96 THE LUSHEI CLANS CHAP.

" If I don't get water, I shall die, and then of what use would
you be to me ?" replied the spoilt child. So Tui-chongi, to
satisfy her youngest sister's thirst, changed herself into a river,
and Nuengi drank and was satisfied. But the water flowed
down among the hills and burst its way into the country of the
Bengalis. The king of the Bengalis was astonished to see so
mighty a river flowing past his palace, and sent some of
his people to find out whence it came. They journeyed many
days, till at length they reached the source of the stream,
and there sat Nuengi, who, now that her thirst was satisfied,
would gladly have had her sister back again to show her
the way home. The explorers were astonished to find so
beautiful a maiden sitting thus in the middle of the jungle,
and decided that it would be wise to take her back to their
master, who liked pretty girls. So Nuengi was added to the
harem of the king of Chittagong, and in time became the
mother of a most lovely boy. The king's chief wife, on seeing
the child, thought to herself, " If my lord sees this jungle
woman's brat, he will assuredly love her more than me who am
childless." So she had the child thrown into the river, which
flowed under the palace windows, and frightened Nuengi into
keeping silence on the matter. Tui-chongi, however, in spite
of the change in her circumstances, remembered her little
sister, and cherished the child so that he grew and throve. In
the same way six more children were born and thrown into
Tui-chongi's fostering arms. When they were grown up Tui-
chongi told them the circumstances of their birth, and sent
them to dance on the roof of their father's palace, who, hearing
the noise, came out to see the cause of the disturbance. When
he saw seven handsome young men he was much astonished,
and asked them who they were. " We are your sons," they
replied. " Why do you lie to me ? " said the king; " liars have
short lives in my kingdom." "Nay, 0 king, we lie not; we
are Nuengi's sons"; and they told him their story. So the
king smote off the head of the bad queen, and installed Nuengi
in her place.

Of the third class the following are good examples, and
admirers of Uncle Remus will be reminded of the doings of
" Brer Kabbit and the other animals."