216 Religion &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 will pay fines of silver, do not let them go; but 
if they will pay fines in piles of paddy, barns of paddy, dismiss them. 
Kat, 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- 
thie, 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.” 
GoppEss 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. 
Tf 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 

