116 
[No. 2, 
R. B. Shaw —On the Shighni (Glialchah) Dialect. 
should not become bloodied. Before he could sit down (again), (the 
creature’s) head flew on to its neck and became joined on. Then it went 
out and fled away. 39. Ala-aspa pursued it. He looked for it. For 
once he turned aside, and put his hand on his beard saying : “ To-morrow 
you shall see what will happen to you.” 
40. Ala-aspa returned discontentedly, and entered the castle. He came 
and sat in his own place. He placed his sword oil the skirt (of his robe). 
At last the door creaked, and he jumped up. The wazir’s son came in. 
He said : “ What offence have I (committed) against thee ?” 41. Ala- 
aspa replied: “Nothing at all. Yesterday thou didst tell (me a tale) ; 
I did not believe (it). Thy story has been verified. Come, now let us 
put away our hunting. Let us employ some artifice to enter (the crea¬ 
ture’s) pit. Let us twist a silken rope.” 42. (So) they twisted a rope 
forty yards (long). In the morning they made their breakfast, and went 
on their way. The wazir’s son said “ I will go in.” Ala-aspa said: 
“ Well, thou canst not (find) strength.” Then they arrived at the spot. 
He fastened the rope tightly under his arms. He entered as far as his 
knees. (Then) he exclaimed : “ Oh ! I burn !” 43. Ala-aspa pulled in 
the rope, and said : “ (Now) the turn is mine. One instruction I give 
thee. (If) I say, Oh, I burn ; (then) do thou let the rope go freer.” 
Ala-aspa entered. He cried : “ Oh ! I burn.” The other let (the rope) 
out. 43. Finally a long time passed, the rope remained short in his hand. 
Ala-aspa reached the bottom of the earth, (the country of) Chil-dinya. 
He undid the rope from under his arms. Then the wazir’s son made a 
camp-fire at the mouth of the pit. 
44. Ala-aspa started off. A flock came (along the road) from in 
front, meeting him. He saluted the shepherd and said ; “ Whose is this 
flock ?” The shepherd answered: “ The span-high one’s.” Ala-aspa 
came up and seized a sheep. He took off its head in the air (without 
throwing it on the ground). He prepared for himself one spit (-full of 
meat) for roasting, from off it. He cooked and eat it, and then went on. 
45. Next a cow-herd met him. He saluted him and asked : “ Whose are 
these cattle ?” (The cow-herd) replied: “ The span-high one’s.” Fie 
went, and seized the largest of all the bulls ; he took its head off. He 
prepared for himself one spit (-full of meat) for roasting, from off it. The 
rest of it he threw away. The cow-herd struck himself a slap on the face. 
46. Ala-aspa went on, some distance, when a camel-herd met him. He 
saluted him and said : “ Whose are these camels ?” The other replied : “ The 
span-high one’s.” He went and seized the biggest of all the male camels. 
He took its head off ; and prepared for himself one spit (-full of meat) for 
roasting, from off it, and went on (again). The camel-herd struck himself 
on the face. 47. Ala-aspa went on. A man in charge of a troop of 
