FKACHTENBERG] ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 31 



(The boys) paid little attention (to what was going on around them). 

 Toward dawn those who had been looking on disappeared suddenly. 

 Tile girl began to look around everywhere. The house had simply 

 turned into a rock! So she looked upward and (beheld) a tiny hole. 

 Then she fastened quickly her cane to the ceiling (where the hole 

 was), followed her cane quickly and made her escape through that 

 passage. She did not (know) what to do for her brothers. Then 

 she went around the house several times. It was (made of) rock 

 only. Nowhere was there (even) a tiny opening in the stone. She 

 could not do anything. So she started home. She was ferried 

 across (the river). When she arrived at the other side, she started 

 on her holneward journey. (Pretty soon she) began to cry. Every 

 time she came to a place, where (her brothers) had stopped before, 

 she would begin to cry. (Whenever she came to a village, she would 

 be asked) ''Where are thy brothers?" — "Alas! we were tricked." 

 Then she would again be ferried across. And as she continued her 

 homeward journey she was constantly laughed at. She was always 

 asked the same questions whenever she stopped at a place. Finally, 

 on the fifth day, she arrived home. "Well?" said the old woman, 

 "where are thy brothers?" — "Alas! The house suddenly closed on 

 them. The house turned into a rock. I almost did not come out 

 agam (myself)." — "I told thee constantly to watch over thy brothers. 

 That was why I sent thee (along)." — "Yes, but 1 could not do any- 

 thing alone, I was overpowered." 



Then the old woman got ready (to go). So they two started out 

 now. (At first) nothing was said to them two. But as they two 

 kept on going the old woman was constantly laughed at. However, 

 she did not seem to mind it. On the fifth day they two finally 



