Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India Part 4

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.

"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.

9: This represents a very well-known marrchen.

10: Chow--a prince or high official.

11: A fabulous city.

12: A rest-house for guests.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Laos Governor's Wife at her Embroidery Frame.]

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 father's, cutting gra.s.s 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 pa.s.s, that the chow saw the slave girl that she was kind, n.o.ble, and beautiful, and he took her to his house as a daughter, and she became more kind, more n.o.ble, 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 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 inquire of his son what he had in the boat.

"I 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 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 province where the young man was searching for elephants, and there they remained.

The chow of the province sent a servant secretly 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.

Rejoicing, and hoping thus to discover her husband, 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 preparing 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 unmarried, 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 instrument.

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 I 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, however, 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 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 together," the giants sent word.