228 Religion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



back the palace with the Brahmin in it. He slew the Brahmin with 

 all his relatives, and exterminated the whole race." 



GrIANTS. 



Men-eating giants are among the supernatural beings with which 

 a Karen has to contend ; and their exploits are heard as often in 

 Karen nursery tales, as they formerly were in Europe. Here is a 

 specimen : 



" The elders say that a little girl went down to the brook to draw 

 water in the usual Karen bucket, made of a joint of a large bamboo. 

 "When she laid it on the surface of the stream to fill with water, it 

 escaped from her hands, and floated away. She ran after it clown the 

 bank, till she reached a dam, which proved to be the dam of a giant. 

 Soon after her arrival, the giant came down to fish, and was about 

 to devour her ; but she told her artless tale, and the giant spared her, 

 and took her up to his house. Here they were met by the giantess 

 who congratulated her husband on having picked up so nice a morsel 

 for their dinner. However, the old giant protected the child, and she 

 became their adopted daughter. 



" On one occasion, when the old people went out, as they said, to 

 search for greens, they left the little girl in the house, and charged 

 her not to look into two baskets that were in one corner of the room. 

 Her curiosity being excited, no sooner was she left alone, than she 

 peeped into the baskets. One was found filled with gold and silver, 

 ami the other with nothing but dead men's skulls. 



" Ever after making this discovery, she importuned the giants to 

 allow her to return home ; and they finally consented, but the old 

 giantess required befoi-e her departure to look over her head once and 

 pick out the vermin ; an act of courtesy often performed by Karens 

 for their friends. On looking into her hair, the little girl was 

 astonished to find it filled with green snakes and centipedes. She 

 called for an axe, and chipped away in the head of the old giantess 

 till she could endure it no longer, and then permission was given the 

 little girl to depart. 



"Before going, the giants told her she might take one of the 

 baskets with her ; whichever one she chose. She said ; As you are 

 getting into years, and cannot well weave baskets, I will take the old 



