NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



M3 



big jar and placed it before them. The official 

 then asked, "What is this thing?" The 

 woman answered, "This is a thing to protect 

 the country." The oSicial asked, "How do 

 you use it?" The woman replied, "When this 

 has been used it will cause all the people in 

 the nation to live quietly and peaceably." The 

 official then said, "Sister, please release it so 

 we can all see it." She then said to the offi- 

 cial, "When this thing is released, you want 

 to speak thus: 



"Mo lai ho, m-o lai shia, 

 Di dai gong tse gen rong na." ''■ 



When the oSicial and his friends heard these 

 words, they all broke out laughing and did 

 not understand what she said. 



After a short time the woman spoke to the 

 official requesting him to release it and try it, 

 lest they should waste good time and delay 

 the good moment when they two should be 

 married. When the official heard these words, 

 they stirred his personal desire (for her to be 

 his wife) and he could hardly control his 

 heart. He then asked her, "How can we re- 

 lease it, my beloved wife?" The woman again 

 said: 



"Mo lai ho, mo lai shia, 

 Di Dai Gong Tsi gen rong na." 



When she had said this the official asked, 

 "What do you want?" But the woman did 

 not answer and the official said, "Set fire and 

 burn this thing up so it will not delay our 

 marriage time." The woman dien said, "That 

 will be good. Please burn it right away." 



Then the official issued an order that the 

 people and the officials should watch care- 

 fully, for this great precious thing would pro- 



tect the nation. When he had finislied saying 

 this, a Chinese used a torch and lighted it. 

 To their surprise this thing exploded with a 

 loud noise, and all die people in that city 

 v'v'cre no more. Then this woman ascended 

 on the sound of this thing, which made peo- 

 ple helpless, to the sky above. In heaven she 

 said, "Happy (am I). It is good for me to 

 play now. The people are all at peace." 



A Deception of Two Meals of Dry Rice and 

 One of Gruel (671) 



Once when a Miao came to work for him a 

 Chinese made a plan to cheat him, for he 

 knew that the Miao was not very bright. He 

 hired the Miao to work for him one year, 

 and before he hired him he said, "When I 

 hire laborers, there will be two meals of dry 

 rice and one meal of gruel." The Miao 

 thought that there would be three meals 

 every day, two meals of dry rice and one of 

 gruel, and what was there wrong about that? 

 So he went to work for him. 



When the Miao first went, the Chinese gave 

 him a meal of good dry rice to eat, but after 

 he had eaten that meal, every day he gave 

 him gruel to eat. Until the end of the year it 

 was always like that, and at New Year time 

 he prepared another meal of good dry rice for 

 him to eat. 



The Miao asked the Chinese why he treated 

 him in this way, and the Chinese replied, 

 "Wasn't that what we agreed on at first?" 

 The Miao then had nothing to say, but just 

 endured his treatment. Later he composed 

 this song, and other Miao families, learning 

 about the treatment by this Chinese, are un- 

 willing to hire out to the Chinese for long 

 periods. 



OPPOSITION TO CHINESE RELIGION 



The Miao Should Destroy Chinese Idols In- 

 stead of Caring for Them (547) 



Formerly, near a Chinese village, diere 

 was a Miao stronghold. One day all the 

 Miao boys went out to herd the cows. They 

 went into the Chinese temple, and some of 

 the boys pushed the Chinese idols over. Some 

 of them struck the idols with their sickles. 

 After they had beaten them awhile, an old 

 man in die fortified place who was passing by 



^ This is an incantation tliat seems to be a mix- 

 ture of Miao and Chinese mo*^ lai* ho*^, mo*^ lai* 

 Jja-* (or sa-,) Ti-* Tai° goO^ ts3^ gAn* 50O' 

 na**, or mo*^ Ta* Jja*, meaning "It cannot be 

 helped. No help below. Set fire to the buttocks 

 more good looking." 



saw them beating the idols. Then the old 

 man said, 'Tou must not destroy the idols," 

 and he chased the gang of boys away and 

 straightened the idols up. 



When the gang of boys returned home 

 they were happy as usual. When the old man 

 went home, in the night he had a dream. He 

 saw in his dream a group of idols taking a 

 walk with him. A big idol struck him once 

 and ordered him to quickly invite the tuan 

 \ung to come and pay respects to the idols.^ 

 If he did not, the idol would kill him. 



2 To pacify them because of their offended dig- 

 nity by burning paper or spirit money, incense, 

 and candles, repeating sacred books, and hanging 

 up red cloth or paper as a token of honor. 



