1865.] Religion &c. among the Karens. 221 
When mount Kie-ku attacked, he made it so hot that the sea was 
dried up, and the crocodiles could not live in it; and he threw his 
thunderbolts at the peepul, and when a branch was struck off, they 
said; “‘ There dies an officer.” 
The peepul came and fought the mountain several days, but getting 
the worst of it, he said: “TI will retreat.’ In his retreat Phai-thau-o, 
his daughter’s husband, intercepted his path, and hid himself in a 
gorge by the way, watching for his father-in-law to come along. He 
had a sword, and a gold comb that shone like the sun, and to keep 
himself from being seen, he put his comb under his foot and trod on 
it. There he stood in the interstice of two rocks, and when one of 
the peepul’s officers came along, he smote him with his sword and 
killed him ; and so on, one after another, till he had nearly killed off 
the whole. There wag only one leit. He said to himself: ‘ They are 
all ended, and took up his comb, and put it in his hair again, which 
made him visible. 
The remaining officer said, as he came along: “‘A great many 
people have gone before, and yet the sound of horse or elephant is not 
heard ;”’ and starting on, he saw Phai-thau-o, whom he eut down and 
killed with his sword. 
Until this day, people say the matter is not finished. They have 
a saying: “‘ Mau-khe’s contention is not settled : Mau’s contention is 
not settled.” 
Browntgs. 
Now and then, we find a good natured spirit appearing in Karen 
"stories that comes for some one’s benefit. Here is a specimen: 
“The elders say that there was once a poor orphan boy, that owned 
nothing but a dog with seven tails. Qn one occasion, he noticed his 
dog go and bark on a hillock in the field near his house ; but when he 
went there, he found nothing, so he came away. Still the dog remain- 
ed barking, and he went again and dug into the hillock, when he 
found a cavity with an egg in it. He took the egg, intending to eat 
it, put it ina basket, and went to work in his field. During his 
absence, the spirit in the egg cooked the poor youth’s rice and 
eurry for him; and when he came home, he found his meal ready 
prepared for him, but he was afraid to eat it, and he went to 
the neighbours to inquire if they could explain the matter. They 
