NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



243 



dren. The oldest two of the three brothers 

 already had wives. Only the youngest son had 

 no wife. But the oldest two brothers wanted 

 the father to divide some of the inheritance 

 with them. The father said, "The money you 

 ought to receive is gone. I owe each of you 

 sons a wife, and you owe me a coffin." When 

 the two oldest sons heard their father's words, 

 they took their wives and went away (to 

 make their own homes). There was only left 

 the money with which to get a wife for the 

 third son. 



Before long the father died. Then the 

 youngest son took all the gold and silver in 

 the house and made jewelry with it — gold 

 and silver flowers to wear on the head, and 

 gold and silver ornaments to wear on the 

 body, and gold and silver rings to wear on 

 the fingers. When these were finished, he 

 made a bamboo flute. Then he called two 

 companions to go along with him and carry 

 the things. They went to Ntzi Ni Leo's 

 family to select a wife. 



When they had gone several days, they met 

 a group of bird hunters. They asked, "How 

 do we go to Ntzi Ni Leo's home?" The bird 

 hunters replied, "Why do you ask about his 

 home?" They said, "We are going to select 

 a wife." They gave their finger rings to the 

 bird trappers. The bird trappers then showed 

 them the road and said, "From here you cross 

 over a mountain, and there is a big flat. On 

 the flat are a few shepherds. You ask the 

 shepherds and you can find out." 



When they reached the flat, they met the 

 shepherds there. Then they gave the head 

 ornaments to the shepherds, and the shepherds 

 showed them the road and said, "You go for- 

 ward. After you have gone over three ridges, 

 and have reached a water well, then you will 

 meet girls carrying water on their backs." 



They went ahead and met the girls. They 

 gave the girls many ornaments, and the girls 

 told them. The girls said, "You go forward, 

 and you will see a house on a big flat. The 

 house has four heavenly wells (inside open 

 courts). Formerly they raised (fed) the 

 hawk-cuckoo and also raised some tame pi- 

 geons. At the front of the door they have 

 black dogs. You call to them in a friendly 

 manner so they will not bite you." 



When they arrived, there was a pair of 

 black tigers protecting the door. They took 

 the golden bracelets and threw them to the 

 tigers. The black tigers picked up and swal- 

 lowed the bracelets. Then the two com- 

 panions leaped inside the door. When they 

 reached the second door, they met two striped 

 tigers guarding the door. They threw their 



silver ornaments to the striped tigers. Then 

 they went to Ntzi Ni Leo's house. Ntzi Ni 

 Leo told them to sit down, and they lived 

 there several days. 



That night Ntzi Ni Leo's youngest daughter 

 said, "My father's want is very great. No 

 matter who comes, he will kill him. Tonight 

 when he tells you to select beds, you must not 

 sleep on the bed having gold, silver, silks, 

 and satins. But you may sleep on the bed of 

 bamboo with a straw mat as you please." 



That night Ntzi Ni Leo came and asked 

 him to choose a bed. When he saw the gold 

 and silver bed he did not take it. He slept on 

 the bamboo bed with a straw mat. 



On the second night the girl came and said 

 to him, "Tomorrow my father will tell you 

 to choose a wife. He will dress me up like a 

 criminal carrying in front a broken sand- 

 tempered cooking vessel and behind a broken 

 carrying basket. That is L" 



He slept until midnight, and before day- 

 light when the roosters crowed he heard the 

 sound of several cannon. Ntzi Ni Leo then 

 told his servants to go out. He came back and 

 called, "Son-in-law, quickly get up and choose 

 a wife." 



He opened the door and looked and saw 

 very many women. He was unable to choose. 

 He took the bamboo flute from his breast and 

 played on it, and its sound was "Bo li di, bo 

 ndi ndi. The ideas of your father and your 

 mother are numerous. The roads they make 

 are wide, and their minds narrow. How can 

 I choose?" Then the girl Nts'ai Niang Ntsui 

 blew on a leaf, "Bo i, bo i, my parents truly 

 have many plans. They dressed me like a 

 criminal. I am now standing here beside the 

 door. In front I am carrying a sand-tempered 

 pot and behind I am carrying a broken car- 

 rying basket. This is I, the one you must 

 choose." 



He went ahead and looked, and took hold 

 of that girl. Ntzi Ni Leo said, "This is not 

 your wife." He said, "I am a poor man, so 

 I have chosen this one." 



That night the girl again came to him and 

 said, "My father still has many tricks. To- 

 morrow he intends to secretly stab you to 

 death. I have here three paper charms. To- 

 morrow when he comes you look over them 

 and use them." Next morning, of course, 

 Ntzi Ni Leo called him saying, "Son-in-law, 

 come out quickly and look." When he came 

 out he saw many long spears and daggers 

 coming toward him. He put a charm in water 

 and drank the water, then spurted three 

 mouthfuls of the water on the spears and dag- 

 gers, and they were unable to move. The 



