Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/474

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
410
Folk-Tales of the Lushais and their Neighbours.

his younger brother called,—"Elder brother!", and he answered,—"Awk ngang." Then he cried,—"Younger brother! Look here, I will fly, do you go along steadily in my shadow," he said. Then he flew, and the younger brother went along in his shadow. Then he passed through a virgin forest, and he lost his elder brother's shadow, and, being much perplexed, he climbed up to the top of a fig-tree, and there was some fruit. Then he saw Mother Ghost. "Gather me some," she said. "Give me your walking-stick, and I'll knock some down for you," he said. So she gave it. "Open your mouth wide," said the orphan, and she opened it. Then the orphan hurled the stick at her. "You are spearing me," said the Mother Ghost. "Spearing you! Not at all, I dropped it by chance. Open your mouth again, and give me up the stick again." So she gave it up again, and opened her mouth wide. He threw it slap into her mouth. He speared her to death. Then he came down, and took her stick and went off. Then a tigress had died, and its cubs were crying, but he thrust his stick into her, and she came to life, and he left her. He arrived at a strange village. The widow said,—"Don't come to stay in my house, my dog has died; I am not able to entertain any one," she said. "Oh yes, I'll come; I'll bring it to life again," he said. "Go on, how will you be able to bring it to life?", said she. Then he pushed his stick into the dog, and it came to life again. Then the widow was very delighted indeed. Then, just at that very time, the chief's daughter died. The widow went to the wake. Then the orphan said,—"Granny! If I can marry her without paying anything, I'll restore her to life." Then she repeated it, and the chief said,—"If he can restore her to life, call him down, he shall marry her," he said. Then she called him down, and he restored her to life and married her without paying a price. After a short time they were going to hold their Khuangchoi feast, and they called the elder brother, who