



























180 Religion &c. among the Karens. [No. 3, 
waited in the road to intercept it. When the stone came rolling down, 
he ran and took it up, and carrying it to the house said: ‘ Where 
shall I put it?’ They replied, “The house will break down.” So 
he put it on the ground. 
Then they devised again to kill him, and said: “ Thy mother has 
got fever, and there is no large wood to make a great fire for her, go 
and bring some.” So they sought out a large wood-oil tree, and went 
and cut it down, and told him he must receive it on his shoulder. 
He therefore caught it when it fell on his shoulder, and carrying it to 
the house asked : “Shall I put it in the house?” The people re- 
plied: ‘‘ The house will break down.” So he threw it on the ground. 
Then the people said: “ Ah, the rock rolling on this man did not 
kill him; the wood-oil tree falling on him did not kill him; but were 
a tiger to seize him, perhaps he might die.’ They therefore said : 
“Thy mother’s fever continues, though we have offered fowls and 
hogs to the spirits, but were we to offer a tiger, she would recover.” 
So the people made him go. seek a tiger, in the hope that a tiger 
would seize him. He, however, had no fear, but went in search of a 
tiger’s track ; and after finding a very old one, he followed it up till 
he found the tiger, which he seized and carried alive to the house, 
when the people said: ‘‘ We are very much afraid. Go turn it loose.” 
So he took it back, and let it go free. 
While his concubine was seeking vermin in his head, she was moved 
with compassion for him, and the tears dropped on his thigh. He 
said: “ My faithful girl, what is it? It does not rain. Why is it 
that water drops on my thigh?” His concubine replied: “‘ Ah, my 
dear boy, people are envious of thee and laying snares to kill thee.” 
“ Tndeed!”’ he answered, “‘ Is it really so? If people do not love me, 
then I will go away.” 
Every morning and evening, he worked on a bugle to give it a plea- 
sant sound. When he had finished it, it blew out of itself, “ Father 
and mother do not love me. Brethren two go abroad.” 
He said: ‘‘ That is pleasant,” and he prepared food for his journey. 
A hog of five spans round the body, five bundles of salt, five rolls of 
fish, and five baskets of rice. With this he started, and blew his” 
horn as before, till he met with “ Long-legs” planting, who had a 
silk-cotton tree stuck in his hair, whose shadow covered seven coun- 
