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SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 123 



When the husband came back home, he 

 stood watch over his wife and wept. When 

 he had wept several days, he saw that the 

 maggots had developed into large flies which 

 flew about eating her. He struck at the flies, 

 but could not hit them. Then he said, "My 

 wife, because you were lazy and were un- 

 willing to go with me to find food, now 

 there are insects on you. Do you still want to 

 eat me? ®- You can go and eat night soil." 



Then (because he scolded them) the flies 

 flew away. 



When a Miao Wounds a Sna\e, He Should 

 Certainly Crush Its Head (406) 



In very ancient times there was a Miao 

 family that hired a man to work by the year. 



That year, in the spring, the weather was 

 mild. The man who was hired by the year 

 went out to cut grass. He cut a snake which 

 was in the grass in two at one stroke. He 

 saw the snake's head and body go crawling 

 away. He thought it was unimportant. 



After a few years that worker again went 

 to that clump of grass. The snake that had 

 lost its tail had grown as big as a beam for 

 husking rice. He crawled out and bit the 

 man so that he died. When others saw that 

 he was thus recompensed, they all said, 

 "When you hit a snake, if you do not smash 

 its head, in the future it will surely get 

 revenge." 



Why Young Girls Lil{e to Sleep a Good Deal, 

 or a Sleeping Insect Entered the World 

 (442) 



In ancient times there was a Miao family. 

 The husband had died, and only an orphan 

 was left. He had nothing to eat or to wear. 

 His uncle (on his mother's side) and the 

 uncle's wife hired him out to a Chinese to 

 work. The Chinese, when it was nearly dark, 

 told him to hire other laborers. During the 

 night he went to hire the other laborers. Be- 

 cause it was far away, he could not get back 

 to sleep in his master's house. So he slept 

 all alone on the mountain. 



That night a bright star came out to give 

 light to him. Every night he went to hire 

 laborers and at night slept at that spot. Every 

 night the star came out to give him light. 

 But one night he went there and the star was 

 not to be seen. Then he sighed and said, 

 "Yo, yo, yo, every night there has been a 

 bright star that came to give me light. But 



^' He thought his wife had turned into these 

 flies. 



this night no such thing has come out." He 

 sighed as he walked along and climbed upon 

 the top of the mountain. When he reached 

 the top of the mountain, a pretty girl came 

 out and seized him and was determined by 

 all means to go down the mountain and be 

 his wife. He said, "I am an orphan and have 

 nothing to wear or eat. How can you live 

 with me?" The woman would not let him 

 refuse and came along with him. 



He actually had no place to live, so he led 

 the woman and she hid inside a cave. Every 

 day he secretly gave her some food to eat. 

 Later he rented a piece of land from the Chi- 

 nese for her to live on. But the Chinese 

 learned that he had a wife. Then die Chi- 

 nese openly praised him and secretly saw 

 that his wife was a fine woman. Then the 

 Chinese plotted to get her. 



The Chinese said, "Orphan, today I want 

 you to cut a big tree on the cliff for me. If 

 the tree falls into the creek, then you quickly 

 give me your wife. If the tree falls toward 

 the bank, I will not take your wife." 



When he heard these words, he wept in the 

 presence of his wife. She said to him, "Why 

 are you afraid? Do not be afraid. Tomorrow 

 I will go and help you pull the tree, and 

 the tree will fall toward the cliff." 



After they had finished speaking, they went 

 to cut down the tree. When it had been cut 

 so that it was about to fall, she untied the belt 

 that fastened her skirt and tied it about the 

 tree. She pulled, and the tree fell upon the 

 bank of the river. 



When the Chinese saw this, he did not 

 dare take his wife. Later the Chinese again 

 determined that he would use military power 

 and steal her. The Chinese brought many 

 people, and when they came outside her door 

 the Chinese called to her to quickly come 

 out. She said, "I have come out," but she 

 only put out one hand. She said, "Do you 

 see it? Please take hold of my arm." Then 

 all the Chinese fell down backward. 



Then she said, "Landlord, if you act in 

 this way, my arm cannot count as anything. 

 Now I still have a pair of embroidered shoes 

 which is better. Please come and look." Then 

 she lifted her feet, and the Chinese again fell 

 down backward. 



The Chinese saw that her shoes were very 

 well made. On the shoes a sparrow hawk and 

 a swallow had been embroidered, much as 

 though the birds were flying on the shoes. 

 When the Chinese saw it, he did not dare to 

 take her. 



Then the Chinese called to her, "Sister-in- 

 law, you are truly an immortal. I do not 



