NO. I 



CH'uAN MIAO songs and stories — GRAHAM 



117 



tors for three generations so they can first 

 eat.^^ 



A Marriage Song (688) 



Once there was a girl whose mother bore 

 her. Until she grew up nobody took notice of 

 her. Then somebody brought presents to pro- 

 pose marriage, and they saw that her work 

 and weaving were exceedingly efficient. They 

 returned to their homes and prepared excel- 

 lent gifts and came and spoke to the mother 



of marrying the girl. The mother could not 

 take the responsibility. The girl herself came 

 out and met the guests and agreed to the 

 marriage. 



The third time they came and took the 

 bride to the bridegroom's home in marriage. 

 After she had been taken to her new home 

 the outsiders said, "Nowhere else can we see 

 such a fine girl." She and her husband were 

 very harmonious all their lives; they estab- 

 lished their home and lived there happily 

 and peacefully ever afterward. 



Detaining the Bride 



A Song about Detaitiing the Bride in Her 

 New Home (164) 



When the bamboo sprouts grow, you should 

 eat bamboo sprouts. When the bamboo 

 sprouts grow, they mount until they become 

 bamboo trees. When guests come, you should 

 detain them. When the guests depart, you 

 should detain the bride. 



When bamboo sprouts grow, you should 

 eat bamboo sprouts (marriages should be con- 

 summated). When bamboo sprouts grow up, 

 they are like the tails of snakes. When the 

 guests arrive, you should detain them. When 

 the guests depart, you should detain the bride. 

 When bamboo sprout grow, you should eat 

 bamboo sprouts. When the bamboos grow up, 

 you should take them and make bed mats of 

 them (when the girl grows up, she should 

 get married). When the escorting guests 

 come, you should detain them. When the 

 guests depart, you should detain the servant 

 (the girl, the bride, to help in the home). 

 When tlie bride's mother has invited guests 

 to escort the bride, the guests are as numerous 

 as rice grains on rice plants. The mother 

 goes along with the escort like the falling 

 grains of wine rice. The mother's escorting 

 guests (escorting the bride) now depart. The 

 bridegroom detains Nts'ai Ngeo Tso, hold- 

 ing her belt which the groom's family gave 

 her (lest she go away with the escort pro- 

 vided by her mother) . The escort provided by 

 the bride's father also departs. The father's 

 daughter Nts'ai Ngeo Tso ^^ leaped to a place 

 beneath the leader of the escort provided by 

 her father. 



s^ As usual the ancestors for three generations 

 are called by name in succession according to age, 

 and invited to eat and offered the food. After 

 this the tables are set and the descendants and 

 guests eat. 



^^ Nts'ai Ngeo Tso, woman sister fine thread, 

 indicating that she is a fine girl. 



Then Lang Na Bo Hmong opend her 

 mouth and said, "Why do you not detain 

 your new bride? Why do you not detain your 

 new wife? The road we have traversed is 

 broad and long. I fear she will delay the 

 women I control when halfway home, and I 

 fear that at dark my company of escorters will 

 be on the road." He (the groom) then took 

 hold of Ngeo Tso and went into the house 

 and pulled her inside the room. The mother's 

 group of escorters went away. The groom, 

 Ntseo Lang (new son-in-law) was led to the 

 center of the house. The bride's father's 

 escorters separated (on their way home) and 

 proceeded. Lang Do (beloved new groom) 

 was taken into his room. Ntseo Lang (the 

 groom) detained her like a cricket tied by 

 the foot. The little groom detained her 

 as though she were tied by the foot. He 

 pulled her lunch out of her garments (where 

 she had put it under her clothing in her 

 breast) to keep her from going rolling like 

 small seeds or like rice. Her mother's escorters 

 still proceeded, going on the big road of the 

 long rice fields. Her father's escorters also 

 proceeded. The bride picked up her lunch 

 and tried to go with her older brothers.^^ 



Her husband took hold of her and the 

 bridal escort all went away leaving only the 

 daughter of her parents, Nts'ai Ngeo Tso, 

 who could not leave. And only she was left. 

 She was as one who could find nothing to do, 

 so she took a broom and swept the room. 

 When she was through sweeping she could 

 find no work to do, and took up water 

 buckets and went to carry water (two buckets 

 on a carrying-pole). When she had brought 

 it, she picked up two small buckets in her 



59 This is all pretending she wants to go so 

 that the groom and his family will be anxious 

 and show their desire for her by holding on to 

 her. This is an old custom now being discarded. 



