182 Religion Sc. among the Karens. [No. 3, 



This Shie-oo had a spur, like a cock, and when Ta-ywa wrestled 

 with him, Long-legs came behind, and tripped up Shie-oo, but his 

 spur entered the leg of Long-legs, and the blood flowed out like a 

 river. When Shie-oo fell, Ta-ywa trod him down into the earth till 

 he was immersed in it ; and Long-arms thrust him down as far as his 

 arms would reach ; and then Long-legs trod him down as far as his 

 legs would go ; and he went down below the earth, and has to carry 

 the earth to the present time. When the earth quakes, people say : 

 " Shie-oo is raising himself." 



Ta-ywa and his associates pursued their journey, and met with an 

 empty house. After they had sat down, and drank water from a 

 spout that brought down water from the brook above, they went up 

 into the house, where they found a guitar. After Ta-ywa had tuned 

 it, he played and sung : 



" The house is pleasant, is fair ; 

 The owner is where ? Is where ? " 



Tbe place where he sat was on the head of a very beautiful girl, 

 who was hidden in the crevice of the floor, and she pinched him. He 

 thought an insect had bitten him, and taking a cleaver he opened out 

 the crevice of the bamboo floor, when he came on the head of the girl. 



She said to them : " Ah, my dear boys, how is it that you are here ? 

 The great eagle has eaten my father and mother, my friends, and my 

 brothers. My parents had compassion on me and hid me. How have 

 you appeared? The great eagle will come and devour you." 



They replied to her: "My dear girl, do not be afraid. Go beat 

 out paddy and cook rice for us. So she went and beat out paddy, and 

 cooked lice, and eat -with them. 



They asked tbe girl : " At what time does the great eagle come ? " 

 Flu' answered: " When the sun passes the meridian, when it is half 

 way down, and at sun-set." Then they said : " put up a split bamboo 



I to the house, of seven layers ; and below them a layer of iron." 

 This was done, and then they made a tin bow, and an iron bow. The 

 tin bow, they called the silver bow ; and the iron bow, they called the 

 old bamboo bow. Then they called out to the eagle singing : 

 " Every thing has the Eagle devoured 3 

 Father, mother, and a wide land. 

 Has eaten father and mother, 

 But me in compassion they hid." 



