1865.] Religion &c. among the Karens. 179 



tree arrow, and took aim at the cock, saying : " Tell your master to 

 come down and make me great." The cock flew away screaming with 

 fright, and told his master that Ta-ywa was very fierce. 



In like manner, the sun sent a hog, and the hog was afraid. He 

 sent a horse, and the horse was afraid. He sent an elephant, and the 

 elephant was afraid. Every thing was afraid of him. 



Then the sun said : " If it be thus, then make the waters rise, and 

 he will be drowned." So he made the waters rise, but Ta-ywa made 

 a boat, and remained quietly in it. When the waters fell, the sun 

 said to his children : " Now that fellow is dead, go draw water." So 

 they went to draw water. 



Ta-ywa said to them again as before : " Go tell your father to make 

 me great." The children were afraid, and returning to their parents 

 said : " That fellow is not dead." 



Then the sun said: "If it be so, we must make it burning hot." 

 So he made it so hot that no one could endure it ; but Ta-ywa created 

 a banyan tree, and dwelt under its shadow. 



After the heat had passed away, the sun said to his children : " Now 

 that fellow is dead, go draw water." They were met again as before, 

 and sent back with the former message ; and they went and told their 

 parents that they did not dare to go again to draw water. On hearing 

 this, the sun made a bamboo tube, and went to Ta-ywa, who said to 

 him ; " Make me great." The sun took the bamboo tube, inserted it 

 in him and blew him up larger, and larger, and asked : " Large 

 enough?" Ta-ywa replied: "Not yet large enough." He blew 

 again, asked the same question, and received the same reply two or 

 three times, till Ta-ywa was satisfied, but when he rose up, his head 

 hit against the heavens. The sun then flattened it down with his 

 hand till it was low enough, and then departed. 



When Ta-ywa returned home, the people said: "He is very great." 

 And they envied him, and determined to kill him by stratagem. So 

 they said to him : " Thy mother has no stones, on which to place her 

 lice pot on the fire, let us go and bring her some stones." Then they 

 went, and sought out the largest stone they could find, and all the 

 village went to work to dig it up, and in order that it might roll over 

 him and kill him ; they said : " Go watch below, and carry it." So 

 he went below oil the side of the hill where they were digging, and 



