Folk-Lore and Legends: Oriental Part 5

"And when they were gone, the prince and his companion drew on each of them one of the boots, and they wished themselves near the place of election in a Chan's kingdom. They wished their journey, laid themselves down to sleep, and on their awaking in the morning they found themselves in the hollow of a tree, right in the centre of the imperial place of election. It was, moreover, a day for the a.s.sembling of the people, to throw a Baling (a sacred figure of dough or paste) under the guidance of the Tangari. 'Upon whose head even the Baling falls, he shall be our Chan.' Thus spake they as they threw it up; but the tree caught the Baling of Destiny. 'What means this?' exclaimed they all with one accord. 'Shall we have a tree for our Chan?'

"'Let us examine,' cried they one to another, 'whether the tree concealeth any stranger.' And when they approached the tree the son of the Chan and his companion stepped forth. But the people stood yet in doubt, and said one to another thus, 'Whosoever ruleth over the people of this land, this shall be decided to-morrow morning by what proceedeth from their mouths.' And when they had thus spoken, they all took their departure.

"On the following morning some drank water, and what they threw from their mouths was white; others ate gra.s.s, and what they threw from their mouths was green. In short, one threw one thing, and another another thing. But because the son of the Chan and his companion cast out from their mouths gold and bra.s.s, the people cried, 'Let the one be Chan of this people--let the other be his minister.' Thus were they nominated Chan and minister! And the daughter of the former Chan was appointed the wife of the new Chan.

"Now in the neighbourhood of the palace wherein the Chan dwelt was a lofty building, whither the wife of the Chan betook herself every day.

'Wherefore,' thought the minister, 'does the wife of the Chan betake herself to this spot every day?' Thus thinking, he placed the wonderful cap upon his head, and followed the Chan's wife through the open doors, up one step after another, up to the roof. Here the wife of the Chan gathered together silken coverlets and pillows, made ready various drinks and delicate meats, and burnt for their perfume tapers and frankincense. The minister being concealed by his cap, which made him invisible, seated himself by the side of the Chan's wife, and looked around on every side.

"Shortly afterwards a beautiful bird swept through the sky. The wife of the Chan received it with fragrance-giving tapers. The bird seated itself upon the roof and twittered with a pleasing voice; but out of the bird came Solangdu, the Son of the Tangari, whose beauty was incomparable, and he laid himself on the silken coverlets and fed of the dainties prepared for him. Then spake the son of the Tangari, 'Thou hast pa.s.sed this morning with the husband whom thy fate has allotted to thee. What thinkest thou of him?' The wife of the Chan answered, 'I know too little of the prince to speak of his good qualities or his defects.' Thus pa.s.sed the day, and the wife of the Chan returned home again.

"On the following day the minister followed the wife of the Chan as he had done before, and heard the son of the Tangari say unto her, 'To-morrow I will come like a bird of Paradise to see thine husband.'

And the wife of the Chan said, 'Be it so.'

"The day pa.s.sed over, and the minister said to the Chan, 'In yonder palace lives Solangdu, the beauteous son of the Tangari.' The minister then related all that he had witnessed, and said, 'To-morrow early the son of the Tangari will seek thee, disguised like a bird of Paradise.

I will seize the bird by the tail, and cast him into the fire; but you must smite him in pieces with the sword.'

"On the following morning, the Chan and the wife of the Chan were seated together, when the son of the Tangari, transformed into a bird of Paradise, appeared before them on the steps that led to the palace. The wife of the Chan greeted the bird with looks expressive of pleasure, but the minister, who had on his invisible-making cap, seized the bird suddenly by the tail, and cast him into the fire. And the Chan smote at him violently with his sword; but the wife of the Chan seized the hand of her husband, so that only the wings of the bird were scorched. 'Alas, poor bird!' exclaimed the wife of the Chan, as, half dead, it made its way, as well as it could, through the air.

"On the next morning the wife of the Chan went as usual to the lofty building, and this time, too, did the minister follow her. She collected together, as usual, the silken pillows, but waited longer than she was wont, and sat watching with staring eyes. At length the bird approached with a very slow flight, and came down from the birdhouse covered with blood and wounds, and the wife of the Chan wept at the sight. 'Weep not,' said the son of the Tangari; 'thine husband has a heavy hand. The fire has so scorched me that I can never come more.'

"Thus spoke he, and the wife of the Chan replied, 'Do not say so, but come as you are wont to do, at least come on the day of the full moon.' Then the son of the Tangari flew up to the sky again, and the wife of the Chan began from that time to love her husband with her whole heart.

"Then the minister placed his wonderful cap upon his head, and, drawing near to a paG.o.da, he saw, through the crevice of the door, a man, who spread out a figure of an a.s.s, rolled himself over and over upon the figure, thereupon took upon himself the form of an a.s.s, and ran up and down braying like one. Then he began rolling afresh, and appeared in his human form. At last he folded up the paper, and placed it in the hand of a burchan (a Calmuc idol). And when the man came out the minister went in, procured the paper, and remembering the ill-treatment which he had formerly received, he went to the mother and daughter who had sold him the strong liquor, and said, with crafty words, 'I am come to you to reward you for your good deeds.' With these words he gave the women three pieces of gold; and the women asked him, saying, 'Thou art, indeed, an honest man, but where did you procure so much gold?' Then the minister answered, 'By merely rolling backwards and forwards over this paper did I procure this gold.' On hearing these words, the women said, 'Grant us that we too may roll upon it.' And they did so, and were changed into a.s.ses. And the minister brought the a.s.ses to the Chan, and the Chan said, 'Let them be employed in carrying stones and earth.'

"Thus spake he, and for three years were these two a.s.ses compelled to carry stones and earth; and their backs were sore wounded, and covered with bruises. Then saw the Chan their eyes filled with tears, and he said to the minister, 'Torment the poor brutes no longer.'

"Thereupon they rolled upon the paper, and after they had done so they were changed to two shrivelled women."

"Poor creatures!" exclaimed the Son of the Chan. Ssidi replied, "Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words: Ssarwala missdood jakzank!" Thus spoke he, and flew out of the sack through the air.

And Ssidi's second relation treats of the adventures of the Poor Man's Son.

THE ADVENTURES OF Ma.s.sANG.

When the Son of the Chan arrived at the foot of the amiri-tree, and spoke as he had formerly done, Ssidi approached him, suffered himself to be placed in the sack, fastened with the rope, and carried away.

Ssidi spoke as before, but the Son of the Chan shook his head, whereupon Ssidi began as follows:--

"A long time ago there lived in a certain country a poor man, who had nothing in the world but one cow; and because there was no chance of the cow's calving, he was sore grieved, and said, 'If my cow does not have a calf, I shall have no more milk, and I must then die of hunger and thirst.'

"But when a certain number of moons had pa.s.sed, instead of the calf the poor man had looked for he found a man with horns, and with a long tail like a cow. And at the sight of this monster the owner of the beast was filled with vexation, and he lifted up his staff to kill him; but the horned man said, 'Kill me not, father, and your mercy shall be rewarded.'

"And with these words he retreated into the depth of a forest, and there he found among the trees a man of sable hue. 'Who art thou?'

inquired Ma.s.sang the horned. 'I was born of the forest,' was the reply, 'and am called Iddar. I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.'

"And they journeyed forth together, and at last they reached a thickly-covered gra.s.sy plain, and there they beheld a green man. 'Who art thou?' inquired they. 'I was born of the gra.s.s,' replied the green man, 'and will bear thee company.'

"Thereupon they all three journeyed forth together, until they came to a sedgy marsh, and there they found a white man. 'Who art thou?'

inquired they. 'I was born of the sedges,' replied the white man, 'and will bear thee company.'

"Thereupon they all four journeyed forth together, until they reached a desert country, where, in the very depths of the mountain, they found a hut; and because they found plenty both to eat and to drink in the hut, they abode there. Every day three of them went out hunting, and left the fourth in charge of the hut. On the first day, Iddar, the Son of the Forest, remained in the hut, and was busied preparing milk, and cooking meat for his companions, when a little old woman put up the ladder and came in at the door. 'Who's there?' exclaimed Iddar, and, upon looking round, he beheld an old woman about a span high, who carried on her back a little sack. 'Oh, what, there is somebody sitting there?' said the old woman, 'and you are cooking meat; let me, I beseech you, taste a little milk and a little meat.'

"And though she merely tasted a little of each, the whole of the food disappeared. When the old woman thereupon took her departure, the Son of the Forest was ashamed that the food had disappeared, and he arose and looked out of the hut. And as he chanced to perceive two hoofs of a horse, he made with them a number of horse's footmarks around the dwelling, and shot an arrow into the court; and when the hunters returned home and inquired of him, 'Where is the milk and the fatted meat?' he answered them, saying, 'There came a hundred hors.e.m.e.n, who pressed their way into the house, and took the milk and the flesh, and they have beaten me almost to death. Go ye out, and look around.' And his companions went out when they heard these words, looked around, saw the prints of the horses' feet and the arrow which he himself had shot, and said, 'The words which he spoke are true.'

"On the following day the Son of the Gra.s.s remained at home in the hut, and it befell him as it had befallen his companion on the previous day. But because he perceived the feet of two bullocks, he made with them the marks of the feet of many bullocks around the dwelling, and said to his companions, 'There came a hundred people with laden bullocks, and robbed me of the food I had prepared for you.'

"Thus spake he falsely. On the third day the Son of the Sedges remained at home in the hut, and because he met with no better fortune, he made, with a couple of the feet of a mule, a number of prints of mules' feet around the dwelling, and said to his companions, 'A hundred men with laden mules surrounded the house, and robbed me of the food I had prepared for you.'

"Thus spake he falsely. On the following day Ma.s.sang remained at home in the hut, and as he was sitting preparing milk and flesh for his companions, the little old woman stepped in as before and said, 'Oh, so there is somebody here this time? Let me, I pray you, taste a little of the milk and a little of the meat.' At these words Ma.s.sang considered, 'Of a certainty this old woman has been here before. If I do what she requires of me, how do I know that there will be any left?' And having thus considered, he said to the old woman, 'Old woman, before thou tastest food, fetch me some water.' Thus spoke he, giving her a bucket, of which the bottom was drilled full of holes, to fetch water in. When the old woman was gone, Ma.s.sang looked after her, and found that the span-high old woman, reaching now up to the skies, drew the bucket full of water again and again, but that none of the water remained in it. While she was thus occupied, Ma.s.sang peeped into the little sack which she carried on her shoulders, and took out of it a coil of rope, an iron hammer, and a pair of iron pincers, and put in their place some very rotten cords, a wooden hammer, and wooden pincers.

"He had scarcely done so before the old woman returned, saying, 'I cannot draw water in your bucket. If you will not give me a little of your food to taste, let us try our strength against each other.' Then the old woman drew forth the coil of rotten cords, and bound Ma.s.sang with them, but Ma.s.sang put forth his strength and burst the cords asunder. But when Ma.s.sang had bound the old woman with her own coil, and deprived her of all power of motion, she said unto him, 'Herein thou hast gotten the victory; now let us pinch each other with the pincers.'

"Whereupon Ma.s.sang nipped hold of a piece of the old woman's flesh as big as one's head, and tore it forcibly from her. 'Indeed, youth,'

cried the old woman, sighing, 'but thou hast gotten a hand of stone; now let us hammer away at each other!'

"So saying, she smote Ma.s.sang with the wooden hammer on his breast, but the hammer flew from the handle, and Ma.s.sang was left without a wound. Then drew Ma.s.sang the iron hammer out of the fire, and smote the old woman with it in such wise that she fled from the hut crying and wounded.

"Shortly after this, the three companions returned home, and said to Ma.s.sang, 'Now, Ma.s.sang, thou hast surely had something to suffer?' But Ma.s.sang replied, 'Ye are all cowardly fellows, and have uttered lies; I have paid off the old woman. Arise, and let us follow her!'

"At these words they arose, followed her by the traces of her blood, and at length reached a gloomy pit in a rock. At the bottom of this pit there were ten double circular pillars, and on the ground lay the corpse of the old woman, among gold, bra.s.s, and armour, and other costly things. 'Will you three descend,' said Ma.s.sang, 'and then pack together the costly things, and I will draw them up, or I will pack them, and you shall draw them out.' But the three companions said, 'We will not go down into the cavern, for of a verity the old woman is a Schumnu' (a witch). But Ma.s.sang, without being dispirited, allowed himself to be let down into the cavern, and collected the valuables, which were then drawn forth by his companions. Then his companions spoke with one another, saying, 'If we draw forth Ma.s.sang, he will surely take all these treasures to himself. It were better, then, that we should carry away these treasures, and leave Ma.s.sang behind in the cavern!'

"When Ma.s.sang noticed that his three companions treated him thus ungratefully, he looked about the cavern in search of food, but between the pillars he found nothing but some pieces of bark.

Thereupon Ma.s.sang planted the bark in the earth, nourished it as best he might, and said, 'If I am a true Ma.s.sang, then from this bark let there grow forth three great trees. If I am not, then shall I die here in this pit.'

"After these enchanting words, he laid himself down, but from his having come in contact with the corse of the old woman, he slept for many years. When he awoke, he found three great trees which reached to the mouth of the pit. Joyfully clambered he up and betook himself to the hut, which was in the neighbourhood. But, because there was no longer any one to be found therein, he took his iron bow and his arrows, and set forth in search of his companions. These had built themselves houses and taken wives. 'Where are your husbands?' inquired Ma.s.sang of their wives. 'Our husbands are gone to the chase,' replied they. Then Ma.s.sang took arrow and bow, and set forth. His companions were returning from the chase with venison, and when they beheld Ma.s.sang with arrow and bow, they cried, as with one accord, 'Thou art the well-skilled one! take thou our wives and property, we will now wander forth further!' At these words Ma.s.sang said, 'Your behaviour was certainly not what it should have been; but I am going to reward my father--live on, therefore, as before.'

"By the way Ma.s.sang discovered a brook, and out of the brook arose a beautiful maiden. The maiden went her way, and flowers arose out of her footsteps. Ma.s.sang followed the maiden until he arrived in heaven, and when he was come there, Churmusta Tangari (the Protector of the Earth) said unto him, 'It is well that thou art come hither, Ma.s.sang.

We have daily to fight with the host of Schumnu (witches). To-morrow look around; after to-morrow be companion unto us.'

"On the following day, when the white host were sore pressed by the black, Churmusta spake unto Ma.s.sang: 'The white host are the host of the Tangari, the black are the host of the Schumnu. To-day the Tangari will be pressed by the Schumnu; draw, therefore, thy bow, and send an arrow into the eye of the leader of the black host.' Then Ma.s.sang aimed at the eye of the leader of the black host, and smote him, so that he fled with a mighty cry. Then spake Churmusta to Ma.s.sang, 'Thy deed is deserving of reward; henceforward dwell with us for ever.'

But Ma.s.sang replied, 'I go to reward my father.'

"Hereupon Churmusta presented to Ma.s.sang, Dschindamani, the wonder-stone of the G.o.ds, and said unto him, 'By a narrow circuitous path you will reach the cave of the Schumnu. Go without fear or trembling therein. Knock at the door and say, "I am the human physician." They will then lead thee to the Schumnu Chan, that you may draw out the arrow from his eyes; then lay hands upon the arrow, scatter seven sorts of grain towards heaven, and drive the arrow yet deeper into his head.'

"Thus spake Churmusta authoritatively, and Ma.s.sang obeyed his commands; reached, without erring, the cavern of the Schumnu, and knocked at the door. 'What hast thou learned?' inquired the woman. 'I am a physician,' answered Ma.s.sang; and he was conducted into the building. He examined the wound of the Chan, and laid hands upon the arrow. 'Already,' said the Chan, 'my wound feels better.' But Ma.s.sang suddenly drove the arrow further into the head, scattered the seven grains towards heaven, and a chain fell clattering from heaven down to earth.

"But while Ma.s.sang was preparing to lay hands upon the chain, the Schumnu woman smote him with an iron hammer with such force, that from the blow there sprang forth seven stars."

"Then," said the Son of the Chan, "he was not able to reward his father."

"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood jonkzang." Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.

Thus Ssidi's third relation treats of the adventures of Ma.s.sang.

THE MAGICIAN WITH THE SWINE'S HEAD.

When the Son of the Chan had, as before, seized upon Ssidi, and was carrying him away, Ssidi spoke as formerly, but the Son of the Chan shook his head, without uttering a word, and Ssidi began the following relation:--