210 Meligion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



to smite the visitor if he came again. The next night, the supposed 

 nephew was at the old man's bedside again, and his uncle looked at 

 him from head to foot, and he seemed to be his nephew so accurately 

 in every part, that he could not use the sword against him. In the 

 morning the nephew called, and asked if he had cut down his visitor. 

 " No," he replied, " he was from one end to the other so exactly like 

 thee, that I did not dare to strike him." The young man sharpened 

 up his sword and made his uncle promise to cut down the man when 

 he came again without hesitation. This he did, and struck off his 

 head at a single blow, when he immediately disappeared. Next 

 morning it was reported that a man had died in the village during 

 the night, and when the nephew went to look at the body, behold it 

 was headless ; " so he then knew that a Na had attempted to devour 

 his uncle." 



The interchange of persons is sometimes represented as a change 

 of skins. It is related that — 



" Anciently there was a woman possessed of a Na whose name was 

 Po-kla, and she was as black as a crow. She would exchange skins 

 with other people ; and when she met with a woman with a white 

 skin, she would put on the white skin and clothe its owner with her 

 own black skin." 



In one story she is said to be the black slave of a young man of 

 property that went abroad and brought home a handsome white wife. 

 Soon after his return, Po-kla succeeded in exchanging skins with her 

 mistress, and took her place as her master's wife, without her master 

 suspecting the change. The mistress was now beaten and cruelly 

 by her former slave. 



At the time of early paddy, she was sent into the field to drive 

 away the birds ; when all the doves and little birds came around her 

 daily. She charged the birds not to eat the paddy, and she had no 

 -i on to run after them, for they remained with her in the booth all 

 day long. She ordered the dove to go and bring her fragrant oil 

 from her grandmother's house ; but when the dove reached there, she 

 broke her wings, and for a long time she was unable to return. So 

 soon, however, as the wings healed, she picked up the bamboo joint, 

 which contained the fragrant oil, unobserved, and flew away with it 

 to her mistress. Her mistress anointed herself with the oil, and be- 

 came herself again, and even more beautiful. 



