NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



73 



Ndjii Nyong Leo said, "Wait till I write your 



names on paper, 

 And bring your wooden drum and hang it up, 



until on a later day 

 I will erase your names, when you will come and 



look to see if your wooden drum is well or 



not." 

 The two, sister and brother, came down to earth. 

 They begat many earthly people in the world so 



they filled the entire sky. 

 Now the people of the world are unwilling to die 



(be absent). 

 Now Ndjii Nyong Leo brings scales and weighs 



the earthly people below who are unwilling 



to die. 

 Nien Wang brings his pen and approaches (your 



name) and weighs you, then you are gone; 



arrives at your name, then you die. 

 Gone, dead, thinking of your nine generations of 



ancestors assembled at the Hua T'an (flowery 



altar) ceremony and the altar of the ceremonial 



drum, and returning to the level land of Ntzi 



Nyong Leo in the sky. 

 Who formerly came down to find the seed of bam- 

 boo and trees? 

 The immortal Sei Mblong came down to find the 



bamboo seed and the seed of trees. 

 He scattered it on the earth below. 

 The bamboos grew toward the valleys (gulches). 

 The tree seeds grew toward the edges of the 



mountains. 

 The new warm spring comes forth with warm 



and hot weather. 

 The bamboo grows four or five sprouts (on each 



tree). 

 The wind comes and fans things. It recedes and 



scatters the dew. 

 (The bamboo) grows large and luxuriantly, and 



the insects bite one off. The insects cut another 



off. 

 There are left only two, of which one goes in a 



marriage ceremony. There is left one, which 



is cut down and brought to you to be used as 



divining sticks. 

 The divining sticks express your words, then you 



go to meet your ancestors. 

 Who formerly came down to find the seed of 



chickens? 

 Tso Ndang Sei Mblong came down to find 



chickens. 

 He found chickens and returned home. 

 One day she lays one, in two days she lays two 



eggs. 

 She laid twelve eggs and brought them together 



to sit on. 

 She sat on diem tsventy days. 

 One egg spoiled because sterile, and another died 



in the shell. 

 She hatched out seven or eight. 

 The sparrow hawk got one, a hawk got another, 



and a wildcat caught another. 

 Three or four were left. 

 One went as a gift to settle a quarrel. 

 One went as a wedding gift. 

 One is left, which I bring to you to show you 



the road (to paradise). 



Hold the cock's tail (or wings). 



The cock will go before you and crow. 



In the rear behind you the bamboo divining sticks 



will toll, to converse with you as you go up 



quickly. 

 You go where there are three water clouds and a 



stone water cave. 

 You arrive where there is water on the halfway 



road, and where water flows from a tree (a 



wooden cave). 

 You are thirsty, and drink three handfuls of 



water. 

 You go forward where you drink all pains and 



groans. 

 If you are not thirsty, you dip up three handfuls 



of water and sprinkle them behind. 

 You arrive at the mountain with fir forests and 



woods of suffering hearts. 

 You arrive at the mountain with forests of trees, 



and forests of bitter livers (sorrows). 

 The big peacock eats people and breaks trees with 



a noise, and you arrive at the burnt mountain. 

 The priest carries a sword under his arm at his 



side, and on his back he carries a crossbow, 



and is a companion to you. Go quickly (be- 

 cause of demons). 

 You climb higher and higher up the mountain. 

 The mountaintop is very cold. 

 The stone dragon opens his mouth wide. 

 The stone tiger opens his mouth opposite. 

 You must not fear. The priest carries his sword 



under his arm and is your companion. 

 Take a handful of hemp and push it into the 



stone dragon's mouth. 

 Push a handful of hemp and fire hemp between 



the tiger's lips. 

 You go quickly and climb to the highest point 



of the mountain. 

 The mountain is very high. 

 There are three roads there in the midst. 

 Grass is growing in the road of your mother and 



father. 

 Go quickly and fast, and arrive at the place of 



the big billowy, bitter, muddy water. 

 The boat above is that of your relatives. 

 There is a boat below which is the boat of the 



Lolos and of the Chinese. 

 The boat of your mother and your father is in 



the middle. 

 You leap inside and row along the edge of the 



stream, and cross to that side. 

 You should go up to Ntzi's insect mountain. 

 Arise and go up Ntzi's insect mountain. 

 The sky is clear and very warm. 

 The clear sky is very hot. 

 Open the silk umbrella and bring it to protect 



from the sunlight. 

 Bring the silk and satin umbrella to help pro- 

 tect from the sun. 

 You must go and climb Ndjii's sky ladder, 

 And climb to Ndjii's sky door. 

 \Vhen your cock crows, the sky door will be 



closed (by the doorkeeper). 

 You say, "You pair of sky-door demons, it is not 



true that every year a sow will be offered to 



you. 



