NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



191 



he awoke and saw the needle and thread on 

 his garment. He also saw many tiger foot- 

 prints, and then he knew that the tigers had 

 enticed his wife away. 



He went home and ground his sword three 

 days. One day when it was clear he said to 

 his mother, "Let me have your clothes bag 

 to try my sword on." The mother said, 

 "This is what I have kept in order to get a 

 wife for you. But if you want it, you may 

 take it away. Then he brought it out and 

 threw it up toward the sky, and he struck 

 out with his sword and the bag was cut into 

 two pieces. Then he said to his mother, "I 

 also want that steer to try my sword on." His 

 mother at first declined, but later gave it to 

 him. At one stroke he cut it into two pieces. 



Later he asked his mother to prepare din- 

 ner for him, and she got it ready for him 

 and he carried it away with him. When it 

 was dinnertime, he saw where the tigers and 

 the woman had built a fire. He then saw a 

 heap of ashes, and he used his fire flint to 

 make a fire. When he had a fire, he warmed 

 up his dinner and ate it. 



After he had eaten he climbed up on top of 

 a big tree and played on a bamboo flute, 

 "Bo li, bo li, I am pursuing on the road, but 

 cannot find my wife. I do not know where 

 she has gone with the tigers." Suddenly he 

 heard a bird in the woods calling, "Gi li li, 

 giao lo lo, you follow faster. She has gone 

 into the old forest on Ts'ao T'ien Ma (a horse 

 going to the sky)." 



Then he came down and went on. He 

 walked until dinnertime, and he again saw 

 an ash pit. He touched it with his hands, 

 and the ashes were a little hot. Then he built 

 a fire and warmed up the biscuits he had 

 brought and ate them. He again climbed a 

 big tree and sat on the top of the tree and 

 took out the bamboo flute he had brought, 

 and played as he had before. The bird again 

 urged him to hurry, and he again came down 

 the tree and went on. 



He went on three days, and then he saw a 

 fire burning. When he saw it he took out a 

 biscuit and toasted it to eat. He again chose 

 a tall tree and climbed to the top, and again 

 took out his flute and played. Again the 

 bird urged him to hurry, and he came down 

 and proceeded. 



He went on to the Ts'ao T'ien Ma moun- 

 tain and secretly looked around and saw the 

 woman in a cave making embroidery. Then 

 he climbed up on top of a tree and spit some 

 spitde down, and it fell on her embroidery. 

 She sighed, "E, I have separated from my 

 parents and my husband. I don't know what 



strange thing has dropped its excretion on 

 my embroidery. I fear it is not well with me." 

 She spoke this but did not look up, and 

 worked at her embroidery as usual. 



He then took his sword and cut the leaves 

 off the tree, and the leaves fell down to her. 

 One dropped on her hand. She then picked 

 up the leaf and smelt of it, and she knew that 

 the odor was that of a sword. She lifted up 

 her head and saw him. Then she said to him, 

 "Why have you come here? At first you 

 would not listen to me, or we would not be 

 suffering today's bitterness. Come on down." 



He came down and lived with her a half 

 day. At dusk he saw some birds flying into 

 the forest in flocks, and the cold wind was 

 blowing. She urged him to leave quickly and 

 go for fear that those who eat things raw and 

 drink things cold might come. "You go lest 

 they come." He said, "I am not afraid. By 

 some means or other I will take you along, 

 or else I will not go. She could no longer 

 urge him to go, and took her silk belt and 

 tied it onto the tree up on the cliff, and then 

 he climbed up to the top of the cliff. 



In a little while one tiger came carrying a 

 big fat pig. Then he rested and said, 

 "My daughter-in-law, you smell badly." The 

 woman replied, "When you went away and 

 ate your things, what have I had to eat at 

 home?" 



In a short time the great tiger also arrived 

 carrying a deer in his mouth. Then he rested 

 as the father tiger had done. He asked, and 

 she answered as before. In a short time her 

 tiger husband came back carrying a female 

 dog in his mouth. He also asked her as the 

 others had, and she answered in the same 

 way. Then none of them asked her anything 

 more, but they all ate up those animals. 



The old tiger sat down and called the baby 

 tiger to him and said, "You quickly go out 

 and see if there are any wild animals coming 

 here or not." Then the small tiger leaped out 

 and rolled over and put his whiskers to the 

 ground and made a circle. Then he lifted 

 up his head and called, "Cousin, cousin, 

 quickly come down and visit with us." The 

 father-in-law tiger leaped out and looked at 

 him and called, "Small boy, quickly come 

 down. We have not offended you. Come 

 down and play (visit) with us." 



Nts'eo Mplai said, "The vine has tied me 

 onto the tree. I cannot come down." The 

 tiger said, "If you do not come, I will go to 

 you." Then the tiger leaped up, and he cut 

 the tiger into two pieces at one stroke. Then 

 the husband tiger's older brother leaped up, 

 and he struck the tiger once with his sword, 



