Part 4

"I entreat that you spare my life, but take and sell me as a slave to the captain of the ship lying at the mouth of the river."

Relenting, the suitors took her to the captain. She, however, running on before, privately told the captain she had seven young men, her slaves, whom she would sell him for seven hundred pieces of silver. Seeing the young men were desirable, the captain gave Chum Paw the silver, and she fled while the seven lovers were placed in irons.

Chum Paw fled to the jungle, but, frightened by the wild beasts, she sought refuge in a tree. And it came to pass that the suitors escaped from the ship and they, too, sought refuge in the jungle. Unable to sleep and also frightened, one of them climbed a tree that he might be safe from the wild beasts, and, lo, it was the same tree in which Chum Paw had taken refuge.

"Be silent, make no noise, lest the others hear us," whispered Chum Paw. "I love you and knew you were wise and would escape from the ship. I only desired the silver for us to spend together."

The unfortunate man believed, and sought to embrace her, but, as he threw up his arms, Chum Paw threw him down, hoping thus to kill him. The others, hearing the commotion, feared a large bear was in the tree and hastily fled. Uninjured the suitor, whom Chum Paw had thrown from the tree, fled with them.

Chum Paw seeing that they all fled ran behind, as she knew no beast would attack her while there was so great a commotion. As the suitors looked back, they saw her, but mistook her for a bear and ran but the faster, and finally, they all, the seven suitors and Chum Paw reached their homes.

Knowing the suitors would again seek her life, Chum Paw made a feast of all things they most liked and bade the young men to come. (All the food was prepared by Chum Paw and poisoned.) "I want but to make me _boon_ before I die, so I beg you eat of my food and forgive me, for I merit death," said the maiden, as they sat in her house. All ate; and all died.

Chum Paw carried six bodies into the inner part of the house, and one she prepared for the grave. Weeping and wailing, she ran to the nearest neighbor, crying, "I want a man to come bury my husband. He died last night. As he had smallpox, fifty pieces of silver will I give to the one who buries him."

A man who loved money said, "I will bury him." When he came to the house, Chum Paw said, "Many times has he died and come back to life. If he comes back again, no money shall you have."

The man took the body, made a deep grave, buried the man and returned for his silver. Lo, on the mat lay the body! He made a deeper grave and again buried it. Six times he buried, as he supposed, the body, and, on returning and finding it a seventh time, he angrily cried, "You shall never return again." Taking the body with him, he built a fire, placed the body on it, and, while it burned, went to the stream for water. When he returned, lo, a charcoal man was standing there, black from his work.

Filled with wrath, the man ran up to him crying, "You will come back again, will you? will cause me this trouble again, will you?"

The charcoal burner replied, "I do not understand." Not a word would the man hear, but fought the burner, and as they struggled, they both fell into the fire and were burned to death.

Chum Paw built a beautiful home and spent the silver as she willed.

"The Wisest Man of a Small Village is Not Equal in Wisdom to a Boy of the City Streets"

Once a boy of the city, watching a buffalo outside the gate of the largest city in the province, saw three men approaching. Each was the wisest man of the village from whence he came. The boy called to them, "Where go ye, old men?"

The men angrily replied, "Wherefore dost thou, who art but a child, speak thus to us who are old and the judges of the villages from whence we come?"

The boy replied, "There is no cause for anger. How was I to know ye were wise men? To me, ye seem but as other men from a country place,--the wisest of whom are but fools."

The three men were very angry, caught the boy and said, "We will not enter into the city, but will go to another province and sell this insolent boy, because he neither reverences age nor wisdom."

The boy refused to walk, so they carried him. All day they walked along the road, carrying the boy, and at night they slept by the roadside. In the morning, when they craved water and bade the boy go to a brook, he refused, saying, "If I go, ye will run and leave me. I will not go."

Thirst drove one of the wise men for the water, and the boy drank of it freely.

Several days' journey brought them to a wall of a large city, and night was spent at a _sala_ near the wall. Seeking to rid themselves of the boy, they bade him go to the city for fire to cook food. Realizing their motive, he answered, "Should I go, ye will leave me. I will not go, though, if ye let me tie ye to the posts of the _sala_, then will I go."

With one accord they agreed, saying, "Do thou even so. We are weary carrying thee and cannot go for the fire."

Tying them all, the boy ran to the city, where he met a man whom he asked, "Dost thou wish to purchase three slaves? Come with me."

The man returned with the boy, saw the men, and gave him full value for each.

Having thus disposed of his captors, the cunning little fellow joined some men going to his native city, and as he walked along, he thought, "I was ever wanting to see other places, and now I have been carried a long journey, and have silver to last me many days ... surely, I have much _boon_."[16]

16: Merit.

"To Aid Beast is Merit; To Aid Man is but Vanity"[17]

A hunter, walking through a jungle, saw a man in a pit unable to escape. The man called to him, "If thou wilt aid me to escape from this snare, always will I remember thy grace and merit." The hunter drew him out of the pit, and the man said, "I am goldsmith to the head chow, and dwell by the city's gate. Shouldst thou ever want any benefit, come to me, and gladly will I aid thee."

As the hunter travelled, he met a tiger caught in a snare set for an elephant, and the tiger cried, "If thy heart prompts thee to set me free, thy aid will ever be remembered by me." He helped the tiger from the snare, and it said, "If ever thou needest aid, call and I will come to thee."

Then again the hunter went on his way, and came to a place where a snake had fallen into a well and could not get out, and the snake cried, "If thou wilt aid me, I can aid thee also in the time soon to come," and he assisted the snake. "When the time comes that thou needest me, think of me, and I will come to thee with haste," said the snake.

Now, it had happened that on the day that the hunter had rescued the tiger it had killed the chow's child, but of this the hunter knew nothing. And it came to pass that three days after, the hunter desiring to test the words of the tiger, went to the forest. Upon calling it, the tiger came to him immediately and brought with him a long golden chain, which he gave to the hunter. The hunter took the chain home, and, wishing to sell it, sought the goldsmith whom he had befriended. But the goldsmith, seeing it, said, "You are the man who has killed the chow's child." And he had his men bind the hunter with strong cords and took him to the chow in the hope of gaining the reward offered to any who might find him who had killed the child.

The chow put the hunter in chains and commanded he die on the morrow. The hunter begged for seven days' respite, and it was granted him. In the night he thought of the snake he had helped, and immediately the snake came, bringing with him a medicine to cure blindness. While the household of the chow slept, the snake entered and cast of its venom in the eyes of the chow's wife, and she was blind.

Throughout all the province the chow sought for some one to restore the eyes of his afflicted wife, but no one was found.

It happened on a day, that word came to the chow's ears that the hunter he had in chains for the death of his child, was a man of wisdom and knew the merit of all the herbs of the field, therefore he sent for him.

When the hunter came into the presence of the chow unto where the wife sat, he put the medicine which the snake had brought him into the eyes of the princess, and sight, even like unto that of a young maiden, was restored unto her.

Then the chow desired to reward the hunter, and the hunter told him how he had come into possession of the golden chain, of the medicine which the serpent had given him because he had aided it in its time of trouble, and of the goldsmith, who had not only forgotten benefits received, but had accused him so he might gain a reward. And when the chow learned the truth, he had the ungrateful goldsmith put to death, but to the hunter did he give half of his province, for had he not restored the sight of the princess?

17: This only of the Folk Tales has been written before. It is taken from an ancient temple book and is well-known in all the Laos country.

VIII The Gods Know and the Gods Reward

Love's Secrets

There was once a poor woodsman, who went to the jungle to cut wood, so he might sell it and buy food for his wife and child. And upon a day, when the cool evening had come, wearied, the man lay down to rest and fell into a deep sleep.

From his home in the sky, the god who looks after the destiny of man was hot-hearted[18] when he saw the man did not move, and he came down to see if he were dead. When he spake in the wood-cutter's ear, he awoke and arose, and the fostering god led him home. As they came near the gate, the god said, "Stand here, whilst I go and see to the welfare of thy wife." Listening without, the god heard the fond wife say to the little child, "I fear some evil hath befallen thy kind father. Ever doth he return as it darkens about us."

The god knew from her words that the wife was good, and taught the child love and reverence for its father, therefore was he pleased, and returning to the woodsman, sent him in haste to his home, and said, "I, myself, will lay the wood in its place."

The next morning, when the eye of day opened, the fond wife went for wood to build a fire that her husband might eat of hot food ere he went to his daily labor, and, lo, when she saw the wood which her husband had brought home, all was turned into gold! Thus had the cherishing god rewarded a husband faithful in his work, and a wife loving and thoughtful.

Leaving the house of the worthy woodsman, the god met a man tardily wending his way home with a small, poorly-made bundle of sticks. Approaching him, the god said, "Wait at the steps. I will go first and see how it is with thy wife." And the god went up unseen, and heard the wife say to her son, "Ever is it thus. Thy father thinks naught of us; he stays away so he need be with us but little."

Sadly the god returned to the laggard, took the bundle from him, and bade him go to his wife and child, saying he would put the wood in its place.

Late the following day, long after the husband had gone to his work, the wife went for some wood, and, lo, found all the wood had turned to venomous snakes! Then was she afraid, and she grew kinder of heart and strove to make her husband better and happy.

18: Anxious.

Poison-Mouth

There was once a poor father and mother who had a little daughter, called "Poison-Mouth."

And it happened on a day that a great number of cows came into the garden, and when the mother saw them she cried angrily, "You but destroy our garden. I would you were all dead."

"Poison-Mouth" hearing her mother's angry words, called out, "Die, all of you, for you are destroying our garden." And immediately all the cattle dropped dead.

Upon another day, the bees were swarming and great companies flew over the house, and the mother said complainingly, "Why do you never come to us that we may have honey?"

Little "Poison-Mouth" called: "Come to us that we may have honey." And, lo, before the eye of day had closed, the house was filled with bees and the poor people had more honey than they could use.

Word of "Poison-Mouth" reached a great chow, and, prompted by the god of love to sweeten the poisoned mouth, he sent ten men with this message to the child's parents: "Take good care of your child; let her hear no evil, and when she is old enough, I will take her to wife."

When the men approached the home of "Poison-Mouth" they said, "O, poor people," but the mother would not permit them to finish, as their words angered her, and she exclaimed, "You are bad dogs!" And the men were no longer men, but dogs, snapping and snarling, for little "Poison-Mouth" had also cried, "Bad dogs are you."

Though greatly distressed, the chow sent yet again twenty men with his message. And again, when the mother beheld these men, she exclaimed, "See, the dogs coming yonder!" "Poison-Mouth" echoed, "Yes, twenty dogs are coming now," and they also changed into dogs, fighting on the streets.

"Who can help me?" cried the chow, distressed though not despairing.

An old man answered, "I will help you. I will go to the child." And, while the mother was absent, he sought the little one, and thus softly said, "My child, thy tongue is given thee to bless with, and not to curse. Come with me, and learn only that which is good." The little one answered, "I will come," and the old man took her to the chow, who, from that time forth, spoke no evil, and, little "Poison-Mouth," hearing none but beautiful and good words, grew beautiful and good, and her words brought blessings ever.

Strife and Peace

There was once a husband and wife who ever quarrelled. Never were they pleasant with each other.

A wealthy man sought to see if they could spend but a day in peace, so he sent two men with one hundred pieces of silver to them, saying, "If this day be spent without strife, this silver shall be yours." Then the two men hid themselves near the house to watch after what fashion they spent the day.

"If we are to earn the reward, it were better thou shouldst hold thy tongue with thy hand, else thou canst not endure throughout the day," said the husband.

"Ever am I quiet. It is well known of all the neighbors that thou, and thou alone, art ever quarrelsome," retorted the wife.

And thus they disputed until both grew angry, and the quarrel was so loud that all the people living near heard it. Thereupon the two men came forth from their hiding-place, and said, "The silver does not belong to you, of a certainty."

* * * * *

Determined to find virtue, the rich man sent the two men with the silver to a husband and wife who never quarrelled, and bade them say, "If this day, you will strive one with the other, these one hundred pieces of silver shall be yours."

The husband greatly desired the money and sought to anger his wife. He wrought a basket which she wanted to use in sunning the cotton, with the strands of bamboo so wide apart that the least wind would blow all the cotton out of the basket. Yet, when he handed it to his wife, she pleasantly said, "This is just the right kind of a basket. The sun can come in all about the cotton, as though it were not in a basket at all."

Again, the husband made a basket so narrow at the top that it was difficult to put anything into it, and also the mouth was of rough material so that the hand would be scratched in putting in or taking out the cotton. "Surely, this will anger her," thought the husband.

Turning it from side to side, the wife said, "Now, this, too, is just right, for when the wind blows, the cotton will be caught on the rough wood at the mouth and cannot blow away."

The two men in hiding all day heard nothing but gentle words, so, in the evening, they returned to the rich man, saying, for they knew not the efforts of the husband to provoke his wife, "Those two know not how to quarrel."

Gladdened, the seeker for virtue commanded them to be given the silver, for they loved peace.

The Widow's Punishment

Once there lived a woman who had a son and a nephew living with her. And upon a day they came to her desiring money that they might go and trade in the bazaar. She gave each a piece of silver of equal value, and bade them so to trade and cheat that they might bring home much money.

At the bazaar, one bought a large fish, the other, the head and horns of a buffalo, and, as they rested by the roadside on their way home, they tied the large, living fish and the buffalo head together, and threw them in a muddy stream. When they threw the stones at the fish, it jumped, thus causing the buffalo head to move as though it were alive.

A man saw the head in the water and desired to buy the buffalo. The boys named the price of a live animal, and, having received it, they fled.

As they went along, not long after, they found a deer which a wild dog had killed, but had not eaten of it. It they took with them, and, a drover, seeing it, asked where they had found it.

"Our dog," said the boys, "is so trained, it goes to the jungle and catches the wild animals for our food."

The drover desired to buy the dog.

"No," said the boys, "we will not sell it."

Their words but made the drover more eager to possess the dog, and he offered ten of his best cattle in exchange. The exchange pleased the boys, and, having received the cattle for their useless dog, they hastened to a large city, where they sold them for much money and returned home. On reaching it, they divided the money equally, but the mother was dissatisfied and desired that her son have the larger portion, therefore she insisted that they make an offering to the spirit in the hollow tree near by, before the money could be rightly divided.

While the boys were preparing the offering, the mother ran and hid in the hollow tree, and when they had made their offering and asked the spirit, "What division must we make of the money?" a voice replied, "Unto the son of the widow, give two portions--unto the nephew of the widow, give one portion."

Greatly angered, the nephew put wood all about the tree and set fire to it. Though he heard the voice of his aunt, saying, "I beg that thou have mercy on me and set me free," he would not recognize it, and the widow and the tree perished. Thus, she who had taught him to cheat, by her own pupil was destroyed.

Honesty Rewarded

In the far north country there lived a father, mother, and son. So poor and desolate were they that their only possession was an old ax. Each morning, as the eye of day opened on the earth, they went to the woods and there remained until the evening, cutting the wood, which, when sold, furnished their only source of a living.

Upon a day, when the cutting was done, they placed the ax near the wood and went deeper into the jungle for vines to bind the wood. It happened the chow of the province came that way with twelve of his men; one of whom bore an ax of gold, another bore an ax of silver and both belonged to the chow. Yet, when the chow saw the old, wooden-handled ax lying near the wood, he commanded that it be taken home with them.

The family returning found their ax gone. Deeply distressed, they sat down and wept, and thus in trouble, did the chow and his men find them as they came that way again.

"Why are your hearts thus troubled?" inquired the chow.

They answered: "O chow, we had but one ax and it is gone and no other means of earning food have we!"

The chow replied: "I found your ax. Here it is." And he commanded they be given the ax of silver, whose handle even was silver.

"That is not ours," they cried, "not ours."

The chow commanded the ax of gold be given them. Yet they wept but the more, saying, "The golden ax is not ours. Ours was old, 'twas but of steel and the handle of wood, but 'twas all we had."

Their honesty gladdened the heart of the chow and he commanded that not only their own ax be returned, but the ax of gold, the ax of silver, and even a pun[19] of gold be given them. Thus was merit rewarded.

19: About 3 lbs. avoir.

The Justice of In Ta Pome

Men of three countries wanted a chemical to change stones and metals into gold, and they all came together to worship In Ta Pome, one of the gods. One man was from China, one from India, and one from Siam. They all worshipped at the feet of In Ta Pome, saying, "We beg thee, O In Ta Pome, give unto us the chemical which will change all stones and metals into gold."

In Ta Pome replied, "Each of you kill one of your children, cut him into pieces and put him into a jar. Cover this with a new, clean cloth, and bring it unto me."

The Chinaman feared to kill his child, so killed a pig, cut it up and placed it in a jar, over which he tied a close cover.

The Siamese did the same with a dog, but the Indiaman believed in In Ta Pome, and killed his only son, put him into a jar, and covered it.

All returned to the god with their several jars.

In Ta Pome sprinkled the jar of the Chinaman first, saying, "Whatsoever is silver, let it be silver; whatsoever is gold, let it be gold," but the pig grunted, as pigs do, and In Ta Pome said, "From this time forth, you shall take care of pigs and kill them to gain gold." Sprinkling the jar of the Siamese, the god again said, "Whatsoever is silver, let it be silver; whatsoever is gold, let it be gold," but the dog barked, as dogs do, and In Ta Pome said, "You must plow the earth, and only by the sweat of your brow shall you have enough to keep you in food."

Taking the jar of the Indiaman, and having sprinkled it, In Ta Pome cried, "Whatsoever is silver, let it be silver, and whatsoever is gold, let it be gold," and lo, the child came to life! And to the Indiaman did In Ta Pome give the chemical that changes all stones and metals into gold, because he had believed, and had not tried to mock and deceive the gods.

IX Wonders of Wisdom

The Words of Untold Value

In the days long since gone by, a young man, a son of a poor widow, desired to go with two of his friends to Tuck Kasula,[20] the country where one could learn the wisdom of all the world, but he had no gold with which to buy the wisdom, for does not every one know that wisdom is difficult to obtain, and is therefore of great price.

Now, the two young friends had each two puns[21] of gold, but the widow's son had but two hairs of his mother's, which, when he wept because he had no money, the widow had given him, saying, "I have naught but these two fine hairs to give thee, my son, but go with thy friends, each hair will be to thee as a pun of gold."

Then the son placed the two hairs in a package with his clothing, and sealed the package with wax, and set out with his friends to visit Tuck Kasula.

After they had travelled some time, they grew hungry, and on arriving in a village, they entered a house for food. The widow's son left his package and his other goods on the veranda. While he was within the house a hen ran away with the package and lost it. The owners of the hen offered the son anything they had either of food or clothing to replace his loss, but he would be content with nothing but the hen, and they gave it to him.

And again when they entered another house for food, the widow's son tied the hen to a small bush in the compound, and, lo, an elephant stepped upon it and killed it!

The people offered the young man many things to make good his loss, but he would be content with nothing but the elephant, and they gave him the elephant.

At last they reached Tuck Kasula, and while his two friends, with their gold, sought the house of the teachers, the widow's son stayed under a tree where he could hear the teachers instructing their disciples.

"If you wish to know others, sleep. If you wish to see, go and look," said a wise man. "These words are of untold value, but, for only two puns of gold will I give them unto you," he added.