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1877.] R. B. Shaw —On the ShigJini (GTialchah) Dialect. 
horses met him. He saluted and said : “ Whose is this troop o£ horses ?’ 
He went (and) seized a big horse, and took its head off. He prepared for 
himself a spit (-full of meat) for roasting, from off it. That keeper of the 
horses struck himself on his face. 48. Ala-aspa went on and arrived at 
the town. The Treasurer was sitting in the gateway. (Ala-aspa) said : 
“ What doest thou here F Here not a bird (even) is able to breathe.”* 
(The other) answered : “ However that may be, my fate has brought me 
here.”f 49. Ala-aspa asked him : “ In what (lies) the life of the span- 
high one ?” The treasurer answered : “ To-day is two days since he was in 
the Upper World. He returned wounded thence. Now he sleeps. His life 
is at his side, (and lies) in two stones, one on this side and one on that. 
Break those stones. From inside them two magpies will come out. Cut 
their heads off from the left. At his side there is a stick. Strike it on thy 
knee and break it. From inside it a lamp will come out. Put it into the 
water, and his life will go out (of him). If thou wert to put him in pieces 
fine as millet seed, he would not die. If thou omittest not one of these 
(instructions), he will die.” Ala-aspa performed these instructions. The 
span-high one died. 
50. Forty keys of his were (hanging) on pegs. He took them, and 
immediately began to open the doors. He opened them all, (till but) one 
remained. He came and at once opened this and went in. A beautiful 
(damsel was) there. Neither the sun entered to her, nor the moon. 
51. She immediately began to weep and said, “ Oh youth ! why dost thou 
work thine own perdition ?” He answered, “ For love of one hair of thine. 
What doest thou there ?” She said : “ I was seven years old (when) the 
span-high one stole me, and brought me and made me fast here.” He said, 
“ Be happy, I have killed him.” She answered, “It is not easy to kill 
him ; if thou wast to make him (into pieces) the size of grains of millet he 
would not die.” Ala-aspa said, “Let us go; see I have killed him.” He 
took her by the hand and they came. She looked ; he was dead. 
52. Then they sat down that evening. They ate their meal. (Then) 
they came to sleeping. He drew his sword and threw it (down) between 
(them). She said, “ Why doest thou thus ?” He answered, “ I have received 
(this) counsel of my father. As long as I have not reached my home, I do 
not ungird myself.” Then they slept. 53. In the morning he loaded up 
the wealth of that (creature). All of it he loaded up. They came to 
the mouth (bottom) of this pit. (Ala-aspa) shook the rope, and tied the 
things one by one, and (the wazir’s son) pulled (them up). At last he 
finished hauling, and (Ala-aspa) brought that Beauty (to the rope). The 
* I. e. “there is not room for a bird even to get in and steal.” 
f A common reply to an impertinent question. Lit. “ Whatever may be (the 
case), by my fate I have come here.” 
