Page:Sagas from the Far East; or, Kalmouk and Mongolian traditionary tales.djvu/50

26 So they took the Baling-cake out of the straw sacrifice, and it fell into the hollow tree. And the people said, "We must choose some other mode of divination, for the Baling-cake has failed. Shall a hollow tree reign over us?"

But others said, "Let us see what there may be inside the hollow tree."

Thus when they came to look into the tree they found the Prince and his follower. So they drew them out and said, "These shall rule over us." But others said, "How shall we know which of these two is the Khan?" While others again cried, "These men are but strangers and vagabonds. How then shall they reign over us?"

But to the Prince and his follower they said, "Whence are ye? and how came ye in the hollow tree?"

Then the Prince began spitting gold coin, and his follower precious emeralds. And while the people were busied in gathering the gold and the emeralds they installed themselves in the palace, and made themselves Khan and Chief Minister, and all the people paid them homage.

When they had learned the ways of the kingdom and established themselves well in it, the new Khan said to his Minister that he must employ himself to find a wife worthy of the Khan. To whom the Minister made answer,—