342 Collectanea.
and said, — " O Snake, I am not Talele. Give me room to pass." He gave her room, and she went; he said it was she, Talele, whom he wanted. Another came also, — all went by except Talele. She alone (was left) in the tree. Then a Pigeon came, and said, — "If a man does you a good turn, you return evil, but I will do you a good turn. Have you heard what the young girls have been saying ? Now take off all your waistcloths and give me, (and) I will bring them to you at your house. So she took them off and gave (them) to her. Then she descended towards (from) the earth a little ; then she said, — " O Snake, I am not Talele. Give me room to pass. So he gave her room, and she went by and went home. Then the Pigeon from above said to the Snake, — " You see me. I am Talele, but I am off." Then he lost his temper, he bit off his tail, and he died there. Then the Pigeon flew away and came to Talele's house. Then she said, — "That is over. Here are your clothes." Talele said she would give her five slaves. She (Pigeon) said she did not want them. Then she (Pigeon) said what she wanted was, if she came to peck some grain, let some be thrown on the ground for her, and when she had finished she would fly away. So she always used to come, and she was given grain. One day Talele went away to see her friend in the town. Then the Pigeon came to her house, (the house of) her, Talele. When she had come, an old woman in Talele's house got up and hit the Pigeon, and the Pigeon died. Talele returned, and, when she had returned, she said, — "Who has hit this Pigeon ? " Then they said it was her grand- mother. Then Talele took a knife and cut open her stomach, and she died, because the Pigeon had been killed. They were quits.^
43. The tender-hearted Girl and the Fish. (S. D.)
A certain man went to the river to catch fish. He brought one home, and gave it to his wife. She said to her rival's daughter, — " Get up. Go to the stream, and wash the fish. If you let him go, when you come back home I will thrash you." The girl went to the river and began to wash the fish. The fish said, — " You, Girl,
-Lit. "Their good turn (or promise) had become one."
