182 THE NON-LUSHEI CLANS CHAP.

Kungori's father cried, " Why, Hpohtira, do you cut off
Hrangchala's head ?" " I was obliged to decapitate him,"
said Hpohtir. " It was I who released Kiingdri from Keimi's
village—Hrangchala dared not do it. When Khuavang carried
off Kiingori also Hrangchala dared not say him nay—he was
afraid. Afterwards we followed Kdngdri's line of cotton thread,
which led us to Khuavang's village. Kiing6ri (after we had
released her from there) forgot her comb; we told Hrangchal to
go and fetch it, but he dared not. ' I am afraid/ said he, so I
went to get it. He then took Kiing6ri and left me behind,
shutting the hole in the earth with a great stone. They went
away. I married Khuavang's daughter, and while she was
absent I climbed up the stalks of the creeper and came here."
On this/'Is it so?" said they. ''Then you shall be united." So
Hrangchala died, and Hpohtira and Kiingori were married.
They were very comfortable together, and killed many mithan ;
they possessed many villages, and lived happy ever after.
Thus the story is concluded.

I condense the following tale told by the Kolhen from
the obviously embellished version supplied to the Babu :—

A widow had seven sons and one daughter, called
Eingchanghoi, who was very beautiful, and much beloved by
her brothers. To prove the truth of their professions of love she
sent them off to catch the sun and the moon, that she might
wear them as her necklace. Before their departure they built
her a fortified house, and told her to remain within it until their
return. They also left with her some unhusked rice, which had
magical properties, turning red whenever the brothers were in
danger. Ringchanghoi one day was sitting in the verandah
cleaning her hair when she was seen by the king; who quickly
added her to the number of his wives. The youngest brother,
returning alone, found the house empty, and at once rejoining
the others in the sky, where they were still hunting the sun and
moon, told them of the disappearance of their sister. They all
returned home, and on entering the house the youngest brother
was changed into a parrot, while the others fell down dead.
The youngest brother finds his sister and is captured and
presented to her, and tells her what has happened, whereupon
she sends off her husband, who by a powerful charm restores