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SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 12^ 



To his surprise that tobacco gradually be- 

 came yellow and dried up. He guarded the 

 tobacco every day (because the tobacco dried 

 up) and wept. But he could not help it. He 

 then went and asked Ye Seo (Se' sau^). Ye 

 Seo said to him, "This matter (the tobacco 

 dying) is all right. You quickly go home and 

 use a hoe and dig up the root of the tobacco. 

 Beneath that root there are certainly three 

 large jars of white silver." 



When he heard these words of Ye Seo, he 

 returned home, took his hoe, and went to 

 dig up the tobacco. As soon as he took up the 

 tobacco to look, he saw three large jars of 

 white silver. He beat this silver into orna- 

 ments — head ornaments, bracelets, and finger 

 rings. 



He took the ornaments and went all over 

 the world looking for a wife. Down beside 

 a creek he met a group of people catching 

 birds and asked them, "Friends, what road 

 must be taken in order to reach the country 

 of Ntzi?" They said to him, "We do not 

 know what sin you have committed on earth 

 (to make you want to go there). We won't 

 tell you." He said, "I want to go and select 

 a wife. If you will tell me, I will give you 

 the ring I am wearing on my finger. Please 

 tell me." When they got his silver ring they 

 said, "Go westward from here, cross a moun- 

 tain, and go through a forest. You will find 

 a large plain. On the plain there is a big 

 road with three divisions going in three di- 

 rections. Go to the middle of the road and 

 you will see the shepherds of Ntz'i. You ask 

 them." 



The orphan went and met the shepherds. 

 He asked, "How do you go to Ntzi's land?" 

 They said, "We won't tell you for fear you 

 have committed some crime on earth." He 

 said, "I want to select Yang Leo's (ja9 Uu) 

 daughter for a wife. Please show me the 

 road." They would not show him the road. 

 He said, "I will give you the silver bracelet on 

 my wrist." They said, "You go straight west- 

 ward, and after going down to a creek, climb 

 up a mountain, and you will certainly see a 

 group of people carrying water on their backs. 

 You ask them and you can find out." 



Of course he again proceeded until he ar- 

 rived there and met the water carriers. He 

 asked the water carriers, "What road leads to 

 Yang Leo's home in Ntzi's country?" They 

 said, "We won't tell you for fear you have 

 committed some sin on earth." He said, "I 

 want to go to Yang Leo's home to select a 

 wife. Please tell me. I will take off my silver 

 head ornaments and give them to you." Then 

 they showed him saying, "Go past here and 



proceed over the big mountain in front, and 

 continue to the top of the mountain where 

 you will find a large level plain. Take the 

 road in the middle and you will see a large 

 tile-roofed house with three sections around 

 a court (heavenly well). Take the road to 

 the place where there is a wall ornamented 

 with gold and woodwork ornamented with 

 silver. In front of the door is a large Hit sheng 

 and a small liu sheng, a big drum and a little 

 drum. Take the big liu sheng and play it 

 three times, and use the small liu sheng your- 

 self in response. Beat the big drum three 

 times and in response beat the little drum 

 three times." 



Of course he went and did as they said. In 

 less than half a day he arrived and took the 

 big liu sheng and played it and the big drum 

 and beat it. Then the small liu sheng and the 

 little drum resounded. In a short time Yang 

 Leo in Ntzi's land called, "The husband of 

 my daughter has arrived. Go out quickly 

 and drive away the dogs." Yang Leo also 

 came out and drove away the dogs and in- 

 vited him into the house. He stayed there 

 several days. 



One night Yang Leo said, "My son-in-law 

 has been here a long time. Tomorrow he will 

 probably choose a wife, so prepare breakfast 

 and eat it early." They slept until just before 

 daylight began to come, and they heard the 

 golden drums and brass gongs sounding very 

 loudly so that they were unable to sleep. They 

 waited until daylight and then Yang Leo said, 

 "Arise, son-in-law. If you want to begin look- 

 ing over the girls, then begin doing so." The 

 young man went out of the door and looked 

 and saw outside the three hills and five peaks 

 covered with the women and girls from the 

 mountain and beside the sea standing before 

 his eyes, so that his eyes could not look at 

 them at all. He took down the bamboo flute 

 and blew saying "Ah, e, ah, e, ah, ah, ah (a*^ 

 i-' a-^ i-' a-' a-* a-^). Below the light is 

 shining everywhere. I see very many standing 

 over a wide space. How can I choose?" Sud- 

 denly there was an old woman who used a 

 flute to reply to him saying, "Ah, e, ah, ah, ah 

 (a*^i*^a"'a*^a*^). The light shines brightly. 

 Those who are so many and fill such a space 

 are not your wife. Only that one with bare 

 feet standing beside the door of the house 

 holding a sandy earthenware pot in her hands, 

 carrying on her back a broken basket, and 

 wearing torn clothing is your wife." When 

 he heard the sound of this flute, he then 

 seized the girl, who looked like a beggar. 

 Yang Leo said, "This is probably not your 

 wife." He said, "I am a poor man and am 



