong. Formerly he had been a happy and well-cared-for +lad, surrounded and loved by many relatives and kindred, until a +terrible epidemic swept through the village and carried away all +his family and left him orphaned and alone, without sustenance and +without a relative to stand by his bedside in time of sickness or to +perform the funeral rites over his body when he died. Overwhelmed +by grief and sorrow, U Raitong vowed a rash vow that all the days +of his life should be spent in mourning the death of his kindred; +thus it was that he walked about the village lamenting to himself and +wearing ragged clothes. His neighbours, not knowing about the vow, +thought that sorrow had turned his head, so they treated him as an +idiot and pitied him and gave him alms. + +His condition was so wretched and his clothes so tattered that he +became a proverb in the country, and to this day, when the Khasis +wish to describe one fallen into extreme poverty and wretchedness, +they say, "as poor as U Raitong." + +At night time, however, U Raitong considered himself free from the +obligations of his rash vow, and when he retired to his rickety cabin +on the outskirts of the village he divested himself of his rags and +arrayed himself in fine garments, and would play for hours on his +sharati (flute), a bamboo instrument much in vogue among the Khasis +to this day. He was a born musician, and constant practice had made +him an accomplished player, and never did flute give forth sweeter +and richer music than did the sharati of U Raitong as he played by +stealth in the hours of the night when all the village was asleep. + +The melodies he composed were so enthralling that he often became +oblivious to all his surroundings and abandoned himself to the charms +of his own subtle music. His body swayed and trembled with pure joy +and delight as he gave forth strain after strain from his sharati; +yet so cautious was he that none of his neighbours suspected that he +possessed any gifts, for he feared to let it be known lest it should +interfere with the performance of his vow. + +It happened one night that the Mahadei was restless and unable to +sleep, and as she lay awake she heard the faint strains of the most +sweet music wafted on the air. She imagined that it was coming from +the fairies who were said to inhabit certain parts of the forest, +and she listened enraptured until the sounds ceased. When it stopped, +a feeling of great loneliness came over her, so overawing that she +could not summon enough courage to speak about the strange music she +had heard. She went about her household duties with her thoughts far +away and longing for the night to come in the hope that the music +would be wafted to her again. + +The following night, and for many successive nights, the Mahadei lay +awake to listen, and was always rewarded by hearing the soft sweet +strains of some musical instrument floating on the air till she +imagined the room to be full of some beautiful beings singing the +sweetest melodies that human ears ever heard. When it ceased, as it +always did before daybreak, the feeling of desolation was intense, till +her whole mind became absorbed with thoughts of the mysterious music. + +The fascination grew until at last it became overpowering and she could +no longer resist the desire to know whence the sounds proceeded. She +crept stealthily from her room one night, and following the direction +of the strains, she walked through the village and was surprised to +find that the music emerged from the dilapidated hut of U Raitong. + +The heart of the Mahadei was touched, for she thought that the fairies +in tenderness and pity came to cheer and to comfort the poor idiot +with their music, and she stood there to listen. The strains which +she could hear but faintly in her own room now broke upon her in all +their fulness and richness till her whole being was ravished by them. + +Before dawn the sounds suddenly ceased, and the Mahadei retraced her +steps stealthily and crept back to her room without being observed by +any one. After this she stole out of her house every night and went +to listen to what she believed to be fairy-music outside the hut of +U Raitong. + +One night, when the power of the music was stronger than usual, the +Mahadei drew near and peeped through a crevice in the door, and to her +astonishment, instead of the fairies she had pictured, she saw that +it was U Raitong, the supposed idiot, who was playing on his sharati, +but a Raitong so changed from the one she had been accustomed to see +about the village that she could scarcely believe her own eyes. He +was well and tastefully dressed and his face was alight with joy, +while his body moved with graceful motions as he swayed with rapture +in harmony with the rhythm of his wild music. She stood spellbound, as +much moved by the sight that met her eyes as she had been by the charm +of the music, and, forgetful of her marriage vows and her duty to her +absent husband, she fell deeply and irrevocably in love with U Raitong. + +Time passed, and the Mahadei continued to visit the hut of U Raitong +by stealth, drawn by her passionate love for him even more than by +the fascination of his sharati. At first U Raitong was unaware that he +was being spied upon, but when he discovered the Mahadei in his hut, +he was greatly troubled, and tried to reason with her against coming +with as much sternness as was becoming in one of his class to show to +one so much above him in rank. But she overruled all his scruples, +and before long the intensity of her love for him and the beauty of +her person awoke similar feelings in him and he fell a victim to her +wicked and unbridled passion. + +The months rolled on and the time for the return of the Siem +was advancing apace. People began to discuss the preparations for +celebrating his return, and every one evinced the most lively interest +except the Mahadei. It was noticed that she, the most interested +person of all, appeared the most unconcerned, and people marvelled +to see her so cold and indifferent; but one day the reason became +clear when it was announced that a son had been born to the Mahadei +and that her guardians had locked her up in one of the rooms of the +court, pending the arrival of the Siem. She offered no resistance and +put forward no justification, but when questioned as to the identity +of her child's father she remained resolutely silent. + +When the Siem arrived and heard of his wife's infidelity he was bowed +down with shame and grief, and vowed that he would enforce the extreme +penalty of the law on the man who had sullied her honour, but neither +persuasion nor coercion could extract from the Mahadei his name. + +It was necessary for the well-being of the State, as well as for the +satisfaction of the Siem, that the culprit should be found; so the +Siem sent a mandate throughout his territory calling upon all the +male population, on penalty of death, to attend a great State Durbar, +when the Siem and his ministers would sit in judgement to discover +the father of the child of the faithless Mahadei. + +Never in the history of Durbars was seen such a multitude gathered +together as was seen on that day when all the men, both young and +old, appeared before the Siem to pass through the test laid down by +him. When all had assembled, the Siem ordered a mat to be brought +and placed in the centre and the babe laid upon it; after which he +commanded every man to walk round the mat in procession and, as he +passed, to offer a plantain to the child, inasmuch as it was believed +that the instincts of the babe would lead him to accept a plantain +from the hand of his own father and from no other. + +The long procession filed past one by one, but the babe gave no sign, +and the Siem and his ministers were baffled and perplexed. They +demanded to know what man had absented himself, but when the roll +was called the number was complete. Some one in the throng shouted +the name of U Raitong, at which many laughed, for no one deemed him +to be sane; other voices said mockingly, "Send for him"; others said +"Why trouble about such a witless creature? He is but as a dog or a +rat." Thus the Durbar was divided, but the ministers, unwilling to +pass over even the most hapless, decided to send for him and to put +him through the test like the other men. + +When the Siem's messengers arrived at the hut they found U Raitong +just as usual, dressed in filthy rags and muttering to himself, +his face covered with ashes. He arose immediately and followed the +men to the place of Durbar, and as he came people pitied him, for he +looked so sad and forlorn and defenceless that it seemed a shame to +put such an one through the test. A plantain was put into his hand +and he was told to walk past the mat. As soon as the babe saw him he +began to crow with delight and held out his hands for the plantain, +but he took no notice of the well-dressed people who crowded round. + +There was a loud commotion when the secret was discovered, and the +Siem looked ashamed and humiliated to find that one so unseemly and +poor was proved to be the lover of his beautiful wife. The assembly +were awed at the spectacle, and many of them raised their voices in +thanksgiving to the deity whom they considered to have directed the +course of events and brought the guilty to judgement. + +The Siem commanded his ministers to pronounce judgement, and they with +one accord proclaimed that he should be burned to death, without the +performance of any rites and that no hand should gather his bones for +burial. In this decision all the throng acquiesced, for such was the +law and the decree. + +U Raitong received the verdict with indifference as one who had +long known and become reconciled to his fate, but he asked one boon, +and that was permission to build his own pyre and play a dirge for +himself. The Siem and the people were astonished to hear him speak in +clear tones instead of the blubbering manner in which he had always +been known to speak. Nobody raised an objection to his request, so +he received permission to build his own pyre and to play his own dirge. + +Accordingly on the morrow U Raitong arose early and gathered a great +pile of dry firewood and laid it carefully till the pyre was larger +than the pyres built for the cremation of Siems and the great ones +of the land. After finishing the pyre he returned to his lonely hut +and divested himself of his filthy rags and arrayed himself in the +fine garments which he used to wear in the hours of the night when he +abandoned himself to music; he then took his sharati in his hand and +sallied forth to his terrible doom. As he marched towards the pyre +he played on his sharati, and the sound of his dirge was carried by +the air to every dwelling in the village, and so beautiful was it and +so enchanting, so full of wild pathos and woe, that it stirred every +heart. People flocked after him, wondering at the changed appearance +of U Raitong and fascinated by the marvellous and mysterious music such +as they had never before heard, which arrested and charmed every ear. + +When the procession reached the pyre, U Raitong stooped and lighted +the dry logs without a shudder or a delay. Then once more he began +to play on his sharati and marched three times around the pyre, and +as he marched he played such doleful and mournful melodies that his +hearers raised their voices in a loud wail in sympathy, so that the +wailing and the mourning at the pyre of the unfortunate U Raitong was +more sincere and impressive than the mourning made for the greatest +men in the country. + +At the end of his third round U Raitong suddenly stopped his music, +planted his sharati point downward in the earth, and leaped upon the +burning pyre and perished. + +While these events were taking place outside, the Mahadei remained +a close prisoner in her room, and no whisper of what was transpiring +was allowed to reach her. But her heart was heavy with apprehension +for her lover, and when she heard the notes of a sharati she knew +it could be none other than U Raitong, and that the secret had been +discovered and that he was being sent to his doom. + +As before, the notes of the sharati seemed to call her irresistibly, +and with almost superhuman strength she burst open the door of her +prison. Great as was her excitement and her desire to get away, she +took precautions to cover her escape. Seeing a string of cowries with +which her child had been playing, she hastily fastened them to the +feet of a kitten that was in the room, so that whenever the kitten +moved the noise of the cowries jingling on the floor of the room +would lead those outside to think that it was the Mahadei herself +still moving about; then she sped forth to the hill in the direction +of the sound of the sharati and the wailing. When she arrived at +the pyre, U Raitong had just taken his fatal leap. She pushed her +way resolutely through the dense and wailing crowd, and before any +one could anticipate her action she too had leaped into the flaming +furnace to die by the side of her lover. + +The Siem alone of all the people in the village had withstood the +fascination of the dirge. He sat in his chamber morose and outraged, +brooding on his calamity. Just when the Mahadei was leaping into the +flames a strange thing happened in the Siem's chamber--the head-cloth +(tapmoh) of his wife was blown in a mysterious manner so that it fell +at his feet although there was not enough breeze to cause a leaf to +rustle. When the Siem saw it he said, "By this token my wife must be +dead." Still hearing sounds coming from her room, he tried to take +no heed of the omen. The foreboding, however, grew so strong that he +got up to investigate, and when he opened the door of the room where +the Mahadei had been imprisoned he found it empty, save for a kitten +with a string of cowries fastened to its feet. + +He knew instinctively whither she had gone, and in the hope of averting +further scandal he hurried in her wake towards the pyre on the hill, +but he was too late. When he arrived on the scene he found only her +charred remains. + +The news of the unparalleled devotion of the Mahadei to her lover +spread abroad throughout the land and stirred the minds of men and +women in all countries. The chaste wives of India, when they heard +of it, said one to another, "We must not allow the unholy passion +of an unchaste woman to become more famous than the sacred love of +holy matrimony. Henceforth we will offer our bodies on the altar +of death, on the pyre of our husbands, to prove our devotion and +fidelity." Thus originated the custom of suttee (wife-sacrifice) +in many parts of India. + +The Khasis were so impressed by the suitability of the sharati to +express sorrow and grief that they have adopted that instrument ever +since to play their dirges at times of cremation. + +The sharati of U Raitong, which he planted in the earth as he was +about to leap to his doom, took root, and a clump of bamboos grew from +it, distinguishable from all other bamboos by having their branches +forking downwards. It is commonly maintained to this day that there +are clumps of bamboos forking downwards to be found in plenty on the +Hill of Raitong. + + + + + + +VII + +THE TIGER AND THE MONKEYS + + +At the beginning of time the animals were free and living wild and +unruly lives, but there were so many disputes and quarrels that +they convened a council to choose a king to reign over them. With +one accord they nominated the tiger to be king, not for any special +wisdom or merit which he possessed, but because of his great strength, +by which he would be able to subdue the turbulent beasts. + +Although he possessed greater strength than any of his kindred, the +tiger was more ignorant of the ways and habits of his subjects than +any of the animals. He was so self-absorbed that he never troubled +himself to study the ways of others, and this caused him to act very +foolishly at times and to make himself ridiculous, for the animals were +tempted to take advantage of his great ignorance and to play tricks +upon him whenever they thought they could do so undetected. This tale +relates how the monkeys played a cunning trick on their king which +caused mortal enmity to spring up between him and them for ever. + +One hot day the tiger walked abroad to take an airing, but, the +sun being so hot, he turned aside to shelter under some leafy +trees and there he fell asleep. Presently he awoke, and on awaking +he heard coming from overhead very melodious singing to which he +listened enraptured. It was the little insect, Shalymmen, chirping +on a leaf, but she was so small the tiger could not see her, and, +being so ignorant, he had no idea whose voice it was. He peered to +the branches right and left trying to discover the singer, but he +only saw a company of monkeys at play in the trees, so he began to +question them who it was that was singing above him. + +Now the monkeys and all the jungle animals were perfectly familiar +with the singing of Shalymmen and recognised the voice from afar. They +thought it very contemptible in the king to be more ignorant than +themselves, and one audacious young monkey, in a spirit of mischief, +answered that the singer was their youngest sister. + +The other monkeys were perturbed when they heard their brother giving +such an impudent answer, thinking that the tiger would be offended +and would punish them with his great strength. They were preparing +to run away when, to their amazement, they heard the tiger replying +to their rash young brother in a gentle voice and with most affable +manners and saying to him, "You are my brother-in-law. Your sister +has the most beautiful voice in the jungle; I will make her my wife." + +If the predicament of the monkeys was bad at the beginning, it +was doubly so now, for they felt that, things having taken such an +unexpected turn, it would be impossible to conceal from the knowledge +of the tiger their brother's offence. They determined, however, not to +desert the young culprit, and if possible to try and rescue him, so +they approached the tiger, and with much seeming courtesy and honour +they put forward the excuse that their sister was very young and not +yet of marriageable age. This excuse made no impression on the king, +for he said: + +"So much the better. As she is young, I can mould her to my own ways, +and bring her up according to my own views, which would not be so +easy if she were fully matured." + +To which the monkeys replied, "Our sister is not amenable to +instruction. She is indolent and fond of her own will." + +The tiger, however, was so lovesick that no argument had weight +with him. He thought the brothers were severe in their judgement, +and expressed his conviction that she could not be as slothful as +they said, for she was forgoing her midday repose for the sake of +making music to cheer the animals. He ordered them to come down from +the trees and to lead their sister to him. + +After this the monkeys feared to argue further, so they pretended +to agree to his commands; but they craved a boon from him, and asked +for a little time to make preparations, as it would not be becoming +for one of such a high degree to join himself with a poor family like +theirs without their showing him adequate honour such as was due to his +rank. This request the tiger granted, and it was arranged between them +that he was to come and claim his bride at the time of the full moon, +a week from that day, and so the tiger departed with evident goodwill. + +As soon as they found themselves alone the monkeys began to think +out some plans by which they could meet the situation and escape +exposure. They decided to call together a council of the whole tribe +of monkeys, for they well foresaw that the whole tribe would be in +peril if the tiger found out what they had done. So the monkeys came +to hold a council, and in that council it was decided that they must +continue to keep up the duplicity begun, and in order to hoodwink +the tiger still further they planned to make a clay image after the +fashion of a woman and to present her to the tiger as his bride. So +they made preparations for a great feast, but they did not invite +anybody except their own tribe to attend. + +During the succeeding days the monkeys busied themselves collecting +clay and moulding it into an image, which they propped against a +tree. They were unable to make the head of one piece with the body, +so they moulded the head separately, and when it was finished they +placed it loosely on the body of the image. They then proceeded +to dress the image in all the finery they could procure, and they +carefully covered the head and face with a veil so as to hide it from +the eyes of the bridegroom. + +The night of the full moon arrived, and all the monkey family were +assembled at the appointed place, where with much clatter and seeming +joy they awaited the arrival of the tiger, though they were really +very anxious about the consequences. Everything was in readiness, +and the place laid out with many kinds of food, so as to lead the +tiger to think that they were sincere in their welcome. + +He came early, very gorgeously arrayed, and carrying over his shoulder +a net full of betel nut and pan leaves, and was received with loud +acclamation by his prospective relatives. But the tiger hardly deigned +to give them a greeting, so impatient was he to meet his bride, and +he demanded to be taken to her immediately. The monkeys led him with +great ceremony to the clay image, but their hearts were beating fast +with fear lest he should discover their fraud. + +When they reached the image they said, "This is our sister. Take her +and may she be worthy of the great honour you have conferred upon +her." Thereupon they retired to a safe distance. + +When the tiger saw how finely dressed she was and how modestly she +had veiled herself, he felt a little timid, for she was so much finer +than the little grey monkey he had been picturing to himself. He came +up to her and said deferentially, as he slung the net of betel nut +round her neck: + +"You are the chief person at this feast, take the pan and the betel +nut and divide them among the company according to custom." + +The bride, however, remained motionless and mute, seeing which, the +tiger asked the monkeys in a displeased voice, "Why doth not your +sister answer me nor obey my commands?" + +"She is very young," they replied, "perhaps she has fallen asleep +while waiting for you; pull the string of the net and she will awaken." + +Upon this the tiger gave the string a sharp tug, and the loose +head of the image rolled on to the floor, whereupon the monkeys, +uttering the most piercing shrieks, pounced upon the tiger in a mob, +declaring that he had killed their sister, and that he had only made +a pretence of marrying her in order to get hold of her to kill her. A +fierce and bloody fight ensued in which the tiger was nearly killed, +and ever since then the tiger has feared the monkeys, and they are the +only animals in the jungle that dare challenge him to fight. He never +discovered their duplicity, but he learned one very effective lesson, +for he has never committed the indiscretion of proposing marriage +with an unknown bride since that unfortunate affair with the monkeys; +while the monkeys are rejoicing in the cunning by which they saved +their brother and their tribe from punishment. + + + + + + +VIII + +THE LEGEND OF THE IEI TREE + + +Some eight or ten miles to the west of the town of Shillong is seen a +prominent hill range, a place much renowned in Khasi folk-lore. It is +known as the Mountain of the Iei Tree, and is a very romantic spot even +in the present day, although divested of its former reputed glory. Its +slopes are studded with thriving villages and cultivated fields, which +appear from a distance like a bit of British landscape. At its foot the +river Umiam (the wailing river) curves its dolorous way to the plains, +at times leaping wildly over rugged precipices, scattering its spray +in the sunshine, at other times lying almost motionless in the bosom +of a valley, reflecting the beauty of myriad trees in its clear depths. + +According to tradition, this hill, and the land around it, was the +most fertile land in the world; broad acres lay under cultivation +and its forests yielded the largest and most valuable timber. It was +also famous for the grandeur of its scenery; fairies and nymphs were +said to have their haunts in its green glades, birds of lovely hues +lived there and made their nests amid flowers of sweetest scent; +there happy maidens loved to roam, and there young lovers met and +plighted their troth. Such was the Mountain of the Iei Tree in the +days of the Ancients. + +On the summit of the mountain there grew a tree of fabulous +dimensions--the Iei Tree--which dwarfed even the largest trees in +forests. It was of a species unique, such as mankind had never known; +its thick outspreading branches were so clustered with leaves that +the light of the sun could not penetrate through and the earth beneath +its shadow became barren and unfruitful. + +The fame of the tree spread abroad and people from many lands came +to see it, but there were none who dared to cut a twig or to scratch +its bark, as it was commonly believed that the tree was the abode of +some unknown and powerful god, to offend whom would bring destruction. + +The Iei Tree continued to grow through many ages, and year by year +its malevolent shadow spread further and further, and the area of +the barren land increased season by season until at last it became +a serious menace to the world, and the very existence of mankind was +at stake. People could no longer live on the slopes of the mountain, +cultivation became impossible for many miles around, and the one-time +prosperous families had to wander abroad as homeless fugitives, fleeing +from the ever-pursuing, ever-threatening shadow. The pathways and +pleasant nooks whence of old had echoed the merry voices and laughter +of children were now become the lurking-places of dragons and the +prowling-grounds of savage beasts whither no man ventured to roam. + +A Durbar of all mankind was summoned to consider the situation and +to devise some plan to save the world from its impending doom. After +long and solemn deliberations, it was resolved to mobilise a party of +the bravest and most skilled wood-cutters to go into the mountain to +hew down the Iei Tree so as to admit the sunlight once more to the +earth. In the course of time the wood-cutters came and entered the +mountain, defying all danger and risking the possible wrath of the +unknown god whom they believed to haunt the tree. + +When they reached the Iei Tree, they plied their axes with skill and +toiled vigorously till night came on, but the wood was so hard and +so tough they only succeeded in cutting a little below the bark that +day. They consoled themselves, however, by reflecting that so far +there had appeared no signs of anger from the unknown god forasmuch +as no misfortunes had befallen them; so they retired to rest, sanguine +that by perseverance their gigantic task would in time be accomplished. + +Next morning they returned early to their work, but, to their +consternation, they saw that the incisions made by them the day before +at the cost of so much labour were obliterated, leaving the trunk of +the tree as solid and unscathed as before. Many of the wood-cutters +were so superstitious that they feared to approach the tree again, for +they were now confirmed in their fear that the place was enchanted; but +when their more stoical comrades reminded them of the great peril in +which mankind stood, they plucked up courage, and for another day they +toiled laboriously, only to find their work obliterated next morning. + +As no personal harm had befallen any of them, the wood-cutters +determined to continue their attack, but no matter how patiently they +worked during the day, the tree would be healed up in the night. They +grew more and more mystified and discouraged, and the strain of living +in that weird region was becoming intolerable. At last they decided +to return to their fellow-men, preferring to endure the foreseen doom +of the shadowed world rather than face the unknown and mysterious +terrors of the land of the Iei Tree. + +As they sat, gloomy and disconsolate, brooding on their defeat, +a little grey bird--Ka Phreit, the Khasi wren--came, chirruping +and twittering, close to the wood-cutters, and she began to talk +to them, urging them to keep up their courage, as she had come to +help them. Now, in spite of their spiritless condition, the woodsmen +could not help laughing to hear Ka Phreit--the smallest of all the +birds--so impudently offering to help them--the picked wood-cutters of +the world--to cut down a tree. But when the wren saw them laughing, +she chirruped and twittered still louder, and drew still nearer, +and with great excitement she said, "No doubt you are great and wise, +for you have been chosen for a great task. You are unable to perform +it, yet when I come to offer assistance, you laugh at me. It is true +that I am the smallest of all the birds, but that has not hindered me +from learning the secrets of this forest, which you must also learn +before you can cut down the Iei Tree." + +On hearing the sage words of the wren, the woodmen felt ashamed for +having laughed at her, seeing that she meant nothing but goodwill +towards them; so they got up and saluted her, and begged her +pardon, and asked her to teach them the secret of the forest. Thus +mollified, Ka Phreit informed them that the tree was not healed by +any supernatural agency as they had supposed, but that it was U Khla, +the big tiger, who came every night to lick the tree and to heal it, +for he did not want it to be cut down, as its shadow made it possible +for him to prowl for prey in safety. + +This news cheered the wood-cutters' hearts and they lost no time +in beginning another attack on the Iei Tree, and when night fell, +instead of carrying their axes home as before, they planted them in +the tree edge outward. + +When the tiger came to lick the tree that night (all unconscious that +the wren had disclosed the secret to the men), the sharp blades cut +his tongue, and he fled in terror, bleeding and howling, and never +more returned to hinder the work of the wood-cutters, who, now that +they were able to carry on their task undisturbed, succeeded in time +in cutting down the Iei Tree. + +Thus Ka Phreit, the smallest of all the birds, helped mankind to +bring back sunshine and prosperity to the world. + + + + + + +IX + +HUNTING THE STAG LAPALANG + + +Once upon a time there lived with its dam on the Plains of Sylhet +a young deer whose fame has come down through the ages in Khasi +folk-lore. The story of the Stag Lapalang, as he was called, continues +to fascinate generation after generation of Khasi youths, and the +merry cowboys, as they sit in groups on the wild hill-sides watching +their flocks, love to relate the oft-told tale and to describe what +they consider the most famous hunt in history. + +The Stag Lapalang was the noblest young animal of his race that +had ever been seen in the forest and was the pride of his mother's +heart. She watched over him with a love not surpassed by the love of +a human mother, keeping him jealously at her side, guarding him from +all harm. + +As he grew older the young stag, conscious of his own matchless grace +and splendid strength, began to feel dissatisfied with the narrow +confines and limited scope of the forest where they lived and to +weary of his mother's constant warnings and counsels. He longed to +explore the world and to put his mettle to the test. + +His mother had been very indulgent to him all his life and had allowed +him to have much of his own way, so there was no restraining him when +he expressed his determination to go up to the Khasi Hills to seek +begonia leaves to eat. His mother entreated and warned him, but all +in vain. He insisted on going, and she watched him sorrowfully as +with stately strides and lifted head he went away from his forest home. + +Matters went well with the Stag Lapalang at first; he found on the +hills plenty of begonia leaves and delicious grass to eat, and he +revelled in the freedom of the cool heights. But one day he was seen +by some village boys, who immediately gave the alarm, and men soon +hurried to the chase: the hunting-cry rang from village to village +and echoed from crag to crag. The hunting instincts of the Khasis +were roused and men poured forth from every village and hamlet. Oxen +were forgotten at the plough; loads were thrown down and scattered; +nothing mattered for the moment but the wild exciting chase over +hill and valley. Louder sounded the hunting cry, farther it echoed +from crag to crag, still wilder grew the chase. From hill to hill +and from glen to glen came the hunters, with arrows and spears and +staves and swords, hot in pursuit of the Stag Lapalang. He was swift, +he was young, he was strong--for days he eluded his pursuers and kept +them at bay; but he was only one unarmed creature against a thousand +armed men. His fall was inevitable, and one day on the slopes of the +Shillong mountain he was surrounded, and after a brave and desperate +struggle for his life, the noble young animal died with a thousand +arrows quivering in his body. + +The lonely mother on the Plains of Sylhet became uneasy at the delay +of the return of the Stag Lapalang, and when she heard the echoes +of the hunting-cry from the hills her anxiety became more than she +could endure. Full of dread misgivings, she set out in quest of her +wanderer, but when she reached the Khasi hills, she was told that +he had been hunted to death on the slopes of Shillong, and the news +broke her heart. + +Staggering under the weight of her sorrow, she traversed the rugged +paths through the wildwoods, seeking her dead offspring, and as she +went her loud heartrending cries were heard throughout the country, +arresting every ear. Women, sitting on their hearths, heard it and +swooned from the pain of it, and the children hid their faces in +dismay; men at work in the fields heard it and bowed their heads and +writhed with the anguish of it. Not a shout was raised for a signal +at sight of that stricken mother, not a hand was lifted to molest her, +and when the huntsmen on the slopes of Shillong heard that bitter cry +their shouts of triumph froze upon their lips, and they broke their +arrows in shivers. + +Never before was heard a lamentation so mournful, so plaintive, so full +of sorrow and anguish and misery, as the lament of the mother of the +Stag Lapalang as she sought him in death on the slopes of Shillong. The +Ancient Khasis were so impressed by this demonstration of deep love and +devotion that they felt their own manner of mourning for their dead +to be very inferior and orderless, and without meaning. Henceforth +they resolved that they also would mourn their departed ones in this +devotional way, and many of the formulas used in Khasi lamentations +in the present day are those attributed to the mother of the Stag +Lapalang when she found him hunted to death on the slopes of Shillong +hundreds and hundreds of years ago. + + + + + + +X + +THE GODDESSES KA NGOT AND KA IAM + +(A LEGEND OF SHILLONG PEAK) + + +Ka Iam and Ka Ngot, the twin daughters of the god of Shillong, were +two very beautiful beings; they were lively and frolicsome, and were +indulged and given much freedom by the family. Like all twins they +were never happy if long separated. One day the two climbed to the +top of the Shillong mountain to survey the country. In the distance +they saw the woody plains of Sylhet, and they playfully challenged +one another to run a race to see who would reach the plains first. + +Ka Ngot was more retiring and timid than her sister, and was half +afraid to begin the race; Ka Iam, on the other hand, was venturesome +and fearless, and had been called Ka Iam because of her noisy and +turbulent disposition. Before the race she spoke very confidently of +her own victory, and teased her sister on account of her timidity. + +After a little preparation for the journey the twins transformed +themselves into two rivers and started to run their race. Ka Ngot, +searching for smooth and easy places, meandered slowly, taking long +circuits, and came in time to Sylhet; but not finding her sister there, +she went forward to Chhatak, and on slowly towards Dewara. Seeing +no sign yet of her sister, she became very anxious and turned back +to seek her; and, in turning, she took a long curve which looked in +the brilliant sunshine like a curved silver chain, and the Khasis +living on the hill-tops, when they saw it, exclaimed with wonder: +"Rupatylli, Rupatylli!" (A silver necklace, a silver necklace!) and +to this day that part of the river is known as "Rupatylli." + +Ka Iam, full of vigour and ambition, did not linger to look for easy +passages, but with a noisy rush she plunged straight in the direction +of Shella, the shortest cut she could find. She soon found, however, +that the road she had chosen was far more difficult to travel than +she had anticipated. Large rocks impeded her path at many points, +and she was obliged to spend much time in boring her way through; but +she pitted her young strength against all obstacles, and in time she +reached Shella and came in view of the plains, where, to her chagrin, +she saw that her sister had reached the goal before her, and was coming +back leisurely to meet her. It was a great humiliation, for she had +boasted of her victory before the race began, but, hoping to conceal +her defeat from the world, she divided herself into five streams, +and in that way entered the plains, and joined her sister. The rivers +are called after the two goddesses to this day, and are known as +"Ka Um Ngot" and "Ka Um Iam" (the river Ngot and the river Iam). + +Ever since Ka Ngot won the great race she has been recognised as the +greater of the two twins, and more reverence has been paid to her as +a goddess. Even in the present day there are many Khasis and Syntengs +who will not venture to cross the "Um Ngot" without first sacrificing +to the goddess; and when, on their journeys, they happen to catch a +glimpse of its waters, they salute and give a greeting of "Khublei" +to the goddess Ka Ngot who won the great race. + + + + + + +XI + +U BISKUROM + + +In the beginning of time mankind were very ignorant and did their +work with great trouble and labour, for they had no tools and did not +understand the way to make them. The Great God saw their difficulty +from heaven, and He sent one of the heavenly beings down to the earth, +in the likeness of a young man, to teach them. The name of this young +man was U Biskurom. He was very noble to look at, and none of the sons +of mankind could compare with him; he was also very gentle and good. + +He taught mankind many useful crafts. From him they learned to know +the value of metals and the way to smelt iron and to make tools, but +mankind were very slow to learn, and liked better to muddle in their +own old way than to follow the directions given them by U Biskurom, +so he had to stay such a long time on the earth that he forgot the +way back to heaven. He was, however, so patient and painstaking that +at last they learned to make good tools and to use them. + +Seeing that U Biskurom excelled them in finishing his instruments, and +that he could do double their work in a day, mankind took advantage +of his gentleness. They used him to save trouble to themselves, and +often demanded work from him that it was impossible for him to do, +and when he failed to satisfy them they grew angry and abusive. + +One day they made a clay image and called upon U Biskurom to make it +alive; when he told them that he had not learnt how to produce life, +they abused him and threatened to imprison him until he complied +with their request. When U Biskurom saw that they would not listen to +reason, he told them that if they wanted him to impart life to their +images they must let him go back to heaven to gain the necessary +knowledge. Upon this mankind took counsel together what to do. Some +feared that if they let him go away he would never return. Others (the +majority, however) thought that as the knowledge of how to impart life +would be so valuable, it was worth risking a good deal to obtain it; +so mankind decided to release U Biskurom. + +As he had forgotten the road along which he came to the earth, it was +necessary for U Biskurom to invent some means whereby he could go up +to heaven; so he told mankind to twine a long piece of string and to +make a strong kite on which he could ascend to the sky. So mankind +twined a long string and made a strong kite, and U Biskurom rode upon +it to the sky. When they said, "Perhaps if we let you go you will +not come back," he told them not to let go of the string, so that if +he was not allowed to come back, he could write the knowledge on the +kite and send it down to them. This satisfied them and they let him go. + +When U Biskurom reached heaven the Great God told him that he could not +go back to the earth because He had seen how mankind had ill-treated +him, and because of their ingratitude and their unholy ambition to +impart life. So U Biskurom wrote upon the kite and sent it down to +the earth. + +When mankind saw the kite descending a great throng came together to +read the directions for imparting life, but to their chagrin there +was not one among them able to decipher the writing. They consulted +together what to do, for they were very angry with U Biskurom, and +they decided to send a great shout to heaven, which would cause such +a volley that the concussion would kill U Biskurom. + +U Biskurom laughed when he saw their folly, and in order to make them +still more foolish, he caused some drops of blood to fall down from +heaven, and when mankind saw these drops of blood they concluded that +he had been killed by the force of their great shout. + +Because of their ingratitude and their uplifted pride mankind have +remained in great ignorance, and all the knowledge they possess is +very imperfect and gained at great labour and expense. + + + + + + +XII + +U THLEN, THE SNAKE-VAMPIRE + + +U Thlen is one of the legendary Khasi gods, whose worship is limited to +a few clans and families. From participation in it all right-thinking +Khasis recoil with loathing and horror, inasmuch as it involves +the perpetration of crimes, for this god can only be propitiated by +offerings of human sacrifices, with many revolting and barbaric rites. + +The clans who are reputed to be the devotees and worshippers of the +Thlen are regarded with aversion and fear throughout the country, and +to them are attributed many kinds of atrocities, such as the kidnapping +of children, murders and attempted murders, and many are the tales of +hair-breadth escapes from the clutches of these miscreants, who are +known as Nongshohnohs. Within quite recent times murders have been +committed which are still shrouded in mystery, but which are said +to have indications that the victims were killed for the purpose of +Thlen sacrifice. + +The following folk-tale purports to give an account of the origin +and propagation of U Thlen, the most remorseless and cruel of all +the Khasi deities. + +According to tradition the Hima (state) of Cherra was, in olden times, +the haunt of many famous Bleis (gods) who dominated the lives of +men. These deities were said to dwell in certain localities, which +in consequence came to be recognised as sacred places, and frequently +to be called after the names of the Bleis. Foremost among these gods +was U Mawlong Siem, and the hill where he was supposed to dwell is +called after his name to the present day, and the inhabitants of +certain villages still offer sacrifices to him. + +In common with mankind, U Mawlong Siem is described as having a +family, who, also in common with mankind, took pleasure in dancing +and festivity. It is said that people sometimes hear the sound of +revelry and the beating of drums within the mountain, supposed to +be the drums of U Mawlong Siem beaten to the accompaniment of the +dancing of his children, the sound of which invariably portends the +death of a Siem or some great personage. + +The only one of his family whose name and history have been +transmitted was a daughter called Ka Kma Kharai, which signifies one +that roams about in trenches or hidden nooks. She was well known in +the Blei-world, and she possessed the power of assuming whatever form +she pleased. She often assumed the form of a woman and mingled with +mankind without anybody suspecting her identity. Many of the Bleis +sought her in marriage, but U Mawlong Siem, her father, would never +give his consent, lest his prestige be lowered among the Bleis. + +There was one suitor whom Ka Kma Kharai specially favoured. He was +the god of Umwai, but her father forbade the union so sternly as +to dispel all the hopes of the lovers. This so angered the young +goddess that henceforth she rebelled openly against her father, and +by way of retaliation she encouraged the attentions of strange and +undesirable lovers. + +When it was discovered that she was with child, she fled from her home, +fearing the wrath of her father, and put herself under the protection +of her maternal uncle, who lived in the Pomdoloi cave, and was one +of the famous dragons, or Yak Jakors of the country. In this cave a +son was born to her, who proved to be a monster of hideous aspect, +having the form of a snake and the characteristics of a vampire, +who could be appeased only when fed with human blood. This monster +they called U Thlen. + +Unlike his mother, U Thlen could not transform himself into any +likeness but that of a snake, but he had power to diminish or to +enlarge his size at will. Sometimes he appeared so small as to be +no bigger than a string of fine thread, at other times he expanded +himself to such dimensions that he could swallow a man bodily. + +In those days there was much intercourse between the Bleis and +mankind. The latter were privileged to attend the Iew-blei--the fair of +the Bleis--at Lynghingkhongkhen, the way to which passed the Pomdoloi +cave, and many unwary and unprotected travellers fell a prey to the +greed of U Thlen and his associates. + +The commonest mode by which these poor unfortunates were lured to their +doom was through the blandishments of Ka Kma Kharai, who approached +them in the form of a woman merchant, and dazzled them with the +brilliancy of the jewelry she offered for sale. She refrained from +killing her captives on occasions, but induced them by promises of +riches and immunity to pledge themselves to the services of U Thlen, +her son. To such as these she gave a magic ring, known in ancient lore +as the Yngkuid Ring (Sati Yngkuid) which was believed to possess magic +that enabled the owners of the ring to obtain all the desires of their +hearts, but this magic was dormant until the owners fulfilled their +obligations to U Thlen and brought him human victims to feed upon. + +The method by which U Yak Jakor captured his victims was to waylay +lonely travellers and to club them to death. U Thlen himself, when +he grew old enough, also hunted men to death, so that between the +three murderers the ravages made upon mankind were becoming grievous +and intolerable. + +Mankind sought divinations and offered sacrifices to the gods for the +cessation of these atrocities, upon which a Durbar of the Bleis was +called. U Mawlong Siem, who was a powerful Blei and a blood-relation +of the murderers, overruled the Durbar, declaring that no authority +could deprive the Bleis, or the demons, of any power they possessed, +be it for good or for evil; but to mitigate the distress of mankind +a decree was issued, restricting the number of people to be devoured +to half the number of captives. If U Thlen captured two victims, one +was to be released, if he captured ten, five were to be released. It +transpired, however, that this decree helped but little to allay the +sufferings of mankind, for murders continued at an appalling rate. + +Mankind again sought divination and took counsel together, and it was +made evident that the only one who could successfully help them was U +Suidnoh (the fleeting demon), an erratic and insignificant being who +haunted the forest of Lait-rngew to the north of Cherra. The Khasis +hitherto had never recognised him as worthy of homage, but they went +to offer him sacrifices then, according to the divinations. U Suidnoh +volunteered to rescue them, but affirmed that the Snake could never be +overcome without the sanction of a Blei, and inasmuch as the Bleis of +the Cherra Hima had already refused their aid, he urged them to go and +sacrifice to U 'Lei Shillong--the god of the Shillong mountain--and to +invoke his aid and win his favour. So mankind offered sacrifices to U +'Lei Shillong, and received his sanction to wage war against U Thlen. + +U Suidnoh, equipped in all his strength, went forth to Pomdoloi and +ordered the Khasis to bring to him many fat pigs and goats. These +he killed and carried regularly to feed the Thlen in the cave, and +this was the manner in which he made his offering. He bored a large +hole in a rock roofing the cave, so that the carcases might be passed +down without being seen by U Thlen, and so he would not discover that +they were not human bodies. He assumed the voice and manner of a Thlen +worshipper and called out: "My uncle, I have brought my tribute, open +your mouth that I may feed you." U Thlen is described as being slothful +and sleepy, never rousing himself except to seek food. When he heard +the call from above he would shake himself and expand to a great size, +and open wide his jaws, into which the meat offering was thrust. In +this way mankind had respite for a time, and the hunting of men ceased. + +It was evident, however, that they must resort to some other measures, +for it was impossible to continue to keep up the supply of fat +animals. The Khasis began to grumble at the extravagant proceedings of +U Suidnoh, but he always replied to their complaints with the words, +"Koit, koit," signifying that all was well. After a time he told them +to hire the services of U Ramhah, the giant, to assist him in his +final struggle against the vampire. When U Ramhah came he bade him +build a smelting-house near the cave, and to make a pair of giant +tongs, and such was the strength of U Ramhah that it only took him +one day to build the smelting-house and to make the giant tongs. Next +day U Suidnoh told him to heat a large piece of iron, and to bring +it when it was red-hot in the big tongs to the rock on the top of the +cave. When this was done U Suidnoh called out according to his custom: +"My uncle, I have brought my tribute, open your mouth that I may feed +you"; so the Thlen shook himself and expanded his body to a gigantic +size, and opened his jaws for the offering, whereupon the red-hot iron +was thrust in. Upon this there followed the most terrible contortions +of the Thlen's body, as he tossed about, writhing in his death agony, +till the earth shook so violently that U Suidnoh and U Ramhah swooned +from the concussion. When the disturbance subsided, and they had +revived, they looked into the cave and found U Thlen lying dead. + +U Suidnoh sounded a big drum to summon the people together, and great +jubilation and dancing took place when it was announced that their +enemy was dead. From that time the Khasis have offered sacrifices to +U Suidnoh, and he is held in great honour. + +The people held a council to consider how to dispose of the body of +the Thlen, and it was decided that to make their triumph complete +it was better to prepare a feast and to eat the body of U Thlen, +so the carcase was dragged out of the cave and was divided on a flat +rock into two portions. One portion was given to the people of the +plains from the East, to be cooked after their manner, the other was +given to the Khasis from the hills and the West to be cooked after +their manner. The marks of the axe are said to be seen on the rock +to this day, and the place is called Dain Thlen (the cutting of the +Thlen). The hole which was bored by U Suidnoh in the top of the cave +is also said to be visible to this day. + +It happened that more people came to the feast from the plains than +from the hills; moreover, they were accustomed to eat eels and snakes, +so they considered the Thlen meat very palatable and savoury. They +ate the whole of their portion and departed to their villages happily, +and they were never afterwards troubled by Thlens. On the other hand +the Khasis were unused to the flesh of reptiles, and they found the +Thlen meat very unsavoury and strange-flavoured, so that when their +feasting was done, a great portion of the meat remained uneaten. + +This caused no little perplexity, for it was deemed possible for the +Thlen to come and reanimate the unconsumed portions of his body, so +they kindled a big fire to burn all the fragments of meat to ashes, +after which they gave a glad shout, believing themselves for ever +safe from the ravages of U Thlen. + +A certain woman, whose son had neglected his duties and stayed away +from the feast, was sorely troubled in her mind, fearing that some ill +luck might befall him, and a curse come on the family, because her son +had wilfully disregarded the feast of conquest. While helping to gather +the fragments of meat for burning, she surreptitiously hid a piece in +the fold of her dress to take home to her son. When she reached her +house she put the meat away in a covered vessel pending her son's +arrival. When the son returned he brought news of many misfortunes +which he had met that day, and particularly of the loss of much money, +which loss he attributed to his neglect of the important feast; +but when his mother told him how she had contrived to bring him a +little of the Thlen meat, he was somewhat cheered, hoping that by this +participation he might be helped to retrieve his fallen fortunes. To +their dismay, when they uncovered the vessel, there was no meat left, +only a tiny live snake wriggling about. They were preparing to destroy +it when the little snake began to speak to them in their own tongue, +beseeching them not to kill him. He said he was U Thlen come back to +life, and that he was there by the decrees of the Bleis to bring them +good fortune for as long as they gave him harbour and tribute. + +It was a great temptation, coming as it did, when they had met +with great losses, so, without thinking much of the consequences, +they allowed the Thlen to live, harbouring it in secret without the +knowledge of outsiders. + +When U Thlen had fully regained his vitality, he demanded human +sacrifices from them, which made them shudder with horror. But U +Thlen was relentless, and threatened to devour them as a family, if +they did not comply with his request, and when they saw one member of +the family after another beginning to languish, fear for their lives +drove them to hunt their fellow-men and to murder them, to propitiate U +Thlen and to keep his good favour. Gradually U Thlen cast his sway over +other families also, and won them to give him tribute. As his devotees +increased he reproduced himself mysteriously, so that in place of one +Thlen living in a cave where everybody knew him to be, there arose +many Thlens, living concealed in the houses of the Nongshohnohs who, +to preserve their own safety and the goodwill of U Thlen, have become +men-hunters and murderers, of whom the Khasis live in deadly fear to +this day. + + + + + + +XIII + +HOW THE DOG CAME TO LIVE WITH MAN + + +In the happy olden days, when the animals lived together at peace in +the forest, they used to hold fairs and markets after the manner of +mankind. The most important fair of all was called "Ka Iew Luri Lura" +(the Fair of Luri Lura), which was held at stated intervals in the Bhoi +(forest) country. Thither gathered all the animals, each one bringing +some article of merchandise, according to the decree which demanded +that every animal that came to the fair should bring something to +sell. No matter whether he was young or old, rich or poor, no one +was to come empty-handed, for they wanted to enhance the popularity +of the market. U Khla, the tiger, was appointed governor of the fair. + +Man was excluded from these fairs as he was looked upon as an enemy. He +used to hunt the animals with his bow and arrows, so they had ceased to +fraternise with him and kept out of his way. But one day the dog left +his own kindred in the jungle, and became the attendant of Man. The +following story tells how that came to pass. + +One day U Ksew, the dog, walked abroad in search of goods to sell +at the fair. The other animals were thrifty and industrious, they +worked to produce their merchandise, but the dog, being of an indolent +nature, did not like to work, though he was very desirous to go to the +fair. So, to avoid the censure of his neighbours and the punishment of +the governor of the fair, he set out in search of something he could +get without much labour to himself. He trudged about the country all +day, inquiring at many villages, but when evening-time came he had not +succeeded in purchasing any suitable goods, and he began to fear that +he would have to forgo the pleasure of attending the fair after all. + +Just as the sun was setting he found himself on the outskirts of +Saddew village, on the slopes of the Shillong Mountain, and as he +sniffed the air he became aware of a strong and peculiar odour, which +he guessed came from some cooked food. Being hungry after his long +tramp, he pushed his way forward, following the scent till he came to +a house right in the middle of the village, where he saw the family +at dinner, which he noticed they were eating with evident relish. The +dinner consisted of fermented Khasi beans, known as ktung rymbai, +from which the strong smell emanated. + +The Khasis are naturally a very cordial and hospitable people, and +when the good wife of the house saw the dog standing outside looking +wistfully at them she invited him to partake of what food there was +left in the pot. U Ksew thankfully accepted, and by reason of his +great hunger he ate heartily, regardless of the strange flavour and +smell of the food, and he considered the ktung rymbai very palatable. + +It dawned on him that here, quite by accident, he had found a novel +and marketable produce to take to the fair; and it happened that the +kindly family who had entertained him had a quantity of the stuff for +sale which they kept in earthen jars, sealed with clay to retain its +flavour. After a little palaver according to custom, a bargain was +struck, and U Ksew became the owner of one good-sized jar of ktung +rymbai, which he cheerfully took on his back. He made his way across +the hills to Luri Lura fair, chuckling to himself as he anticipated +the sensation he would create and the profits he would gain, and the +praise he would win for being so enterprising. + +On the way he encountered many of the animals who like himself were +all going to Luri Lura, and carrying merchandise on their backs to +sell at the fair: to them U Ksew boasted of the wonderful food he had +discovered and was bringing with him to the market in the earthen jar +under the clay seal. He talked so much about it that the contents of +the earthen jar became the general topic of conversation between the +animals, for never had such an article been known at Luri Lura. + +When he arrived at the fair the dog walked in with great consequence, +and installed himself and his earthen jar in the most central place +with much clatter and ostentation. Then he began to shout at the +top of his voice, "Come and buy my good food," and what with his +boastings on the road and the noise he made at the fair, a very large +company gathered round him, stretching their necks to have a glimpse +at the strange-looking jar, and burning with curiosity to see the +much-advertised contents. + +U Ksew, with great importance, proceeded to uncover the jar; but +as soon as he broke the clay seal a puff of the most unsavoury and +foetid odour issued forth and drove all the animals scrambling to a +safe distance, much to the dog's discomfiture and the merriment of +the crowd. They hooted and jeered, and made all sorts of disparaging +remarks till U Ksew felt himself covered with shame. + +The stag pushed forward, and to show his disdain he contemptuously +kicked the earthen jar till it broke. This increased the laughter and +the jeering, and more of the animals came forward, and they began +to trample the ktung rymbai in the mud, taking no notice of the +protestations of U Ksew, who felt himself very unjustly treated. He +went to U Khla, the governor of the fair, to ask for redress, but here +again he was met with ridicule and scorn, and told that he deserved +all the treatment he had received for filling the market-place with +such a stench. + +At last U Ksew's patience wore out, he grew snappish and angry, +and with loud barks and snarls he began to curse the animals with +many curses, threatening to be avenged upon them all some day. At +the time no one heeded his curses and threats, for the dog was but +a contemptible animal in their estimation, and it was not thought +possible for him to work much harm. Yet even on that day a part of +his curse came true, for the animals found to their dismay that the +smell of the ktung rymbai clung to their paws and their hoofs, and +could not be obliterated; so the laughter was not all on their side. + +Humiliated and angry, the dog determined to leave the fair and the +forest and his own tribe, and to seek more congenial surroundings; +so he went away from Luri Lura, never to return, and came once more +to Saddew village, to the house of the family from whom he had bought +the offending food. When the master of the house heard the story of +the ill-treatment he had suffered from the animals, he pitied U Ksew, +and he also considered that the insults touched himself as well as +the dog, inasmuch as it was he who had prepared and sold the ktung +rymbai. So he spoke consolingly to U Ksew and patted his head and told +him to remain in the village with him, and that he would protect him +and help him to avenge his wrongs upon the animals. + +After the coming of the dog, Man became a very successful hunter, +for the dog, who always accompanied him when he went out to hunt, +was able to follow the trail of the animals by the smell of the ktung +rymbai, which adhered to their feet. Thus the animals lived to rue the +day when they played their foolish pranks on U Ksew and his earthen +jar at the fair of Luri Lura. + +Man, having other occupations, could not always go abroad to the +jungle to hunt; so in order to secure a supply of meat for himself +during the non-hunting seasons he tamed pigs and kept them at hand in +the village. When the dog came he shared the dwelling and the meals +of the pig, U Sniang; they spent their days in idleness, living on +the bounty of Man. + +One evening, as Man was returning from his field, tired with the day's +toil, he noticed the two idle animals and he said to himself--"It +is very foolish of me to do all the hard work myself while these two +well-fed creatures are lying idle. They ought to take a turn at doing +some work for their food." + +The following morning Man commanded the two animals to go to the field +to plough in his stead. When they arrived there U Sniang, in obedience +to his master's orders, began to dig with his snout, and by nightfall +had managed to furrow quite a large patch of the field; but U Ksew, +according to his indolent habits, did no work at all. He lay in the +shade all day, or amused himself by snapping at the flies. In the +evening, when it was time to go home, he would start running backwards +and forwards over the furrows, much to the annoyance of the pig. + +The same thing happened for many days in succession, till the patience +of the pig was exhausted, and on their return from the field one +evening he went and informed their master of the conduct of the dog, +how he was idling the whole day and leaving all the work for him to do. + +The master was loth to believe these charges against U Ksew, whom he +had found such an active and willing helper in the chase: he therefore +determined to go and examine the field. When he came there he found +only a few of the footprints of the pig, while those of the dog were +all over the furrows. He at once concluded that U Sniang had falsely +charged his friend, and he was exceedingly wroth with him. + +When he came home, Man called the two animals to him, and he spoke +very angrily to U Sniang, and told him that henceforth he would have to +live in a little sty by himself, and to eat only the refuse from Man's +table and other common food, as a punishment for making false charges +against his friend; but the dog would be privileged to live in the +house with his master, and to share the food of his master's family. + +Thus it was that the dog came to live with Man. + + + + + + +XIV + +THE ORIGIN OF BETEL AND TOBACCO + + +Long, long ago two boys lived in a village on the slopes of the hills, +who were very fond of one another and were inseparable companions. The +name of one was U Riwbha; he was the son of one of the wealthiest +men in the country. The other was called U Baduk, who belonged to +one of the lowly families; but the difference in station was no +barrier to the affection of the children for one another. Every day +they sought one another out, and together they roamed abroad in the +fields and the forests, learning to know the birds and the flowers; +together they learned to swim in the rivers, together they learned +to use the bow and arrow, and to play on the flute. They loved the +same pastimes and knew the same friends. + +As they grew up they were not able to spend so much time together. U +Riwbha had to overlook his father's property, which involved many days' +absence from the village; while U Baduk went every day to labour in +the fields to earn his own rice and to help his parents, who were +poor. But the old friendship remained as firm as ever between the +two young men, they trusted one another fully, and the one kept no +secrets from the other. + +In the course of time they took to themselves wives and became the +heads of families. U Riwbha's wife, like himself, belonged to one of +the wealthy families, so that by his marriage his influence in the +village increased, and he became very rich and prosperous. U Baduk +also married into his own class and went to live in a distant village, +but he never gathered riches like his friend; nevertheless he was +very happy. He had a good and thrifty wife, and side by side they +daily toiled in the fields to supply their simple wants as a family. + +Thus circumstances kept the two friends apart, for they seldom +met. The old regard was not in the least abated by absence, rather +the bond seemed to be drawn closer and closer as the years went +by. Occasionally U Baduk journeyed to his native village to see his +people and friends, and on these occasions nowhere was he made more +welcome than in the house of his friend U Riwbha, who insisted upon +his spending the greater part of his time with him, and partaking of +many sumptuous meals at his house. Thus the two old comrades renewed +their intimacy and affection. + +On his return home from one such visit U Baduk's wife told him that +their neighbours had been talking a great deal and making disparaging +remarks about the intimacy between them and their wealthy friend, +hinting that no such friendship existed, that it was only U Baduk's +boast that he had rich friends in his own village. If there were such +an intimacy as he pretended, why had his rich friend never come to +see them when U Baduk was constantly going to visit him? He was vexed +to hear this, not so much because they condemned him, but because +they were casting aspersions on his best friend, so he determined to +invite his friend to pay them a visit. + +When U Baduk paid his next visit to his village, and had as usual +accepted the hospitality of his friend, he ventured to say, "I am +always coming to see you and partaking of your hospitality, but you +have not been to see me once since I got married." + +To this U Riwbha replied, "Very true, my dear friend, very true, but +do not take it amiss that I never thought of this before. You know +that I have much business on my hands, and have no leisure like many +people to take my pleasures; but I have been too remiss towards you, +and I must make haste to remedy my fault. Give my greeting to your +wife, and tell her that I will start from here to-morrow to come to +pay you both a visit, and to give myself the pleasure of tasting a +dish of her curry and rice." + +Highly gratified and pleased, U Baduk hastened home to tell his wife +of his friend's projected visit, and urged her to rouse herself and +to cook the most savoury meal she was capable of. She too was very +pleased to hear that the man they respected and loved so much was +coming to see them; but she said, "It has come very suddenly, when +I am not prepared; we have neither fish nor rice in the house." + +"That is indeed unfortunate," said the husband, "but we have kind +neighbours from whom we have never asked a favour before. You must +go out and borrow what is wanted from them, for it would be too great +a disgrace not to have food to place before our friend when he comes." + +The wife went out as requested by her husband, but although she walked +the whole length of the village there was no one who could spare her +any rice or fish, and she returned home gloomy and disheartened and +told her husband of her ill-success. When U Baduk heard this bad +news he was extremely troubled and said, "What sort of a world is +this to live in, where a morsel of food cannot be obtained to offer +hospitality to a friend? It is better to die than to live." Whereupon +he seized a knife and stabbed himself to death. + +When the wife saw that her good husband was dead, she was smitten +with inconsolable grief, and she cried out, "What is there for me to +live for now? It is better that I also should die." Thereupon she in +her turn seized the knife and stabbed herself to death. + +It happened that a notorious robber called U Nongtuh was wandering +through the village that night, and, as it was cold, he bethought +himself of sneaking into one of the houses where the family had +gone to sleep, to warm himself. He saw that a fire was burning in U +Baduk's house, and that it was very silent within. He determined to +enter. "They are hard-working people," said he to himself, "and will +sleep soundly; I can safely sit and warm myself without their knowing +anything about me." So he squatted down comfortably on the hearth, +not knowing that the two dead bodies lay on the floor close to him. + +Before long the warmth made him drowsy, and without thinking U Nongtuh +fell asleep, and did not awake until the day was dawning; he jumped +up hastily, hoping to escape before the village was astir, but he +saw the two dead bodies and was greatly terrified. A great trembling +took him, and he began to mutter wildly, "What an unfortunate man I +am to have entered this house! The neighbours will say that I killed +these people; it will be useless for me to deny it, for I have such +an evil reputation nobody will believe me. It is better for me to +die by my own hand here than to be caught by the villagers, and be +put to death like a murderer." Whereupon he seized the knife and +stabbed himself to death; so there were three victims on the floor, +lying dead side by side, all because there was no food in the house +to offer hospitality to a friend. + +The morning advanced, and when the neighbours noticed that no one +stirred abroad from U Baduk's house they flocked there to find out +what was the matter. When they saw the three dead bodies they were +filled with sadness and compunction, for they remembered how they had +refused to lend them food the night before, to prepare entertainment +for their friend. + +In the course of the day U Riwbha arrived according to the promise made +to his friend, and when he was told of the terrible tragedy his sorrow +knew no bounds; he sat wailing and mourning by the body of the friend +that he loved best, and would not be comforted. "Alas!" he wailed, +"that a man should lose such a true friend because the world is become +so hard for the poor that to entertain a friend is a greater burden +than they can bear." + +For many hours he wept and sorrowed, praying to the Great God to show +a way of keeping up the customs of hospitality without the poor having +to suffer and be crushed, as his own good friend had been crushed. + +Just about that time the Great God walked abroad to look on the +universe, and he saw the sorrow of U Riwbha, and took pity on his +tears, and made known that from henceforth He would cause to grow +three valuable plants, which were to be used by mankind in future +as the means of entertainment, whereby the poor as well as the +rich could indulge in the entertainment of friends without being +burdened. Immediately three trees which had never been known to mankind +before were seen springing up from the ground where the dead bodies +lay. They were the Betel, the Pan, and the Tobacco. + +From that time it became a point of etiquette in Khasi households, +rich and poor alike, to offer betel nut and pan or a whiff of tobacco +from the hookah to friends when they make calls. + + + + + + +XV + +THE STAG AND THE SNAIL + + +On the day of the animals' fair at Luri Lura, the stag and the snail +met. It was a very hot day, and the animals as they travelled to +the fair eagerly sought the shelter of the trees. There was a large +Rubber grove in the forest, and thither many of the animals hasted, +panting from the great heat, and there laid down their burdens for +a while and rested in the cool shades. + +It was a familiar rendezvous, and many of the animals turned there, +as much from habit as from fatigue, glad to meet old acquaintances. On +the day which concerns this story there was an unusually large throng, +and they chatted together sociably about the different events of +their lives and the circumstances of their neighbours. + +In one corner a group were noisily comparing notes with one +another about the length of time it had taken them to travel +certain distances. In this group was the stag, who monopolised the +conversation, and boasted of his own speed, and the buffalo, trying to +be affable, said that they were bound to admit that the stag was now +the swiftest animal in the jungle, since the dog had run away to Man, +and the entire company nodded in agreement. + +There was, however, a little grey snail in the grass with her shell on +her back, who was very disgusted with the boastings of the animals, +especially of the stag, as if swiftness was the only virtue to which +an animal ought to aspire. In order to put a stop to their talk, +she called out mockingly for them to look at the lather that covered +their bodies from over-exertion, and to compare her own cool skin, +which had not perspired at all in spite of the journey; consequently, +she claimed the honours for good travelling for herself. + +This was received with much displeasure by the animals, who felt that +their dignity had been flouted, for the snail was an insect in their +estimation, not fit to be admitted to their august company. The stag +began to canter gracefully round the grove to prove his superiority, +his fellow animals applauding admiringly; but the little snail was +not to be silenced, and to show her contempt she challenged the stag +to run a long race with her, declaring that she would beat him. + +Many of the animals urged the stag not to heed the challenge of the +snail, as it was only given to affront him, but he said that unless +he would run she would always insult him and call him a coward who +had shown fear of a snail. So it was settled that the stag and the +snail should run a long race, from the Rubber grove to the top of +Mount Shillong, on the animals' return from Luri Lura. + +The name of this little grey snail was Ka Mattah. As soon as the +animals left the grove she summoned together all her tribe to consider +how to proceed so as to beat the stag in the long race. Many of the +snail family found fault with her for her foolish challenge, but they +were all prepared to help her out of her difficulty, and to save her +from the disgrace of defeat. It was decided in the family council +that the snails should form themselves into a long line edging the +path all the way from the Rubber grove to Mount Shillong, and hide +themselves in the grass, so as not to be discovered by the stag. So +the snails dispersed and formed themselves into a long line on the +edge of the path. + +As soon as they had sold their wares, the animals hastened to the +grove, laughing among themselves as they walked at the foolishness of +Ka Mattah in setting herself up against the swiftest of the animals, +and they planned how to make her the general laughing-stock of the +jungle for her audacity. When they reached the Rubber grove they found +Ka Mattah ready for the race, having discarded her cumbersome shell +and put herself into a racing attitude on the path, which caused them +no little amusement. As soon as the signal was given she dived into +the grass and was lost to sight, while the stag cantered towards the +mountains. After going some distance, he stopped, thinking that there +would be no need to run further, as he imagined that the snail was +far behind and likely to have given up the race; so he called out, +"Heigh, Mattah, art thou coming?" + +To his surprise, the voice of the snail answered close beside him +saying, "I am here, I am here." Thereupon he ran on more swiftly, but +after running several miles he stopped again and called out as before, +"Heigh, Mattah, art thou coming?" And again the voice answered close +to his heels, "I am here, I am here"; upon which the stag tore off +at a terrific pace through the forest, only stopping at intervals +to call out to the snail. As often as he called, the voice answered +close to his feet, "I am here, I am here," which set him racing +with ever-increasing speed. When he reached the Iei Tree Mountain, +he was panting and quivering from his great exertions and longed +to lie down to rest, but he saw before him the goal to which he was +bound, and spurred himself to a last effort. He was so exhausted as +he climbed up the slopes of Shillong that he was giddy and faint, +and could scarcely move his wearied limbs, and, to his dismay, before +he reached the summit, he heard the tormenting voice of the snail +calling out from the goal, "I have won, I have won." + +Exhausted and defeated, the stag threw himself full length on +the ground, and his disappointment and the sickness due to the +terrible strain he had put on himself caused him to spit out his +gall-bladder. To this day no gall-bladder is to be found in the anatomy +of the stag; so he carries in his body the token of the great defeat +he sustained through the wiles of Ka Mattah, the little grey snail, +and the pathetic look has never gone out of his eyes. + + + + + + +XVI + +THE LEAP OF KA LIKAI + + +"The Leap of Ka Likai" is the name given to a beautiful waterfall on +the Khasi Hills, a few miles to the west of Cherrapoonjee, which, at +certain points, is visible from great distances, while the roar and +the echoes of its waters are to be heard for miles. The view is one +of exceptional beauty, and many visitors are attracted to see it. The +clear chattering stream is seen emerging from its wild mountain home, +dashing over the high precipice into the shadows of a deep gorge, +flinging upwards, as it falls, clouds of tremulous spray, which wreathe +and coil around majestic rocks, creating countless small rainbows which +dance and quiver in a maze of palms and ferns and blossoming shrubs. + +The place is so remote and so still, as if every sound had been +awed into a hush, except the thunderous boom of the torrent with its +distant echoes moaning and shrieking like a spirit in anguish, that +the whole locality seems weird and uncanny, suggestive of terrible +possibilities. This, probably, accounts for the gruesome tradition +amongst the Khasis which has been associated with this waterfall from +time immemorial. It runs as follows: + +Once upon a time there lived a young married woman called Ka Likai, +in the village of Rangjirteh, on the hill above the Falls. She and her +husband lived very happily together and rejoiced in the possession of +a baby girl of great beauty. The young husband died when the child +was still a babe, and from that time Ka Likai's whole heart became +wrapped up in the child. + +She found it very hard to earn enough money to maintain them both, +so she was persuaded to marry again, thinking to have her own burden +lightened, and to obtain more comforts for her child. + +The new husband was a selfish and a somewhat brutal man; he was +exceedingly jealous of his little step-daughter, because his wife paid +her so much attention, and when he found that he had been accepted +as a husband by Ka Likai merely for the benefit of the child, he +was so mortified that he grew to hate her and determined to do her +some mischief. + +He became sulky in the home and refused to go out to work, but he +forced his wife to go every day, and during her absence he bullied and +ill-treated the child. One day Ka Likai had to go on a long journey +to carry iron ore, and this gave the cruel stepfather the opportunity +he sought to carry out his evil purpose, and he killed the child. So +depraved had he become and so demoniacal was his hatred, that he +determined to inflict even a worse horror upon his wife; he took +portions of the body and cooked them against the mother's return, +and waited in silence for her coming. + +When Ka Likai reached her home in the evening, she was surprised +to find her husband in a seemingly kinder mood than he had shown +for a long time, having cooked her supper and set it ready for her, +with unusual consideration. She noticed the absence of the child, +and immediately asked where she was, but the man's plausible answer +that she had just gone out to play dispelled every misgiving, and +she sat down to eat without a suspicion of evil. + +After finishing her supper, she drew forward the betel-nut basket to +prepare betel and pan to chew, according to custom after a meal. It +happened that one of the hands of the murdered girl had been left +by the stepfather in this basket, and the mother at once saw and +recognised it. She wildly demanded the meaning of the awful discovery, +whereupon the man confessed his crime, and also told her how she +herself had eaten of the flesh of her own child. + +The terrible and overwhelming revelation took away the mother's +reason. She rose distractedly, and, running to the edge of the +precipice, threw herself into the abyss. Ever since then the Falls +have been called "The Leap of Ka Likai," and the doleful moans of +their echoes are said to be the echoes of Ka Likai's anguished cries. + +To this day, when widows with children are contemplating second +marriages, they are cautioned to be careful and to use judgement, +with the warning, "Remember Ka Likai." + + + + + + +XVII + +WHAT CAUSED THE SHADOWS ON THE MOON + + +In the early ages there lived a family of deities, consisting of a +mother and four children--three daughters and one son. They lived +very happily for many long years, the children showing great respect +to their mother and to one another. Their names were Ka Um (Water), +Ka Ding (Fire), and Ka Sngi (the Sun), and the boy was called U Bnai +(the Moon). They were all very noble and beautiful to look upon, +as became their high destiny, but it was universally agreed that +Ka Sngi and U Bnai, the two youngest, possessed greater beauty and +loveliness than the two elder sisters. In those days the moon was +equal to the sun in brightness and splendour. + +When U Bnai grew up he began to show somewhat wayward tendencies; +he came and went at his own will, without consulting his mother +or his sisters, and consorted with companions far beneath him in +rank. Sometimes he would absent himself from home for many days, +and none of his family knew whither he wandered. His mother often +remonstrated with him, as is right for every mother to do, and she +and his sisters endeavoured to guide him into more decorous habits, +but he was wilful and self-indulgent, thinking that he had a right to +more liberty than his women-folk allowed him. By degrees he abandoned +himself to a life of pleasure and wild pursuits, paying no heed to +the advice and warnings of his elders. + +Once he followed some of his low associates into the nether regions and +spent a long time in that land of goblins and vice. After a while his +thoughts came back to his family and his erstwhile radiant home, and +a longing to see them came over him, so he quitted the nether regions, +and left his evil companions, and returned to his home and his kindred. + +He had gazed so long on the hideous faces of the inhabitants of the +dark world, that he was dazzled by the beauty of his sister Ka Sngi, +who came to meet him with smiles and joy for his return. He had +also lost the right perception of duty and honour, and, instead of +greeting her as his sister, he went to his mother and with unbrotherly +wantonness demanded the hand of Ka Sngi in marriage, saying that he +had travelled throughout many worlds, and had seen the sons of all +nations, but there was no suitor to be found in the whole universe +whose beauty could match that of Ka Sngi, except himself. Consequently +he said that it behoved his mother to give countenance to his suit +and to arrange the marriage. + +This caused the mother much grief, and she dismissed her son from +her presence in dishonour. Ka Sngi, when she heard of his design, +was enraged because of his unchaste proposal, and in anger she went +forth to seek her brother. When she found him she forgot her usual +dignity and decorum, and, lifting a handful of hot ashes, she threw +it into U Bnai's face. The ashes scorched his flesh so deeply that +the marks have remained on his face to this day. Ever since then the +light of the moon has been pale, marred by dark shadows, and that is +the reason he does not show his face in the day-time. + + + + + + +XVIII + +U KSUID TYNJANG + + +The Ancient Khasis were wont to people all their beautiful hills and +forests with innumerable supernatural beings, who were supposed to +be working in the world either for good or for evil, and dominating +all the events of men's lives. There were Bleis (gods) of all grades, +and Ksuids (demons or goblins) without number, and Puris (sprites or +fairies), visible and invisible, to be encountered everywhere. The +religious observances of the Khasis are mainly intended to fulfil +obligations supposed to be imposed upon them by these imaginary beings, +who are described as quick to take offence and difficult to appease; +hence the many and complicated ceremonies which the Khasi religion +demands. + +One of the most familiar names in ancient lore is that of U Ksuid +Tynjang, a deformed and lame demon who haunted the forests and +tormented mankind, and for his misdeeds had been doomed to suffer +from an incurable and loathsome itching disease, which could only be +allayed by the touch of a human hand. All the stories related of this +repulsive demon are concerned with his forbidding personality and the +tortures he inflicted on the victims he captured purposely to force +them to rub his body and relieve the terrible itching to which he +had been doomed. He used to tickle them to death with his deformed +and claw-like hands if they tried to desist from their sickening task. + +To lure people into his grasp, he used to imitate the human voice and +to shout "Kaw-hoit, Kaw-hoit!" the common signal-cry of people who lose +their companions or their way--a cry to which all humane travellers +quickly respond, for it is considered equivalent to murder to ignore +the signal-cry without going to the rescue. In this way U Ksuid Tynjang +was able to locate the whereabouts of lonely wanderers, and thither +he would direct his unsteady steps, skipping and hobbling through +the jungle, until he came up to them and made them his captives. + +In those days a great fair was periodically held at the foot of the +Hills, and to this the Khasis from all over the country were wont +to resort, especially the younger folk, who were fond of pleasure +and liked to see the show of fine cloths brought there for sale. It +happened that two young sisters from the Hills, Ka Thei and Ka Duh, +with their brother, attended one of these fairs in the company of some +of their neighbours. It was their first visit to a fair, and they were +so taken up with the wonders of it that they forgot all about the time, +and walked to and fro, gazing at the strange people and wares, until +unconsciously they drifted away from their friends. It was now growing +late, and Ka Thei, the eldest sister, anxiously bade the others cling +to her that they might retrace their steps and if possible find their +companions; but although they walked from one end of the fair to the +other, they met nobody they knew. By this they were in great dismay, +and they determined to start for home as fast as they could, hoping +to overtake their friends on the way. Evidently every one was far +ahead, for though they walked very fast and called out at intervals, +they saw no signs of a friend and heard no response, and by the time +they reached the Shillong forests, when they were yet some miles from +home, night closed upon them, and they lost their way in the dense dark +jungle. It was hopeless to try and proceed further, for the path could +not be traced in the darkness, so the three timid young travellers +sat down, footsore and forlorn, crushed down with foreboding and fear. + +Just then they heard a loud cry in the distance, Kaw-hoit! and they +all thought it was the cry of one of their friends signalling to them, +and the three shouted back in chorus Kaw-hoit! and waited expectantly +for some one to appear. To their horror they saw approaching, not a +friend as they had expected, but the deformed and diseased figure of +a hideous Ksuid, upon which they realised that they had responded to +the mimic-cry of U Ksuid Tynjang, whom they had often heard described, +and against answering whose call they had often been warned. + +In a few moments he was with them, and peremptorily he ordered them +to rub his itching body with their hands. Although they sickened at +the contact, they knew better than to disobey, for U Ksuid Tynjang +was known to be very cruel, tickling to death those who dared to +disobey him. + +It happened that the young brother escaped being seen by the demon, +a fact which Ka Thei hoped might turn to their advantage, for she +had an alert and a resourceful mind. She motioned to him to squat +down on the ground, and she hastily took off the knup (leaf umbrella) +hanging from her shoulders, and covered him with it. + +Soothed by the touch of the young maidens' hands, the Ksuid began to +dose. With a little contrivance, Ka Thei succeeded in approaching her +brother, quickly stuck some shrubs in the knup, to make it look like +the surrounding jungle, and whispered to him to crawl away as soon as +the dawn broke, and seek the path to their village to carry the news +of their fate to their parents, and bid them offer sacrifices to the +god of Shillong, in whose territory they had been captured, for their +deliverance. With the help of the shrub-covered knup the boy got away +at dawn unobserved, and reached his home, whereupon his parents offered +sacrifices to U 'Lei Shillong for the deliverance of their daughters. + +Whenever the Ksuid fell asleep the sisters were able to take turns at +their unpleasant task. In order to lighten their lot somewhat, they +planned to kindle a fire for the following night, and they collected +dry sticks and made ready; when night fell they kindled the fire and +felt less afraid. During the night, Ka Duh, in putting some fresh +wood on the fire, found a large, heavy dao--an axe-knife--of iron +which she showed to her sister, who at once took it as an augury that +deliverance was forthcoming, and that the god of Shillong was working +for them. She at once began to think of a plan whereby the dao might +be useful to break the spell of the demon and to free her sister and +herself from his power. She heated the thick blade red-hot while the +Ksuid slumbered, and, taking it by the handle, she seared his body +with the hot iron, so that he died. + +Such, however, is the tenacity of all Ksuids that, even when they +are killed and die, they do not go out of existence. U Ksuid Tynjang +could no longer resume the form of a demon as he had formerly done, +but he could assume some other form and remain in his old haunts. The +form he chose was that of a jirmi--a creeper of a tough and tenacious +nature which entangles the feet of hunters when they run in the +chase, and saps the life out of the forest trees, and destroys the +plants cultivated by mankind. This plant is known to this day as the +Tynjang creeper. + + + + + + +XIX + +WHAT MAKES THE LIGHTNING + + +In the early days of the world, when the animals fraternised with +mankind, they tried to emulate the manners and customs of men, and +they spoke their language. + +Mankind held a great festival every thirteen moons, where the strongest +men and the handsomest youths danced "sword dances" and contested in +archery and other noble games, such as befitted their race and their +tribe as men of the Hills and the Forests--the oldest and the noblest +of all the tribes. + +The animals used to attend these festivals and enjoyed watching the +games and the dances. Some of the younger and more enterprising among +them even clamoured for a similar carnival for the animals, to which, +after a time, the elders agreed; so it was decided that the animals +should appoint a day to hold a great feast. + +After a period of practising dances and learning games, U Pyrthat, +the thunder giant, was sent out with his big drum to summon all the +world to the festival. The drum of U Pyrthat was the biggest and the +loudest of all drums, and could be heard from the most remote corner +of the forest; consequently a very large multitude came together, +such as had never before been seen at any festival. + +The animals were all very smartly arrayed, each one after his or her +own taste and fashion, and each one carrying some weapon of warfare +or a musical instrument, according to the part he intended to play +in the festival. There was much amusement when the squirrel came up, +beating on a little drum as he marched; in his wake came the little +bird Shakyllia, playing on a flute, followed by the porcupine marching +to the rhythm of a pair of small cymbals. + +Every one was exceedingly merry--they joked and poked fun at one +another, in great glee: some of the animals laughed so much on that +feast day that they have never been able to laugh since. The mole was +there, and on looking up he saw the owl trying to dance, swaying as if +she were drunk, and tumbling against all sorts of obstacles, as she +could not see where she was going, at which he laughed so heartily +that his eyes became narrow slits and have remained so to this day. + +When the merriment was at its height U Kui, the lynx, arrived on the +scene, displaying a very handsome silver sword which he had procured at +great expense to make a show at the festival. When he began to dance +and to brandish the silver sword, everybody applauded. He really +danced very gracefully, but so much approbation turned his head, +and he became very uplifted, and began to think himself better than +all his neighbours. + +Just then U Pyrthat, the thunder giant, happened to look round, and he +saw the performance of the lynx and admired the beauty of the silver +sword, and he asked to have the handling of it for a short time, +as a favour, saying that he would like to dance a little, but had +brought no instrument except his big drum. This was not at all to +U Kui's liking, for he did not want any one but himself to handle +his fine weapon; but all the animals began to shout as if with one +voice, saying "Shame!" for showing such discourtesy to a guest, and +especially to the guest by whose kindly offices the assembly had been +summoned together; so U Kui was driven to yield up his silver sword. + +As soon as U Pyrthat got possession of the sword he began to wield +it with such rapidity and force that it flashed like leaping flame, +till all eyes were dazzled almost to blindness, and at the same time he +started to beat on his big drum with such violence that the earth shook +and trembled and the animals fled in terror to hide in the jungle. + +During the confusion U Pyrthat leaped to the sky, taking the lynx's +silver sword with him, and he is frequently seen brandishing it wildly +there and beating loudly on his drum. In many countries people call +these manifestations "thunder" and "lightning," but the Ancient Khasis +who were present at the festival knew them to be the stolen sword of +the lynx. + +U Kui was very disconsolate, and has never grown reconciled to his +loss. It is said of him that he has never wandered far from home +since then, in order to live near a mound he is trying to raise, +which he hopes will one day reach the sky. He hopes to climb to the +top of it, to overtake the giant U Pyrthat, and to seize once more +his silver sword. + + + + + + +XX + +THE PROHIBITED FOOD + + +When mankind first came to live upon the earth, the Great God saw +fit to walk abroad in their midst frequently, and permitted them +to hold converse with Him on matters pertaining to their duties +and their welfare. At one time the discourse turned on the terrible +consequences of disobedience, which caused punishment to fall, not +only on the transgressor himself, but upon the entire human race also. + +The man could not comprehend the mystery and sought for enlightenment +from God, and in order to help him to understand, the Great God +said unto him, "Do thou retire for seven days to meditate upon this +matter; at the end of the seven days I will again visit the earth; +seek me then and we will discourse further. In the meantime go into +the forest and hew down the giant tree which I point out to thee, +and on thy peril beware of cutting down any other trees." And He +pointed out a large tree in the middle of the forest. + +Thereupon the Great God ascended into heaven, and the man went forth +to meditate and to cut down the giant tree, as he had been commanded. + +At the expiration of seven days the man came to the appointed place +and the Great God came to him. He questioned him minutely about his +work and his meditations during the week of retirement, but the man +had gained no further knowledge nor received any new light. So the +Great God, to help him, began to question him. Their discourse was +after this manner: + +"Hast thou cut down the tree as thou wert commanded?" + +"Behold, its place is empty, I have cut it down." + +"Didst thou observe the command in all things? Didst thou abstain +from cutting down any of the other trees?" + +"I abstained from cutting down any other trees; only the one that +was pointed out to me have I cut down." + +"What are all these trees and shrubs that I see scattered about?" + +"These were broken and uprooted by the weight of the great tree as +it fell." + +"Behold, here are some trees that have been cut down with an axe; +how did this happen?" + +"The jungle was so thick I could not reach the giant tree without +first cutting a path for myself." + +"That is true; therefore learn from this parable, man is so great that, +if he falls into transgression, others must suffer with him." + +But the man still marvelled, and his mind remained dark. The Great God, +in His long-sufferance, told him to ponder further upon the parable +of the giant tree. So the Great God walked abroad for a time and man +was left alone to ponder. When He returned He found the man still +puzzled and unable to comprehend; and once again He questioned him. + +"What took place in My absence?" + +"Nothing of importance that I can think of." + +"Why didst thou cry out as if in pain?" + +"It was for a very trivial cause; an ant bit me in my heel." + +"And what didst thou do?" + +"I took a stone and killed the ant and the whole nest of ants." + +"This also is a parable; because one ant bit thee the whole nest was +destroyed. Man is the ant; if man transgresseth he and all his race +must suffer." + +Yet the man comprehended not: whereupon the Great God granted him +another seven days to retire and to meditate upon the parables of +the giant tree and the ant. + +Again the man came to the appointed place at the end of seven days' +seeking to receive fuller knowledge and understanding. The Great God +had not yet appeared, so the man took a walk in the forest to await His +coming. As he wandered aimlessly about, he met a stranger carrying a +small net in his hand out of which he was eating some food. Now this +stranger was a demon, but the man did not know it. + +"Where art thou going?" asked the stranger affably after the manner +of the country. + +"Just to walk for my pleasure," replied the man; "what food art +thou eating?" + +"Only some cakes of bread which I find very tasty; take some and +eat." And he passed the net to him. + +"Thy offer is kindly made, but do not take it amiss that I refuse to +accept thy bread, for it is decreed that we shall live on rice alone." + +"Even so, but surely to take a morsel to taste would not be wrong." + +This time the man did not resist, but accepted a cake of bread and +ate it with enjoyment, after which the stranger departed, taking his +bag of cakes with him. + +The man had scarcely swallowed the strange food when he heard the +voice of the Great God calling unto him from the skies, saying: + +"What hast thou done, oh man? Thou knowest the decree that rice was +provided to be thy food, yet thou hast unmindfully transgressed and +partaken of the strange food of the tempter. Henceforth thou and thy +race shall be tormented by the strange being whose food thou hast +eaten. By eating his food thou hast given him dominion over thee and +over thy race, and to escape from his torments thou and thy race must +give of thy substance to appease him and to avert his wrath." + +Thus, too late, the man began to understand, and ever since then +the days of men have been full of sorrow because man yielded to the +tempter's voice instead of submitting to the decrees of the Great God. + + + + + + +XXI + +THE COOING OF THE DOVES + + +Of all the birds there are none that keep themselves more separate +than the doves. They do not peck at other birds as the crows and the +vultures do, but, on restless foot and wing, they quickly withdraw +themselves from every presuming neighbour. + +The Ancient Khasis say that at one time the doves sang like other +birds, and the following story tells how they ceased their singing +and came to express their feelings in the plaintive "Coo-oo" for +which they are noted throughout the world. + +Once a family of doves lived very happily in the forest, and its +youngest member was a beautiful female called Ka Paro. Her parents and +all the family were very indulgent to her, and never permitted her +to risk the danger of the grain-fields until they had ascertained +that there were no hunters or wild beasts likely to attack her; +so Ka Paro used to stay in the shelter of her home until they gave +a signal that the land was safe and clear. + +One day, while waiting for the signal, she happened to go up into +a tall tree on which there were clusters of luscious red berries +growing. As the doves usually subsisted on grain, Ka Paro did not +pay much attention to the berries; she sat on a branch, preening her +feathers and watching other birds who came to pick them. + +By and by there came a smart young Jylleit (a jungle bird with gorgeous +green and gold feathers) who perched to pick berries upon the very +branch on which Ka Paro sat. She had never seen such a beautiful bird, +and to please him she sang to him one of her sweetest songs. U Jylleit +was quickly attracted by the sweet voice and the gentle manners of +the dove, and a pleasant intimacy grew between the two. Ka Paro came +to that tree to preen her feathers and to sing every day, while the +Jylleit admired her and picked the berries. + +After a time U Jylleit sent to the dove's parents to ask her in +marriage. Although their young daughter pressed them hard to give +their consent, the parents were wise, and did not want to trust +the happiness of their pet child to a stranger until they had time +to test his worth; they knew too that marriages between alien tribes +were scarcely ever a success. So, to test the constancy of the young +suitor, they postponed the marriage till the winter, and with that +the lovers had to be content. The parents remembered that the berries +would be over by the winter, and it remained to be seen whether the +Jylleit would be willing to forgo his luxuries and to share the frugal +food of the doves, or whether he would fly away to some other forests +where berries were to be found. Ka Paro was so much in love that she +was very confident of the fidelity of her suitor, but to her sorrow, +as soon as the berries were finished, U Jylleit flitted away without +even a word of farewell, and she never saw him again. + +From that time Ka Paro ceased to sing. She could only utter the +longing and sorrow that was in her heart in sad and plaintive notes, +so the doves are cooing sadly even in their happiest moments. + + + + + + +XXII + +HOW THE MONKEY'S COLOUR BECAME GREY + + +In olden times the monkeys had long hair of different colours covering +their bodies, and they were much more handsome than they are in the +present day. They were very inquisitive animals and liked to meddle +in the affairs of other people, and they caused a lot of trouble in +the world. + +One day a monkey wandering on the plains met Ram, the god of the +Hindus, searching for the goddess Sita. Ram, thinking that the monkey +by his inquisitiveness and audacity might help to find her, bribed +him to come to his service. + +After making enquiries far and near, the monkey heard at last that Ka +Sita was confined in a fort in the island of Ceylon, so he went and +told the god Ram. Thereupon Ram gathered together a great host to go +and fight the king of the island of Ceylon, but they found the place +infested with dragons and goblins of the most hostile disposition, +so that they dared not venture to land. + +The hosts of Ram then held a consultation, and they decided that, +as the monkey had been the cause of their coming there, he must find +out a way for them to land without being destroyed by the dragons. The +monkey, not knowing what to say, suggested that they should burn down +the forests of Ceylon so that the dragons could have no place to hide. + +Upon this the hosts of Ram declared that the monkey himself must +go over to put his plan into execution. So they dipped a long piece +of cloth in oil and tied one end of it to the monkey's tail and set +fire to the other end of it, and the monkey went over to the island +and ran hither and thither dragging the flaming cloth behind him and +setting the forests on fire everywhere he went, until all the forests +of Ceylon were in flames. + +Before he could get back to his companions he saw with dismay that +the cloth was nearly burnt out, and the heat from the fire behind him +began to singe his long hair; whereupon, fearing to be burnt alive, +he plunged into the sea and the flames were extinguished. From that +time the monkey's hair has been grey and short as a sign that he once +set the forests of Ceylon on fire. + + + + + + +XXIII + +THE LEGEND OF KA PANSHANDI, THE LAZY TORTOISE + + +Once upon a time there lived a young tortoise near a large pool. She +was very ill-favoured and ugly in appearance and very foolish, +as well as being of a lazy disposition, and, like all lazy people, +she was slovenly and dirty in her habits. Her name was Ka Panshandi. + +The pool near which she lived being very clear, the stars and other +heavenly bodies often gazed into it to behold their own images. At +times the reflection of countless shining, blinking stars would +be visible in the placid waters till the pool looked like a little +part of the sky. At such times Ka Panshandi took immense delight in +plunging into the pool, darting backwards and forwards and twirling +round the bright silvery spots with great glee and contentment. + +Among those who came frequently to gaze at themselves in the pool was +U Lurmangkhara, the brightest of all the stars; he began to notice +the playful gambols of Ka Panshandi in the water and to admire her +twirling motions. He lived so far away that he could not see her +ugliness, nor could he know that she was lazy and foolish. All he +knew was that she exposed herself nightly to the chilly waters of +the pool in order (as he thought) to have the pleasure of being near +the images of the stars, which was very flattering to his vanity. If +she was so strongly attracted by their images, he thought to himself, +how much more would she adore the real live stars if she were brought +into contact with them. + +U Lurmangkhara fell deeply in love with her, and determined to go +down to the earth to marry her and to endow her with all his wealth, +for he was very rich and had always lived in great splendour. + +When his relations and friends heard of his purpose, they were much +disturbed, and they came to remonstrate with him against what they +considered to be a very rash and risky step--to go to a foreign land +to make his home and to mate with an unknown consort whose habits and +outlook on life might be altogether alien to him. But U Lurmangkhara +would listen to no counsel. Persons in love never take heed of other +people's advice. Down to the earth he came, and there married Ka +Panshandi and endowed her with all his wealth. + +When Ka Panshandi found herself a rich wife, having unexpectedly won +one of the noblest husbands in the world, her vanity knew no bounds, +and she grew more indolent and idle than ever. Her house was squalid, +and she minded not when even her own body was daubed with mud, and +she felt no shame to see her husband's meals served off unscoured +platters. U Lurmangkhara was very disappointed; being patient and +gentle, he tried by kind words to teach his wife to amend her ways, +but it was of no avail. Gradually he grew discontented and spoke +angrily to her, but she remained as callous and as indifferent as +ever, for it is easier to turn even a thief from stealing than to +induce a sluggard to renounce his sloth. He threatened to leave her, +her neighbours also repeatedly warned her that she would lose her good +husband unless she altered her ways, but she remained as unconcerned +as ever. At last, driven to despair, U Lurmangkhara gathered together +all his wealth and went back to his home in the sky. + +Ka Panshandi was filled with remorse and grief when she found that +her husband had departed. She called piteously after him, promising +to reform if he would only return, but it was too late. He never came +back, and she was left to her squalor and her shame. + +To this day Ka Panshandi is still hoping to see U Lurmangkhara coming +back to the earth, and she is seen crawling about mournfully, with +her neck outstretched towards the sky in expectation of his coming, +but there is no sign of his return, and her life is dull and joyless. + +After these events Ka Panshandi's name became a mockery and a proverb +in the land; ballads were sung setting forth her fate as a warning +to lazy and thriftless wives. To the present day a forsaken wife who +entertains hope of her husband's return is likened by the Khasis to +Ka Panshandi in her expectant attitude with her head lifted above +her shell: "Ka Panshandi dem-lor-khah." + + + + + + +XXIV + +THE IDIOT AND THE HYNDET BREAD + + +Long, long ago there lived on the Khasi Hills a certain widow with her +only son, a lad possessed of great personal beauty, who was mentally +deficient, and was known in the village as "U Bieit" (the idiot). + +The mother, being very poor and having neither kith nor kin to help +her, was obliged to go out to work every day to support herself and +her hapless child, so he was left to his own devices, roaming at +large in the village. In this way he grew up to be very troublesome +to his neighbours, for he often broke into their houses to forage +for something to eat and caused much damage and loss. + +Like most people of weak intellect, U Bieit showed wonderful cunning +in some directions, especially in the matter of procuring some good +thing to eat, and the way he succeeded in duping some of his more +sagacious comrades in order to obtain some dainty tit-bits of food +was a matter of much amusement and merriment. But there were so many +unpleasant incidents that people could not safely leave their houses, +and matters at last became so serious that the widow was ordered to +leave the village on his account. + +She sought admission into many of the surrounding villages, but the +fame of U Bieit had travelled before him and no one was willing to +let them dwell in their midst. So in great distress she took him down +to the plains, where there was a big river along which many boats +used to sail. Here she mournfully determined to abandon him, hoping +that some of the wealthy merchants who often passed that way might +be attracted by his good looks and take him into their company. She +gave him some rice cakes to eat when he should be hungry, and told +him to be a good boy and stay by the river-side, and she would bring +him more cakes next day. + +The boy thoroughly appreciated the promise of more cakes, so was quite +willing to be left by the river, but he felt lonely and uncomfortable +in his strange surroundings after his mother had gone, and whenever +a boat came in sight he ran into the thickets to hide. By and by +a large boat was seen approaching with great white sails, which +frightened him greatly and sent him running into a thicket with all +his might. It happened that a wealthy merchant was returning from +a journey, and landed to take food close to the hiding-place of U +Bieit. The servants were going backward and forward into the boat +while preparing their master's food, and, fearing lest some of them +might tamper with his chest of gold nuggets, he ordered them to carry +it ashore, and buried it in the sands close to where he sat. + +Just as he finished his repast a heavy shower came on, and the +merchant hurried to the shelter of his boat; in his haste he forgot +all about the chest of gold buried in the sands, and the boat sailed +away without it. + +All this time the idiot boy was watching the proceedings with great +curiosity and a longing to share the tempting meal, but fear of +the boat with white sails kept him from showing himself. However, +as soon as the boat was out of sight, he came out of the thicket and +began to unearth the buried chest. When he saw the gold nuggets he +thought they were some kind of cakes, and, putting one in his mouth, +he tried to eat it. Finding it so hard, he decided that it must have +been unbaked, and his poor marred mind flew at once to his mother, +who always baked food for him at home, and, taking the heavy chest on +his back, he started through the forest to seek her, and his instinct, +like that of a homing pigeon, brought him safely to his mother's door. + +It was quite dark when he reached the village, so that nobody saw him, +but his mother was awake crying and lamenting her own hard fate which +had driven her to desert her unfortunate child. As she cried she +kept saying to herself that if only she possessed money she could +have obtained the goodwill of her neighbours and been permitted to +live with her boy in the village. She was surprised to hear sounds of +shuffling at her door resembling the shuffling of her forsaken boy; +she got up hurriedly to see who it was, and was relieved and joyful +to find him come back to her alive. + +She marvelled when she saw him carrying a heavy chest on his shoulders, +and she could get but little light from his incoherent speech as to +how he had obtained possession of it, but her eyes glittered with +delight when she saw that it was full of gold nuggets. She allowed the +lad to keep his delusion that they were cakes, and to pacify him she +took some rice and made some savoury cakes for him, pretending that +she was baking the strange cakes from the chest. After eating these, +he went to sleep satisfied and happy. + +Now the widow had been longing for gold all her life long, saying that +she wanted it to provide better comforts for the son who could not look +after himself, but the moment the gold came into her possession her +heart was filled with greed. Not only was she not willing to part with +any of the nuggets to obtain the favour of the villagers for her son, +but she was planning to send him abroad again to search for more gold, +regardless of the perils to which he would be exposed. She called +him up before daybreak, and, giving him some rice cakes in a bag, +she told him to go again to the river-side and to bring home more +boxes of cakes for her to bake. + +So the boy started out on his fruitless errand, but soon lost his +way in the jungle; he could find the path neither to the river nor +to his mother's house, so he wandered about disconsolate and hungry +in the dense woods, searching for hidden chests and unbaked cakes. + +In that forest many fairies had their haunts, but they were invisible +to mankind. They knew all about the idiot boy and his sad history, +and a great pity welled up in their hearts when they saw how the lust +for gold had so corrupted his mother's feelings that she sent him alone +and unprotected into the dangers of that great forest. They determined +to try and induce him to accompany them to the land of the fairies, +where he would be guarded from all harm and where willing hands would +minister to all his wants. + +So seven of the fairies transformed themselves into the likeness +of mankind and put on strong wings like the wings of great eagles, +and came to meet U Bieit in the jungle. By this time he had become +exhausted with want of food, and as soon as he saw the fairies he +called out eagerly to ask if they had any food, to which they replied +that they had only some Hyndet bread (kpu Hyndet) which had been +baked by the fairies in heaven; and when they gave him some of it, +he ate it ravenously and held out his hand for more. This was just +what the fairies wanted, for no human being can be taken to fairyland +except of his own free will. So they said that they had no more to +give in that place, but if he liked to come with them to the land of +the fairies beyond the Blue Realm, he could have abundance of choice +food and Hyndet cakes. He expressed his readiness to go at once, +and asked them how he should get there. They told him to take hold of +their wings, to cling firmly, and not to talk on the way; so he took +hold of the wings of the fairies and the ascent to fairyland began. + +Now as they flew upwards there were many beautiful sights which gave +the fairies great delight as they passed. They saw the glories of +the highest mountains, and the endless expanse of forest and waters, +and the fleeting shadows of the clouds, and the brilliant colours +of the rainbow, dazzling in their transient beauty. But the idiot +boy saw nothing of these things; his simple mind was absorbed in the +one thought--food. When they had ascended to a great height and the +borders of fairyland came into view, U Bieit could no longer repress +his curiosity, and, forgetting all about the caution not to speak, +he asked the fairies eagerly, "Will the Hyndet cakes be big?" As soon +as he uttered the words he lost his hold on the fairies' wings and, +falling to the earth with great velocity, he died. + +The Khasis relate this story mainly as a warning not to impose +responsible duties on persons incapable of performing them, and not +to raise people into high positions which they are not fitted to fill. + + + + + + +XXV + +U RAMHAH + + +Where is the country without its giant-story? + +All through the ages the world has revelled in tales of the +incomparable prowess and the unrivalled strength and stature of great +and distinguished men whom we have learned to call giants. We trace +them from the days of Samson and Goliath, past the Knights of Arthur in +the "Island of the Mighty" and the great warriors of ancient Greece, +down to the mythland of our nursery days, where the exploits of the +famous "Jack" and his confederates filled us with wonder and awe. Our +world has been a world full of mighty men to whom all the nations +pay tribute, and the Khasis in their small corner are not behind the +rest of the world in this respect, for they also have on record the +exploits of a giant whose fate was as strange as that of any famous +giant in history. + +The name of the Khasi giant was U Ramhah. He lived in a dark age, +and his vision was limited, but according to his lights and the +requirements of his country and his generation, he performed great +and wonderful feats, such as are performed by all orthodox giants all +the world over. He lifted great boulders, he erected huge pillars, he +uprooted large trees, he fought wild beasts, he trampled on dragons, +he overcame armed hosts single-handed, he championed the cause of +the defenceless, and won for himself praise and renown. + +When his fame was at its height he smirched his reputation by his bad +actions. After the great victory over U Thlen in the cave of Pomdoloi, +he became very uplifted and proud, and considered himself entitled to +the possessions of the Khasis. So instead of helping and defending +his neighbours as of yore, he began to oppress and to plunder them, +and came to be regarded as a notorious highwayman, to be avoided and +dreaded, who committed thefts and crimes wherever he went. + +At this period he is described as a very tall and powerful man whose +stature reached "half way to the sky," and he always carried a soop +(a large basket of plaited bamboo) on his back, into which he put all +his spoils, which were generally some articles of food or clothing. He +broke into houses, looted the markets and waylaid travellers. The +plundered people used to run after him, clinging to his big soop, but +he used to beat them and sometimes kill them, and by reason of his +great strength and long strides he always got away with his booty, +leaving havoc and devastation behind him. He was so strong and so +terrible that no one could check his crimes or impose any punishments. + +There lived in the village of Cherra in those days a wealthy woman +called Ka Bthuh, who had suffered much and often at the hands of U +Ramhah, and whose anger against him burnt red-hot. She had pleaded +urgently with the men of her village to rise in a body to avenge her +wrongs, but they always said that it was useless. Whenever she met U +Ramhah she insulted him by pointing and shaking her finger at him, +saying, "You may conquer the strength of a man, but beware of the +cunning of a woman." For this saying U Ramhah hated her, for it showed +that he had not been able to overawe her as everybody else had been +overawed by him, and he raided her godowns more frequently than ever, +not dreaming that she was scheming to defeat him. + +One day Ka Bthuh made a great feast; she sent invitations to many +villages far and near, for she wanted it to be as publicly known as +possible in order to lure U Ramhah to attend. It was one of his rude +habits to go uninvited to feasts and to gobble up all the eatables +before the invited guests had been helped. + +The day of Ka Bthuh's feast came and many guests arrived, but before +the rice had been distributed there was a loud cry that U Ramhah +was marching towards the village. Everybody considered this very +annoying, but Ka Bthuh, the hostess, pretended not to be disturbed, +and told the people to let the giant eat as much as he liked first, +and she would see that they were all helped later on. At this U +Ramhah laughed, thinking that she was beginning to be afraid of him, +and he helped himself freely to the cooked rice and curry that was +at hand. He always ate large mouthfuls, but at feast times he used +to put an even greater quantity of rice into his mouth, just to make +an impression and a show. Ka Bthuh had anticipated all this, and she +stealthily put into the rice some sharp steel blades which the giant +swallowed unsuspectingly. + +When he had eaten to his full content U Ramhah took his departure, +and when he had gone out of earshot Ka Bthuh told the people what +she had done. They marvelled much at her cunning, and they all said +it was a just deed to punish one whose crimes were so numerous and so +flagrant, but who escaped penalty by reason of his great strength. From +that time Ka Bthuh won great praise and became famous. + +U Ramhah never reached his home from that feast. The sharp blades he +had swallowed cut his intestines and he died on the hill-side alone +and unattended, as the wild animals die, and there was no one to +regret his death. + +When the members of his clan heard of his death they came in a great +company to perform rites and to cremate his body, but the body was +so big that it could not be cremated, and so they decided to leave +it till the flesh rotted, and to come again to gather together his +bones. After a long time they came to gather the bones, but it was +found that there was no urn large enough to contain them, so they +piled them together on the hill-side until a large urn could be made. + +While the making of the large urn was in progress there arose a great +storm, and a wild hurricane blew from the north, which carried away +the bleached bones of U Ramhah, and scattered them all over the south +borders of the Khasi Hills, where they remain to this day in the +form of lime-rocks, the many winding caves and crevices of which are +said to be the cavities in the marrowless bones of the giant. Thus +U Ramhah, who injured and plundered the Khasis in his life-time, +became the source of inestimable wealth to them after his death. + +His name is heard on every hearth, used as a proverb to describe +objects of abnormal size or people of abnormal strength. + + + + + + +XXVI + +HOW THE CAT CAME TO LIVE WITH MAN + + +In olden times Ka Miaw, the cat, lived in the jungle with her brother +the tiger, who was king of the jungle. She was very proud of her +high pedigree and anxious to display the family greatness, and to +live luxuriously according to the manner of families of high degree; +but the tiger, although he was very famous abroad, was not at all +mindful of the well-being and condition of his family, and allowed +them to be often in want. He himself, by his skill and great prowess, +obtained the most delicate morsels for his own consumption, but as it +involved trouble to bring booty home for his household, he preferred +to leave what he did not want himself to rot on the roadside, or to +be eaten by any chance scavenger. Therefore, the royal larder was +often very bare and empty. + +Thus the cat was reduced to great privations, but so jealous was she +for the honour and good name of her house that, to hide her poverty +from her friends and neighbours, she used to sneak out at night-time, +when nobody could see her, in order to catch mice and frogs and other +common vermin for food. + +Once she ventured to speak to her brother on the matter, asking him +what glory there was in being king if his family were obliged to +work and to fare like common folks. The tiger was so angered that she +never dared to approach the subject again, and she continued to live +her hard life and to shield the family honour. + +One day the tiger was unwell, and a number of his neighbours came to +enquire after his health. Desiring to entertain them with tobacco, +according to custom, he shouted to his sister to light the hookah +and to serve it round to the company. Now, even in the most ordinary +household, it is very contrary to good breeding to order the daughter +of the house to serve the hookah, and Ka Miaw felt the disgrace keenly, +and, hoping to excuse herself, she answered that there was no fire +left by which to light the hookah. This answer displeased the tiger +greatly, for he felt that his authority was being flouted before +his friends. He ordered his sister angrily to go to the dwelling of +mankind to fetch a firebrand with which to light the hookah, and, +fearing to be punished if she disobeyed, the cat ran off as she was +bidden and came to the dwelling of mankind. + +Some little children were playing in the village, and when they saw +Ka Miaw they began to speak gently to her and to stroke her fur. This +was so pleasant to her feelings after the harsh treatment from her +brother that she forgot all about the firebrand and stayed to play +with the children, purring to show her pleasure. + +Meanwhile the tiger and his friends sat waiting impatiently for +the hookah that never came. It was considered a great privilege to +draw a whiff from the royal hookah; but seeing that the cat delayed +her return, the visitors took their departure, and showed a little +sullenness at not receiving any mark of hospitality in their king's +house. + +The tiger's anger against his sister was very violent, and, regardless +of his ill-health, he went out in search of her. Ka Miaw heard him +coming, and knew from his growl that he was angry; she suddenly +remembered her forgotten errand, and, hastily snatching a firebrand +from the hearth, she started for home. + +Her brother met her on the way and began to abuse her, threatening to +beat her, upon which she threw down the firebrand at his feet in her +fright and ran back to the abode of mankind, where she has remained +ever since, supporting herself as of old by catching frogs and mice, +and purring to the touch of little children. + + + + + + +XXVII + +HOW THE FOX GOT HIS WHITE BREAST + + +Once a fox, whose name was U Myrsiang, lived in a cave near the +residence of a Siem (Chief). This fox was a very shameless marauder, +and had the impudence to conduct his raids right into the Siem's +private barn-yard, and to devour the best of his flocks, causing him +much annoyance and loss. + +The Siem gave his servants orders to catch U Myrsiang, but though they +laid many traps and snares in his way he was so wily and so full of +cunning that he managed to evade every pitfall, and to continue his +raids on the Siem's flocks. + +One of the servants, more ingenious than his fellows, suggested that +they should bring out the iron cage in which the Siem was wont to lock +up state criminals, and try and wheedle the fox into entering it. So +they brought out the iron cage and set it open near the entrance to +the barn-yard, with a man on guard to watch. + +By and by, U Myrsiang came walking by very cautiously, sniffing the +air guardedly to try and discover if any hidden dangers lay in his +path. He soon reached the cage, but it aroused no suspicion in him, +for it was so large and so unlike every trap he was familiar with +that he entered it without a thought of peril, and ere he was aware +of his error, the man on guard had bolted the door behind him and +made him a prisoner. + +There was great jubilation in the Siem's household when the capture +of the fox was made known. The Siem himself was so pleased that he +commanded his servants to prepare a feast on the following day as a +reward for their vigilance and ingenuity. He also gave orders not to +kill the fox till the next day, and that he should be brought out of +the cage after the feast and executed in a public place as a warning +to other thieves and robbers. So U Myrsiang was left to pine in his +prison for that night. + +The fox was very unhappy, as all people in confinement must be. He +explored the cage from end to end but found no passage of egress. He +thought out many plans of escape, but not one of them could be put +into execution, and he was driven to face the doom of certain death. He +whined in his misery and despair, and roamed about the cage all night. + +Some time towards morning he was disturbed by the sounds of footsteps +outside his cage, and, thinking that the Siem's men had come to kill +him, he lay very still, hardly venturing to breathe. To his relief +the new-comer turned out to be a belated traveller, who, upon seeing +a cage, sat down, leaning his weary body against the bars, while +U Myrsiang kept very still, not wishing to disclose his presence +until he found out something more about his unexpected companion, +and hoping also to turn his coming to some good account. + +The traveller was an outlaw driven away from a neighbouring state for +some offence, and was in great perplexity how to procure the permission +of the Siem (into whose state he had now wandered) to dwell there and +be allowed to cultivate the land. Thinking that he was quite alone, +he began to talk to himself, not knowing that a wily fox was listening +attentively to all that he was saying. + +"I am a most unfortunate individual," said the stranger. "I have been +driven away from my home and people, I have no money and no friends, +and no belongings except this little polished mirror which no one is +likely to buy. I am so exhausted that if they drive me out of this +State again I shall die of starvation on the roadside. If I could +only find a friend who could help me to win the favour of the Siem, +so that I may be permitted to live here unmolested for a time, till +my trouble blows over!" + +U Myrsiang's heart was beating very fast with renewed hope when he +heard these words, and he tried to think of some way to delude the +stranger to imagine that he was some one who had influence with the +Siem, and to get the man to open the cage and let him out. So with +all the cunning he was capable of, he accosted the man in his most +affable and courteous manner: + +"Friend and brother," he said, "do not despair. I think I can put +you in the way, not only to win the Siem's favour, but to become a +member of his family." + +The outlaw was greatly embarrassed when he discovered that some one +had overheard him talking. It was such a dark night he could not +see the fox, but thought that it was a fellow-man who had accosted +him. Fearing to commit himself further if he talked about himself, +he tried to divert the conversation away from himself, and asked his +companion who he was and what he was doing alone in the cage at night. + +The fox, nothing loth to monopolise the conversation, gave a most +plausible account of his misfortunes, and his tale seemed so sincere +and apparently true that it convinced the man on the instant. + +"There is great trouble in this State," said U Myrsiang. "The only +daughter of the Siem is sick, and according to the divinations she +is likely to die unless she can be wedded before sunset to-morrow, +and her bridegroom must be a native of some other State. The time was +too short to send envoys to any of the neighbouring States to arrange +for the marriage, and as I happened to pass this way on a journey, the +Siem's men forcibly detained me, on finding that I was a foreigner, and +to-morrow they will compel me to marry the Siem's daughter, which is +much against my will. If you open the door of this cage and let me out, +you may become the Siem's son-in-law by taking my place in the cage." + +"What manner of man are you," asked the outlaw, "that you should +disdain the honour of marrying the daughter of a Siem?" + +"You are mistaken to think that I disdain the honour," said the +fox. "If I had been single I should have rejoiced in the privilege, +but I am married already, and have a wife and family in my own village +far from here, and my desire is to be released so that I may return +to them." + +"In that case," replied the man, "I think you are right to refuse, +but as for me it will be a most desirable union, and I shall be only +too glad to exchange places with you." + +Thereupon he opened the door of the cage and went in, while U Myrsiang +slipped out, and bolted the door behind him. + +The man was so pleased with his seeming good fortune that at parting +he took off his polished mirror which was suspended round his neck by +a silver chain, and begged his companion to accept it in remembrance +of their short but strange encounter. As he was handing it to U +Myrsiang, his hand came into contact with the fox's thick fur, and he +realised then that he had been duped, and had, owing to his credulity, +released the most thieving rogue in the forest. Regrets were vain. He +was firmly imprisoned within the cage, while he heard the laughter +of U Myrsiang echoing in the distance as he hurried away to safety, +taking the polished mirror with him. + +The fox was well aware that it was unsafe for him to remain any longer +in that locality, so, after fastening the mirror firmly round his neck, +he hastened away with all speed, and did not halt till he came to a +remote and secluded part of the jungle, where he stopped to take his +breath and to rest. + +Unknown to U Myrsiang, a big tiger was lying in wait for prey in that +part of the jungle, and, upon seeing the fox, made ready to spring +upon him. But the fox, hearing some noise, turned round suddenly, +and by that movement the polished mirror came right in front of the +tiger's face. The tiger saw in it the reflection of his own big jaws +and flaming eyes, from which he slunk away in terror, thinking that U +Myrsiang was some great tiger-demon haunting the jungle in the shape +of a fox, and from that time the tiger has never been known to attack +the fox. + +One day, when hotly pursued by hunters, the fox plunged into a deep +river. As he swam across, the flood carried away his polished mirror, +but the stamp of it remains to this day on his breast in the form of +a patch of white fur. + + + + + + +XXVIII + +HOW THE TIGER GOT HIS STRENGTH + + +After the animals were created they were sent to live in the jungle, +but they were so foolish that they got into one another's way and +interfered one with another and caused much inconvenience in the +world. In order to produce better order, the Bleis (gods) called +together a Durbar to decide on the different qualities with which it +would be well to endow the animals, so as to make them intelligent +and able to live in harmony with one another. After this, mankind +and all the animals were summoned to the presence of the Bleis, +and each one was given such intelligence and sense as seemed best to +suit his might and disposition: the man received beauty and wisdom, +and to the tiger were given craftiness and the power to walk silently. + +When the man returned to his kindred, and his mother beheld him, her +heart was lifted with pride, for she knew that the Bleis had given to +him the best of their gifts, and that henceforth all the animals would +be inferior to him in beauty and intelligence. Realising with regret +that he had not received physical strength equal to the beauty of his +person, and that consequently his life would be always in danger, she +told her son to go back to the Bleis to ask for the gift of strength. + +The man went back to the Bleis according to the command of his +mother, but it was so late when he arrived that the Bleis were about +to retire. Seeing that he was comelier than any of the animals and +possessed more wisdom, which made him worthy of the gift of strength, +they told him to come on the morrow and they would bestow upon him +the desired gift. The man was dismissed till the following day, but +he went away happy in his mind, knowing that the Bleis would not go +back on their word. + +Now it happened that the tiger was roaming about in that vicinity, +and by reason of his silent tread he managed to come unobserved +near enough to hear the Bleis and the man talking about the gift of +strength. He determined to forestall the man on the morrow, and to +obtain the gift of strength for himself; soon he slunk away lest it +should be discovered that he had been listening. + +Early on the following morning, before the Bleis had come forth +from their retirement, the tiger went to their abode and sent in +a messenger to say that he had come according to their command to +obtain the gift of strength, upon which the Bleis endowed him with +strength twelve times greater than what he had before possessed, +thinking that they were bestowing it upon the man. + +The tiger felt himself growing strong, and as soon as he left the +abode of the Bleis, he leaped forward twelve strides, and twelve +strides upward, and so strong was he that it was unto him but as one +short stride. Then he knew that he had truly forestalled the man, and +had obtained the gift of strength, and could overcome men in battle. + +Later in the day, in accordance with the command he had received, +the man set out for the abode of the Bleis, but on the way the +tiger met him and challenged him to fight, and began to leap and +bound upwards and forwards to show how strong he was, and said that +he had received the "twelve strengths" and no one would be able to +withstand him. He was just about to spring when the man evaded him, +and ran away towards the abode of the Bleis. When he came there and +presented himself before them, they asked him angrily, "Why dost +thou come again to trouble us? We have already given thee the gift +of strength." Then the man knew that the tiger's boast was true, +and he told the Bleis of his encounter with the tiger on the way, +and of his boast that he had obtained the gift of strength. They were +greatly annoyed that deception had been practised on them, but there +is no decree by which to recall a gift when once it has been bestowed +by the Bleis. They looked upon the man with pity, and said that one +so beautiful and full of wisdom should not be left defenceless at +the mercy of the inferior animals. So they gave unto him a bow and an +arrow, and told him, "When the tiger attacks thee with his strength, +shoot, and the arrow will pierce his body and kill him. Behold, we +have given to thee the gift of skill to make and to use weapons of +warfare whereby thou wilt be able to combat the lower animals." + +Thus the tiger received strength, and man received the gift of +skill. The mother of mankind, when she saw it, told her sons to +abstain from using their weapons against one another, but to turn +them against the animals only, according to the decree of the Bleis. + + + + + + +XXIX + +WHY THE GOAT LIVES WITH MANKIND + + +In early times the goat lived in the jungle, leading a free and +independent life, like all the other animals. The following story +gives an account of her flight from the animals to make her dwelling +with Man. + +One fine spring day, when the young leaves were sprouting on the forest +trees, Ka Blang, the goat, went out in search of food. Her appetite was +sharpened by the delicious smell of the spring, which filled the air +and the forest, so, not being satisfied with grass, she began to pluck +the green leaves from a bush. While she was busy plucking and eating, +she was startled to hear the deep growl of the tiger close beside her. + +The tiger asked her angrily, "What art thou doing there?" + +Ka Blang was so upset by this sudden interruption, and in such fear +of the big and ferocious beast, that she began to tremble from head +to foot, so that even her beard shook violently, and she hardly knew +what she was doing or saying. In her fright she quavered: + +"I am eating khla" (a tiger), instead of saying, "I am eating sla" +(leaves). + +The tiger took this answer for insolence and became very angry. He +was preparing to spring upon her when he caught sight of her shaking +beard, which appeared to him like the tuft of hair on a warrior's +lance when it is lifted against an enemy. He thought that Ka Blang +must be some powerful and savage beast able to attack him, and he +ran away from her in terror. + +Now Ka Blang, having an ungrateful heart, instead of being thankful +for her deliverance, grew discontented with her lot, and began to +grumble because she had not been endowed with the strength attributed +to her by the tiger, and she went about bewailing her inferiority. + +One day, in her wanderings, she climbed to the top of an overhanging +cliff, and there she lay down to chew the cud, and, as usual, to dwell +on her grievances. It happened that the tiger was again prowling in the +same vicinity, but when he saw the goat approaching he fled in fear, +and hid himself under the very cliff on to which she had climbed. There +he lay very still, for fear of betraying his presence to the goat, +for he was still under the delusion that she was a formidable and +mighty animal. Ka Blang, all unconscious of his presence, began to +grumble aloud, saying: + +"I am the poorest and the weakest of all the beasts, without any means +of defence or strength to withstand an attack. I have neither tusks +nor claws to make an enemy fear me. It is true that the tiger once ran +away from me because he mistook my beard for a sign of strength; but +if he had only known the truth he would have killed me on the instant, +for even a small dog could kill me if he clutched me by the throat." + +The tiger, beneath the rock, was listening to every word, and, +as he listened, his wrath was greatly kindled to find that he had +disgraced himself by running away from such a contemptible creature, +and he determined now to avenge himself for that humiliation. He +crept stealthily from his hiding-place, and, ere she was aware of +his approach, Ka Blang was clutched by the throat and killed. + +In order to restore his prestige, the tiger proclaimed far and wide +how he had captured and killed the goat, and after that other tigers +and savage beasts began to hunt the goats, and there followed such +a general slaughter of goats that they were nearly exterminated. + +Driven to great extremity, the few remaining goats held a tribal +council to consider how to save themselves from the onslaughts of the +tigers, but, finding themselves powerless to offer any resistance, +they determined to apply to mankind for protection. When they came to +him, Man said that he could not come to the jungle to defend them, +but they must come and live in his village if they wished to be +protected by him. So the goats ran away from the jungle for ever, +and came to live with mankind. + + + + + + +XXX + +HOW THE OX CAME TO BE THE SERVANT OF MAN + + +When mankind first came to live upon the earth, they committed many +blunders, for they were ignorant and wasteful, not knowing how to +shift for themselves, and having no one to teach them. The Deity who +was watching their destinies saw their misfortunes and pitied them, +for he saw that unless their wastefulness ceased they would perish +of want when they multiplied and became numerous in the world. So +the Deity called to him the ox, who was a strong and patient animal, +and sent him as a messenger to mankind, to bless them, and to show +them how to prosper. + +The ox had to travel a long way in the heat, and was much worried by +the flies that swarmed round his path and the small insects that clung +to his body and sucked his blood. Then a crow alighted on his back +and began to peck at the insects, upon which it loved to feed; this +eased the ox greatly, and he was very pleased to see the crow, and he +told her where he was going, as a messenger from the Deity to mankind. + +The crow was very interested when she heard this, and questioned him +minutely about the message he had been sent to deliver, and the ox +told her all that he had been commanded to say to mankind--how he was +to give them the blessing of the Deity and to warn them not to waste +the products of the earth lest they died of want. They must learn to +be thrifty and careful so that they might live to be old and wise, +and they were to boil only sufficient rice for each meal, so as not +to waste their food. + +When the crow heard this she was much disturbed, for she saw that +there would be no leavings for the crows if mankind followed these +injunctions. So she said to the ox, "Will you repay my kindness to you +in destroying the insects that worry you by giving a message like that +to mankind to deprive me of my accustomed spoil?" She begged of him to +teach mankind to cook much rice always, and to ordain many ceremonies +to honour their dead ancestors by offering rice to the gods, so that +the crows and the other birds might have abundance to eat. Thus, +because she had eased his torments, the ox listened to her words, +and when he came to mankind he delivered only part of the message of +the Deity, and part of the message of the crow. + +When the time came for the ox to return, a great fear overcame +him as he approached the abode of the Deity, for he saw that he had +greatly trespassed and that the Deity would be wrathful. In the hope of +obtaining forgiveness, he at once confessed his wrong-doing, how he had +been tempted by the crow, and had delivered the wrong message. This +confession did not mitigate the anger of the Deity, for he arose, +and, with great fury, he struck the ox such a blow on the mouth that +all his upper teeth fell out, and another blow behind the ribs which +made a great hollow there, and he drove the disobedient animal from +his presence, to seek pasture and shelter wherever he could find them. + +After this the ox came back sorrowfully to mankind, and for food and +for shelter he offered to become their servant; and, because he was +strong and patient, mankind allowed him to become their servant. + +Ever since he was struck by the Deity the ox has had no teeth in +the upper jaw, and the hollow behind his ribs remains to this day; +it can never be filled up, however much grass and grain he eats, +for it is the mark of the fist of the Deity. + + + + + + +XXXI + +THE LOST BOOK + + +After mankind began to multiply on the earth and had become numerous, +and scattered into many regions, they lost much of their knowledge of +the laws of God, and in their ignorance they committed many mistakes +in their mode of worship, each one worshipping in his own way after +his own fancy, without regard to what was proper and acceptable in +the sight of God. + +In order to restore their knowledge and to reform their mode of +worship, the Great God commanded a Khasi man and a foreigner to appear +before Him on a certain day, upon a certain mountain, the name of +which is not known, that they might learn His laws and statutes. + +So the Khasi and the foreigner went into the mountain and appeared +before God. They remained with Him three days and three nights, +and He revealed unto them the mode of worship. + +The Great God wrote His laws in books, and at the end of the third +day He gave unto each man a book of the holy law, and said unto them: +"This is sufficient unto you; return unto your own people; behold, +I have written all that is needful for you to know in this book. Take +it, and read it, and teach it to your kindred that they may learn +how to be wise and holy and happy for ever." The two men took their +books and departed as they were commanded. + +Between the mountain and their homeland there lay a wide river. On +their way thither they had waded through it without any difficulty, +for the water was low, but on their return journey they found the river +in flood and the water so deep that they had to swim across. They +were sorely perplexed how to keep their sacred books safe and dry; +being devoid of clothing, the men found it difficult to protect them +or to cover them safely. The foreigner had long hair, and he took his +book and wrapped it in his long hair, which he twisted firmly on the +top of his head; but the hair of the Khasi was short, so he could +not follow the example of the foreigner, and, not able to think of +a better plan, he took the book between his teeth. + +The foreigner swam across safely, with his book undamaged, and he +went home to his kindred joyfully and taught them wisdom and the mode +of worship. + +The Khasi, after swimming part of the way, began to flounder, for +the current was strong, and his breathing was impeded by the book in +his mouth. His head went under water, and the book was reduced to a +worthless pulp. He was in great trouble when he saw that the book +was destroyed. He determined to return to the mountain to ask the +Great God for a new book, so he swam back across the wide river and +climbed again to the mountain; but when he reached the place where +he had before met God, he found that He had ascended into heaven, +and he had to return empty-handed. + +When he reached his own country, he summoned together all his kindred +and told them all that had happened. They were very sad when they heard +that the book was lost, and bewildered because they had no means of +enlightenment. They resolved to call a Durbar of all the Khasis to +consider how they could carry on their worship in a becoming way and +with some uniformity, so as to secure for themselves the three great +blessings of humanity--health, wealth, and families. + +Since that day the Khasis have depended for their knowledge of sacred +worship on the traditions that have come down from one generation +to the other from their ancestors who sat in the great Durbar after +the sacred book was lost, while the foreigners learn how to worship +from books. + + + + + + +XXXII + +THE BLESSING OF THE MENDICANT + + +PART I + +Once there lived a very poor family, consisting of a father, mother, +an only son, and his wife. They were poorer than any of their +neighbours, and were never free from want; they seldom got a full +meal, and sometimes they had to go without food for a whole day, +while their clothes but barely covered their bodies. No matter how +hard they worked, or where they went to cultivate, their crops never +succeeded like the crops of their fellow-cultivators in the same +locality. But they were good people, and never grumbled or blamed +the gods, neither did they ask alms of any one, but continued to +work season after season, contented with their poor fare and their +half-empty cooking-pots. + +One day an aged mendicant belonging to a foreign tribe wandered into +their village, begging for food at every house and for a night's +shelter. But nobody pitied him or gave him food. Last of all, he +came to the dwelling of the poor family, where, as usual, they had +not enough food to satisfy their own need, yet when they saw the +aged beggar standing outside in the cold, their hearts were filled +with pity. They invited him to enter, and they shared their scanty +meal with him. "Come," they said, "we have but little to give you, +it is true, but it is not right to leave a fellow-man outside to +starve to death." So he lodged with them that night. + +It happened that the daughter-in-law was absent that night, so that +the stranger saw only the parents and their son. + +Next morning, when he was preparing to depart, the mendicant spoke many +words of peace and goodwill to the family, and blessed them solemnly, +expressing his sympathy with them in their poverty and privation. "You +have good hearts," he said, "and have not hesitated to entertain a +stranger, and have shared with the poor what you yourselves stood +in need of. If you wish, I will show you a way by which you may grow +rich and prosperous." + +They were very glad to hear this, for their long struggle with poverty +was becoming harder and harder to bear, and they responded eagerly, +saying, "Show us the way." + +Upon this the mendicant opened a small sack which he carried, and took +from it a small live coney, which he handed tenderly to the housewife, +saying, "This little animal was given to me years ago by a holy man, +who told me that if I killed it and cooked its meat for my food I +should grow rich. But by keeping the animal alive for many days I +became so fond of it that I could not kill it. Now I am old and weak, +the day of my death cannot be far off; at my death perhaps the coney +may fall into the hands of unscrupulous persons, so I give it to you +who are worthy. Do not keep it alive as I did, otherwise you will not +be able to kill it and so will never reap the fruits of the virtue it +possesses. When wealth comes to you, beware of its many temptations +and continue to live virtuously as at present." + +He also warned them not to divulge the secret to any one outside the +family, or to let any outsiders taste of the magic meat. + +When they were alone, the family began to discuss with wonder the +words spoken by the mysterious stranger about the strange animal +that had been left in their possession. They determined to act on the +advice of their late guest, and to kill the coney on that very day, +and that the mother should stay at home from her work in the fields +to cook the meat against the return of the men in the evening. + +Left to herself, the housewife began to paint glowing pictures of the +future, when the family would cease to be in want, and would have +no need to labour for their food, but would possess abundance of +luxuries, and be the envy of all their neighbours. As she abandoned +herself to these idle dreams, the evil spirit of avarice entered her +heart unknown to her, and changed her into a hard and pitiless woman, +destroying all the generous impulses which had sustained her in all +their years of poverty and made her a contented and amiable neighbour. + +Some time in the afternoon the daughter-in-law returned home, and, +noticing a very savoury smell coming from the cooking-pot, she asked +her mother-in-law pleasantly what good luck had befallen them, that +she had such a good dinner in preparation. To her surprise, instead +of a kind and gentle answer such as she had always received from her +mother-in-law, she was answered by a torrent of abuse and told that +she was not to consider herself a member of the family, or to expect +a share of the dinner, which a holy man had provided for them. + +This unmerited unkindness hurt and vexed the younger woman, but, +as it is not right to contradict a mother-in-law, she refrained from +making any reply, and sat meekly by the fire, and in silence watched +the process of cooking going on. She was very hungry, having come from +a long journey, and, knowing that there was no other food in the house +except that which her mother-in-law was cooking, she determined to try +and obtain a little of it unobserved. When the elder woman left the +house for a moment she snatched a handful of meat from the pan and ate +it quickly, but her mother-in-law caught her chewing, and charged her +with having eaten the meat. As she did not deny it, her mother-in-law +began to beat her unmercifully, and turned her out of doors in anger. + +The ill-treated woman crawled along the path by which her husband +was expected to arrive, and sat on the ground, weeping, to await his +coming. When he arrived he marvelled to see his wife crying on the +roadside, and asked her the reason for it. She was too upset to answer +him for a long time, but when at last she was able to make herself +articulate, she told him all that his mother had done to her. He became +very wroth, and said, "If my mother thinks more of gaining wealth than +of respecting my wife, I will leave my mother's house for ever," and he +strode away, taking only a brass lota (water vessel) for his journey. + + + +PART II + +The husband and wife wandered about in the jungle for many days, +living on any wild herbs or roots that they could pick up on their +way, but all those days they did not see a village or a sign of a +human habitation. + +One day they happened to come to a very dry and barren hill, where they +could get no water, and they began to suffer from thirst. In this arid +place a son was born to them, and the young mother seemed likely to +die for want of water. The husband roamed in every direction, but saw +no water anywhere, until he climbed to the top of a tall tree in order +to survey the country, and to his joy saw in the distance a pool of +clear water. He hastened down and fetched his lota, and proceeded in +the direction of the pool. The jungle was so dense that he was afraid +of losing his way, so in order to improvise some sort of landmark, +he tore his dottie (loin-cloth) into narrow strips which he hung on +the bushes as he went. + +After a long time he reached the pool, where he quenched his thirst +and was refreshed. Then he filled his lota to return to his languishing +wife, but was tempted to take a plunge in the cool water of the pool, +for he was hot and dusty from his toilsome walk. Putting his lota on +the ground and laying his clothes beside it, he plunged into the water, +intending to stay only a few minutes. + +Now it happened that a great dragon, called U Yak Jakor, lived in +the pool, and he rose to the surface upon seeing the man, dragged +him down to the bottom, and devoured him. + +The anxious wife, parched with thirst, waited expectantly for the +return of her husband, but, seeing no sign of him, she determined to +go in search of him. So, folding her babe in a cloth, which she tied +on her back, she began to trace the path along which she had seen her +husband going, and by the help of the strips of cloth on the bushes, +she came at last to the spot where her husband's lota and his clothes +had been left. + +At sight of these she was filled with misgivings, and, failing to +see her husband anywhere, she began to call out his name, searching +for him in all directions. There were no more strips of cloth, so +she knew that he had not gone farther. + +When U Yak Jakor heard the woman calling, he came up to the surface +of the pool, and seeing she was a woman, and alone, he drew near, +intending to force her into the water, for the dragon who was the +most powerful of all the dragons inside the pool lost his strength +whenever he stood on dry land, and could then do no harm to any one. + +In her confusion and fear on account of her husband, the woman did not +take much notice of U Yak Jakor when he came, but shouted to him to +ask if he had not seen a man passing that way; to which he replied +that a man had come, who had been taken to the palace of the king +beneath the pool. When she heard this she knew that they had come to +the pool of U Yak Jakor, and, looking more closely at the being that +had approached her, she saw that he was a dragon. She knew also that +U Yak Jakor had no strength on dry land, and she lifted her arm with +a threatening gesture, upon which he dived into the pool. + +By these tokens the woman understood that her husband had been killed +by the dragon. Taking up the lota and his clothes, she hurried from +the fatal spot and beyond the precincts of the dragon's pool, and, +after coming to a safe and distant part of the jungle, she threw +herself down on the ground in an abandonment of grief. She cried +so loud and so bitterly that her babe awoke and cried in sympathy; +to her astonishment she saw that his tears turned into lumps of gold +as they fell. She knew this to be a token that the blessing of the +mendicant, of which her husband had spoken, had rested upon her boy +by virtue of the meat she had eaten. + +This knowledge cheered and comforted her greatly, for she felt +less defenceless and lonely in the dreary forest. After refreshing +herself with water from the lota, she set out in search of some +human habitation, and after a weary search she came at last to a +large village, where the Siem (Chief) of that region lived, who, +seeing that she possessed much gold, permitted her to dwell there. + + + +PART III + +The boy was named U Babam Doh, because of the meat which his mother +had eaten. The two lived very happily in this village, the mother +leading an industrious life, for she did not wish to depend for their +living on the gold gained at the expense of her son's tears. Neither +did she desire it to become known that he possessed the magic power +to convert his tears into gold, so she instructed her boy never to +weep in public, and on every occasion when he might be driven to +cry, she told him to go into some secret place where nobody could +witness the golden tears. And so anxious was she not to give him any +avoidable cause of grief that she concealed from him the story of her +past sufferings and his father's tragic fate, and hid from sight the +brass lota and the clothes she had found by the dragon's pool. + +U Babam Doh grew up a fine and comely boy, in whom his mother's +heart delighted; he was strong of body and quick of intellect, +so that none of the village lads could compete with him, either +at work or at play. Among his companions was the Heir-apparent of +the State, a young lad about his own age, who, by reason of the +many accomplishments of U Babam Doh, showed him great friendliness +and favour, so that the widow's son was frequently invited to the +Siem's house, and was privileged to attend many of the great State +functions and Durbars. Thus he unconsciously became familiar with +State questions, and gleaned much knowledge and wisdom, so that he +grew up enlightened and discreet beyond many of his comrades. + +One day, during the Duali (Hindu gambling festival), his friend the +Heir-apparent teased him to join in the game. He had no desire to +indulge in any games of luck, and he was ignorant of the rules of +all such games, but he did not like to offend his friend by refusing, +so he went with him to the gambling field and joined in the play. + +At first the Heir-apparent, who was initiating him into the game, +played for very small stakes, but, to their mutual surprise, U Babam +Doh the novice won at every turn. The Heir-apparent was annoyed at the +continual success of his friend, for he himself had been looked upon +as the champion player at previous festivals, so, thinking to daunt +the spirit of U Babam Doh, he challenged him to risk higher stakes, +which, contrary to his expectation, were accepted, and again U Babam +Doh won. They played on until at last the Heir-apparent had staked +and lost all his possessions; he grew so reckless that in the end he +staked his own right of succession to the throne, and lost. + +There was great excitement and commotion when it became known that +the Heir-apparent had gambled away his birthright; people left their +own games, and from all parts of the field they flocked to where the +two young men stood. When the Heir-apparent saw that the people were +unanimous in blaming him for so recklessly throwing away what they +considered his divine endowment, he tried to retrieve his character by +abusing his opponent, taunting him with being ignorant of his father's +name, and calling him the unlawful son of U Yak Jakor, saying that +it was by the dragon's aid he had won all the bets on that day. + +This was a cruel and terrible charge from which U Babam Doh recoiled, +but as his mother had never revealed to him her history, he was +helpless in face of the taunt, to which he had no answer to give. He +stood mute and stunned before the crowd, who, when they saw his +dismay, at once concluded that the Heir-apparent's charges were well +founded. They dragged U Babam Doh before the Durbar, and accused him +of witchcraft before the Siem and his ministers. + +U Babam Doh, being naturally courageous and resourceful, soon +recovered himself, and having absolute confidence in the justice of +his cause, he appealed to the Durbar for time to procure proofs, +saying that he would give himself up to die at their hands if he +failed to substantiate his claim to honour and respectability, and +stating that this charge was fabricated by his opponent, who hoped +to recover by perfidy what he had lost in fair game. + +The Durbar were perplexed by these conflicting charges, but they were +impressed by the temperate and respectful demeanour of the young +stranger, in comparison with the flustered and rash conduct of the +descendant of their own royal house, so they granted a number of days +during which U Babam Doh must procure proofs of his innocence or die. + +U Babam Doh left the place of Durbar, burning with shame and +humiliation for the stigma that had been cast upon him and upon his +mother, and came sadly to his house. When his mother saw his livid +face she knew that some great calamity had befallen him, and pressed +him to tell her about it, but the only reply he would give to all +her questions was, "Give me a mat, oh my mother, give me a mat to lie +upon"; whereupon she spread a mat for him on the floor, on which he +threw himself down in an abandonment of grief. He wept like one that +could never be consoled, and as he wept his tears turned into gold, +till the mat on which he lay was covered with lumps of gold, such as +could not be counted for their number. + +Although the mother saw this inexhaustible wealth at her feet she +could feel no pleasure in it, owing to her anxiety for her son, +who seemed likely to die of grief. After a time she succeeded in +calming him, and gradually she drew forth from him the tale of the +attack made upon their honour by the Heir-apparent. She began to +upbraid herself bitterly for withholding from him their history, +and hastily she went to fetch her husband's clothes and the brass +lota which she had concealed for so many years, and, bringing them to +her son, she told him all that had happened to her and to his father, +from the day on which the foreign mendicant visited their hut to the +time of their coming to their present abode. + +U Babam Doh listened with wonder and pity for the mother who had so +bravely borne so many sorrows, concealing all her woes in order to +spare him all unnecessary pangs. When the mother finished her tale +U Babam Doh stood up and shook himself, and, taking his bow and his +quiver, he said, "I must go and kill U Yak Jakor, and so avenge my +father's death, and vindicate my mother's honour." + +The mother's heart was heavy when she saw him depart, but she knew that +the day had arrived for him to fulfil his duty to his father's memory, +so she made no attempt to detain him, but gave him minute directions +about the locality, and the path leading to the dragon's haunts. + + + +PART IV + +After a long journey U Babam Doh arrived at the pool, on the shores +of which he found a large wooden chest, which he rightly guessed had +belonged to some unfortunate traveller who had fallen a victim to +the dragon. Upon opening the chest he found it full of fine clothes +and precious stones, such as are worn only by great princes; these +he took and made into a bundle to bring home. + +Remembering his mother's instructions not to venture into the pool, +he did not leave the dry land, although he was hot and tired and +longed to bathe in order to refresh himself. He began to call out +with a loud voice as if hallooing to some lost companions, and this +immediately attracted to the surface U Yak Jakor, who, after waiting +a while to see if the man would not come to bathe in the pool, came +ashore, thinking to lure his prey into the water. But U Babam Doh was +on his guard, and did not stir from his place, and when the dragon +came within reach he attacked him suddenly and captured him alive. He +then bound him with rattan and confined him in the wooden chest. + +Fortified by his success, and rejoicing in his victory, U Babam +Doh took the chest on his shoulders and brought the dragon home +alive. Being wishful to enhance the sensation, when the day came for +him to make his revelations public in the Durbar, he did not inform +his mother that he had U Yak Jakor confined in the wooden chest, and +when she questioned him about the contents of the chest he was silent, +promising to let her see it some day. In the meantime he forbade her +to open it, on pain of offending him, but he showed her the bundle +of silken clothes. + +The news soon spread through the village that U Babam Doh had come +back, and when the people saw him walking with lifted head and +steadfast look, the rumour got abroad that he had been successful +in his quest for proofs. This rumour caused the Heir-apparent to +tremble for his own safety, and hoping to baulk U Babam Doh once more, +he persuaded the Siem to postpone the date of the Durbar time after +time. Thus U Yak Jakor remained for many days undiscovered, confined +in the chest. + +Now U Babam Don's mother, being a woman, was burning with curiosity +to know the secret of that wooden chest which her son had brought +home and around which there appeared so much mystery. One day, when +her son was absent, she determined to peep into it to see what was +hidden there. U Yak Jakor had overheard all that the mother and son +had said to one another, and he knew that the woman was not aware +of his identity. As soon as he heard her approaching the chest he +quickly transformed himself into the likeness of her dead husband, +though he was powerless to break the rattan. + +The woman was startled beyond speech when she saw (as she thought) +her husband alive and almost unchanged, whom she had mourned as +dead for so many long years. When she could control her joy she +requested him to come out, to partake of food and betel nut, but he +replied that although he had by the help of their son escaped from the +dragon's stronghold, he was under certain vows which would have to be +fulfilled before he could come out, for if he left the chest before the +fulfilment of his vow he would fall again into the power of the dragon. + +The mother began to find fault with her son for having concealed the +fact of her husband's rescue from her, but the dragon said that if +the son had disclosed the fact to anybody before the fulfilment of +the vows it would have committed him into U Yak Jakor's hands. She +must beware of letting U Babam Doh know that she had discovered the +secret, or both her son and her husband would be lost to her for ever, +while by judicious help she might bring about his release. + +Upon hearing this the woman implored him to show her in what way she +could assist, and so quicken his release. The wily dragon hoped in this +way to bring about the death of U Babam Doh, so he replied that his +vow involved drinking a seer of tigress' milk, and that he who obtained +the milk must not know for whom or for what purpose it was obtained. + +This was sad news for the woman, for it seemed to her quite impossible +to procure tigress' milk on any condition. She was even less likely +to find any one willing to risk his life to get it, without knowing +for whom and for what purpose, and she wept bitterly. After a time +she called to mind the many exploits of her son as a hunter, and she +conceived a sudden plan by which she hoped to obtain tigress' milk. + +By and by she heard the footsteps of her son outside, and she +hurriedly closed the lid of the chest, and lay on the ground, and +feigned sickness, writhing as if in great agony. U Babam Doh was +much concerned when he saw his mother, and bent over her with great +solicitude. He tried many remedies, but she seemed to grow worse +and worse, and he cried out in sorrow, saying, "Tell me, my mother, +what remedy will cure you, and I will get it or die." + +"It is written in my nusip (book of fate) that I shall die of this +sickness, unless I drink a seer of tigress' milk," said the mother. + +"I will obtain for you some tigress' milk," said the youth, "or die"; +and, taking his bow and quiver and his father's lota, he went into +the forest, asking some neighbours to come and sit with his mother +during his absence. + +When he had been gone some time his mother said she felt better, and +requested the neighbours to return to their homes, as she wished to +sleep; but as soon as they were out of earshot she got up and prepared +a savoury meal for him whom she thought her husband. + + + +PART V + +U Babam Doh, eager to see his mother healed, walked without halting +till he came to a dense and uninhabited part of the forest which +he thought might be the haunt of wild beasts, but he could see no +trail of tigers. He was about to return home after a fruitless hunt, +as he feared to be absent too long from his mother, when he heard +loud moans from behind a near thicket. He immediately directed his +steps towards the sound, prepared to render what assistance he could +to whoever was suffering. To his surprise he found some young tiger +cubs, one of whom had swallowed a bone, which had stuck in his throat, +and was choking him. U Babam Doh quickly made a pair of pincers from +a piece of bamboo, and soon had the bone removed. The cubs were very +thankful for the recovery of their brother, and showed their gratitude +by purring and licking U Babam Doh's hand, while the cub from whose +throat the bone was extracted crouched at his feet, declaring that +he would be his attendant for ever. + +U Babam Doh took up his lota and his bow and prepared to depart, but +the cubs entreated him to stay until their mother returned, so as to +get her permission for the young tiger to follow him. So U Babam Doh +stayed with the cubs to await the return of the tigress. + +Before long the muffled sound of her tread was heard approaching. As +she drew near, she sniffed the air suspiciously, and soon detected +the presence of a man in her lair. Putting herself in a fighting +attitude, she began to growl loudly, saying, "Human flesh, human +flesh"; but the cubs ran to meet her, and told her how a kind man had +saved their brother from death. Whereupon she stopped her growling, +and, like her cubs, she showed her gratitude to U Babam Doh by purring +and licking his hands. + +The tigress asked him many questions, for it was a rare occurrence +for a man to wander so far into the jungle alone. On being told that +he had come in search of tigress' milk to save his mother's life, she +exclaimed eagerly that she knew of a way to give him what he wanted, +by which she could in some measure repay him for saving her cub, and +she bade him bring his lota and fill it with milk from her dugs. U +Babam Doh did as she told him, and obtained abundance of tigress' +milk, with which he hastened home to his mother, accompanied by the +tiger cub. + + + +PART VI + +U Babam Doh found his mother, on his return, in just the same condition +as when he left her; so as soon as he arrived he put the lota of milk +into her hand, and said, "Drink, oh my mother. I have obtained for you +some tigress' milk, drink and live." She made a pretence of drinking, +but as soon as her son left the house she hurried to the wooden chest, +and, handing in the lota, she said, "Drink, oh my husband. Our son hath +obtained the tigress' milk, drink and be free from the dragon's power." + +U Yak Jakor was vexed to find that U Babam Doh had returned unharmed, +and began to think how he could send him on another perilous venture, +and he answered the woman plaintively, "To drink tigress' milk is only +a part of my vow; before I can be released from the dragon's power I +must anoint my body with fresh bear's grease, and he who obtains it +for me must not know for whom or for what purpose it is obtained." + +The woman was very troubled to hear this, for she feared to send her +son into yet another danger, but, believing that there was no other +way to secure her husband's release, she again feigned sickness, and +when her son asked her why the tigress' milk had not effected a cure, +she replied: + +"It is written in my nusip that I must die of this sickness unless +I anoint my body with fresh bear's grease." + +"I will obtain the fresh bear's grease for you, oh my mother, or die," +answered the youth impetuously; and once more he started to the forest, +taking his bow and quiver, and his father's lota, which he had filled +with honey. + +As he was starting off, the tiger cub began to follow him, but U Babam +Doh commanded him to stop at home to guard the house, and went alone +to the forest. After travelling far he saw the footprints of bears, +whereupon he cut some green plaintain leaves and spread them on +the ground and poured the honey upon them, and went to hide in the +thicket. Soon a big bear came and began to eat the honey greedily, +and while it was busy feasting, U Babam Doh, from behind the thicket, +threw a thong round its throat and captured it alive. Upon this +a fierce struggle began; but the bear, finding that the more he +struggled the tighter the grip on his throat became, was soon subdued, +and was led a safe, though unwilling captive by U Babam Doh out of +the jungle. Thus once again the son brought to his mother the remedy +which was supposed to be written in her nusip. + +When he came in sight of his home, leading the bear by the thong, +the tiger cub, on seeing his master, ran to meet him, with the good +news that his mother had recovered and had been cooking savoury meals +for a guest who was staying in the house. This news cheered U Babam +Doh greatly, and, fastening the bear to a tree, he hastened to the +house to greet his mother, but to his disappointment he found her ill +and seemingly in as much pain as ever. Without delay he took a knife +and went out to kill the bear, and, filling the lota with grease, +he brought it to his mother, saying: + +"Anoint yourself, oh my mother, I have obtained for you the bear's +grease; anoint yourself and live." + +He then went out to seek the tiger cub and punish him for deceiving +him about his mother's condition, but the cub declared on oath that +he had spoken only the truth, and that his mother had really been +entertaining a guest during her son's absence, and seemed to have +been in good health, going about her work, and cooking savoury meals. + +U Babam Doh was greatly mystified; he was loth to believe his mother +could be capable of any duplicity, and yet the tiger cub seemed to +speak the truth. He determined not to say anything to his mother +about the matter, but to keep a watch on her movements for a few days. + +When her son left the house after giving her the bear's grease, +the woman rose quickly, and lifting the lid of the chest, she said: + +"Anoint yourself, oh my husband. Our son hath obtained the bear's +grease; anoint yourself and be free from the dragon's power." + +As before, the dragon was again very chagrined to find that U Babam +Doh had come back alive and uninjured, so he thought of yet another +plan by which he could send him into a still greater danger, and he +answered the woman: "Anointing my body with bear's grease is only a +part of my vow; before I can be released from the dragon's power I +must be covered for one whole night with the undried skin of a python, +and he who obtains the skin for me must not know for what purpose or +for whom it is obtained." + +The woman wept bitterly when she heard of this vow, for she feared to +send her son among the reptiles. U Yak Jakor, seeing her hesitation, +began to coax her, and to persuade her to feign sickness once +again, and she, longing to see her husband released, yielded to his +coaxing. When her son came in he found her seemingly worse than he +had seen her before, and once more he knelt by her side and begged +of her to tell him what he could do for her that would ease her pain. + +She replied, "It is written in my nusip that I must die of this +sickness unless I am covered for a whole night with the undried skin +of a python"; and as before U Babam Doh answered and said that he +would obtain for her whatever was written in her nusip; but he did +not say that he would bring a python skin. + +Taking his bow and quiver, he left the house, as on former occasions, +and walked in the direction of the jungle, but this time he did not +proceed far. He returned home unobserved, and, climbing to the roof +of the house, he quietly removed some of the thatch, which enabled +him to see all that was going on inside the house, while he himself +was unseen. + +Very soon he saw his mother getting up, as if in her usual health, +and preparing to cook a savoury meal, which, to his amazement, when +it had been cooked, she took to the wooden chest where he knew the +dragon to be confined. As he looked, he saw the figure of a man lying +in the chest, and he knew then that U Yak Jakor had transformed himself +into another likeness in order to dupe his mother. He listened, and +soon he understood from their conversation that the dragon had taken +the form of his own dead father, and by that means had succeeded in +making his mother a tool against her own son. He now blamed himself +for not having confided to his mother the secret of the chest, and +determined to undeceive her without further delay. + +He entered the house quickly, before his mother had time to close +the lid of the chest. She stood before him flustered and confused, +thinking that by her indiscretion she had irrevocably committed her +husband to the power of the dragon; but when U Babam Doh informed her +of the deception played upon her by U Yak Jakor she was overwhelmed +with terror, to think how she had been duped into sending her brave +son into such grave perils, and abetting the dragon in his evil +designs on his life. + +When U Yak Jakor saw that there was no further advantage to be +gained by keeping the man's form he assumed his own shape, and, +thinking to prevent them from approaching near enough to harm him, +he emitted the most foul stench from his scaly body. But U Babam Doh, +who had borne so much, was not to be thwarted, and without any more +lingering he took the chest on his shoulders and carried it to the +place of Durbar. There, before the Siem and his ministers and the +whole populace, he recounted the strange story of his own adventures +and his parents' history. At the end of the tale he opened the wooden +chest and exhibited the great monster, who had been such a terror to +travellers for many generations, and in the presence of the Durbar, +amid loud cheers, he slew U Yak Jakor, and so avenged his father's +death and vindicated his mother's honour. + +The Siem and the Durbar unanimously appointed him the Heir-apparent, +and when in the course of time he succeeded to the throne he proved +himself a wise and much-loved ruler, who befriended the poor and the +down-trodden and gave shelter to the stranger and the homeless. He +always maintained that his own high estate was bestowed upon him +in consequence of his family's generosity to a lonely and unknown +mendicant, whose blessing descended upon them and raised them from +a state of want and poverty to the highest position in the land. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Tales of the Khasis, by K. U. 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