216 Beligion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



owner had to borrow money to buy more, that he might live ; and he 

 finally became a slave." 



Offerings are made to her in a little house built in the paddy field 

 for her residence, in which two strings are put for her to bind the La 

 of any person that may enter the field. The following prayer accom- 

 panies the offerings : — 



" Grandmother, thou guardest my field, thou watchest over my 

 plantation. Look out for men entering ; look sharp for people 

 coming in. If they come, bind them with this string, tie them with 

 this rope, do not let them go. If they will pay fines of money, do not 

 let them go ; if they Avill pay fines of silver, do not let them go ; but 

 if they will pay fines in piles of paddy, barns of paddy, dismiss them. 

 Eat, grandmother, guard my field, watch over my plantation. Pour 

 down thy children's rice and paddy, grandmother, or thy children's 

 fields will come to nought, sweep it off with thy hand, bring it down 

 continually." 



At the threshing out of the paddy another form of prayer is used 

 as below. 



" Shake thyself, grandmother, shake thyself. Let the paddy ascend 

 till it equals a hill, equals a mountain ; ascend as high as Mount Than- 

 tliic, as high as Mount Pshan-ghau ; ascend and become a conspicuous 

 object, ascend and become a distinguished object ; ascend and look at 

 the sun ; ascend and look at the moon ; ascend and look at the 

 heavens, ascend and look below the earth. Let my paddy pile, grand- 

 mother, be as large as a mountain. Shake thyself, grandmother, shake 

 thyself." 



Goddess of Fortune. 



There is a divine female who dwells on the summit of Than-thie, 

 the highest mountain known in Burmah, who spends all her time in 

 blessing and cursing. The elders said : " If she curses the leaves that 

 they may fall, they fall ; if she blesses the young leaves, they sprout. 

 If she curses the trees to die, they die ; if she blesses them to live, 

 they live. Every thing, the elders say, takes place according to her 

 imprecations." 



When the long-armed apes are heard screaming at night, it is said 

 they scream on account of having heard the imprecations of the goddess 

 Ta-la, the name given to this lady. The apes on Than-thie, at the 



