222 Religion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 
replied to him roughly: ‘ Thou art an orphan, thy house is nasty and 
dirty, who dost thou think would go up into it?’ He returned to 
his house, and being very hungry, he said to himself: ‘If I die I die, 
I will eat.’ So he ate, and nothing happened to him. 
“The same thing occurred next day. His food was cooked and ready 
for him on returning from his labour. The following day, he deter- 
mined to watch; so after going away, he returned cautiously, and he 
saw a young woman come out of the basket. She went to the brook 
and brought water, and then cooked the rice. He showed himself to 
her, and she no more took the form of an egg, but became his wife. 
She said to him: ‘ My name is Miss Ege, but never speak my name. 
If thou dost, I shall disappear, and thou wilt see me no more.’ 
“ People frequently asked him for his wife’s name, but he never told, 
till they.induced him to drink arrack to intoxication. Then he reveal- 
ed her name. When he came to himself his wife was gone, and he 
wept bitterly. 
“ His dog said to him: ‘ Master, don’t cry.’ We will go to where 
Mistress is.’ He answered: ‘If we go, shall we find her?’ The dog 
said: ‘ Follow me.’ So away they went together, till they reached the 
banks of the Salwen, when the dog said: ‘I will swim across. Take 
fast hold of my tail, and on reaching the other side, do not say: ‘ Good.’ 
Tf thou dost, my tail will drop off.’ He failed, however, to do as he 
was commanded, and on getting on shore he exclaimed: ‘ Good!’ 
when one of the dog’s tails dropped off. 
“They kept on their way, till they reached another large river, where 
the same scene was enacted; and so on, till they had crossed seven 
large rivers and all the dog’s seven tails had dropped off. On losing 
the last, the dog said to his master: ‘I shall die, and there are many 
cross-roads on the way. If master goes on, let him take my body 
with him. On reaching the first crossings, cut off my head, and try 
on which road the blood drops. Follow the road on which my blood 
drops; and on coming to a multitude of houses, try the foot of the 
steps of each house till my blood drops down on one. The house in 
which my Mistress lives, is the one on which my blood drops upon 
the steps.’ The dog ceased speaking, and immediately expired. This 
time the man followed his dog’s directions, and found his wife.” 

