NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



193 



gained consciousness and said, "I will be the 

 'wife of the one that lends a hand to me. I 

 will bring joy to the one that helps my feet." 

 As soon as she had said this, the large tiger 

 came out and helped her stand up. She said, 

 "You are not my husband. I do not want 

 you." The tigers then frightened her saying, 

 "If you will not go we will eat your flesh." 

 She then did not dare to refuse and went 

 along with the tigers. 



After this the husband came back and asked 

 his mother, "My wife.?" His mother said, 

 "She originally said to 3'ou that if you went 

 away you must not think wantonly or act 

 wantonly. I am afraid that tigers or demons 

 have taken away your wife. Why didn't you 

 heed her.? She has been carried away by a 

 demon tiger." When he heard his mother's 

 words he was helpless. He could only take 

 his bow, his quiver, and his sword, and he 

 sharpened his sword seven days. He said to 

 his father, "Let me have that cow to try my 

 sword on." The father said, "This cow has 

 gotten ready to use as an engagement gift in 

 engaging another wife for you, but if you 

 want to try out your sword, you may." He 

 then led the row out and with one stroke 

 of the sword cut the cow in two. Then he 

 said to his mother, "Mother, will you lend 

 me your hemp ball of thread to try my sword 

 on?" She said, "My son, if you want it, all 

 right." He then took his mother's ball of 

 hemp thread and threw it into the air. When 

 it fell on the sword it was cut in two. He 

 then said, "My sword is ready, mother, please 

 prepare my food." 



On the next day he went forth and found 

 their footprints. After he had searched a half 

 a month he found a heap of dust. He turned 

 it over and looked, and in the center there 

 were still sparks of fire. He then ate his din- 

 ner and when he had finished he climbed 

 up a large tixe and slept. Then he took his 

 bamboo flute and played it saying, "bo li, bo 

 nyi (bo* li*, bo- jii), above I have left my 

 parents. In the middle am I. Why have I 

 gone into the dangerous deep forest on the 

 mountain.? My wife, where have you gone.? 

 Why don't I see your tracks?" Suddenly a 

 beautiful bird answered, "A red cow licks a 

 yellow cow and a yellow cow licks a black 

 cow.^^ Arise quickly and follow their foot- 

 steps." When he heard this voice he arose, 

 turned around, and started away. 



He followed into a great dangerous forest. 

 He saw many tiger hairs sticking to the leaves 

 and twigs in the forest. The dreadful sound 



^^ A way of courting or showing affection. 



of the north wind shrieked, but he did not 

 fear at all. He again climbed to the top of 

 the highest pine tree and slept one night. The 

 next day he got up very early and raised his 

 head to look. He saw on the big shadowy 

 dark cliff on the opposite side the fierce band 

 of tigers coming out to find food. His de- 

 termination to find his wife stirred him 

 greatly. He crawled along toward the large 

 cliff. He went along until noon when the 

 sun was at its zenith, and arrived at the cave 

 in which was the tiger's lair. He raised his 

 head to look, and saw his wife in the nest 

 making embroidery. He wented to fly down 

 the cliff into the cave, but he could not go 

 down because the cliff was high. 



He then took his sword in his hand, cut off 

 a tree leaf and threw it down, and it struck 

 the embroidery his wife was making. His 

 wife saw it and smelt it. She said, "This diing 

 is much like a leaf cut off by my husband." 

 She did not look up, but continued her em- 

 broidery as usual. He spat once onto her em- 

 broidery, and weeping she said, "I, Hmong 

 Ts'i Nts'ai, am separated from my parents 

 above, in the middle I am separated from my 

 husband, and have come to hide with these 

 tigers in this forest. Why does a bird let its 

 droppings fall on my embroidery? Is this 

 because things will go wrong with me.?" She 

 did not arise, but continued to make em- 

 broidery as usual. He again spat, and it fell 

 on her hand. She knew this was human 

 spittle and looked up and actually saw her 

 husband. She asked, "Why have you come? 

 He said, "Truly it is in search of you." He 

 added, "I am going to come down." She 

 replied, "Right." 



They took their belts and tied them to- 

 gether, and he tied them to his body and 

 swung down by them into the mouth of the 

 cave. The two then talked. When night had 

 come and the sun was falling behind the hills, 

 and the flocks of birds were returning to their 

 roosts, she said to him, "You quickly go 

 away. My workers (tigers) are about to re- 

 turn." He replied, "I am not going." She 

 said, "I am afraid that if you do not go they 

 will come and injure you." He replied, 

 "Should a brave man fear birds and animals?" 

 She was then helpless and said to him, "Give 

 me the sword you have in your hands." He 

 then gave her the sword which he held. She 

 took the sword and drew a circle on the wall 

 of the cliff and said to him, "You fly and take 

 refuge in that cliff. Wait until winter when 

 the tigers are asleep, and then come down and 

 visit several days. Let us not lose our affec- 

 tion for each other." 



