Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/260

 2 26 Collectanea.

the wives of him, the chief. Council meetings were always being held before him. Then the Dove came and said, — "O Wearer of the coat of bast, O Wearer of the trousers of bast," she used to say, "O Poor One." He used to say "Um." Always (was this done) even until nine days were gone. Then on that day, when dawn came, she (Dove) said, "O Wearer of the coat of bast, O Wearer of the trousers of bast, O Poor One." But he remained silent. Then the chief wife said, — "What kind of thing is (this) which is always bothering you ? " He refused to answer, he the chief. So the wife (of the house) hit the Dove. When she had hit her, she (Dove) flew away from the town. But she took away her town, and left the boy with only a coat of bast.

40. The Most Cunniiig of all the Birds. (B. G.) A White-breasted Crow, a Small Wood-pigeon, a House Dove, and a Red-eyed Pigeon were arguing (argued). The Dove said she was more knowing than the Crow. The Small Wood-pigeon said he was more crafty than the Dove. The Pigeon said she was more cunning than the Wood-pigeon. So they said, — "Well, let each state (what) his knowledge (is) that we may know." Then the Crow said, — " If a man is standing upright," ^* she said, "if he stoops and bends, he is going to do evil." ^^ Then the Dove said, — "Well, is that all you know, O Crow?" so said the Dove. She said, — "But beware of one who is eating a dum-palm nut." She said "Why?" so said the Crow. Then the Dove said, — "Ah, does not one who is eating a nut stand upright? What if he throws the nut which is in his mouth at you?" Then she (Crow) said, — " Ah, I have shewn my knowledge. Now you do yours." So she said, — " Very well, I, my craftiness (is such that) I am not to be caught in a trap." Then the Wood-pigeon said, — " I also am not to be caught in a trap." Then the Pigeon said, " I also am not to be caught in a trap." So then they said, — "You, Dove, to-day you will go and peck at the threshing-place where the boys make a trap." So she came. When she had come, the boys made a trap in the chaff. So she came and began pecking, and

^*" Shamm" is possibly coined from Atten-/?o«, though the story teller said not, but that it came from " shiru." '^''E.g., "to shoot."