^ m ®heologi^/ *
PRINCETON, N. J.
%
Purchased by the Hamill Missionary Fund.
.F5S
Section
>
Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
\
A Group of Laos Girls.
Laos Folk-Lore
of
Farther India
BY
Katherine Neville Fleeson
With Illustrations from Photographs taken by
W. A. Briggs, M. D.
New York Chicago Toronto
Fleming H. Revell Company
Publishers of Evangelical Literature
Copyright, 1899
by
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY
Introduction
These Folk-Tales from the Laos country, a
part of the kingdom of Siam, in addition to
their intrinsic merit have the charm of complete
novelty. Until the translator of this volume col-
lected these stories, they were even unwritten,
with a single exception which was found in a
Laos manuscript. They are orally preserved in
the provinces which constitute the Laos country,
just as they have been handed down from genera-
tions of ancestors, with slight variations in words
or incidents. The elders among the people tell
the stories at their merrymakings around the
camp-fires and within their primitive houses, to
amuse and instruct the youth and children.
Living among the Laos in the friendly and
intimate relation of a missionary, the translator
has had the advantage of long residence and
unrivalled opportunity for understanding the
history, customs, religious ideas and aspirations
of this interesting people. Aptness in use of
their colloquial speech gave her special facility
for gathering the stories with exactness, as they
5
6
Introduction
fell from the lips of the narrators in her hearing;
and for the delicate additional task of translating
them into English. The scholar, who is a student
of the world’s Folk-Lore, may be assured that he
has here, the Laos tales unobscured, just as they
are told to-day.
Reflecting, as they do, thoughts, desires and
hopes common to our humanity, these stories at
the same time exhibit, in a pathetic way, the
need in Laos of the uplifting and transforming
power of the Christian religion.
Willis G. Craig.
McCormick Theological Seminary ,
Chicago .
Contents
PAGE
I. Tales of the Jungle 13
1 A Child of the Woods 15
2 The Enchanted Mountain 17
3 The Spirit-Guarded Cave 20
4 The Mountain Spirits and the Stone Mortars, 23
II. Fables from the Forest 25
1 Right and Might 27
2 Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops ... 29
3 How a Dead Tiger Killed the Princess ... 32
4 The Monkeys and the Crabs 33
III. Nature’s Riddles and their Answers .... 35
1 The Man in the Moon 37
2 The Origin of Lightning 38
3 Why the Parrot and the Minor Bird but Echo
the Words of Man 41
4 The Fatherless Birds 44
IV. Romance and Tragedy 47
1 The Lovers’ Leap 49
2 The Faithful Husband 51
3 The Faithful Wife 57
4 An Unexpected Issue 60
V. Temples and Priests 63
1 The Giants’ Mountain and the Temple ... 65
2 Cheating the Priest 67
3 The Disappointed Priest 69
4 The Greedy Priest 71
5 The Ambitious Priest 73
7
8 Contents
PAGE
VI. Moderation and Greed 75
1 The Wizard and the Beggar 77
2 A Covetous Neighbor 80
3 A Lazy Man’s Plot 83
4 The Ungrateful Fisherman 84
5 The Legend of the Rice 85
VII. Parables and Proverbs 87
1 “ One Woman, in Deceit and Craft, is More
than a Match for Eight Men ” 89
2 “ The Wisest Man of a Small Village is Not
Equal in Wisdom to a Boy of the City
Streets” 93
3 “ To Aid Beast is Merit ; to Aid Man is But
Vanity” 95
VIII. The Gods Know and the Gods Reward ... 99
1 Love’s Secrets 101
2 Poison-Mouth 103
3 Strife and Peace 105
4 The Widow’s Punishment 107
5 Honesty Rewarded 109
6 The Justice of In Ta Pome 1 1 1
IX. Wonders of Wisdom 113
1 The Words of Untold Value 115
2 A Wise Philosopher 119
3 The Boys Who Were Not Appreciated . . .122
4 The Magic Well 126
X. Strange Fortunes of Strange People . . . .129
1 The Fortunes of Ai Powlo 131
2 The Fortunes of a Lazy Beggar 135
3 The Misfortunes of Paw Yan 139
4 An Unfortunate Shot 141
Contents
9
PAGB
XI. Stories Gone Astray 143
1 The Blind Man 145
2 “ Heads, I Win. Tails, You Lose ” . . . . 148
3 The Great Boaster 149
4 A Clever Thief 151
5 Eyeless-Needle, Rotten-Egg, Rotten-Banana,
Old-Fish and Broken-Pestle 152
List of Illustrations.
A Group of Laos Girls .... Frontispiece
Types of the Laos People . . . Facing page 15
A Laos Forest-stream
it
tt
28
The Laos Governor’s Wife at her Em-
broidery Frame . . . .
tt
tt
57
A Group of Buddhist Priests \
The Interior of a Buddhist Temple )
tt
tt
66
Monastery Grounds at Chieng Tung, Laos
tt
tt
72
At Work in the Rice Fields
tt
tt
86
The “Chow” and his Palace
tt
tt
96
A Laos Feast \
A Street in a Laos Town )
tt
tt
1 36
IZ
I
Tales of the Jungle
Types of the Laos People.
A Child of The Woods
Deep in the forest of the North there is a large
village of jungle people, and, among them is one
old woman, who is held in reverence by all.
The stranger who asks why she is honored as a
princess is thus answered by her:
“ Verily, I have much boon,1 for I am but a
child of nature. When I was a young maiden,
it fell upon a day that my heart grew hot with
anger. For many days the anger grew until it
filled my whole heart, also were my eyes so red
that I could see but dimly, and no longer could I
live in the village or among my own people, for
I hated all men and I felt that the beasts of
the forest were more to me than my kindred.
Therefore, I fled from the face of man into the
jungle where no human foot had ever gone. All
day I journeyed, running as though my feet
would never weary and feeling no pangs of
hunger. When the darkness closed about me, I
was not afraid, but lay down under the shelter of
a tree, and, for a time, slept peacefully, as peace-
fully as though in my own home. At length, I
1 Merit.
15
16 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
was awakened by the breath of an animal, and,
in the clear light of the moon, I saw a large tiger
before me. It smelled of my face, my hands and
my feet, then seated itself by my head and
watched me through the night, and I lay there
unafraid. In the early morning, the tiger de-
parted and I continued my journey. Quieter
was my heart. Still, I disliked my own people
but had no fear of the beasts or the reptiles of
the forest.
During the day I ate of the fruit which grew
wild in abundance, and at night I slept 'neath a
tree, protected and guarded by fierce, wild beasts
which molested not my sleep. For many days I
wandered thus, and the nights were secure; for
the wild beasts watched over and protected me.
Thus my heart grew cool in my bosom, and I no
longer hated my people; and, after one moon
had gone, I found myself near a village. The
people wondered to see me approach from the
jungle, dreaded as being the jungle of the man-
eating tiger. When I related my story, the peo-
ple were filled with wonder and brought rich
gifts to me. For a year and a day I abode
there, and no more the wild beasts molested
their cattle.
But my heart yearned to see the face of my
Tales of the Jungle
17
kindred again, so, laden with silver, gold and
rich garments and seated in the howdah 1 of an
elephant, the people escorted me to my own vil-
lage, and here have I abode in content these one
hundred years.
The Enchanted Mountain
The hunters who are continually going about
from place to place, climbing up high hills, de-
scending into deep ravines and making ways
through jungles in search of the wild bison and
other game, tell strange tales of an enchanted
place away on the top of a lofty mountain.
There, is a beautiful lake, which is as bright and
clear as a drop of morning dew hanging on the
petal of the white water-lily, and, when you
drink of it, you are no longer aweary; new life
has come into you, and your body is more vigor-
ous than ever before. The flowers on the mar-
gin of this enchanted lake are more beautiful
than those that grow in any other spot, and,
such is the love of the cherishing spirits for it,
that they care for it as for no other place in this
world. Bananas of a larger growth than can be
1 The car placed on the back of elephants.
18 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
found in the gardens of man, and oranges,
sweeter to the taste than those we ever eat, are
there. The fruits of all trees, more beautiful to
the eye and richer than man can produce, are
there, free to those who can find them. All the
fowls usually nurtured by man and flocking
about his door are there, and they are not af-
frighted by the presence of the hunter but come
at his call. Should the hunter wish to kill them,
his arrow cannot pierce their charmed bodies to
deprive them of life, but the arrow falls harmless
to the ground, because the spirits protect them
and their lives are sacred. Great fields of rice
are about this place, and the hunter marvels at
the size of the grains and at the strength of the
stalks. No field cared for by man has seen grain
like that which the spirits nourish.
Many men, on hearing of this wonderful
mountain-top, have sought it, but all have re-
turned unsuccessful to their homes, saying, no
such place is on this earth. Only the hunter,
who has chased the game through the jungle,
o’er the streams and up the steep mountain-
sides, when tired and discouraged because the
coveted prize has gone far beyond his reach, is
rewarded for all his labor, when he finds himself
in the garden of fruit, or on the margin of the
Tales of the Jungle
19
enchanted lake, whose waters give renewed
vigor to his wearied body.
Often, when the hunter desires to eat of the
flesh of the fowls, he endeavors to kill the fowls,
but no effort of his can take their life, as the
spirits hold them in their care. No mortal can
harm them. Nor can the hunter take any of the
fruit away, for, as he leaves the spot, no matter
how he may hold it, it vanishes from his hand.
Thus, no man, who has not seen the place, has
eaten of the fruit nor drank of the water; so,
many doubt their existence, for such is the heart
of man that he must touch with his hands, see
with his eyes, or taste with his tongue, ere he
can believe. Nevertheless, on the top of the
lofty mountain there is the lake with the cool
waters, clear and beautiful, where the fowls
swim on its surface, or drink from its margin,
and the grain and the fruit ripen for those who
are loved of the spirits, and are led by them to
this cherished spot where they may rest and be
refreshed, and then return to their wives and
children and tell them of the care of the spirits.
The little ones, who have hearts free from guile,
believe.
The Spirit-Guarded Cave
When the people of the far north1 were
molested by their foes and were in continual
fear, they consulted together, saying, “Our lives
are spent in trying to escape from our enemies
and no joy can be ours. Let us flee to the south
country2 where, if the people make slaves of us,
we can, at least, know that our lives will be
spared, and life, even in slavery, is better than
this constant fear of our enemies destroying both
ourselves and our dwelling-places and taking our
cattle for their own." Therefore, they gathered
together all their household goods, secreted their
money and jewels about their persons, and, load-
ing their cattle with rice, they commenced their
toilsome journey through the narrow jungle paths
and across the high mountains on their way to the
south, where they hoped for peace and safety.
The way was long and difficult, and the rice was
all eaten and the cattle killed and consumed be-
fore they had nearly reached their journey's end.
Then the fugitives commenced to use their
money to buy food that they might have strength
1 In China. 8 Siam.
20
Tales of the Jungle
21
for the journey, and they whispered one to an-
other that the people looked with covetous
eyes on their hoard of money and jewels, and
they feared they would be slain because of the
greed of the people.
One man, wiser than the others, said, “ Why
do we endanger our lives for our possessions ?
Can we not find some secret place in which to
leave our money and jewels, and when brighter
days come to us we can return and find them
even as we left them ?”
All the people cried, “Your words are wise.
Let us do accordingly," and as these people were
loved of the spirits, they were led to a deep cave
in the midst of a wood where man seldom came,
and there they left their possessions in the care of
the spirits who promised to guard them until in
the days, when life being brighter and more
secure, the owners would come and claim them.
The people journeyed on to the south country,
and there lived as slaves. Many generations of
them lived and died, but they could not escape
nor come to claim the vast wealth and jewels
which they had left in care of the spirits of the
cave.
The story became known, and the inhabitants
of all the surrounding countries went to the
22 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
cave and sought to secure the treasure. But such
was the care of the spirits that no man with
safety could enter the cave. A light was in-
stantly extinguished, if let down into the deep
pit leading into the chamber where the treasure
was, for the spirits blew their breath upon it and
it was no more. All devices were tried to obtain
the treasure, and from all parts of the country the
people came to try to overcome the charm
which the spirits had placed upon the cave, but
no one was able to break it. One man went
even into the treasure chamber and filled his
hands with the precious stones, but he was over-
come by a deadly sickness and was forced to
replace the jewels in the treasure chest and flee
for his life so as to escape the wrath of the
guarding spirits. Even the white, foreign
strangers, who have come into the land and
placed their strong hands on the elephants and
the trees1 of the forest and claimed them for
their use, were baffled and driven back by the
faithful spirits when they endeavored to enter
the treasure chamber, and for all time this treas-
ure shall remain there, for, if the white foreigner,
by his wisdom, or by his craft, fails to obtain
it, verily it will remain untouched forever.
1 Teak-wood.
The Mountain Spirits and the Stone
Mortars
The spirits, who lived in the mountains near a
large city, upon a time wanted money for some
purpose, and they brought down to the people
of the city a number of large and heavy stone
mortars which they commanded them to buy at
an exorbitant price.
The men of the city said, “ The price you ask
is too great; moreover, we have no need of your
mortars, as they are too large for us to use in
pounding out our rice, or for any other purpose.
Therefore, we do not wish to buy them/’
The spirits were very angry because they did
not cheerfully agree to pay the money, and
answered, “If you will not buy these mortars
which we have brought for your use, you shall
carry them up to our home on the top of the
mountain, for the labor of bringing them down
has wearied us.”
Not daring to incur the wrath of the spirits, and
yet being utterly unable to carry the huge mortars
to the high mountain, they paid the price, for,
they reasoned, “Is any price too great to risk our
falling under the displeasure of the evil spirits ? ”
23
24 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
The spirits departed with the money, and to
this day, the stone mortars are scattered about
the streets of that city, and, when strangers ask
why they are there and what use is made of
them, this story will be told, and all people say
it is verily the truth, for do you not see them
with your eyes, and how else could they have
come here, had not the spirits brought them ?
II
Fables From the Forest
Right and Might
While a deer was eating wild fruit, he heard
an owl call, “Haak, haak,” 1 and a cricket cry,
“Wat,” 2 and, frightened, he fled.
In his flight he ran through the trees up into
the mountains and into streams. In one of the
streams the deer stepped upon a small fish and
crushed it almost to death.
Then the fish complained to the court, and the
deer, owl, cricket and fish had a lawsuit. In the
trial came out this evidence:
As the deer fled, he ran into some dry grass,
and the seed fell into the eye of a wild chicken,
and the pain of the seed in the eye of the chicken
caused it to fly up against a nest of red ants.
Alarmed, the red ants flew out to do battle, and
in their haste, bit a mon-goose. The mon-goose
ran into a vine of wild fruit and shook several
pieces of it on the head of a hermit, who sat
thinking under a tree.
“Why didst thou, O fruit, fall on my head,”
cried the hermit.
The fruit answered: “We did not wish to
1 Haak — a spear. 8 Wat — surrounded.
27
28 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
fall; a mon-goose ran against our vine and
threw us down."
And the hermit asked, “O mon-goose, why
didst thou throw the fruit?’'
The mon-goose answered: “I did not wish
to throw down the fruit, but the red ants bit me
and I ran against the vine.”
The hermit asked, “O ants, why did ye bite
the mon-goose ? ”
The red ants replied: “The hen flew against
our nest and angered us.”
The hermit asked, “O hen, why didst thou
fly against the red ants’ nest ? ”
And the hen replied: “The seed fell into my
eyes and hurt me.”
And the hermit asked, “O seed, why didst
thou fall into the hen’s eyes ? ”
And the seed replied: “The deer shook me
down.”
The hermit said unto the deer, “O deer, why
didst thou shake down the seed ?”
The deer answered: “ I did not wish to do it,
but the owl called, frightening me and I ran.”
“O owl,” asked the hermit, “why didst
thou frighten the deer?”
The owl replied: “I called but as I am ac-
customed to call — the cricket, too, called.”
A Laos Forest-stream.
Fables From the Forest
29
Having heard the evidence, the judge said,
“The cricket must replace the crushed parts of
the fish and make it well,” as he, the cricket, had
called and frightened the deer.
The cricket was smaller and weaker than the
owl or the deer, therefore had to bear the
penalty.
Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops
In the days when the earth was young lived a
poor man and his wife who had twelve daugh-
ters, whom they no longer loved and no longer
desired. Day after day the father and mother
planned to be free of them, and upon a day, the
father made ready a basket; in the bottom he
placed ashes, but on the top he spread rice.
Taking this basket with him, he called his
daughters to come go to the jungle to hunt for
game.
When the heat of the day had come, they all
sat down to eat, and, after they had eaten, the
father gave each daughter a bamboo joint, and
bade her get water for him. The joints were
so made that they would not hold water, and
30 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
while the maidens endeavored to make them so
they would, the father returned home. In vain
did the maidens try to make the joints hold the
water and after a time they sought their father,
but, lo, the father was gone and only the basket
remained! Examining the basket, they found
rice but on the top, and on the bottom filled with
ashes, so they knew their parents sought to be
free of them by leaving them in the trackless
jungle. Unable to find their way out, there they
slept peacefully, for the wild beasts molest not
those who fearlessly stay with them.
As the eye of day opened in the East, the for-
lorn maidens beheld, as they awakened, a beau-
tiful woman standing near, and of her they
sought help.
“Come with me and be companions to my
little daughter. Often am I away from home
and she is lonely. Come home with me, play
with my daughter, and, in exchange I will give
you a home/’ said the beautiful woman.
Gladly the maidens consented and went with
the woman to her home far in the jungle. All
places save one small garden were they free to
enter. And upon a day, the fair woman said,
“I go to the jungle and will not return until the
eye of day has closed. Do not play in the small
Fables From the Forest
31
garden.” Scarcely had she gone ere she returned,
but the maidens had not sought the garden.
Again, upon a day, the fair woman said, “ I go
to the jungle but for a short time. Go not to
play in the small garden.”
Thinking she would this time be gone all day,
the maidens sought the small garden, and lo, it
was strewn with human bones! Then they knew
the fair woman was a cannibal. Full of fear,
they fled, and, as they fled they met a cow.
“ Protect us,” they cried.
The cow opened its mouth and the maidens
jumped in. Thus they journeyed from the canni-
bal’s home. As the cow returned, it met the fair
woman seeking the maidens.
“Have you seen twelve maidens pass this
way ? ” asked she.
“No,” answered the cow.
“If you do not speak the truth, I’ll kill and eat
you,” cried she.
“ I saw them as they made haste in that way,”
replied the cow.
The cannibal woman pursued that way.
After the cow left them, the maidens hastened
on and as they hastened they met an elephant
and begged it to save them from the cannibal.
The elephant opened its mouth and the
32 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
maidens jumped in, but so slowly did one jump
that an edge of her garment hung out of the
mouth. As they journeyed the cannibal overtook
them.
“Did you see twelve maidens hastening to-
ward the city ? ” asked the cannibal.
“No,” answered the elephant.
“From this time forth forever the lip of thy
mouth shall hang down as a garment/’ cursed
the cannibal, for she had seen the edge of the
maiden’s garment hanging out of the elephant’s
mouth and knew it was protecting the twelve
maidens. And to this day doth the lip of the
elephant hang down like a garment.
How a Dead Tiger Killed the Princess
There was once a king who had a daughter at
whose birth a wise man foretold that she would
be killed by a tiger when she was a maiden
grown. In order that no animal might approach
her, the king built her a house set upon one huge
pillar, and there she and her attendants ever
dwelt.
And it fell upon a day, when the daughter was
well grown, that one of the hunters, whose labor
Fables From the Forest
33
it was to kill the tigers of the country, brought a
dead one to the palace of the king. The prin-
cess, seeing her dead enemy, came down from
her tower and plucked a whisker from the tiger,
and, as she blew her breath on it, she cried, “ I
do not fear thee, O my enemy, for thou art
dead 1 ” But the poison, which is in the whiskers
of a tiger, entered into the blood of the princess,
and she died.
Then did the king make a proclamation, and
sent messengers throughout all his realm, com-
manding that, when a tiger was killed, all his
whiskers be immediately pulled out and burned,
that a tiger may not be able to slay when dead;
and until this day, the people obey the command
of the king.
The Monkeys and the Crabs
All the monkeys which live in the forests near
the great sea in the south, watch the tide running
out, hoping to catch the sea-crabs which are left
in the soft earth. If they can find a crab above
the ground, they immediately catch and eat it.
Sometimes, the crabs bury themselves in the
mud, and the monkeys, seeing the tunnels they
34 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
have made, reach down into them with their
long tails, and torment the crabs until they, in
anger, seizing the tormenting tail, are drawn out
and devoured by their cunning foes. But, some-
times, alas, the crab fails to come out! No mat-
ter with what strength the monkey pulls and
tugs, the crabs do not appear, and the poor
monkey is held fast, while the tide comes in and
drowns it. When the tide goes out again, leav-
ing the luckless monkey on the beach, the crabs
come out from their strongholds and feast on the
dead enemy.
Ill
Nature’s Riddles and Their Answers
-5
The Man in the Moon
There was a blacksmith once, who com-
plained: “I am not well, and my work is too
warm. I want to be a stone on the mountain.
There it must be cool, for the wind blows and
the trees give a shade.”
A wise man, who had power over all things,
replied, “ Go thou, be a stone.” And he was
a stone, high up on the mountain-side.
It happened a stone-cutter came that way for
stone, and, when he saw the one that had been
the blacksmith, he knew it was what he sought
and he began to cut it.
The stone cried out: “This hurts. I no
longer want to be a stone. A stone-cutter I
want to be. That would be pleasant.”
The wise man, humoring him, said, “ Be a
cutter.” Thus he became a stone-cutter and, as he
went seeking suitable stone, he grew tired, and
his feet were sore. He whimpered, “ I no longer
want to cut stone. I would be the sun, that
would be pleasant.”
The wise man commanded, “ Be the sun.”
And he was the sun.
37
38 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
But the sun was warmer than the blacksmith,
than a stone, than a stone-cutter, and he com-
plained, “ I do not like this. I would be the
moon. It looks cool."
The wise man spake yet again, “ Be the
moon." And he was the moon.
“This is warmer than being the sun," mur-
mured he, “for the light from the sun shines on
me ever. 1 do not want to be the moon. I
would be a smith again. That, verily, is the
best life."
But the wise man replied, “ I am weary of
your changing. You wanted to be the moon;
the moon you are, and it you will remain."
And in yon high heaven lives he to this day.
The Origin of Lightning
There was once a great chief who desired
above all things to be happy in the future life,
therefore he continually made feasts for the
priests and the poor; spending much money in
making merit. He had ten wives, nine of whom
helped him in all the merit-makings, but the
head wife, his favorite, would never take part.
Laughing, and making herself beautiful in soft
Nature’s Riddles and Their Answers 39
garments and jewels, she gave naught to the
priests.
And on a day, when the great chief and his
nine merit-making wives were no more, but
had gone to live in the sky on account of their
merit-making, the great chief longed for his
favorite, and taking a gl^ss, he looked down on
the earth to see her. After many days, he be-
held her as a crane hunting for food on the
border of a lake. The great chief, to try her
heart and to see if she had repented, came down
from his home in the sky in the form of a fish,
and swam to the crane. Seeing the fish, the
crane pecked at it, but the fish sprang out of the
water, and when the crane saw it was alive, she
would not touch it. Again the fish floated near
the crane and she pecked at it, but on finding it
was alive let it escape. Then was the heart of
the great chief glad, for he saw that his favorite
wife would not destroy life even to satisfy her
hunger, and he knew that her merit was such
she could be born in the form of a woman again.
It happened on a day that the crane died, and,
when again born, had the form of a gardener’s
child. As the child grew in years and stat-
ure, she was fairer than any other in the land,
and, when a maiden, the father and mother made
40 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
a feast, inviting all the people to come. During
the feast, they gave a wreath of beautiful flowers
to their daughter and said, “ Throw this into the
air, and on whosesoever head it falls, that one
will be to thee a husband."
The great chief, her husband of old, seeking
her, came down to the earth in the lorm of an
old man, and, when the maiden cast the wreath
into the air, it fell on the head of this old man.
Great sport was made of him, and tauntingly
the people cried, “ Does this bent stick think he
is mate for our lotus flower?"
But the fair maiden placed her hand in the old
man's hand, and, together they rose into the air.
In vain they sought to detain them — the father
even shot at the old man, but they were soon lost
to sight, and to this day, when the people see the
chain lightning in the sky, they say it is the
wreath of the beautiful maiden ; when the
lightning strikes, they say it is the gardener
shooting at the old man, and, when the heat
lightning flashes, they say it is the great chief
flashing his glass over the earth in search of his
favorite and beautiful wife.
Why the Parrot and the Minor Bird but
Echo the Words of Man
Long ago people caught and nourished the sao
bird, because it learned the language of man
more readily than either the parrot or minor
bird. While they had to be taught with much
care, the sao bird had but to hear a word and it
could readily utter it; moreover, the sao bird could
utter its own thoughts.
Upon a time a man of the north country, own-
ing a sao bird, stole a buffalo from his neighbor
and killed it. Part of the buffalo the man cooked
and ate; the rest he hid either in the rice bin or
over the rice house.
Seeking the buffalo, next day, the neighbor
asked the man if he had seen it.
The man replied, “No.” The sao bird, how-
ever, cried out, “He killed it; part he hid in the
rice bin, part over the rice house.”
The neighbor searched in both of these places
and found the parts just as the sao bird had said.
“ I did not steal the buffalo,” insisted the man.
But the bird ever called, “He killed it and put
part into the rice bin, and part over the rice
house.”
41
42 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Unable to decide between the words of the
man and the words of the bird, the neighbor
appealed to the court. And, it happened, the
night before the trial, that the man took the sao
bird, placed it in a jar, covered the jar and poured
water over the cloth and beat on the outside of
the jar. The noise of the beating was low and
rumbling. All that night was the bird kept in
the jar, and not once did it see the bright moon-
light, which was almost as bright as day, for it
was in the midst of the dry season and full moon.
When the eye of day opened, the man removed
the bird from the jar and placed it in its cage, and
then took it to the court as a witness.
When the bird was called, it said, as before,
“ He killed it; part he put in the rice bin, and part
over the rice house."
All people believed the bird.
“ Ask it another question. Ask it what man-
ner of night it was last night. Will you condemn
me to death on the word of a bird?" cried the
man.
The question was put to the bird, but, re-
membering its fear, during the night, of the
rumbling noise and the sound of running water,
it answered, “Last night the sky called and the
rain fell."
Nature’s Riddles and Their Answers 43
Then the people cried, ‘‘Of a truth, the bird
cannot be believed. Because it has imperilled the
life of an innocent man, from this time forth,
the sao bird must not be cherished by man."
The thief was set free because there were but
the words of the bird to condemn him.
No longer is the sao bird nourished by man,
but lives in the forest. Those who are full of
fear, when they hear them talking in the forest,
say, “ it is the spirits."
When the sao bird saw the bright plumage of
the parrot, and the black and gold of the minor
bird, it knew they were strangers who had come
to dwell in the north, and it asked the crow and
the owl what manner of birds they were.
“Beautiful in plumage, as thou canst readily
see," answered they. “Moreover, they speak
the words of man."
“Speak the words of man," echoed the sao
bird. “I’ll warn them. Come, let us greet
them." And they went forth to meet the beauti-
ful strangers.
And upon a day, as they all came together in
one place, the sao bird cried out, “We, the chief
birds of the north land, come to greet you and
to give you of our wisdom, as you are but
strangers in our land. It is told me you speak as
44 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
does man; even so can I. Nourished by the hand
of man many years, 1 did see with my eyes and
hear with my ears, and my tongue uttered not
only the things I beheld and heard, but things
displeasing to my masters. At one time, all
men spoke well of me, but afterward was I
cruelly punished and driven from the homes of
men. Therefore come 1 this day unto you to
warn you that, if man learns of your speaking
tongue, he will capture you and nourish you in
his home. Yet, should you speak other than he
teaches you, you will be punished and driven
from the homes of men, for man loves only to
hear his thoughts repeated and loves not even a
bird that has wisdom or truth greater than his
own.”
Fearful of uttering their thoughts, lest man re-
sent it, the parrot and minor bird but echo the
words of man.
The Fatherless Birds
A mother bird sat brooding on her nest. Her
heart was sad, for her mate had flown away in
the morning and had not returned. When the
little ones stirred and clamored for food, with
drooping wings she flew in quest of it that they
might not hunger.
Day after day her heart grew sadder, for her
mate came not, and alone she struggled to pro-
vide for her fledglings.
When the little birds had grown strong and
were able to fly, sorrow and heart hunger had so
weakened the mother bird that she lay dying.
The little birds crowded about her asking what
they could do to aid her, and with her dying
breath she cried, “Call, oh, call your father."
The little birds, flying low over the plains,
cried, “ Paw huey, paw huey," and children, left
alone in their homes, while their parents labor in
the rice fields, hearing the wail of the birds,
wept, crying too, “ Paw huey, maa huey." 1
Never has the father bird been found, and, to
this day, flying low over the plains, the little
birds cry, in their plaintive voices, “Pawhiiey,
paw huey," and lonely children echo, “ Paw
huey, maa huey."
1 Paw huey — Oh, father 1 Maa htiey — Oh, mother !
45
IV
Romance and Tragedy
The Lovers’ Leap
Many, many years ago there lived, on the
mountains among the rapids of the Maa Ping, a
young man who loved a maiden and the maiden
loved him truly, but her father refused his con-
sent to their union and commanded that his
daughter see her lover no more, nor hold com-
munication with him. At all times and in all
ways the father of the maiden endeavored to
overcome her regard for her lover, but she would
think of no other, although many came to woo
her.
Often did the young lovers seek to meet, but
so constantly were they watched it was impos-
sible and they could only wait patiently. Each
knew the other was true and each heart rested in
this assurance.
And upon a time the father of the maiden
thought she had forgotten her lover, and, greatly
rejoiced, he made a feast and invited all the peo-
ple of the province to come and make merry
with him, and he reasoned, “Now that she has
forgotten her former lover, will she not consent
to marry a man I choose for her ?”
49
50 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
While they were feasting the maiden wan-
dered out to think of the one she had not seen
for so long and weary a time, and, suddenly, the
dark evening became to her as the bright noon-
day, for her lover was before her. He entreated
her to come with him and to be his wife. Think-
ing of the dreary days she had passed and the
more dreary ones to come, should she see her
heart's choice no more, she consented. As they
were mounting his strong, young horse, a serv-
ant saw them and ran to the house and gave the
alarm. Soon the father and all the men were in
pursuit of the lovers. For a time the young
horse kept far ahead of its pursuers, but, weary-
ing of its double burden, it began to lag just as it
reached the top of a lofty hill overhanging a
rushing torrent of the river far below.
Nearer and nearer came the father and all the
men. The only escape, and a most desperate
venture was it, was to leap across the rushing
torrent to the hill on the other side. Looking
into each other’s eyes, then back at their ap-
proaching pursuers, and then at the wide chasm,
they chose death together rather than life apart,
and, urging their jaded horse to the leap, they
missed the opposite cliff and were dashed to
pieces on the rocks of the rapids below.
The Faithful Husband1
Upon a day in years long since gone by, Chow2
Soo Tome, wearied of the talking of his slaves,
wandered into the forest. As he walked in an
unfrequented path, he came to a lake where
seven beautiful winged nymphs were disporting
themselves in the water. One, Chow Soo Tome
readily saw was more beautiful than the others,
and he loved her and desired her for his wife.
On seeing the Chow, however, they all fled, but
the most beautiful one permitted herself to be
overtaken.
“When I saw thee, my heart was filled with
love for thee. If thou dost not consent to be my
wife, of sorrow will I die,” cried Chow Soo
Tome.
“Easily could I have escaped, had not love for
thee made me loath to leave thee,” replied the
nymph. And in great joy they returned to the
Chow’s home.
“My son, let me take the wings of thy wife,
lest she fly and leave thee in sorrow,” urged the
1 This represents a very well-known marrchen.
2 Chow — a prince or high official.
51
52 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Chow’s mother, and, readily did the nymph wife
lay aside her wings.
But it happened that the head chow heard of
the beauty of the wife of Chow Soo Tome, and
he coveted her, and seeking to do away with
Chow Soo Tome, he sent him to war, and com-
manded that he lead the battle.
The young nymph wife knew the design of
the head chow, and, as soon as her husband had
gone, she sought her mother-in-law and begged
that she give her back her wings.
“ I am filled with sorrow. Without Soo Tome
I cannot remain in the house. Give me my
wings that I may fly in the air and be com-
forted,” pled the wife.
“ Consent that I tie a rope to thy feet. Then,
I will give thee the wings,” answered Soo Tome’s
mother.
The young wife consented, but, having donned
her wings and flown up in the air, she cut the
rope fastened to her feet and was safe from the
head chow’s pursuit. Her freedom made her
think of the home of her father in the kingdom
of Chom Kow Kilat,1 and thither she flew.
Chow Soo Tome, unhurt and victorious, re-
turned from the war and found his home desolate
* A fabulous city.
Romance and Tragedy 53
without his nymph wife, and would not be com-
forted but determined to seek her. '‘Now, I
will go seek her in her father’s kingdom, Chom
Kow Kilat, though seven years, seven months
and seven days be required for the journey."
Through forest, over mountains and across
plains toiled Chow Soo Tome patiently. And, as
he journeyed, upon a day, he met an ape.
‘ ‘ My friend, where do you go ? ” asked the ape.
“To a land far away, where the love of my
heart abides, in the kingdom of Chom Kow
Kilat. The way I do not know, but my heart
guides me," answered Chow Soo Tome.
The ape pitied him and sought to aid him, and
what food he had or found he shared with Chow
Soo Tome gladly. Together they travelled many
days until they reached the sea. They had no
means of crossing, and when the ape realized he
could no longer aid Chow Soo Tome, he cried
bitterly, saying, “No longer can I aid thee, now;
therefore is my sorrow greater than I can bear,"
and, lo, he died! For three days did Chow Soo
Tome mourn this kind friend, and, as he
mourned, a fly came to eat of the ape.
“ I am but alive and fear I will die if I do not
have food at once," said the fly. “ The ape is dead
and can feel no pain. I am alive and hunger,
54 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
thou art in trouble and need aid. If thou wilt
give me to eat of the flesh of the dead ape,
whenever thou needst me, think on me and I will
come to thee,” added the fly.
“Eat,” said Chow Soo Tome, and then he
went on his way, but shortly after, sat down
under a tree. While there, he saw two eagles
alight on the tree.
“ When we are rested, we will fly across the
sea and eat of the feast which the king of Chom
Kow Kilat gives in honor of the return of his
beautiful daughter,” said one of the eagles to its
mate.
Hearing these words, Chow Soo Tome cau-
tiously climbed into the tree and crept under the
wing of the larger eagle, who shortly after said
to its mate: “Before we fly hence, I must rid
myself of an insect which is under my wing
and annoys me.”
“This is a sacred day, and, for some punish-
ment has the insect come under your wing; let it
remain,” counselled the other eagle, and then they
flew over the sea. When they rested in a tree
on the other shore, Chow Soo Tome crept from
under the wing and climbed down the tree.
After a time he reached a sala 1 near a large city.
3 A rest-house for guests.
Romance and Tragedy
55
Near the sala was a well, and, as Chow Soo
Tome rested, seven slaves of the king of Chom
Kow Kilat came from the city for water.
“Why dost thou draw of the water?" asked
Chow Soo Tome of a slave.
“We are this day glad, for the most beautiful
daughter of the king of Chom Kow Kilat hath
returned from the land of men and the water
will be poured over her head," said the slave ad-
dressed.
Approaching the seventh slave, Chow Soo
Tome asked that he might place a ring in her
water jar. Now, the ring was one which he had
received from his nymph wife, and he sought
thus to turn her thoughts to him again.
“Pour your water in such a manner that,
when it falls, the ring will fail upon the hands of
the princess," directed Chow Soo Tome.
The slave did as directed, and, as the ring fell
on the hands of the young princess, she knew
her husband was near, and she asked the
slave who was at the well when she drew the
water.
“A chow of a far country," said the slave,
“ who rests in the sala by the sacred well outside
the city gate."
In great haste and joy, did the young princess
56 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
seek her father. “ Outside the city gate, in the
sala by the sacred well, doth my husband await
me. Let me go to him, father," she pleaded.
“ I must first prove that he be thy husband.
Let all my daughters make ready a table spread
with the best of the feast, and hide themselves.
The man shall be called, and, if he selects thy table,
he is thy husband, but, if he knows not thy
table, he shall die," replied the king.
The tables were made ready, Chow Soo Tome
was summoned and commanded to select the
table prepared by the princess whom he claimed
as his wife. Sore perplexed, Chow Soo Tome
bethought himself of the flys promise, and he
called it to his aid. Immediately the fly appeared
and sat on the table prepared by the wife of
Chow Soo Tome, and there Chow Soo Tome sat
down.
“Yet another test," said the king. “Make
ready seven curtains and place my daughters be-
hind the seven curtains, allowing but one finger
of each princess to be seen. Then, from among
the fingers, select that of thy wife."
Immediately did the grateful fly rest upon the
curtain where lay the finger of the young wife,
and unhesitatingly Chow Soo Tome walked up
to the curtain and clasped the right finger.
The Laos Governor’s Wife at her Embroidery Frame.
Romance and Tragedy
57
“ It is enough. She is thy wife,” declared the
king, and so pleased was he that he made Chow
Soo Tome second in power in the kingdom of
Chom Kow Kilat.
The Faithful Wife
The young and beautiful son of a head chow
sought of a wise man what manner of wife
should be his.
“ As you walked by the way, whom did you
meet ? ” asked the wizard.
“No one," replied the young man.
“Nay, my son, you saw a slave of your fa-
ther's, cutting grass in a garden. She is to be
your wife."
Distressed that such a woman should be his
wife, the young man fled from his own country.
And it came to pass, that the chow saw the
slave girl that she was kind, noble, and beautiful,
and he took her to his house as a daughter, and
she became more kind, more noble, and more
beautiful.
Years had gone by, and, upon a day the son
returned, and, seeing in the one-time slave a
most lovable and lovely woman, sought and
58 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
gained her as his wife. Word reached the
young man then that this was but a slave, and,
on learning the truth, he begged that he might
be released to go on a long journey. The young
wife consented.
A boat was made ready, and the chow’s son
had it in his heart never to return. So, secretly,
the chow had a gold image hidden in the bottom
of the boat. When the day of departure had
come, the chow in haste sent his servants to in-
quire of his son what he had in the boat.
“1 have but my possessions,” replied the son.
“Nay, you have the image of gold, which is
the possession of my master, the chow,” insisted
the servants. “ If we find it in the boat, what
will you do?” they asked.
“Return with you as a slave to my father!”
exclaimed the son.
All the goods were removed from the boat and
the image was found. Then the son returned as a
slave to his father and was made keeper of the
elephants.
Upon a day, the young wife of the son came
to the chow and sought permission to go to the
forest to find her husband.
Willingly did the chow say, “ Go, my child,”
and forthwith he had a boat put in readiness for
Romance and Tragedy 59
her and sent with her many of his servants.
One servant was called, “Eye That Sees Well,"
another, “ Ear That Hears Well."
Sailing down the river, they reached the prov-
ince where the young man was searching for
elephants, and there they remained.
The chow of the province sent a servant se-
cretly to hide a golden image in the boat. But
the “ Ear That Hears Well ” heard and the “ Eye
That Sees Well " saw, and together they took the
image from the boat and hid it in the sand.
The following day, the chow sent a messenger
asking why the princess had taken the image.
“I have not seen it," were the words of the
princess.
“ If it is found in your boat, what will you
promise ? " asked the chow’s messenger.
“ I and my servants will be slaves to him, if
the image be found in my boat,” replied the
princess, “but, should the image not be found
there, what will your master promise ? "
“All his goods and his province, if the image
be not found," readily answered the messenger.
A diligent search failed to discover the image
of gold, and, true to his word, the chow gave of
his goods and his province to the princess. Re-
joicing, and hoping thus to discover her husband,
60 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
the princess gave a large feast, and bade all the
people. While all were feasting, lo, a man, in
soiled garments and carrying a heavy tusk of an
elephant, came towards them, and immediately
did the princess recognize her husband, and the
husband, realizing after what manner his wife
loved him, grew to love her, and together they
lived in her province for many, many years.
An Unexpected Issue
Far away from other men, on the side of a
lonely mountain, a man and his wife were pre-
paring their ground that they might plant the
hill rice. Their work was hard, and they saw no
one from day to day, and, upon a time, when
tired of their labor, the husband said,
“Let us play that we are young and unmar-
ried, and that I am coming to visit you to try to
gain you for a wife.”
The wife dressed herself as a young maiden,
with flowers in her hair, and sat at the spinning-
wheel.
The husband came as though from a distance,
and in his hand he carried the stem of a banana
leaf, which he pretended was a musical instru-
Romance and Tragedy 61
ment. Playfully, he drew his fingers over it,
singing, “It is pleasant to be here. Where you
are, I am happy. Where you are not, I am but
of little heart and sad.” He drew near, and, as
he was not forbidden, he walked up into the
house and sat down by the maiden. Bowing
himself to the ground, he spoke, saying, “ O
fair princess, I come but as your servant! May
1 sit here near you ? ”
Smilingly she answered, “To sit there is but
a waste of time.”
“ I am not sitting where another has sat. Tell
me, do I talk to one who has another lover?”
“ I fear that the one who loves you, and whom
you loved ere you came to me, will be angry
with me and curse me,” she coyly answered.
Then he feigned anger, and moved away
quickly. In his haste he did not see where he
was going, and he fell down the steps of the
house, upon a stone. Though he lay there
groaning, and called, “O, help me!” his wife
thought him still in sport and sat quietly at her
wheel. Having waited some time, she arose and
went to him, and, lo, he lay there dead!
“ Had we worked and not played as children,
my husband would be yet alive,” lamented the
wife.
V
Temples and Priests
The Giants’ Mountain and the Temple
In the time long since gone by, when the
world was young, the men of a large province
desired to build a temple, a temple which might
be seen by men from afar. Their ground, how-
ever, was low, and there was no lofty mountain
on which they might rear it, and it was deemed
wise by all to entreat the giants, who lived in the
far East, to help them bring the earth together in
one place for a mound.
Willingly did the giants consent to aid them,
but asked, “Why labor to dig the earth and pile
it into a mound ? Behold the high hills are ours,
with our strong arms we can remove the top
from one of them and bring it to you and you
may rear your beautiful temple thereon, and all
men can see it. Go, therefore, and make ready
your bricks and mortar, bringing to one place all
the materials which you will require, whilst we
carry one of our mountains to you for your use.”
The giants went their way to bring a mountain-
top from the far East to the plains near the city.
Day after day they labored and moved the
mountain top a great distance, but the people
65
66 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
neither helped them nor did they even commence
to prepare the materials for the temple. As the
giants toiled, word was brought them that the
people were sitting in idleness on the ground.
“Come help us, or gather the materials to-
gether,” the giants sent word.
“You, yourselves, offered to carry the moun-
tain-top to us. Your words are stronger than
your deeds. You say you will aid us, then ask
us to help you,” the people replied. This they
said, thinking to goad the giants on to the labor
of bringing the mountain-top to the desired
place.
“We offered to aid you,” retorted the giants,
“but you sit and watch while we do all. Had
you done your part, we would have done ours.
Now, you shall labor, and we, from our high
mountain, will laugh at you.”
Thereupon they left the work and sought their
homes, and wearily did the men of the plains dig
the earth, carrying it in small loads into one
place to build the mound, and sadly did they
look toward the East, where they could see the
mountain-top the giants had carried such a dis-
tance to them, and most bitterly did they repent
not having done their share.
The temple is builded now, and from afar the
A Group of Buddhist Priests.
The Interior of a Buddhist Temple.
Temples and Priests
67
people can see the gleam of the spire when the
eye of day first opens in the East, or closes in the
West, and, to this day the mountain-top lies
there far distant from the mountain range and
equally far distant from the city of the plains,
and the people point it out to strangers, saying,
“If you ask aid from others, it is well to put
your own heart into the work.”
Cheating the Priest
Upon a time a man and his wife went a day’s
journey from their village to the bazaar to sell
their wares, and it fell upon the day of their re-
turn that it rained heavily, and as they hurried
along the highway, they sought shelter from the
head priest of a temple. He, however, would
not even let them enter. They begged to be
permitted to sleep in the sheltered place at the
head of the stairs, but this also the priest refused.
Angered, they went under the temple and there
rested.
When the priest had lain down on his mat in
the room just over the place where the man and
his wife were hidden, he heard the man say to
his wife, “ It will be good to be again with our
68 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
young and beautiful daughter. I trust all is well
with her.”
Having heard these words, the priest arose
hastily and called, “ Come up, good people, and
sleep in the temple. Here, too, are mats to rest
upon.” And, as they talked of their beautiful
daughter, the priest asked, “When I am out of
the temple, released from my vows, will you
give me your daughter to wife ? ”
Looking at his wife, the husband replied,
“ It is good in our sight.”
When the morning came and they wished to
steam some rice for their breakfast, they had no
pot, but the priest freely offered the use of his
pot and insisted upon their using of the sacred
wood for their fire, the wood which was used in
propping the branches of the Po tree. 1
Being ready to go on their way, the priest pre-
sented them with gifts of food, silver and gold,
saying, “I will soon leave the priesthood and
come to marry your beautiful daughter.”
But three days had passed, when the man and
his wife came again to the temple and told the
priest that their daughter was dead, and a long
time they all mourned together.
“I will ever remain true to my love for your
1 The sacred tree of Buddhists.
Temples and Priests
69
daughter. Never will I leave the priesthood,"
vowed the priest, while the man and his wife re-
turned to their home, spent the silver and gold
the priest had given them, and cheerfully laughed
at him, for never had they had a daughter 1
The Disappointed Priest
In a temple of the north lived a priest who had
great greed for the betel nut.1 One day, com-
pelled by his appetite, he inquired of a boy-priest
if no one had died that day, but the boy replied
he had heard of no death.
A man, while worshipping in the temple, over-
heard the priest’s words, and on his return to his
home, said, ‘‘The priest wants some one to die
so he can have betel to eat. Let us punish him,
because he loves the betel nut better than the life
of a man. Make me ready for the grave, then
wail with a loud voice and the priest will come."
When all was ready, they wailed with a loud
voice and the priest, filled with cheerful thoughts
of satisfying his appetite, came quickly.
The people all said, “We must hasten to the
1 Areca nut. Chewing this nut is a habit common among all
the peoples of Farther India and Malaysia.
70 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
grave with our dead brother. As it is already
evening, we will not have the feast until we re-
turn.”
All hastened to the place of burning, and, upon
reaching it, they took one end of the cloth cover-
ing the body and placed it in the hands of the
priest, while the other end they left on the body
of the supposed dead man.
“ While you ask blessings on our dead brother,
we will go prepare wood for the burning,” said
the people, and, leaving the priest praying, they
returned as they had come, cut thorns and briars
and placed them on and about the path, so the
priest could not escape unhurt. Then they hid
themselves.
As the darkness closed about him, the priest
prayed fast and loud. Lo! the man stirred and
groaned, and the priest cried, “O, my father, I
am asking blessings on thee! Why movest
thou?”
Again the man rose up and groaned even
louder, and the priest, terrified, ran away towards
the temple. Caught by the briars, he fell head-
long, cut and bleeding. With great effort, he at
last reached the temple, and with much pain had
his wounds dressed by the boy-priest. Not until
he had rested, did he inquire of the boy if the
Temples and Priests
71
people of the dead man had brought any betel to
the temple in his absence.
“ No,” said the boy-priest. 11 Go to the house
of the dead man and eat with them.”
But the priest most vehemently said, ‘‘If ten
or twenty men die, I will not go again. Die like
that man! 1 shall never go again.”
The Greedy Priest
In the compound of a temple in the south there
was a large fruit tree, the fruit of which was
coveted by all, as they passed, but the head
priest would permit no one to eat of it, because
he was greedy and selfish and wished but to
satisfy his own appetite.
Two men, talking together, said they would
obtain fruit from the priest, and they would have
it without price.
One came and asked for the fruit. The priest
refused him gruffly, saying, “I need it for my
own use.” The man replied, “I desired it to eat
with my venison curry, of which I have so much
that I want you to come and eat with me.” On
hearing this the priest said, “Take what you
want.” Filling his scarf with the coveted fruit,
72 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
the man left the priest, saying, “ I will call for
you as the eye of day closes.”
Shortly after, the second man came and begged
for fruit and likewise was refused, until he said
he wished it to eat with his pork curry, and, that
as the eye of day closed, he would come for the
priest to eat with him, when the priest said,
“All you desire, take.” And the man filled a
large basket with the coveted fruit.
As the eye of day closed, the two men called
together for the priest.
When they reached a fork in the road, one laid
hold on the arm of the priest, and said, “ Come
with me first, my house is down this way.”
“Come with me first,” said the other, “my
family will already be eating.”
Thus they disputed, drawing the greedy old
priest this way and that until he was bruised and
tired, when he said, “It is enough. I will
neither eat of the vension, nor of the pork.”
And the men went home and laughed, for
neither had the one venison nor the other pork.
Monastery Grounds at Chieng Tung, Laos.
\
The Ambitious Priest
There is a tale of an old priest who prayed
each day that the gods would give him a jewel
of great price — one that had the power to make
him fly as a bird.
A young priest in the temple hearing his
prayer, secured the eye of a fish and hid it in
his room, and when again the old priest prayed
for the jewel, the young priest brought the eye
of the fish and gave it to him. Then was the
old priest glad, “ Now can I rise up as though on
wings and fly from this earth,” said he.
Selecting two large palm leaves, thinking “I
must have wings first,” he tried to fly, but could
not.
The young priest said, “From here you cannot
fly; it is not high enough. Go up to the roof of
the temple and fly from there.”
Acting on this suggestion, the old priest went
up to the roof, but fell from his high place, and,
lo, when they came to him, he was deadl
73
VI
Moderation and Greed
The Wizard and the Beggar
Once upon a time there was a poor man who
ever begged for food, and, as he walked along
the road he thought, “ If any one will give me to
eat until I am satisfied, never will I forget the
grace or merit of that person.” Chanting these
words as he walked slowly along, he met a
wizard.
“What do you say as you walk along, my
son ?” asked the wizard.
“If any one will give me to eat all I crave, I
will never forget the grace or merit of that per-
son,” said the poor man.
“ My son, the people of this day are ever care-
less and ungrateful. They forget benefits,” re-
plied the wizard.
“ I will not forget,” vowed the poor man.
“Go on, my son,” said the wizard.
Chanting as before, the poor man went on his
way, and as he walked he met a dog.
“What do you say as you go along, my
son ?” asked the dog.
“ Whosoever will give me to eat to my satis-
faction, the grace or merit of that person will I
never forget,” replied the poor man.
77
78 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
“Men are prone to forget. None remember
favors. When I was young and strong, I
guarded my master’s house and grounds; now,
when I am old, he will not permit me to enter
his gate, but curses and beats me and gives me
no food. By him are all my services forgotten,”
said the dog.
Ever chanting, the poor man walked on, and
as he walked he met a buffalo.
“What do you say as you walk along, my
son ? ” asked the buffalo. And the poor man re-
peated what he had told the wizard and the
dog.
“Man is ever ungrateful. When I was young
and strong, I plowed the fields so my master
could have rice and my master was grateful to
me. Now that I cannot work, I am driven out
to die,” said the buffalo. And the poor man,
discouraged, sought the wizard again.
“My son, will you ever remember benefits?”
asked the wizard.
“Never would I forget a benefit,” vowed the
poor man, vehemently.
“Then here are two jewels; one, if held in
your mouth, will enable you to fly as a bird; the
other, if held in the mouth, will give you your
desires, and this second one I now give to you,”
Moderation and Greed 79
said the wizard, and he handed the second jewel
to the poor man.
"Your grace and merit will ever be remem-
bered by me. More than tongue can utter, do I
thank you. Ever will I wish you health and
happiness and pray for blessings on your head,”
declared the poor man. Having thus spoken,
the once poor man sought his home and, through
the virtue of the wishing jewel he had every wish
for wealth gratified.
"How do you secure your desires?” asked the
neighbors of the once poor, begging man.
"A wizard gave me a wishing-jewel and, by
simply placing it in my mouth, all I wish to pos-
sess is mine,” answered he. " Listen to me,” he
continued, "the wizard has yet another jewel,
which, if placed in the mouth, will enable one to
fly as a bird. Come, let us go and kill him that
we may all possess it together.”
With one accord they agreed, and, as they ap-
proached the home of the wizard, the wizard,
espying the man he had so benefited, called to
him,
" Why have you not visited me, my son ?”
" There was no time, much work have I had to
do,” replied the ungrateful man.
Now the wizard of course knew the intent
80 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
of the wicked fellow, that he, with his neigh-
bors, had come to secure the second jewel, and
he asked,
“ Why do you desire to kill me?”
“Give to me the jewel you have, else I shall
kill you, you old wizard,” cried the ungrateful
fellow.
“Have you the wishing-jewel with you? If
so, show it to me first,” said the wizard.
Eagerly did the greedy fellow thrust it toward
the old wizard, but he, having already placed the
flying-jewel in his mouth, seized the wishing-
jewel and instead of giving the rascal the flying
jewel, flew away, leaving both the man and his
neighbors without either.
A Covetous Neighbor
There was a poor and lonely man who had
but a few melon seeds and grains of corn which
he planted; tenderly did he care for them, as the
garden would furnish his only means of a living.
And it came to pass that the melons and corn
grew luxuriantly, and the apes and the monkeys
from the neighboring wilderness, seeing them,
Moderation and Greed
81
came daily to eat of them, and, as they talked of
the owner of the garden, wondered just what
manner of man he might be that he permitted
them unmolested to eat of his melons. But the
poor man, through his sufferings, had much
merit, and charitably and willingly shared his
abundant fruit with them.
And upon a day, the man lay down in the
garden and feigned death. As the monkeys and
apes drew near, seeing him so still, his scarf
lying about his head, with one accord they cried,
“ He is already dead! Lo, these many days have
we eaten of his fruit, therefore it is but just that
we should bury him in as choice a place as we
can find.”
Lifting the man, they carried him until they
came to a place where two ways met, when one
of the monkeys said, “Let us take him to the
cave of silver.” Another said, “No, the cave of
gold would be better.”
“ Go to the cave of gold,” commanded the head
monkey. There they carried him and laid him
to rest.
Finding himself thus alone, the man arose,
gathered all the gold he could carry and returned
to his old home, and, with the gold thus easily
gained, he built a beautiful house.
82 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
“How did you, who are but a gardener, gain
all this gold?” asked a neighbor, and freely the
man told all that had befallen him.
“If you did it, I, too, can do it," said the
neighbor, and forthwith, he hastened home,
made a garden, and waited for the monkeys to
feast in it. All came to pass as the neighbor
hoped; when the melons were ripe great num-
bers of monkeys and apes came to the garden
and feasted. And upon a day, they found the
owner lying as one dead in the garden.
Prompted by gratitude, the monkeys made ready
to bury him, and while carrying him to the place
of burial, they came to the place in the way
where the two roads met. Here they disputed
as to whether they should place the man in the
cave of silver, or the cave of gold. Meanwhile,
the man was thinking thus, “I’ll gather gold
all day. When I have more than I can carry in
my arms, I’ll draw some behind me in a basket I
can readily make from bamboo," and, when the
head monkey said, “ Put him in the cave of sil-
ver," he unguardedly cried out, “No, put me in
the cave of gold."
Frightened, the monkeys dropped the man and
fled, whilst he, scratched and bleeding, crept
painfully home.
A Lazy Man’s Plot1
Upon a day a beggar, who was too lazy to
work, but ever lived on the bounty of the people,
received a great quantity of rice. He put it in
a large jar and placed the jar at the foot of his
bed, then he lay down on the bed and thus
reasoned :
“ If there come a famine, I will sell the rice,
and with the money, buy me a pair of cows, and
when the cows have a calf, I'll buy a pair of
buffaloes. Then, when they have a calf, I’ll sell
them, and with that money, I’ll make a wedding
and take me a wife. And, when we have a
child large enough to sit alone, I’ll take care of it,
while my wife works the rice fields. Should
she say, 4 1 will not work,' I’ll kick her after this
manner,” and he struck out his foot, knocking
the jar over, and broke it. The rice ran through
the slats of the floor, and the neighbors' pigs
ate it, leaving the lazy plotter but the broken jar.
1 The motive corresponds to that of the venerable story of the
Milkmaid.
83
The Ungrateful Fisherman
It happened on a time that a poor fisherman
had caught nothing for many days, and while he
was sitting thinking sadly of his miserable for-
tune, Punya In, the god of wisdom, came from
his high home in heaven in the form of a crow,
and asked him, “Do you desire to escape from
this life of a fisherman, and live in ease ? ” And
the fisherman replied, “Greatly do I desire to
escape from this miserable life."
Beckoning him to come to him and listen, the
crow told him of a far distant province, whose
chow lay dead.
“ Both the province and all the chow's former
possessions will I give thee, if thou wilt promise
ever to remember the benefits I bestow," said the
crow.
Readily did the fisherman promise, “Never,
never will I forget."
Immediately the crow took the fisherman on
his back and flew to the far distant province.
Leaving the fisherman just outside the city gate,
the crow entered the city, went to the chow’s
home, and took the body of the chow away, and,
in the place put the fisherman.
84
Moderation and Greed
85
When the fisherman moved, the watchers
heard, and rejoicing, they all cried, “Our chow
is again alive.’'
Great was the joy of the people, and, for many
years, the fisherman ruled in the province and
enjoyed the possessions of the former chow.
But, as time went by, the fisherman forgot the
crow had been the author of all his good fortune,
that all were the gifts of a crow, and he drove all
crows from the rice fields. Even did he attempt
to banish them from the province. Perceiving
this, the god of wisdom again assumed the form
of a crow and came down and sat near the one-
time fisherman.
“O, chow, wouldst thou desire to go where
all is pleasure and delight ? ” asked the crow.
“Let me go,” replied the chow. And the
crow took him on his back and flew with him to
the house where, as a fisherman he had lived in
poverty and squalor, and ever had he to remain
there.
^8
The Legend of the Rice
In the days when the earth was young and all
things were better than they now are, when men
86 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
and women were stronger and of greater beauty,
and the fruit of the trees was larger and sweeter
than that which we now eat, rice, the food of
the people, was of larger grain. One grain was
all a man could eat, and in those early days,
such, too, was the merit of the people, they
never had to toil gathering the rice, for, when
ripe, it fell from the stalks and rolled into the
villages, even unto the granaries.
And upon a year, when the rice was larger and
more plentiful than ever before, a widow said to
her daughter, “ Our granaries are too small. We
will pull them down and build larger.”
When the old granaries were pulled down and
the new one not yet ready for use, the rice was
ripe in the fields. Great haste was made, but
the rice came rolling in where the work was go-
ing on, and the widow, angered, struck a grain
and cried, “ Could you not wait in the fields until
we were ready ? You should not bother us now
when you are not wanted.”
The rice broke into thousands of pieces and
said, “ From this time forth, we will wait in the
fields until we are wanted,” and, from that time
the rice has been of small grain, and the people
of the earth must gather it into the granary from
the fields.
At Work in the Rice Fields.
VII
Parables and Proverbs
“One Woman in Deceit and Craft is More
Than a Match for Eight Men”
Chum Paw was a maiden of the south country.
Many suitors had she, but, by her craft and devices,
each suitor thought himself the only one. Con-
stantly did each seek her in marriage, and, upon
a day as one pressed her to name the time of
their nuptials, she said, “Build me a house, and
I’ll marry you when all is in readiness.” To the
others, did she speak the same words.
Each man sought the jungle for bamboo for a
house, and, it happened, while they were in the
jungle that they all met.
“What seekest thou?” they asked one an-
other. “ What seekest thou ? ” The one answer
was, “ I have come to fell wood for my house.”
And, as they ate their midday meal together,
each had a bamboo stick, filled with chicken and
rice. Now, it happened that Chum Paw had
given the bamboo sticks to the men, and, lo, on
investigation, they found the pieces in their vari-
ous sticks were the parts of one chicken, and
with one accord, they cried, “Chum Paw has de-
ceived us. Come, let us kill her. Each has she
promised to marry; each has she deceived.”
89
90 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
All were exceedingly angry and vowed they
would kill the deceitful woman.
Chum Paw, seeing the men return together,
knew her duplicity was known and realized they
sought to kill her.
“ I entreat that you spare my life, but take and
sell me as a slave to the captain of the ship lying
at the mouth of the river.”
Relenting, the suitors took her to the captain.
She, however, running on before, privately told
the captain she had seven young men, her
slaves, whom she would sell him for seven hun-
dred pieces of silver. Seeing the young men
were desirable, the captain gave Chum Paw the
silver, and she fled while the seven lovers were
placed in irons.
Chum Paw fled to the jungle, but, frightened
by the wild beasts, she sought refuge in a tree.
And it came to pass that the suitors escaped from
the ship and they, too, sought refuge in the
jungle. Unable to sleep and also frightened, one
of them climbed a tree that he might be safe
from the wild beasts, and, lo, it was the same
tree in which Chum Paw had taken refuge.
“ Be silent, make no noise, lest the others hear
us,” whispered Chum Paw. “I love you and
knew you were wise and would escape from the
Parables and Proverbs
91
ship. I only desired the silver for us to spend
together.”
The unfortunate man believed, and sought to
embrace her, but, as he threw up his arms, Chum
Paw threw him down, hoping thus to kill him.
The others, hearing the commotion, feared a
large bear was in the tree and hastily fled. Un-
injured the suitor, whom Chum Paw had thrown
from the tree, fled with them.
Chum Paw seeing that they all fled ran
behind, as she knew no beast would attack her
while there was so great a commotion. As the
suitors looked back, they saw her, but mistook
her for a bear and ran but the faster, and finally,
they all, the seven suitors and Chum Paw reached
their homes.
Knowing the suitors would again seek her life,
Chum Paw made a feast of all things they most
liked and bade the young men to come. (All
the food was prepared by Chum Paw and
poisoned.) “ I want but to make me boon be-
fore I die, so I beg you eat of my food and for-
give me, for I merit death,” said the maiden, as
they sat in her house. All ate; and all died.
Chum Paw carried six bodies into the inner
part of the house, and one she prepared for the
grave. Weeping and wailing, she ran to the
92 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
nearest neighbor, crying, “I want a man to
come bury my husband. He died last night.
As he had smallpox, fifty pieces of silver will I
give to the one who buries him.”
A man who loved money said, “ I will bury
him.” When he came to the house, Chum Paw
said, “ Many times has he died and come back to
life. If he comes back again, no money shall you
have.”
The man took the body, made a deep grave,
buried the man and returned for his silver. Lo,
on the mat lay the body! He made a deeper
grave and again buried it. Six times he buried,
as he supposed, the body, and, on returning and
finding it a seventh time, he angrily cried, “ You
shall never return again.” Taking the body with
him, he built a fire, placed the body on it, and,
while it burned, went to the stream for water.
When he returned, lo, a charcoal man was stand-
ing there, black from his work.
Filled with wrath, the man ran up to him cry-
ing, '‘You will come back again, will you? will
cause me this trouble again, will you ? ”
The charcoal burner replied, “I do not under-
stand.” Not a word would the man hear, but
fought the burner, and as they struggled, they
both fell into the fire and were burned to death.
Parables and Proverbs
93
Chum Paw built a beautiful home and spent
the silver as she willed.
“The Wisest Man of a Small Village is
Not Equal in Wisdom to a Boy
of the City Streets ”
Once a boy of the city, watching a buffalo out-
side the gate of the largest city in the province,
saw three men approaching. Each was the
wisest man of the village from whence he came.
The boy called to them, “Where go ye, old
men ? ”
The men angrily replied, “Wherefore dost
thou, who art but a child, speak thus to us who
are old and the judges of the villages from whence
we come ? ”
The boy replied, “ There is no cause for anger.
How was I to know ye were wise men? To
me, ye seem but as other men from a country
place, — the wisest of whom are but fools.”
The three men were very angry, caught the
boy and said, “We will not enter into the city,
but will go to another province and sell this
insolent boy, because he neither reverences age
nor wisdom."
94: Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
The boy refused to walk, so they carried him.
All day they walked along the road, carrying the
boy, and at night they slept by the roadside. In
the morning, when they craved water and bade
the boy go to a brook, he refused, saying, “If
I go, ye will run and leave me. I will not go."
Thirst drove one of the wise men for the
water, and the boy drank of it freely.
Several days' journey brought them to a wall
of a large city, and night was spent at a sala near
the wall. Seeking to rid themselves of the boy,
they bade him go to the city for fire to cook food.
Realizing their motive, he answered, “Should I
go, ye will leave me. I will not go, though, if
ye let me tie ye to the posts of the sala, then will
I go."
With one accord they agreed, saying, “Do
thou even so. We are weary carrying thee and
cannot go for the fire."
Tying them all, the boy ran to the city, where
he met a man whom he asked, “ Dost thou wish
to purchase three slaves? Come with me."
The man returned with the boy, saw the men,
and gave him full value for each.
Having thus disposed of his captors, the cunning
little fellow joined some men going to his native
city, and as he walked along, he thought, “ I was
Parables and Proverbs
95
ever wanting to see other places, and now I have
been carried a long journey, and have silver to
last me many days . . . surely, I have much
boon” 1
“To Aid Beast is Merit; To Aid Man is
but Vanity”2
A hunter, walking through a jungle, saw a
man in a pit unable to escape. The man called
to him, “ If thou wilt aid me to escape from this
snare, always will I remember thy grace and
merit." The hunter drew him out of the pit, and
the man said, “ I am goldsmith to the head chow,
and dwell by the city’s gate. Shouldst thou ever
want any benefit, come to me, and gladly will I
aid thee."
As the hunter travelled, he met a tiger caught
in a snare set for an elephant, and the tiger cried,
“ If thy heart prompts thee to set me free, thy
aid will ever be remembered by me." He helped
the tiger from the snare, and it said, “ If ever
thou needest aid, call and I will come to thee."
1 Merit.
* This only of the Folk Tales has been written before. It is
taken from an ancient temple book and is well-known in all
the Laos country.
96 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Then again the hunter went on his way, and
came to a place where a snake had fallen into a
well and could not get out, and the snake cried,
" If thou wilt aid me, I can aid thee also in the
time soon to come,” and he assisted the snake.
“When the time comes that thou needest me,
think of me, and I will come to thee with
haste,” said the snake.
Now, it had happened that on the day that the
hunter had rescued the tiger it had killed the
chow’s child, but of this the hunter knew noth-
ing. And it came to pass that three days after,
the hunter desiring to test the words of the tiger,
went to the forest. Upon calling it, the tiger
came to him immediately and brought with him
a long golden chain, which he gave to the hunter.
The hunter took the chain home, and, wishing to
sell it, sought the goldsmith whom he had be-
friended. But the goldsmith, seeing it, said,
"You are the man who has killed the chow’s
child.” And he had his men bind the hunter with
strong cords and took him to the chow in the
hope of gaining the reward offered to any who
might find him who had killed the child.
The chow put the hunter in chains and com-
manded he die on the morrow. The hunter
begged for seven days’ respite, and it was granted
The “Chow” and his Palace.
Parables and Proverbs
97
him. In the night he thought of the snake he
had helped, and immediately the snake came,
bringing with him a medicine to cure blindness.
While the household of the chow slept, the snake
entered and cast of its venom in the eyes of the
chow’s wife, and she was blind.
Throughout all the province the chow sought
for some one to restore the eyes of his afflicted
wife, but no one was found.
It happened on a day, that word came to the
chow’s ears that the hunter he had in chains for
the death of his child, was a man of wisdom and
knew the merit of all the herbs of the field, there-
fore he sent for him.
When the hunter came into the presence of the
chow unto where the wife sat, he put the medi-
cine which the snake had brought him into the
eyes of the princess, and sight, even like unto
that of a young maiden, was restored unto
her.
Then the chow desired to reward the hunter,
and the hunter told him how he had come into
possession of the golden chain, of the medicine
which the serpent had given him because he had
aided it in its time of trouble, and of the gold-
smith, who had not only forgotten benefits re-
ceived, but had accused him so he might gain a
98 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
reward. And when the chow learned the truth,
he had the ungrateful goldsmith put to death, but
to the hunter did he give half of his province, for
had he not restored the sight of the princess ?
VIII
The Gods Know and the Gods Reward
Love’s Secrets
There was once a poor woodsman, who went
to the jungle to cut wood, so he might sell it and
buy food for his wife and child. And upon a day,
when the cool evening had come, wearied, the
man lay down to rest and fell into a deep sleep.
From his home in the sky, the god who looks
after the destiny of man was hot-hearted 1 when
he saw the man did not move, and he came
down to see if he were dead. When he spake
in the wood-cutter’s ear, he awoke and arose,
and the fostering god led him home. As they
came near the gate, the god said, “Stand here,
whilst I go and see to the welfare of thy wife.”
Listening without, the god heard the fond wife
say to the little child, “I fear some evil hath
befallen thy kind father. Ever doth he return as
it darkens about us.”
The god knew from her words that the wife
was good, and taught the child love and rever-
ence for its father, therefore was he pleased, and
returning to the woodsman, sent him in haste to
his home, and said, “I, myself, will lay the
wood in its place.”
1 Anxious.
101
102 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
The next morning, when the eye of day
opened, the fond wife went for wood to build a
fire that her husband might eat of hot food ere
he went to his daily labor, and, lo, when she saw
the wood which her husband had brought home,
all was turned into gold! Thus had the cherish-
ing god rewarded a husband faithful in his work,
and a wife loving and thoughtful.
Leaving the house of the worthy woodsman,
the god met a man tardily wending his way
home with a small, poorly-made bundle of sticks.
Approaching him, the god said, “Wait at the
steps. I will go first and see how it is with thy
wife.” And the god went up unseen, and heard
the wife say to her son, “Ever is it thus. Thy
father thinks naught of us; he stays away so he
need be with us but little.”
Sadly the god returned to the laggard, took the
bundle from him, and bade him go to his wife
and child, saying he would put the wood in its
place.
Late the following day, long after the husband
had gone to his work, the wife went for some
wood, and, lo, found all the wood had turned to
venomous snakes! Then was she afraid, and
she grew kinder of heart and strove to make her
husband better and happy.
Poison-Mouth
There was once a poor father and mother who
had a little daughter, called “ Poison-Mouth.”
And it happened on a day that a great number
of cows came into the garden, and when the
mother saw them she cried angrily, “You but
destroy our garden. I would you were all dead.”
“Poison-Mouth” hearing her mother’s angry
words, called out, “Die, all of you, for you are
destroying our garden.” And immediately all
the cattle dropped dead.
Upon another day, the bees were swarming
and great companies flew over the house, and
the mother said complainingly, “Why do you
never come to us that we may have honey ?”
Little “Poison-Mouth” called: “Come to us
that we may have honey.” And, lo, before the
eye of day had closed, the house was filled with
bees and the poor people had more honey than
they could use.
Word of “Poison-Mouth” reached a great
chow, and, prompted by the god of love to
sweeten the poisoned mouth, he sent ten men
with this message to the child’s parents: “Take
103
104 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
good care of your child; let her hear no evil, and
when she is old enough, I will take her to wife.”
When the men approached the home of
“Poison-Mouth” they said, “O, poor people,”
but the mother would not permit them to finish,
as their words angered her, and she exclaimed,
“You are bad dogs!” And the men were no
longer men, but dogs, snapping and snarling,
for little “Poison-Mouth” had also cried, “Bad
dogs are you.”
Though greatly distressed, the chow sent yet
again twenty men with his message. And again,
when the mother beheld these men, she ex-
claimed, “See, the dogs coming yonder!”
“ Poison-Mouth ” echoed, “Yes, twenty dogs are
coming now,” and they also changed into dogs,
fighting on the streets.
“Who can help me?” cried the chow, dis-
tressed though not despairing.
An old man answered, “I will help you. I
will go to the child.” And, while the mother
was absent, he sought the little one, and thus
softly said, “My child, thy tongue is given thee
to bless with, and not to curse. Come with me,
and learn only that which is good.” The little
one answered, “ I will come,” and the old man
took her to the chow, who, from that time forth,
Gods Know and Gods Reward 105
spoke no evil, and, little “ Poison-Mouth, ” hear-
ing none but beautiful and good words, grew
beautiful and good, and her words brought bless-
ings ever.
Strife and Peace
There was once a husband and wife who ever
quarrelled. Never were they pleasant with each
other.
A wealthy man sought to see if they could
spend but a day in peace, so he sent two men
with one hundred pieces of silver to them, say-
ing, '‘If this day be spent without strife, this
silver shall be yours.” Then the two men hid
themselves near the house to watch after what
fashion they spent the day.
“If we are to earn the reward, it were better
thou shouldst hold thy tongue with thy hand,
else thou canst not endure throughout the day,”
said the husband.
“ Ever am I quiet. It is well known of all the
neighbors that thou, and thou alone, art ever
quarrelsome,” retorted the wife.
And thus they disputed until both grew angry,
and the quarrel was so loud that all the people
106 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
living near heard it. Thereupon the two men
came forth from their hiding-place, and said,
“The silver does not belong to you, of a cer-
tainty.”
Determined to find virtue, the rich man sent
the two men with the silver to a husband and
wife who never quarrelled, and bade them say,
“ If this day, you will strive one with the other,
these one hundred pieces of silver shall be
yours.”
The husband greatly desired the money and
sought to anger his wife. He wrought a basket
which she wanted to use in sunning the cotton,
with the strands of bamboo so wide apart that
the least wind would blow all the cotton out of
the basket. Yet, when he handed it to his wife,
she pleasantly said, “This is just the right kind
of a basket. The sun can come in all about the
cotton, as though it were not in a basket at all.”
Again, the husband made a basket so narrow
at the top that it was difficult to put anything into
it, and also the mouth was of rough material so
that the hand would be scratched in putting in or
taking out the cotton. “Surely, this will anger
her,” thought the husband.
Turning it from side to side, the wife said,
Gods Know and Gods Reward 107
“Now, this, too, is just right, for when the wind
blows, the cotton will be caught on the rough
wood at the mouth and cannot blow away."
The two men in hiding all day heard nothing
but gentle words, so, in the evening, they re-
turned to the rich man, saying, for they knew
not the efforts of the husband to provoke his
wife, “ Those two know not how to quarrel."
Gladdened, the seeker for virtue commanded
them to be given the silver, for they loved peace.
The Widow’s Punishment
Once there lived a woman who had a son and
a nephew living with her. And upon a day they
came to her desiring money that they might go
and trade in the bazaar. She gave each a piece
of silver of equal value, and bade them so to
trade and cheat that they might bring home much
money.
At the bazaar, one bought a large fish, the
other, the head and horns of a buffalo, and, as
they rested by the roadside on their way home,
they tied the large, living fish and the buffalo
head together, and threw them in a muddy
108 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
stream. When they threw the stones at the fish,
it jumped, thus causing the buffalo head to move
as though it were alive.
A man saw the head in the water and desired
to buy the buffalo. The boys named the price of
a live animal, and, having received it, they fled.
As they went along, not long after, they found
a deer which a wild dog had killed, but had not
eaten of it. It they took with them, and, a
drover, seeing it, asked where they had found it.
“Our dog," said the boys, “is so trained, it
goes to the jungle and catches the wild animals
for our food."
The drover desired to buy the dog.
“No," said the boys, “we will not sell it."
Their words but made the drover more eager
to possess the dog, and he offered ten of his best
cattle in exchange. The exchange pleased the
boys, and, having received the cattle for their
useless dog, they hastened to a large city, where
they sold them for much money and returned
home. On reaching it, they divided the money
equally, but the mother was dissatisfied and
desired that her son have the larger portion,
therefore she insisted that they make an offering
to the spirit in the hollow tree near by, before the
money could be rightly divided.
Gods Know and Gods Reward 109
While the boys were preparing the offering,
the mother ran and hid in the hollow tree, and
when they had made their offering and asked the
spirit, “What division must we make of the
money?" a voice replied, “Unto the son of the
widow, give two portions — unto the nephew of
the widow, give one portion."
Greatly angered, the nephew put wood all
about the tree and set fire to it. Though he
heard the voice of his aunt, saying, “ I beg that
thou have mercy on me and set me free," he
would not recognize it, and the widow and the
tree perished. Thus, she who had taught him
to cheat, by her own pupil was destroyed.
Honesty Rewarded
In the far north country there lived a father,
mother, and son. So poor and desolate were they
that their only possession was an old ax. Each
morning, as the eye of day opened on the earth,
they went to the woods and there remained until
the evening, cutting the wood, which, when
sold, furnished their only source of a living.
Upon a day, when the cutting was done, they
110 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
placed the ax near the wood and went deeper
into the jungle for vines to bind the wood. It
happened the chow of the province came that
way with twelve of his men; one of whom bore
an ax of gold, another bore an ax of silver and
both belonged to the chow. Yet, when the chow
saw the old, wooden-handled ax lying near the
wood, he commanded that it be taken home with
them.
The family returning found their ax gone.
Deeply distressed, they sat down and wept, and
thus in trouble, did the chow and his men find
them as they came that way again.
“Why are your hearts thus troubled?” in-
quired the chow.
They answered: “O chow, we had but one
ax and it is gone and no other means of earning
food have we! ”
The chow replied: “I found your ax. Here
it is.” And he commanded they be given the ax
of silver, whose handle even was silver.
“ That is not ours,” they cried, “not ours.”
The chow commanded the ax of gold be
given them. Yet they wept but the more, say-
ing, “ The golden ax is not ours. Ours was
old, ’twas but of steel and the handle of wood,
but ’twas all we had.”
Gods Know and Gods Reward 111
Their honesty gladdened the heart of the chow
and he commanded that not only their own ax be
returned, but the ax of gold, the ax of silver, and
even a pun 1 of gold be given them. Thus was
merit rewarded.
The Justice of In Ta Pome
Men of three countries wanted a chemical to
change stones and metals into gold, and they all
came together to worship In Ta Pome, one of the
gods. One man was from China, one from
India, and one from Siam. They all worshipped
at the feet of In Ta Pome, saying, “We beg
thee, O In Ta Pome, give unto us the chemical
which will change all stones and metals into
gold."
In Ta Pome replied, “Each of you kill one of
your children, cut him into pieces and put him
into a jar. Cover this with a new, clean cloth,
and bring it unto me."
The Chinaman feared to kill his child, so killed
a pig, cut it up and placed it in a jar, over which
he tied a close cover.
1 About 3 lbs. avoir.
112 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
The Siamese did the same with a dog, but the
Indiaman believed in In Ta Pome, and killed
his only son, put him into a jar, and covered it.
All returned to the god with their several
jars.
In Ta Pome sprinkled the jar of the Chinaman
first, saying, 4 ‘Whatsoever is silver, let it be
silver; whatsoever is gold, let it be gold,” but
the pig grunted, as pigs do, and In Ta Pome said,
“ From this time forth, you shall take care of
pigs and kill them to gain gold.” Sprinkling the
jar of the Siamese, the god again said, “ Whatso-
ever is silver, let it be silver; whatsoever is gold,
let it be gold,” but the dog barked, as dogs do, and
In Ta Pome said, “ You must plow the earth, and
only by the sweat of your brow shall you have
enough to keep you in food.”
Taking the jar of the Indiaman, and having
sprinkled it, In Ta Pome cried, “ Whatsoever is
silver, let it be silver, and whatsoever is gold, let
it be gold,” and lo, the child came to life! And
to the Indiaman did In Ta Pome give the chemical
that changes all stones and metals into gold, be-
cause he had believed, and had not tried to mock
and deceive the gods.
IX
Wonders of Wisdom
»
The Words of Untold Value
In the days long since gone by, a young man,
a son of a poor widow, desired to go with two
of his friends to Tuck Kasula,1 the country where
one could learn the wisdom of all the world, but
he had no gold with which to buy the wisdom,
for does not every one know that wisdom is
difficult to obtain, and is therefore of great price.
Now, the two young friends had each two
puns2 of gold, but the widow’s son had but two
hairs of his mother’s, which, when he wept be-
cause he had no money, the widow had given
him, saying, “I have naught but these two fine
hairs to give thee, my son, but go with thy
friends, each hair will be to thee as a pun of
gold.”
Then the son placed the two hairs in a package
with his clothing, and sealed the package with
wax, and set out with his friends to visit Tuck
Kasula.
After they had travelled some time, they grew
hungry, and on arriving in a village, they entered
1 A fabulous “ City of Wisdom.”
s A pun — about 3 lbs. avoir.
115
116 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
a house for food. The widow’s son left his
package and his other goods on the veranda.
While he was within the house a hen ran away
with the package and lost it. The owners of the
hen offered the son anything they had either of
food or clothing to replace his loss, but he would
be content with nothing but the hen, and they
gave it to him.
And again when they entered another house
for food, the widow’s son tied the hen to a small
bush in the compound, and, lo, an elephant
stepped upon it and killed it!
The people offered the young man many things
to make good his loss, but he would be content
with nothing but the elephant, and they gave
him the elephant.
At last they reached Tuck Kasula, and while
his two friends, with their gold, sought the house
of the teachers, the widow’s son stayed under a
tree where he could hear the teachers instructing
their disciples.
“If you wish to know others, sleep. If you
wish to see, go and look,” said a wise man.
“These words are of untold value, but, for only
two puns of gold will I give them unto you,” he
added.
The widow’s son knew he had heard without
Wonders of Wisdom
117
price the wisdom for which his two friends
would each have to pay two puns of gold, so he
quietly turned the elephant and returned home.
“I will buy your words of wisdom, if you
will sell them,” said the judge to the widow’s
son.
“For two puns of gold I will sell them,” an-
swered the widow’s son.
“Two puns of gold will I give thee,” said the
judge.
“ ‘If you wish to know others, sleep. If you
wish to see, go and look,’” said the widow’s
son, when he had in his possession the two puns
of gold.
The judge, desiring to test the truth of the
words, as he understood them, called unto him
his four wives, and said, “I am not well. Give
me water to drink, and fan me.” Soon he
seemed to be asleep, and his wives talked thus
together in low voices:
“It is not pleasant to be the wife of this foolish
man,” said the first.
“I like another man better,” said the second.
“I wish I could steal his goods and flee while
he sleeps,” said the third.
“I would like to make him a savory dish with
poison in it to kill him,” said the fourth.
118 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Then the judge sprang up and cruelly punished
his wives and put them in chains.
And upon another day, the judge arose early
and went out to see how his slaves worked.
Under the house, hunting for something, he saw
a man.
“What do you seek?” asked the judge.
“I have just stolen from the judge all of his
silver, and, in trying to get it through a small
opening, I broke my finger-nail. If I do not find
it, the judge will die and all his possessions will
be destroyed, for, as thou knowest, ever is it
thus, if a finger-nail falls near a house.”
When the man had found the broken nail, the
judge said, “I, who stand here, am the judge.
I will but take from you the silver which you
have stolen and no punishment shall be yours,
because of the truth which you have told.” Then
the judge said to himself, “The two puns of
gold was a small price to pay for the wisdom
which I have obtained.”
A Wise Philosopher
As a rich trader journeyed to another province,
he rested by the road under a tree, and, as he sat
there, a poor young man approached and asked
that he might accompany him.
“Come,” said the trader, and, as they jour-
neyed, they came to a place where there were
many stones, indeed there was naught else to be
seen.
“Here are there no stones,” said the poor
young man.
“You are right, here are no stones,” replied
the trader.
Soon they reached the shade of a large forest,
and the young man said,
“ Here are no trees.”
“You are right, here are no trees,” the trader
assented.
When they reached a large village, the poor
young man said,
“ Here are no people.”
“You are right,” spake the trader, but he
wondered what manner of man might he be
who knows nothing and has neither eyes nor
ears. However, as he returned home and the
119
120 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
poor young man begged to accompany him, he
agreed and took him with him.
And, as they approached the trader’s home
his daughter called, “O father, what have you
brought ?”
“ Nothing but this foolish young man," an-
swered the trader.
“Why do you call him a fool?” asked the
daughter. “ By his appearance and manner I
would judge he were the god of wisdom come
down in man’s form.”
“I can see no wisdom in one who, when he
can see but stones, says, ‘There are no stones
here,’ or, when he is in the forest, says, ‘ Here are
no trees/ or, when in the midst of a populous
village, says, ‘There is no man here,' ” replied
the trader.
“ He meant, where the stones were all about,
that none were precious ; where the forest was,
that there was no teak, no wood good for man’s
use; and, where the village was, there were no
people, as the people had all fallen away from
the religion of Buddha, living but as beasts and
making no merit for the future life,” argued the
daughter.
“If you esteem him so highly, take him for
your husband,” said the trader.
Wonders of Wisdom
121
“If your daughter will have me as her hus-
band, ever will I endeavor to make the path on
which she treads smooth and beautiful for her
feet,” cried the poor young man.
They were married and lived happily, and,
upon a time, the head chow summoned the
trader to come watch his house during the night.
Greatly was the trader troubled. “I shall die
this night,” cried the trader.
“Why shall you die, my father?” asked the
son-in-law, in great concern.
“The chow has called me to watch this night
and for some time past he has killed all who have
watched for him; an evil spirit has possessed
him and he loves to punish with death the
watchmen, for, he falsely says they sleep and he
has them killed but to satisfy the spirit in him,”
answered the trader.
“I will watch in thy stead,” said the son-in-
law. And fearlessly did he go to the chow’s,
and, when midnight was come and the chow
descended secretly to see if the watchman slept,
lo, the young man prayed aloud for the god of
wisdom to come teach him what to do. The
chow, hearing the sound of voices, listened, and
heard one voice say, “The brave and the strong
govern themselves, then have they the power to
122 Laos Folk-Lore of* Farther India
govern others. The wise make themselves loved
because they are good and true, and are served
by others through love and not through fear,”
and another voice steadily repeated the words.
Three times during the night came the chow.
Each time the voice was speaking and being an-
swered, and, lo, when the eye of day opened in
the East, the chow was found possessed of a
kind and loving spirit and no longer desired to
destroy his people. The young son-in-law of
the trader was made a leader of the people, for
the chow declared unto all that the spirit of the
god of wisdom dwelt in the young man’s heart,
and, it came to pass that the whole land was
blessed because one young man had learned of
the god of wisdom.
The Boys Who Were Not Appreciated
Once there were two brothers. The elder
watched and tended the younger during the day,
while their mother went to labor for food. It
had happened that the father had died, and the
mother had taken another husband who ever
sought to teach the mother to dislike and neglect
the brothers.
Wonders of Wisdom
123
And it fell upon a day that the children waited
and watched for their mother’s return until they
were hungry, for all day had they had no food.
When the eye of day closed, they sought food
and found some green fruit. This they ate and
then lay down to sleep.
Long after darkness had settled, came the
mother and her husband home, and the mother
cooked rice which they sat down to eat.
Awakened by the odor of the rice, the children
heard the talking, and the elder led his younger
brother to his mother and begged food, but the
husband said, “Do not give them of our food,”
and the mother beat them and drove them from
home. The elder brother carried his little brother
back to sleep under the house, but even thence
were they driven. At last they sought and found
shelter with a neighboring widow, who gave
them mats to sleep on. As the eye of day
opened, the two children set out to find a new
home. For many days did they walk, and upon
an evening they found a sala near the chief city
of another province. There they slept. In the
morning the elder boy sought food, and behold,
he saw two snakes wrestling under the sala.
Both were wounded. One, however, killed the
other and then left it and ate some grass growing
124 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
near, and, lo, immediately the snake was whole
as before. Waiting only until the restored snake
had gone, the boy gathered some of the grass,
and put it in the mouth of the dead snake, and
forthwith it came to life and blessed the boy.
Gathering more of the grass, the boy returned to
his brother and they both ate of it and were
strengthened.
Not long after, a servant of the chow of the
neighboring province came to the sala, and the
boys asked, “ For whom is the mourning in the
city ? ” The servant replied, “ The young daugh-
ter of the chow; and the chow mourns. If any
one will restore her unto life, the chow declares,
unto him will he give half of his province and
goods."
Eager to try the wonderful grass, the boy car-
ried his young brother and some of the grass
even unto the chow’s house, where he sought
permission to restore the child with the grass.
Gladly the chow consented. The boy placed the
magic grass in the maiden’s mouth, and immedi-
ately she came to life. Full of joy, the chow
shared his province and goods with him and even
gave his daughter in marriage, as promised.
And upon a day after they had lived happily a
long time in that province and had grown wise
Wonders of Wisdom
125
and strong, the two young men thought of their
mother, and said, “ We will go and visit her and
her husband.”
They made ready joints of bamboo and closed
them, after having filled them with gold, in such
a way that no one could see the gold. When all
was ready, with a great number of elephants and
servants, they returned to their native province.
On reaching their home, they gave of the bam-
boo joints to their friends and relatives, one each,
but to their mother and her husband, gave they
five of the largest joints, and two of the largest
gave they to the kind widow.
“ The bamboo makes fine firewood,” they said
to their mother. “ Cut it up and burn it.”
The mother and her husband were angry and
would not speak to the sons who had brought
but wood as a gift, and sorrowfully they returned
to the other province.
Upon a day the widow visited the mother and
urged that she cut the bamboo joints.
“ Your sons say that the bamboo makes a good
firewood. Where is yours ?” the widow asked.
The mother replied, “ It is outside. Our chil-
dren came from a great distance and brought to
us but this firewood. We shall never touch it.”
But the widow urged, “I would believe and
126 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
trust the love of my children. I beg that you cut
up the wood.” At last they did so, and when
the husband cut into the joints, lo, he found them
all gold. Then ran they both to find the sons to
thank them, but they were already too far dis-
tant. Unable to endure their remorse, there the
mother and her husband died on the wayside.
The Magic Well
The chow of a large province lay ill. All the
doctors of many provinces were summoned, but
none could aid him, nor could any understand
his malady. Lying in his house one day, an old
man begged he might see him, saying he had a
message from the spirits. Brought into the
presence of the chow, the old man said, “ Last
night, as I lay on my bed, I had this vision. A
spirit came to me and touched me and led me to
the river’s brink. There I saw a boat prepared
for my use. I entered the boat and it was rowed
swiftly by unseen hands down the stream.
After a little time, it stopped at the foot of a tall
mountain. Up this the spirit led me, and through
which was no path. We journeyed until we
Wonders of Wisdom 127
reached the mountain’s top. On its summit
were two great walls of rock, and between the
walls was a gate, looking like a gate which led
into a city. Leading me to the other side of the
mountain, the spirit bade me ascend the rock
where the foot of man had never before trod,
and, far up in the face of the rock, I saw a small
opening, like the mouth of a well. I lay down
and stretched my arm to its full length, but
failed to reach the bottom of the opening. By
the side of this opening, on looking more closely,
I beheld a cup tied to the end of a staff. With
the cup I dipped pure water from the well.
About to drink of the water, the spirit restrained
me and commanded I should come to thee and
tell thee this water, and this water alone, would
heal thee. Therefore have I come, O prince, to
lead thee unto this place.”
The prince did not doubt him, but commanded
the boats be prepared for his use. Taking with
him a large retinue of servants, and guided by
the aged man, they departed in search of the
health-restoring well.
After just such a journey as the man had
described, at his bidding, the boats landed at the
foot of a tall mountain, where he led them un-
erringly upward, although no path could be
128 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
seen; the chow, leaning on the arms of two
strong men, followed.
There indeed were the walls of rock and the
gateway, as the guide had described, and, after
a long and weary climb, they reached the open-
ing in the rock.
Taking the staff of the chow and binding his
golden drinking-cup thereto, the aged man
dipped from the well and gave it to the prince to
drink. Having drank of the water, and having
poured it on his head and hands, the chow was
healed of his sickness, and was as a new man.
And to this day, the water is used for the healing
of the people.
X
Strange Fortunes of Strange People
The Fortunes of Ai Powlo
Once upon a time a father and mother had a
wicked son whose name was Ai Powlo. One
day, while in the rice fields together, the father
sent the son to his mother with a message.
Instead, however, of delivering the message, Ai
Powlo said his father had been eaten by a tiger.
Leaving his mother in great distress, he returned
to the rice fields and told his father that both his
mother and the house were burned, and, for
three days, did the father mourn for his wife, as
he lay in the watchhouse.
While the father was mourning, Ai Powlo
moved his mother and the house to a new place
and then sought his father, saying, “I saw a
woman in a new house by the stream who
resembles my mother. Would you like her for a
wife?”
“If my son seeks her for me, I would be
thankful,” replied the father.
Going to his mother, Ai Powlo said, “ I have a
man who would make thee a good husband.
He would work in the rice fields. Will you take
him for a husband ? ”
131
132 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Thinking of the work, the mother said, “ I
will. Go, bring him to me, my son."
Lo, when the father and mother met, they
recognized one another, and they knew their
crafty son had deceived them !
As Ai Powlo fled from the wrath of his mother
and father, he journeyed many days, and, upon
a day it happened he stole some pork from a
Chinaman. Taking the pork, he sought the rice
fields and there he saw an old man at work.
Running up to him, he called, “Father, do you
not hunger for some pork ? I have some to share
with you."
“ I do, my son," replied the old man.
Together they went to the watchhouse to
cook the pork, but found no pot there.
“ Whilst I make a fire, go thou, my son, to my
house and ask my wife for a pot."
“Your husband wants you to give me all the
money in the house, as he has heard of an ele-
phant which he can buy now," said Ai Powlo to
the wife.
The wife refused to give it to him and Ai
Powlo called to the husband, who sat by the
watchhouse waiting for the pot, “She will not
give it to me." The old man called back, as he
was hungry for the pork, “Give it to him.
Strange Fortunes of Strange People 133
Make haste/’ and receiving all their store, Ai
Powlo fled into another province.
Upon a day, as Ai Powlo walked by the high-
way, he saw four bald-headed men pouring
water on their heads to cool themselves. Run-
ning up to them, he said, “I know a medicine
which will make the hair grow. Rub your
heads until the skin is broken, whilst I make the
medicine."
Taking some red peppers, he pounded them to
a soft paste, put some salt in it, and then handed
it to the four simple-minded old men, who had
already rubbed their heads until they bled.
Having used the medicine, they suffered great
pain and would have killed Ai Powlo, but he fled
and took refuge with the chow, to whom he
said, “1 saw four old men on the way, who
butted their heads together, trying to see which
could overcome the other. All have much
strength, and their heads are scratched and
bleeding." Even as Ai Powlo spoke to the
chow, the chow espied the men, and, when they
came up, he commanded them, saying, “If you
are able thus to wrestle for your own pleasure,
you can wrestle for my pleasure." Not daring
to disobey the command of the chow, the men
painfully wrestled. While they struggled, Ai
134 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Powlo, fearing their wrath, fled, and as he fled,
he fell into a deep stream and was drowned.
Many years after, two fishermen were fishing
in the stream, and as they drew in the net, they
found not a fish, but a skull, and lo, the skull
both laughed and mocked!
As the fishermen talked together of the curious
skull, a man with a boat-load of goods ap-
proached, and they called to him, asking, “Did
you ever see a skull which laughed and
mocked?”
“Never did I see such a skull, nor ever will I
believe there is such a thing,” replied the man.
“If we show you such a skull, what will you
give unto us ? ” asked the fishermen.
“All the goods in my boat,” laughingly an-
swered the man.
On beholding the skull, which, of a truth did
both laugh and mock him, the boatman forfeited
his goods, but, in his anger, he cut the skull and
broke it into pieces, and, of these pieces he made
dice with which to gamble, and was it not fit-
ting, as Ai Powlo, whose skull it was, in life
had but deceived, and ever done evil ?
The Fortunes of a Lazy Beggar
Once upon a time a man lived who was never
known to work. When the neighbors grew
weary supplying him with food, he sought the
forest, and lay down under a fig-tree so the ripe
fruit might drop into his mouth. Often, when
the food fell out of his reach, he would suffer
hunger, rather than make an effort.
It fell upon a day that a stranger passed
that way, and the lazy man asked him to please
gather some fruit and put it into his mouth, as he
hungered. The wily stranger gathered a hand-
ful of earth and put it into his mouth, as he lay
there with his eyes even closed. Tasting the
earth, the lazy man was angry, and he threw figs
after the retreating impostor, who ran away
mocking him.
Days after, a ripe fig fell into a stream near by
and, floating down the stream, was seen and
eaten by the daughter of a chow. Delicious to
the taste, she grew dissatisfied with all other
fruit and vowed that, from henceforth, she would
eat of no other fruit, and that the man who had
thrown the one beautiful fig should be her hus-
band.
135
136 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
Angered by such a caprice, her father urged
her to be guided by his judgment. Unable to
restrain her, and, hoping to turn her desire else-
where, the chow made an elaborate feast and
bade all the people of the province to it. But,
among all was not the one who had thrown the
fig into the stream.
“ Is there not yet a man who has not come to
the feast ?" asked the chow.
“ None save the lazy beggar who lies at the fig-
tree," they said.
“ Bring him hither," commanded the chow,
determined to have his daughter see what manner
of man she was selecting as her husband.
Too lazy to walk, the lazy man was carried into
the presence of the chow and his guests.
Ashamed that his daughter sought such as her
husband, and would have no other, as it was
supposed that the lazy man alone had thrown the
fig into the stream, and he was too lazy to deny
it, the chow had a boat built for their use and
commanded that they be floated down the stream
to the sea. This he did, hoping his obstinate
daughter and her lazy husband might be lost to
the world forever.
All day long the boat drifted; all day long
spake the princess not one word to her husband,
A Laos Feast.
A Street in a Laos Town.
Strange Fortunes of Strange People 137
nor would she have aught to eat. Fearing she
would not live, if she did not eat, the beggar
made a fire to cook some rice for her. Lazy as
ever, he put but two stones under the kettle,
and it tottered.
“ I cannot endure your lazy ways. Put three
stones under the kettle," cried his wife.
The husband did so, glad she had spoken to
him.
And when the boat had drifted many days, it
came to a place where once there had been a
large rice field and there it remained.
While the princess stayed in the boat, the once
indolent beggar labored day after day in the rice
fields that they might live; moreover, he had
learned to love his princess wife.
When the god, who looks to men's deeds,
from his home in the sky saw the man no longer
loved his ease more than all else, but would toil
for his wife, he said within himself, “the man
deserves reward." So he called to him six wild
monkeys from his woods, and gave into their
care six magic gongs, telling them to go beat
them in the rice fields where the husband toiled.
The husband heard the monkeys and the clang-
ing of the gongs, but, at last, unable to endure
the noise, finally caught the monkeys and secured
138 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
the gongs. He then threatened to kill the mon-
keys, but they plead that they were sent, by the
god who looks to men's deeds, with the gongs as
a reward for his merit. “ Having seen your ef-
forts to provide for your wife, who loves not
you, he sends you these gongs. If you strike
this one, you will grow beautiful; that one, you
will have wisdom. Another gives you lands and
servants, and, another, if struck while holding it
in your hands, will cause people to do you rever-
ence as though you were a god,” they told the
man.
Having permitted the monkeys to go, he beat the
gong of beauty, and his body grew straight and
tall, also his face became most pleasant to look
upon. Beating the gong of power, and taking
the others with him, he sought his wife. She did
not recognize him, and would have done him
reverence, but he said, “ Do me no reverence. I
am thy husband,” and he told her of the god’s
reward. When she heard of the magic gongs,
she entreated him to return to her father that he
might forgive her for not having heeded his
counsel.
Through the magic gongs, had they wealth,
power and all benefits the gods could bestow,
and the father loved them, and indeed gave his
Strange Fortunes of Strange People 139
son-in-law power above all the princes in his
province. And the once lazy man thought within
himself: "In former times the people derided
me as a lazy man, because I would not work,
now that I am possessed of wealth, they do me
reverence; yet behold I am as lazy as ever, for I
open my mouth and food is ready for my use.
Thus it is, that when a poor man does not work,
he is called a lazy beggar, but when a prince, or
rich man, does not work, he has power, and peo-
ple do him reverence."
The Misfortunes of Paw Yan
Upon a day, Paw Yan1 said to his wife, "To-
day I shall build a watch-tower in the rice fields."
"You will need four posts about the size of
our children here," replied the wife.
Taking the four children with him to the rice
fields, Paw Yan dug four post holes and made
the children stand in them. Then he packed the
earth about their feet to make them firm, took
the beams and laid them on their shoulders, tied
them in place, and went for more bamboo to fin-
ish the watch-tower.
1 Paw Yan — a blunderer.
140 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
The eye of day had closed in the West, yet the
husband and the children returned not, so the
wife, in distress, sought them in the fields, and,
lo, when she reached them, there stood the four
children as posts for the watch-tower.
“Know you not anything? I said take four
posts the size of our children,” cried the wife.
And upon another day did Paw Yan attempt to
build the tower, but so utterly did he fail that his
wife said, “While 1 build the watch-tower you
gather the food for the pigs, and, when the eye
of day closes, give it to them.”
Paw Yan watched until the eye of day was
about to close, but forgot to gather the food for
the pigs, so he took all the rice, which was the
food for the family, and went out to the pigs.
He called, “Ow, ow, ow,”1 and the pigs ran
about trying to find the food, but Paw Yan for-
got to throw it to them, for, while he stood
there, he saw ants running down the trunk of a
tree, and he could think of nothing else. “ That’s
an easy way to get down a tree,” thought Paw
Yan. “I’ll try it,” and, throwing the rice aside,
he climbed the tree, and, head first, started down,
but fell to the ground and broke his neck!
1 Ow — take.
An Unfortunate Shot
There was once a poor man too ill to work,
and he had no one to give him food. The chow
of the province heard of him and sent for him to
come to his house.
When the man reached the house of the chow,
the chow gave him a bow and arrow, saying,
“ Shoot upward toward the sky. When the
arrow falls to the earth, if it fall making a hole
in the earth, I will weigh the earth which the
arrow digs up, and give thee the weight of it in
gold. On whatsoever thy arrow falls, that will I
weigh and give its weight unto thee in gold. If,
in its fall, the arrow should make a hole in the
ground six feet long and six feet deep, that earth
will I weigh, and gold according to the weight
thereof shall be thine.”
The poor man was indeed glad, and, shooting
with all his strength into the air, the arrow
pierced a pomegranate seed, therefore the chow
gave unto him gold but the weight of the seed!
141
XI
Stories Gone Astray
The Blind Man
A man and a woman had a daughter to whom
they ever taught, in selecting a husband, to take
none but a man with rough hands, as then she
might know he would work.
Overhearing this advice, and desiring a wife, a
blind man took some rice, pounded it, and hav-
ing rubbed it over his hands, came to woo the
maiden. Though utterly blind, the eyes of the
blind man appeared even as the eyes of those
who see, and the maiden loved him and gave
herself to him in marriage. Never did she sus-
pect the truth.
Many days they lived happily, but upon a time
the wife made curry of many kinds of meat, and
her husband ate but of one kind. When she
asked him why he ate but of the one kind, the
husband replied, “If a man eat from a dish, that
dish should he wash. If I eat but from one, 1
need wash but one."
Again, upon a day, as the husband plowed the
rice field, he plowed up the ridges between the
fields.
“Why dost thou work after that fashion?"
asked the wife.
145
146 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
“The places for planting the rice are small and
narrow. I wish to make them larger,” replied
the husband.
When the rice had grown, the man went into
the fields with his wife, and, as they walked, he
fell over the ridges, in among the rice.
“Why dost thou fall upon the rice?” asked
the wife.
“I do but measure the distance between the
plants. If the rice be good this year, I will then
know just how far apart to plant it next year,”
he answered.
And upon a time it happened the house was
burning, and, as the wife fled, she saw her hus-
band lingering and unable to find the door.
“Come this way, the door is here,” cried the
wife.
“I know, I know. I but measure the house
that we may build another of its size,” retorted
the husband.
Lo, as the husband left the burning house and
was running, he fell into a well. His wife
placed a ladder for him to climb out, but, be-
hold, he climbed far above the mouth of the
well.
“Come down. Here is the ground,” called
the wife.
Stories Gone Astray
147
“I know, I know. I am up here to see if the
fire is out,” called down the husband.
Long had the father of the wife suspected the
husband was blind, and, upon a day, he came to
test his eyes. Carrying a bell, such as a buffalo
wears, the father hid in the bushes and rang the
bell.
“Go, bring the buffalo into the compound,”1
directed the wife.
Suspecting naught, the husband went to the
bushes, and cried, “Yoo, yoo!”2 The father
struck him, but he freed himself and returned to
the house and told his wife that the buffalo had
been dangerous and had horned him. But the
father, convinced the husband had deceived
them all, drove him from the house.
As the blind man walked, he met a man with
palsied feet.
“If thou wilt be eyes to me, I will be feet to
thee,” called the blind man, and, forthwith, he
put the patsied man on his back. As they
journeyed, they met a wizard, who said,
“Would you prosper, that which you grasp
hold with a secure hand.”
And upon a day, the man with the palsy saw
1 Enclosed grounds or yard — generally a place of residence.
9 Yoo, yoo — stand still, be quiet.
148 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
a bird’s nest; thinking there would be eggs
therein, he bade the blind man go up the tree
and bring them. When the blind man grasped
the nest, the head of a venomous snake appeared,
but his companion called, “Grasp it tightly,” and,
as he held it, the snake cast of its venom in his
eyes, and he saw all things. Just lingering to
place the snake on his afflicted friend, and seeing
him, too, restored, the husband hastened home
to his wife, but as he ran, he beheld her coming
out to him. With these kind words did she
greet him, “O, my husband, come I will work
for thee. I have ever loved thee!” but, when
she beheld that his eyesight was restored, she
was exceeding glad, and greatly did she rejoice.
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
A man once asked his newly-married son-in-
law, “You will help me in the work that the
chow gives me to do, now that you are one of
us, will you not ? ”
And the son-in-law replied, “I will promise
this. Whenever you go, I will stay at home,
and when I stay at home, you will go and
work.”
Stories Gone Astray
149
Pleased with the ready promise, the father
said, 44 1 thank you, my son."
When the chow called the father, the son
said, “This time you go, and I will stay at
home/’ and the father went.
And when the chow again called, the son
said, 44 Now, I will stay at home, whilst you go.”
Then the father understood the promise of his
son, and he did his government work alone until
the day of his death.
oe
The Great Boaster
There lived in the south a man who so con-
tinually boasted of his strength and endurance
that all the people called him, “Kee-oo-yai” —
the great boaster. Never entered into his ear a
tale of danger, but his mouth opened to speak of
a greater one which had been his; never a feat of
strength but he could tell of one requiring greater
strength which he had done, so, when the men of
the village talked together and saw him drawing
near, they would derisively say, “ There is the
great boaster coming. We must flee from his
face for, is not he as strong and brave as the
elephant ? And we, compared to him are but as
150 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
the dogs, or as the pigs.” And the company
would separate, so when the boaster reached the
place no one would be there.
Once, a young boy came from a distant
province, and, hearing of the boaster, said,
“ Verily, I can bring him to have a face of
shame before his neighbors, for, in one thing I
can excel any man almost. I can run for a short
distance and my heart does not beat faster,
neither can any man say that my heart is
quicker than when I am but seated, doing no
labor. I will challenge the boaster to run up a
hill with me, breathing but four times until the
top is reached.”
The next day, the boy met and challenged the
boaster to run to the top of a small hill, drawing
breath but four times on the way. “ If you can
run and draw breath but four times, I can run
the same distance and draw breath but twice,"
the boaster said.
When the race was run, many men ran along
to see that neither of the runners deceived the
other. The boaster ran but a short distance,
when he shouted in pain and shame, “ Had we
been running down-hill, I am sure that I could
have done more than you."
Then all the men mocked the boaster, saying,
Stories Gone Astray
151
“ Your words are truly large, but your works are
but small. Never again will we listen to you,
for a young lad has overcome one who says that
he is stronger than the strongest.” From that
time never were they troubled, for, “Kee-oo-
yai,” — the great boaster, was never heard to
boast again.
A Clever Thief
Once a man went into the field of a gardener
and stole a melon. Before he had had time to
eat it the gardener discovered him, took the
melon and tied it to the neck of the thief, and
led him to the home of the head man of the
village.
As they walked along, the thief took his scarf
and covered his head and shoulders, and, as he
was in front, he ate the melon without the
gardener’s seeing him.
When they reached the home of the head man,
the gardener said, “ This man stole a melon from
me. It is tied to his neck under the cloth which
covers his head and shoulders.”
“ I thought this man but walked along. I did
not know he would accuse me of such a sin. If
152 Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India
I stole a melon, where is it ? " asked the thief.
He removed the scarf, and, lo, there was nothing
to prove his guilt, and the head man said, “ I see
no sign of guilt in this man. Do not again
falsely accuse one, or you will be punished."
Eyeless-Needle, Rotten-Egg, Rotten-Banana,
Old-Fish and Broken-Pestle.
Once upon a time there were five men so lazy
and wicked that no one would speak to them
nor have anything to do with them. No one of
their native province would speak to them at all,
and, to show their contempt for them, the people
had christened them by odious names. One was
called, “ Eyeless-Needle"; one, “Rotten-Egg";
one, “Rotten-Banana"; one, “Old-Fish," and
the fifth, “ Broken-Pestle."
As there was neither shelter nor food for them
in the village, they went to live in the woods,
and one day they saw a cannibal building a fire.
He had both a fine house and much goods, so
one of the men said, “ Let us go kill him, and
take his goods."
“Eyeless-needle" said, “No, we must not
Stories Gone Astray
153
kill him now. When he sleeps we will kill him.
I have planned just how it shall be done. You,
‘ Rotten-Egg,’ go to the fireplace. You, ‘Old-
Fish,’ jump into the water jar. ‘ Rotten-Ba-
nana,’ lie down at the top of the stairs, and,
you, ‘Broken-Pestle,’ lie at the foot.”
As the eye of day had closed and the cannibal
slept, “Eyeless-Needle,” from under the bed,
pricked him. The cannibal thought insects were
biting him, and, unable to sleep, he arose to
build a fire. When he stooped to blow the
flame, “Rotten-Egg” broke and flew up into
his face; when he sought the water jar to wash
his face, “Old-Fish” jumped and broke the jar
and all the water was lost. Taking the dipper to
go to the well for water, the cannibal slipped on
“Rotten-Banana” and fell downstairs, where
“Broken-Pestle” struck him on the head and
killed him. Then, taking much goods, “Eye-
less-Needle,” “Rotten-Banana,” “Rotten-Egg,”
“Old-Fish,” and “Broken-Pestle” fled, and to
this day, has no one either seen or heard of
them.
For Work Among Children
Practical Primary Plans. For Sabbath School Teachers.
By Israel P. Black. Illustrated with diagrams. i6mo, cloth,
$1.00.
Object Lessons for Junior Work. Practical Suggestions,
Object Lessons, and Picture Stories. By Ella N. Wood. i6mo,
cloth, with designs and illustrations, 50 cents.
The Children's Prayer. By Rev. James Wells, D.D.
Addresses to the Young on the Lord’s Prayer. i6mo, cloth,
75 cents.
Bible Stories Without Names. By Rev. Harry Smith, M.A.
With questions at the end of each chapter and the answers in a
separate booklet. i6mo, cloth, 75 cents.
Object Lessons for Children; or, Hooks and Eyes. Truth
Linked to Sight. Illustrated. By Rev. C. H. Tyndall, Ph.D.,
A.M. 2d edition, nmo, cloth, $1.25.
Attractive Truths in Lesson and Stoiy. By Mrs. A. M.
Scudder. Introduction by Rev. F. E. Clark, D.D. 3d thou-
sand. 8vo, cloth, $1.25.
Pictured Truth. A Handbook of Blackboard and Object
Teaching. By Rev. R. F. Y. Pierce. Introduction by R. H.
Conwell, D.D. With illustrations by the author. 3d thousand.
i2mo, cloth, $1.25.
Children's Meetings, and How to Conduct Them. By
Lucy J. Rider and Nellie M. Carman. Introduction by Bishop
J. H. Vincent. Cloth, illustrated, net, $1.00 ; paper covers, net ,
50 cents.
Talks to Children. By Rev. T. T. Eaton, D.D., with
introduction by Rev. John A. Broadus, D.D., LL.D., i6mo,
cloth, $1.00.
Conversion of Children. By Rev. E. P. Hammond. A
practical volume, replete with incident and illustration. Sug-
gestive, important, and timely. Cloth, 75 cents, paper cover,
30 cents.
Gospel Pictures and Story Sermons for Children. By
Major D. W. Whittle. Profusely illustrated. 47 th thousand.
i2mo, cloth, 30 cents, net ; paper, 15 cents.
Seed for Spring-time Sowing. A Wall Roll tor the use of
Primary, Sabbath School and Kindergarten Teachers. Com-
piled by Mrs. Robert Pratt. 75 cents.
Fleming H. Revell Company
New York : 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago : 63 Washington Street
Toronto : 154 Yonge Street
The Home and Children
Child Culture in the Home, By Martha B. Mosher. i2mo,
cloth, $1.00.
“ Rarely has so helpful a book on the moral education of children
appeared. The emotions, the senses, the will, as well as the train-
ing of the habits of the child and methods of training, are all con-
sidered.”— The Outlook.
“ It is written in a clear, straightforward manner, is rich in sug-
gestions and illustrations, and is thoroughly wholesome in counsel.”
— Cumberland Presbyterian.
Studies in Home and Child-Life. By Mrs. S. M. 1. Henry.
Eighth thousand , i2mo, cloth, $1.00.
“ It is clear, concise and vigorous throughout, and has the charm
of Mother love and God love from first to last. We cannot conceive
of a more helpful manual than this would be in the hands of young
parents, and indeed of all who have to do with children.”— The
Union Signal.
44 The book is one we can heartily commend to every father and
mother to read and re-read, and ponder over and read again.”— The
Observer.
Child Culture ? or, The Science of Motherhood. By Mrs.
Hannah Whitall Smith, jd edition , i6mo, decorated
boards, 30 cents.
44 We have read nothing from the pen of this gifted woman which
we have more enjoyed than this wisely-written booklet, as spiritual
as it is practical, and as full of common sense as of exalted sentiment.
Any mother having prayerfully read this heart message of a true
woman will be a better mother.” —Cumberland Presbyterian.
The Children for Christ. By Rev. Andrew Murray, D.D.
Thoughts for Christian Parents on the Consecration of the
Home Life. i2mo, cloth, $1.00.
“The author seems to have had a Divine vocation in writing
this book, and thousands of parents ought to derive blessings from
it for their children.”— The Evangelist.
Home Duties. Practical Talks on the Amenities of the
Home. By Rev. R. T. Cross. 1 2mo, paper, 1 5 cents ;
cloth, 30 cents, net.
Contents: Duties of Husbands. Duties of Wives Duties
of Parents. Duties of Children. Duties of Brothers and Sisters.
The Duty of Family Worship. The Method of Family Worship.
A Home for Every Family and How to Get It.
“A model of what can be done in so brief a space.”— The
Independent.
Fleming; H. Re veil Company
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago : 63 Washington Street
Toronto : 154 Yonge Street
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11