270 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 



123 



my wives, I am willing to marry the one that 

 goes and drives the pig back." Then the 

 younger sister went out to call the pig. She 

 called a long time, but the pig would not 

 come back. The older sister also went and 

 called, and the pig returned. 



The water buffalo then said, "Tonight you 

 two may sleep upstairs. Tomorrow I still 

 want to try you before we can be married." 

 Next morning he said, "This morning who- 

 ever goes and finds water with which to boil 

 rice, I want that one." The younger sister 

 then took a wooden tub and carried it on her 

 back. She looked for water all morning, but 

 could not find it. She found only a dipper 

 half full of muddy water and brought it back. 

 Her sister in the house, in a short time, saw 

 a magpie leap down from an eavestrough 

 and drink water below the wall of the house. 

 The older sister then went and saw a big pool 

 of clear water. She then dipped up some 

 water and cooked breakfast. From this time 

 the water buffalo decided to live with her 

 as husband and wife. The younger sister 

 remained there and helped with the work. 



They lived together thus about a year, and 

 the water buffalo went out to trap. But soon 

 after he went he met a tiger and the tiger 

 ate him. The tiger then changed into a 

 water buffalo and took the wild animals 

 which he had trapped and carried them on 

 his back. At night the tiger came wobbling 

 to the house. When the older sister saw it 

 she said, "Younger sister, quickly go and cook 

 rice. He has come." The younger sister 

 said, "I see him. He does not look like your 

 husband." The older sister would not believe 

 it and she went and cooked food for him to 

 eat. When he had eaten the food, he went 

 and slept with the girl. The younger sister 

 slept upstairs. 



The younger sister slept until midnight 

 and she heard the sound of his chewing (the 

 older sister). The younger sister then said, 

 "Brother-in-law, what are you eating?" He 

 said, "I am eating roasted beans." Then he 

 drank the blood of the sister. The younger 

 sister asked, "What are you drinking?" The 

 tiger replied, "When I have eaten roasted 

 beans can I help my mouth being dry?" The 

 younger sister said, "Please give me a little 

 to eat." The tiger then handed one of her 

 sister's fingers to her. 



When she saw that it was her sister's finger, 

 she secretly ran out and climbed up on the 

 house and sat down. Next morning the tiger 

 slept until noon, then called "Younger sister, 

 are you up?" He called several times but no 

 one answered. The tiger then said, "Won't 



you come down? Then I will come myself 

 and take a hand." When he had said this the 

 tiger leaped upstairs and pulled aside the 

 straw bedding and looked, and there was 

 nothing there. Then the tiger called with 

 a loud voice, but nobody replied. The tiger 

 then smelled below with his nose and found 

 that the younger sister had run out. The 

 tiger then pursued her. He lifted up his head 

 and saw her sitting on top of the house. The 

 tiger then said, "Sister, who has frightened 

 you that you have climbed up on the roof 

 of the house?" The girl then said, "You two 

 have the joy of being husband and wife, and 

 I am a single person. So I came up on the 

 house to enjoy myself." Then the tiger said, 

 "Come down quickly and I will play with 

 you." She answered, "I will not come down. 

 Please go back and take the big fire tongs 

 and heat them red and lend them to me, and 

 I will take a piece of dry meat off my body 

 for you to eat, and after that I will come 

 down and make merry with you." The tiger 

 said, "All right." Then the tiger went away 

 and heated the big tongs red and handed 

 them up to her. 



Then the girl took the tongs and pretended 

 to rub them over her body, but only rubbed 

 them over her skirt. Then she said, "Please 

 lift your head and open your mouth and I 

 will throw it for you to eat." Then the tiger 

 opened his mouth and waited for her flesh to 

 eat, and she threw the fire tongs into his 

 mouth. The tiger roared loudly and ran into 

 the forest and cared for his wound. 



Suddenly a magpie flew upon the girl's 

 head and the girl said to the magpie, "Lucky 

 bird, lucky bird,^* please do a good deed and 

 carry a message for me to my parents for 

 my older brothers to come and get me." 

 The magpie said, "If I go, what shall I say?" 

 The girl said, "When you go say, 'Older 

 brother and second older brother, quickly 

 arise and go to get your younger sister. Your 

 two sisters were taken away by a hunter and 

 the older sister was eaten by a tiger.' You 

 say this and they will understand." 



Of course the lucky bird went as directed, 

 and when he reached their home he called, 

 and those in that house came out and looked. 

 They did not know what he was calling about 

 and invited him to come down. The magpie 

 then told them what the younger sister had 

 said. They answered, "How can such as this 

 be true? Do not leave, for we will go and 

 dip up some dj^e and put it on your back. 



^* Among the Chinese and the Miao the magpie 

 is regarded as a lucky bird, or a bird that brings 

 good luck. 



