NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



233 



THE GOOD FORTUNE OF ORPHANS, POOR MEN, AND BEGGARS 



A Beggar Was Advised by Ye Seo and Be- 

 came Rich (395) 



In very ancient times there was a Miao who 

 lived in a cave in a cliff. Every day he went 

 and begged for food. He thought, "Each day 

 I can only get a little rice to eat, and I cannot 

 get any meat to eat. I will save a quart of rice 

 and trade it for a little meat." Every day he 

 saved some rice in this way. 



A rat stole his rice and ate it. He realized 

 that there was no way for him to save up a 

 quart of rice, so he ran and asked Ye Seo. 

 But the place where Ye Seo lived was very far 

 away. He did not dread the distance, but 

 made up his mind and went. 



One day he arrived at the home of an old 

 man. The old man asked him where he was 

 going and what he was going to do. He 

 replied, "The rats stole the rice I had begged 

 and ate it. Shouldn't I have a quart (sen) 

 of rice all my life? I am going to ask Ye 

 Seo, and I will see how he instructs me." 

 The old man said, "I request you to ask hiin 

 a question for me and ask him to instruct me. 

 For I have lived here several hundred years, 

 and I am still unable to become an immortal." 

 The beggar replied, "All right," and he again 

 proceeded. 



One day he arrived at the edge of the sky 

 and saw Ye Seo sitting in a cloud wearing 

 white clothing which emitted light like the 

 lightning. But before he could open his 

 mouth to ask Ye Seo said, "Miao beggar, 

 Miao beggar, go back and tell that old man 

 that beneath the house he is living in is a jug 

 of gold and one of silver. You dig this up 

 and give it to the poor, and you will be able 

 to ascend to heaven." The beggar replied, 

 "Yes, yes." He opened his eyes and looked, 

 but Ye Seo was not to be seen. So he could 

 not ask any more questions, and could only 

 return home. 



When he arrived at the home of the old 

 man, the old man asked him about it, and 

 the beggar told him what Ye Seo said. Then 

 the old man said, "Where are there any poor 

 people? I fear I must ask you to trouble your 

 heart and dig them up for me." Then that 

 beggar began to dig, and he dug up that gold 

 and silver. There were actually two jugs full 

 and the old man gave it to him, and he re- 

 turned home happily. 



He used the gold and silver and bought a 

 small farm. Every year he paid eight pints 

 as taxes. Therefore he said, "What the Chi- 

 nese say is correct. A man's good fortune has 

 only eight tenths of a quart. Even if you go 



all over the world, there will not be one full 

 quart." He also said, "Let me write up this 

 story for my descendants. You should not 

 try by force to get more (silver) money (than 

 comes according to your luck). 



An Orphan Miao Boy of Ancient Times, He 

 Fought a Tiger and Secured a Wife, or 

 Why Cattle Have No Upper Teeth (3) 



First, one year his father died. Then during 

 the next year his mother also died. He could 

 find nothing to eat. He could only weep con- 

 standy day by day and live with his uncle 

 and his aunt. His uncle told him to go and 

 plow the fields. His aunt cooked the food at 

 home, and when it was done she carried his 

 breakfast to him. He said, "My aunt, just put 

 it down there and I will come and eat it. For 

 your sheep at home are a flock and your cattle 

 a herd, and there are many chickens and 

 ducks in your house, and the little brothers 

 and sisters are crying, so you may quickly go 

 home." His aunt replied, "Well then, the 

 food is here. You come and eat it and I will 

 return home." 



Three times he crossed the field and came 

 back. He then drew a bamboo flute from his 

 pocket and played it saying "Yei (jei), yei, 

 yei, ya (ja). I am an orphan. I have no fa- 

 ther or mother, and I live with my uncle and 

 my aunt, and my uncle does not know that 

 my aunt treats me very badly, bringing food 

 that is spoilt and roots of bitter vegetables 

 which are hard to eat." To his surprise there 

 was a person below the cliff over there who 

 was playing on the leaf of a tree and who 

 answered him saying "Chungking has a street. 

 At Suifu there is a flat. If you can kill the 

 striped tiger, then you will get a heap of silver 

 coins. If you kill the black tiger, then you 

 will have a chest of gold and silver. You will 

 have more than you can eat, more than you 

 can use, and a great deal will be left over." 



When he had eaten his food, he returned 

 to his work. The next day he again went to 

 plow the field. His aunt as usual carried food 

 for him to eat. Things happened in the same 

 way as on the first morning, and the woman 

 below the cliff again blew on the tree leaf 

 in reply to him. On the third day she replied 

 in the same way. That night when he went 

 home he told his uncle. His uncle said to 

 him, "My son, your reward (karma) has 

 come. Get your sword and your bow and 

 your crossbow ready. Tomorrow go ahead 

 and investigate below the cliff. How will that 



