Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/505

 Collectanea. 469

not been touched (its) entering). Now there was a fan-palm in the middle of the lake. So the white leper said to the chief, — "Tell the boy to fetch two fruits of the palm-tree." So he was told. Then the boy saw he was unable to enter (the water). So he cried hard. Then the Monkey and the Frog came to the boy. They said, — " Dry your tears,^^ because of such (things). We asked you long ago if we could come to your house and live." Then the Monkey arose and hopped to the edge of the lake. From the edge of the lake he jumped and alighted upon the fan- palm. But the Frog dived, and did not come up until he had reached the fan-palm. Then the Frog climbed the fan-palm, he also. When the Monkey had plucked (one), he jumped straight out,^^ and the Frog also pulled off (out) his and fell into the water, and did not rise until he was at the bank.^'^ So they brought the two fruits of the fan-palm, and the boy went and put (them) aside. Then the chief's councillors came to take the fruits of the fan-palm (next) morning. He (Auta) took (them), and gave them (them). They brought (them) to the chief The chief said, — "Well, White Leper, what shall we do to get this boy's riches?" He (white leper) said, — "Look here. It is now the dry season. There is no water. So you tell him to bring a leaf of the millet about daybreak." The chief said, — "Very well." Then the boy came and cried hard, until the White-breasted Crow and the Crown-bird came and said, — " O Boy, what are you crying for?" (the crying of what are you doing). He said, — "The chief has said I must bring him a millet leaf now in the dry season." They said, — "Come, dry your tears and be easy." Then the Crow went nortli, (and) the Crown-bird went south. They flew saying, — " Da, da, da," so went the Crow. So she went to where she came upon the millet high; the Crown-bird came to where the millet had began to put out ears (eye). She then, the Crow, found a place where (the millet was) ready to be threshed. So she arrested (her flight), and tied up a bundle. As for the Crown-bird, she found a place where (the leaves) were peeling off". So she also tied up a bundle. The Crow brought (hers), (and) the Crown-bird brought (hers). So they brought

28 " Silence " would be too rude an expression. ^^z'.e., on the bank.

^^ Lit. " did not rise except outside."