Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/581

Rh mother. Therefore the Semas always give a share of every animal killed to the dogs. This story was told to the Sub-divisional Officer at Mokochong during a case about the "dog's share, and the dog's pleader ended his address to the Court: 'And now, too, we represent to our father Sahib that the dog's share be not forgotten. So now, too, give order not to forget the dog's share. Let us trust there was a decree for the plaintiff.

The next tale has, as far as I know, no very close parallel among the tales of other tribes, yet, as you will see, it has a common incident.

Once upon a time the monkey and the otter were friends. One day they each went in search of food, and met to eat it together. The monkey picked some figs, but the otter brought some fish. "Oh, my friend," said the monkey, "where did you get this?" "I will show you by and by," said the otter. So when they had finished eating they went to the river to hunt for fish. Before they reached the water the otter said, "You must not speak a word nor laugh near the water or you will die." So they came to the river and the otter caught some small fishes. The monkey remained silent; but when the otter caught some big fishes the monkey laughed, and he sank down in the water and was drowned. Then the otter carried him out and laid him on the bank to dry in the sun. Then the tiger came along and asked about the monkey. The otter said, "He is dead. You can eat him; but let him get dry first." So the tiger sat down to wait till the monkey should be dry. But when he got dry the monkey came to life again and ran away, and the otter dived into the pool. The tiger set to work to drink the pool dry, and it was nearly dry when the bird came and interfered. So the tiger hunted the bird and found its nest, in which there were three young birds. Two escaped; but the tiger caught one, which said