68 SOME MOUSE-DEER TALES. 



the gardener came up. " Ha ! ", said he, "here is the thief 

 caught fast. We'll take him home and kill him." Now the 

 Mouse-deer kept still and held his breath. " Don't take him 

 home, father," said the gardener's son, looking at him, " he's 

 been dead some hours and is quite rotten and stinking." 

 And he pulled the Mouse-deer away and threw him on a heap 

 of rubbish. But the Mouse-deer jumped up and shook himself 

 and shouted, " I 'm not dead but dirty." Then he sprang away 

 into the forest. 



The Mouse-deer journeyed on, and came to another cu- 

 cumber garden, and there, too, he nibbled the cucumbers. But 

 the gardener set a trap and caught him and put him in a cage, 

 while the good-wife prepared spices to dress him for a feast. 

 Now, the gardener had an old watch-dog. And the dog went 

 up to the Mouse-deer's cage and asked him why he was locked 

 up. So, the Mouse-deer said, " It is because they would force 

 me to marry the gardener's daughter against my will. See, 

 they are preparing spices for a wedding feast." Then the dog 

 asked, is it not for stealing cucumbers you are imprisoned." 

 But the Mouse-deer persisted it was because he would not 

 marry the gardener's daughter. Then the dog answered, 

 " How long have I done faithful service here, and why should 

 you a stranger be preferred to me. I will take your place and 

 marry." And the dog pushed open the cage and entered it, 

 while the Mouse-deer ran off. By and bye, the gardener came 

 and opened the cage and found only the watch dog ; and he 

 cursed and beat the dog : but the dog could only tell, how the 

 Mouse-deer had cheated him. 



At last the Mouse-deer came to the sea-shore and met the 

 king of sea-snails, siput kiyong, by whom he was worsted. " I 

 pity you ; " said he to the snail, " well enough, you can only 

 just crawl with your house and pillow on your back." " Why," 

 said the snail, " I'll beat you in a running race along the sea- 

 shore, if you give me seven days' notice." " Done," said Si 

 Plandok, laughing and wondering what the king of the snails 

 would do. But the snail sent messengers to all his rayats 

 and bade them assemble in crowds by the edge of the sea, 



Jour. Straits Branch 



