NO. I 



CHUAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



105 



ridge came. He spoke three sentences to the 

 go-betweens in favor of the engagement. 



Then the two go-betweens returned to die 

 boy's home. Tlie mother came out and spoke 

 a sentence, then laughed. The father came 

 out onto the road and spoke a couple of 

 jokes to quiet the minds of the go-betweens. 

 Then the mother asked, "Have we an en- 

 gagement?" The two go-betweens answered, 

 "We have an engagement." Then the father 

 asked, "Has the marriage affair you are help- 

 ing us accomplish any results?" The two go- 

 betweens answered, "We went and there is an 

 engagement, and the marriage is to be car- 

 ried out." They also said, "In securing a 

 bride, your engagement and wedding presents 

 must be like the stone landmarks below the 

 big cliff (many and dependable) . There must 

 be gifts of wine like the Chinese landmark 

 stones." 



Words Spoken by Go-betweens When Makjng 

 an Engagement (35) 



Speaking of your bringing guests and (as 

 go-betweens) leading them away, above are 

 100 strongholds and below are 100 strong- 

 holds. If one family closes its door to you, 

 another family will open its door to you. If 

 you go to the riverside, you may lay a board 

 trap (for the bride). If you go to a market 

 place, you can arrange a big square pole (as 

 a trap for a bride). So go away and when 

 a year is over come back and see whether the 

 board or the pole has captured anything. 



After the go-betweens of the bride's family 

 have spoken these words, the go-betweens of 

 both families arise and bow to each other. 

 This is a sign of approval. 



The words and actions of the go-betweens 

 of the two families in engaging a daughter 

 are as follows. The go-betweens of the bride- 

 groom place a piece of cloth on the table 

 saying, "This is like a herder or a shepherd 

 uses." The girl's family's go-betweens place a 

 bamboo stick on the table saying, "This in- 

 dicates that the girl's family are shepherds." 

 The go-betweens of the girl's family then say, 

 "Do you want to buy a pen (for animals) ?" 

 The bridegroom's go-betweens then reply, "It 

 is an ancient custom to want the animal with- 

 out the pen." '^^ 



When these things have been plainly ex- 

 pressed (that they want only the girl), then 

 they must look at the tongue of a chicken. 

 If the tongue of the chicken is good, then 

 the two are considered engaged. If the 

 chicken's tongue is not good, then there is 



1° To want the girl without the family. 



no engagement. This is called looking at the 

 chicken gua.^^ 



The go-betweens of the bride's family which 

 wants costly ceremonial gifts, then say, "When 

 you came, did you see a mother with 

 12 strings binding her?" The groom's go- 

 betweens then say, "There are only six strings. 

 In addition there are a few small beads." ^- 



Tlie Replies of One Who Has a Daughter to 

 be Married When the Go-betweens Are 

 Seeding to Mal{e an Engagement ^^ (64) 



1. So, so. The wild vine grows upon a tree. 

 The tree grows upon a hill. When is there 

 not a time when this can be seen? 



2. We have come to find a fine bride. 



1. Who has come to look after the engage- 

 ment? 



2. A pair of go-betweens have come to look 

 after the marital affairs. 



1. Who has come to make this silver 

 thread? 



2. A pair of go-betweens has come to un- 

 wind the silver cord. 



1. Who has come to make a brass needle? 



2. A pair of go-betweens has come to make 

 a brass needle. 



1. We want to use silver threads to make 

 embroidered garments. We want to use the 

 brass needle to sew the flowery porch. We 

 are like the spider web upstairs (we want 

 money and gifts and so on). The bride- 

 groom and the girl's older brothers speak 

 briefly and nobody speaks long. One speaks 

 long. Speaking much or little, we have not 

 practiced ceremony. If we speak very briefly, 

 then it is good to hear. We will fill a bowl 

 of rice for the mother. So, so. 



The song is ended.^* 



11 From the Chinese word \ua meaning divin- 

 ing stick. 



i-The meaning is that they want 12 strings of 

 cash and in addition some small cash. This is 

 an old custom of the Miao. But now (in 1936 or 

 1937) in making engagements some use tens of 

 dollars, some use a hundred dollars, and in addi- 

 don wine and pork are necessary. There should 

 be 120 catties of pork, or 100 catdes, or at least 

 10 catties, and the wine is much the same. This 

 is the actual great custom of marriage. There 

 are also some who secredy entice the girls or 

 capture them, but when they have taken diem 

 away they must invite go-betweens to go and 

 talk over matters, and if they do not diere will 

 be litigation over the affair; and the ceremonial 

 objects are the same as mentioned above. 



13 The first speaker is the father, and the sec- 

 ond the go-betweens who are seeking to make an 

 engagement. 



1* This song must be sung three times, and 



