Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/133

 Miscellanea. 12^

enough money to keep myself and family, and do not want to earn money by my horn. I think it is worth ;;^2oo.

By Coiirt : An unprincipled man who wished to make a profit out of it would get 5s. or los. a time for the loan of it, according to the condition of the parties.

Cross-examined by Mr. Efthymiades : I said I had it in my possession for ten or twelve years. I have cured four men and two animals during this time. As to the animals, I saw they were cured. They were swollen. I did not fix a sum to be paid in case the horn was lost.

I never heard that my father dealt in witchcraft, tying up, and loosening people. I have been offered los. by the village school- master. This was a precious thing to me, which I might have left to my children.

By Court : When I first took it out, there was a little thing like the horn of a snail in the end of it, but that afterwards disappeared and left only a little mark. I have heard there is such a thing in Cyprus as a snake with a horn, but I have never found one. I took care to draw out the horn before smashing the head.

KosTANDi Hajji Michail (swom) : I am a farmer of Tochni. Three years ago, my she-donkey was bitten by a snake on the jaw, which swelled. The neck was also swollen. I took it to the Plaintiff, who brought out his snake's horn. We put it in a glass of water, and gave the water to the donkey to drink. This was in the evening, and next morning the swelling ceased and the animal was all right. I saw the horn myself. The donkey is here in the town. I rode down on it to-day. Plaintiff and I are first cousins. The Defendant is my brother-in-law. We are all relations in Tochni.

Cross-examined : I was never present when any other animal was cured. I know my animal was bitten by a snake, because I saw the snake. It was a real Kov(pi] of a good stock. No one else saw it. I killed the snake. I saw my donkey going round and round, and I went up and found a snake. The rav0>) had no horn.

KosTANDi Papa Kyriaco (sworn) : I was Kostandi Dishkli's best man (cumbaros) when he was married. The wedding took place on a Sunday. On a Monday I went as best man to visit the groom. Afifirmavit mihi se esse devinctum quominus cum nupta coiret. I thought of Vassili and of his snake's horn,