Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/31

Rh Three women in their labour clutched — the first, the earth ; the second, a tree; the third, the mane of a horse; from them were born: from the first, the Chinaman, whose land is vast and people numerous ; from the second, the Russian, whose forests are many, and whose people are numerous ; but it was not so with the third ; from the third came the Kasak, who has but little hair on the mane, and is but a little people. — (The same as above.)

God, when he made man, ordered them to choose what suited them. The Chinaman seized the earth; the Russian, a tree; the Kazak (Kirghis), the herb hētêgê (Festuca ovina). Therefore, the Chinese is a husbandman; the Russian, a huntsman; and the Kirghis, a herdsman. — (A Kirghis of Tarbagatai.)

There were two maidens blooming with colour. Them a lake divided from a grey calf. A tiger lived with a calf and protected him. When the tiger went to the mountains for food he hung a bell on the calf. To the calf came one of the maidens ; the calf was frightened and ran away ; at the sound of the bell up rushed the tiger and threw the maiden into the lake. On the second maid the bull begat a four-footed son, who was left to browse at the entrance to the gorge ; at the entrance of a neighbouring gorge browsed a mare ; the son of the maiden of the bull ate in one day as much as the mare ate in seven. Therefore, they cut off his fore feet ; and he stood up to eat not grass but meat. — (Ochêr, a Khalka, near Cobdo. The story was translated in a confused way.)

There was once a poor Bandē. He had nothing to drink or to eat. The Bandē went on the road and met two men quarrelling over a precious-stone as big as a sheep's eye. Bandē said to them that they should hand him the stone, and that he should run with it,