Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/49

 went to war against Erēn tsain mêrgên. The father of Erēn tsain, from a snowy white mountain, saw the thousand troops, and rode off to tell Erēn tsain; but he was asleep at that time; he slept three years at a stretch. At last, having heard the prayer of his father, he woke, sprung up, saddled and bridled his steed, drank a cup of tea, ate, sat on his steed, rode forth and defeated the whole army only with his whip "Kungkhai." Bai gu ê ider Khan was changed into a hare and fled to the mountains. Erēn tsain took all his nation and feasted for sixty days.—(Chērēn Dorchkê, a man of Zain Shabēn.)

In the dominions of the White Khan lived Êlsuin êbugên (the aged); the old man lived with his old woman; ten kinds of cattle had they. Each day the old man guarded his cattle, and watered them from the lake Khuntai. Once, whilst he was standing at the guard-station, the old man thought—"I have ten kinds of cattle; when I die to whom will they go? I will go to Êlguin Ulan Khada, to the hero Shartzur Khan, and I will beg of him a son." He hastily rode home and told his old woman his design and intention. "Wait," said the old woman, "the course of three days in the herd and then come again." Having passed three days with his herds, Êlsuin the aged returned home; his wife was with child. In the course of a year she gave birth to a babe; a day he lived, and the skin of one sheep was not large enough to cover him; five days the boy lived, five sheep-skins were too small; ten days he lived, ten sheep-skins were too small. The old people rejoiced that so fine a boy had been born to them. They made him a saddle and bridle, and a bow with arrows; they gave him for a horse a chestnut colt born of a mare the same day he was born. Now Êlsuin the aged had two relatives who served as advisers to the White Khan, and had hoped to inherit the wealth of the old man if he were to die without children. Having heard that to him was born a big, strong son, they counselled to destroy him, and said to the White Khan: "Êlsuin the aged has a son who will be a danger to thee. It is necessary to destroy him. To-morrow call him and say: ‘In the South country