Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/328

320 Whoever, capturing the wild animal the Ukhuirokto, releases it in his tent shall have much oxen. If the young of the animal dwells in his tent it is the same thing.—(Khotogait.)

Formerly there were neither horses nor oxen, people ate grass. The father of the ox was called Zeng baba; he was alone and lived before Adam (for so was named the most ancient ancestor of the Kazak (Kirghis) nation). Man gathered grass and fed Zeng baba and milked him, but the horse went wild on the steppe; Djvpar called her. She turned to the man with the prayer, "Give me also grass." The man asked her, "Wilt thou agree that I should saddle thee, ride upon thee, and sell thee?" The horse agreed. Then the man gave grass to the horse. The ancestor of the camels was called Oisul Kara. Of him is the saying: Oisul Kara, suga salsa hat paidui ēskē saba. (Throw Oisul kara into the water, he will not sink the old saba. ) The father of all the sheep was Chopan-ata ; but the goat had no ancestor, he was born in the following manner: A shepherd tended Chopan-ata; the master said to him, "If Chopan-ata gives birth to only lambs all the increase shall be mine; but everything that is born unlike himself shall be to thee for wages." Chopan-ata gives birth; all are lambs, yes, lambs; then the shepherd in his vexation pricked him in the stomach with his staff. Chopan-ata at that time was with young, and gave birth to a goat having a tail of hair, not of fat. The master did not get honour by it, and gave it to the shepherd.

An old man had an ox, which he cut on the spine and let it loose in a field. A magpie came and pecked at his spine until it was still worse; a wolf ran up and tore him behind, and a fox fell upon him in front. The head alone was left. When the old man came to look at