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 402 Folk Tales from the Naga Hills of Assam.

egg was bigger than when he first saw it. And so he said " What kind of an egg will this turn out to be ? " And so he shut the egg up in a basket, and a few days later came and looked at it again. Then he saw that a man child had been born. And so he hfted up and took away this child and tended it. And so under his care he became big and he gave him his share of property and gave him a wife. And he possessed children. And so now even the name of that kin is " Pera ; it is even now said. And the name of that sept is Vuprunama — so the Tenyimas say.^

No. 6. The Story of Tsoii and Diu.

Diu was of Merhema village, and Tsou was of Kiruphima village. And these two used to drive down their cattle, and when they had met tend them together, and when they were together they were very happy, and so also were their cattle ; but between their parents there was enmity.

And so Diu's father and mother said to Diu, " You two are not to stop together." And Tsou's father, too, said, " You two are not to stop together." Nevertheless, day by day, the two always met.

And every morning Diu's mother said to Diu, " Go with Tsou again to-day, and I taking this spear in my hand, will cut you." Thus speaking she used to take a spear at meal time, and put it near the edge of Diu's plate. And Diu used to pick up the spear and weep and take and eat of the rice that was on the plate. And when she had gone down and met Tsou she used to say to him, " I have come to-day also having eaten a spear with my plate of rice." Thus was she wont to say.

Nevertheless the two, because together they were very happy, continued to go down and meet together.

And so their parents were very angry with them and kept on giving them abuse.

^ Cf. Shakespear, Lushei Kitki Clans, p. 143 ; Frazer, Toiemism and Exogamy, ii. 337 ; i. 7. Cf. also Folk-Lore, xxvi. i. p. 83, 84 (March, 1915), where other references are given. — J. H. H.