The Pig said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Vaeddā. The Vaeddā said, "Sit down, O Bird."

"What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Vaeddā, shoot (with bow and arrow) the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Vaeddā said, "I will not.”

From there she went to the Timbol creeper.1 The Timbola said, "Sit down, O Bird."

"What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Timbola, prick the body of the Vaeddā, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said. The Timbola said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Fire. The Fire said, "Sit down, O Bird."

“What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Fire, burn the Timbola, the Timbola that did not prick the body of the Vaeddā, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Fire said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Water-pot. The Waterpot said, "Sit down, O Bird."

"What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Water-pot, quench the Fire, the Fire that did not burn

1 A creeper with long sharp thorns, punctures by which usually

cause ulcers.

the Timbola, the Timbola that did not prick the body of the Vaedda, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Water-pot said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Elephant. The Elephant said, "Sit down, O Bird."

What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Elephant, make muddy the Water-pot, the Water-pot that did not quench the Fire, the Fire that did not burn the Timbola, the Timbola that did not prick the body of the Vaedda, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the housedoor of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Elephant said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Rat. The Rat said, "Sit down, O Bird."

"What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Rat, creep into the ear of the Elephant, the Elephant who did not make muddy the Water-pot, the Water-pot that did not quench the Fire, the Fire that did not burn the Timbola, the Timbola that did not prick the body of the Vaeddā, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Rat said, "I will not."

From there she went to the Cat. The Cat said, “Sit down, O Bird."

What is the use of sitting and staying? What is the use of betel leaf and areka nut at the corner of the bed? O Cat, eat the Rat, the Rat who did not creep into the ear

of the Elephant, the Elephant who did not make muddy the Water-pot, the Water-pot that did not quench the Fire, the Fire that did not burn the Timbola, the Timbola that did not prick the body of the Vaeddā, the Vaeddā who did not shoot the Pig, the Pig who did not feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman who did not tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason who did not cut the rock, and give me the egg," she said.

The Cat said "Hā" (Yes).

Well then, the Cat went to catch the Rat, the Rat went to creep into the ear of the Elephant, the Elephant went to make muddy the Water-pot, the Water-pot went to quench the Fire, the Fire went to burn the Timbola, the Timbola went to prick the body of the Vaeddā, the Vaeddā went to shoot the Pig, the Pig went to feed in the rice field of the Village Headman, the Village Headman went to tie up the house-door of the Mason, the Mason went to cut the rock, and take and give the egg.

Here the story ends. “Was the egg given?" I asked. "It would be given," the narrator said. "No, he gave it," said a listener.

North-western Province.

In a variant which I heard in the Southern Province, a bird laid two eggs in a crevice between two stones, which drew close together. She went to a Mason or Stone-cutter ; (2) to a Pig; (3) to a Hunter; (4) to an Elephant, which she requested to kill him; (5) to a Lizard (Calotes), which she told to crawl up the Elephant's trunk into its brain; (6) to a Jungle Hen, which she told to peck and kill the Lizard; (7) to a Jackal, who, when requested to kill the Jungle Hen, at once agreed, and said, "It is very good," and set off after her.

In Wide-Awake Stories (Steel and Temple), p. 209-Tales of the Punjab, p. 195-there is a variant. While a farmer's wife was winnowing corn, a crow carried off a grain, and perched on a tree to eat it. She threw a clod at it, and knocked it down, but the grain of corn rolled into a crack in the tree, and the crow, though threatened with death in case of failure, was unable to recover it. It went for assistance, and requested (1) a Woodman to cut the

tree; (2) a King to kill the man; (3) a Queen to coax the King; (4) a Snake to bite the Queen; (5) a Stick to beat the Snake; (6) Fire to burn the Stick; (7) Water to quench the Fire; (8) an Ox to drink the water; (9) a Rope to bind the Ox; (10) a Mouse to gnaw the Rope; (11) a Cat to catch the Mouse. "The moment the Cat heard the name Mouse, she was after it, for the world would come to an end before a Cat would leave a Mouse alone." In the end the Crow got the grain of corn, and saved its life.

In Indian Folk Tales (Gordon), p. 53, there is an allied variant. A bird had bought three grains of corn for three cowries, and while she was on a new cart eating them one fell into a joint of the cart where she was unable to get it.

She appealed to (1) the Carpenter to take the cart to pieces, so that she might obtain it; (2) the King to make him do it; (3) the Queen to persuade the King; (4) a Deer to graze in the Queen's garden; (5) the Stick to beat the Deer; (6) the Fire to burn the Stick; (7) the Lake to quench the Fire; (8) the Rats to fill up the Lake; (9) the Cat to attack the Rats; (10) the Elephant to crush the Cat; (11) an Ant to crawl into the Elephant's ear; (12) the Crow, "the most greedy of all creatures," to eat the Ant. The Crow consented, and the usual result followed.

A

No. 29

The Pied Robin

1

Ta certain city, while a female Pied Robin 1 was digging and digging on a dung-hill, she met with a piece of scraped coconut refuse, it is said. She took it, and put it away, and having gone again, while she was digging and digging there was a lump of rice dust. Haying taken it, and put it to soak, she said, “Sister-in-law at that house, Sister-in-law at this house, come and pound a little flour."

"2

The women, saying, "No, no, with such a fragment you can pound that little bit yourself," did not come.

The Pied Robin pounded the flour, and cooking a cake of the size of a rice mat (waṭṭiya), and tying a hair-knot of the size of a box, and putting on a cloth of the breadth of a thumb, while she was going away she met with a Jackal. The Jackal asked, "Where are you going?"

Having looked for a [suitable] marriage, I am going to get married," she said.

The Jackal said, "Would it be bad if you went with me?" 3

The bird asked, "What do you eat?"

The Jackal said, "I eat a land crab, and drink a little water."

Then the bird said, "Chi! Bullock, Chi!" and while going on again she met with a blind man.

The blind man asked, "Where are you going?"

1 Polmicca kirilli.

• An imitation of the song of the bird, apparently.

• Māt ekka giyāma nākēyi ?