Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/322

314 "Thou, Taksuir (my lord)," continued the baigus, "hast captured all the birds, hast pierced their beaks, and hung them on a rope. They all requite (evil deeds?), they sit without food, they are hungry and their beaks are sore. If you wish to string me also by the beak, then twist a rope from the sun's ray and cows' butter:—

"What will such a rope do?" asked Dzalmaus. Chort (the devil) appeared. He (the devil) hunted, he hunted the ray with his hands, he did not catch anything, clots of butter were in his hands, they spread all about. Then Dzalmaus said: "Dja! the baigus is small in growth but his wisdom is great, let free all the birds at the request of the baigus." From that moment the baigus became the bey of the birds. People say the swan is the khan (Ak-kv. Mong. Khong) of the birds; this is not true, the khan among birds is the baigus. Therefore if the Kirghis meet the baigus they do not kill it, they consider that a sin, and though it can be taken by the hand they do not hunt it. They may take it to look at, but they do so to let go again. All birds have holes in the beak, but the baigus has no holes in the beak.—(Kirghis of Tarbagatai.)

A certain bey (master) had two daughters and two sons: in that time there were no other people in the land; the father went out hither and thither. During his absence the elder daughter said to the younger: "There are no other men besides our brothers, let us join ourselves to them." The younger sister replied to that: "God hears; it is sin." "God has no ears," said the elder. After that she began to secure for herself the elder of the brothers, but he refused; she threatened to slay him, but he was not afraid; then she plucked out his eyes and buried them in the ground. From that very time forth Kor-tuichkan (that is the blind mouse) dwelt under the ground. The father came home and found out about her conduct, and cursed the daughter; and God changed her into the cat Myalēn. Both animals (blind mouse and cat) resemble human beings; the