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Myths and Legends Around the World - Collection 17-Various · W. Somerset Maugham Audiobooks

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  Speaker 1: Freya in Myths and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen
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  Speaker 1: from Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Saugus
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  Speaker 1: author H. A. Gerber. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. The more information
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  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dadourg Chapter ten. Freya,
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  Speaker 1: the Goddess of Love. Freya, the fair Northern goddess of
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  Speaker 1: beauty and love, was the sister of Frey and the
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  Speaker 1: daughter of Nord and Nerthus or Scotti. She was the
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  Speaker 1: most beautiful and beloved of all the goddesses, and while
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  Speaker 1: in Germany she was identified with Friga, in Norway, Sweden,
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  Speaker 1: Denmark and Iceland she was considered a separate divinity. Freya,
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  Speaker 1: having been born in Vanaheim, was also known as Vanadis,
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  Speaker 1: the Goddess of Venus, or as van a Bride. When
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  Speaker 1: she reached Asgard, the gods were so charmed by her
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  Speaker 1: beauty and grace that they bestowed upon her the realm
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  Speaker 1: of folk Fang and the great hall Cesser Minner the
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  Speaker 1: roomy seated, where they assured her she could easily accommodate
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  Speaker 1: all her guests. Volk fang tis called where Frija has
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  Speaker 1: right to dispose of the hall seats. Every day of
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  Speaker 1: the slain, she chooses the half and leaves half to
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  Speaker 1: Odin Norse mythology, R. B Andersen, Queen of the Valkyries.
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  Speaker 1: Although goddess of love, Freya was not soft and pleasure loving,
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  Speaker 1: only for the ancient Northern races believed that she had
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  Speaker 1: very martial tastes, and that as Valfreya, she often led
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  Speaker 1: the Valkirs down to the battlefields, choosing and claiming one
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  Speaker 1: half of the hero's slain. She was therefore represented with
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  Speaker 1: courselins and helmet, shield and spear, the lower part of
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  Speaker 1: her body only being clad in the usual flowing feminine
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  Speaker 1: carb Freya transported the chosen slang to Volt's fang, where
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  Speaker 1: they were duly entertained. There she also welcomed all pure
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  Speaker 1: maidens and faithful wives that they might enjoy the company
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  Speaker 1: of their lovers and husbands after death. The joys of
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  Speaker 1: her abode were so enticing to the heroic Northern women
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  Speaker 1: that they often rushed into battle where their loved ones
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  Speaker 1: were slain, hoping to meet with the same fate. Or
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  Speaker 1: they fell upon their swords or voluntarily burned on the
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  Speaker 1: same funeral pyre as the remains of their beloved. As
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  Speaker 1: Freya was believed to lend a favorable ear to lover's prayers,
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  Speaker 1: she was often invoked by them, and it was customary
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  Speaker 1: to compose in her honor love songs, which were sung
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  Speaker 1: on all festive the caves, her very name in Germany
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  Speaker 1: being used as the verb to woo Freya and Odur. Freya,
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  Speaker 1: the golden haired and blue eyed goddess, was also at
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  Speaker 1: times considered as a personification of the earth. As such,
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  Speaker 1: she married Odur, a symbol of the summer sun, whom
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  Speaker 1: she dearly loved, and by whom she had two daughters,
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  Speaker 1: nass and Josemi. These maidens were so beautiful that all
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  Speaker 1: things lovely and precious were called by their names. While
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  Speaker 1: Adour lingered contentedly at her side, Freya was smiling and
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  Speaker 1: perfectly happy. But alas that God was a rover at heart,
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  Speaker 1: and wearying of his wife's company, he suddenly left home
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  Speaker 1: and wandered far out into the wide world. Freya, sad
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  Speaker 1: and forsaken, wept abundantly, and her tears fell upon the
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  Speaker 1: hard rocks, which softened at their contact. We are told
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  Speaker 1: even that they trickled down to the very center of
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  Speaker 1: the stones, where they were transformed to gold. Some tears
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  Speaker 1: fell into the sea and were changed into transulant amber.
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  Speaker 1: Weary of her widowed condition and longing to clasp her
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  Speaker 1: beloved in her arms once more, Freya finally started out
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  Speaker 1: in search of him, passing through many lands where she
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  Speaker 1: became known by different names such as Mordell, Porne, Gepphin,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Scilia, and Throng, inquiring of all who she met
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  Speaker 1: whether her husband had passed that way, and shedding everywhere
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  Speaker 1: so many tears, that gold is to be found in
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  Speaker 1: all parts of the earth. And Freya next came nigh
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  Speaker 1: with golden tears. The lovely goddess she in heaven by
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  Speaker 1: all most honored. After Freya, Hoddin's wife, her long ago
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  Speaker 1: wandering order took to mate, but left her to roam
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  Speaker 1: distant lands. Since then she seeks him and weeps tears
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  Speaker 1: of gold. Names hath she many vanadis On earth, they
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  Speaker 1: call her. Freya is her name in heaven. Balder dead
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  Speaker 1: Matthew Arnold. Far away in the sunny south under the
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  Speaker 1: flowering myrtle trees, Freya found odur At last, and her
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  Speaker 1: love being restored to her, she was happy and smiling
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  Speaker 1: once again, and radiant as a bride. It is perhaps
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  Speaker 1: because Freya found her husband beneath the flowering myrtle, that
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  Speaker 1: northern brides to this very day were myrtle in preference
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  Speaker 1: to the conventional orange wreath of other climes. Hand in hand,
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  Speaker 1: Ojoer and Freya now gently winded their way home once more,
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  Speaker 1: and in the light of their great happiness, the grass
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  Speaker 1: grew green, the flowers bloomed, and the bird sang. For
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  Speaker 1: all nature sympathized as heartily with Freya's joy as it
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  Speaker 1: had mourned with her when she was in sorrow. Out
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  Speaker 1: of the morning land, over the snow drifts, beautiful Freya
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  Speaker 1: came tripping to scoring. White were the morlands, and frozen
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  Speaker 1: before her, Green were the moorlands, and blooming behind her
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  Speaker 1: out of her golden locks, shaking the spring flowers out
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  Speaker 1: of her garments, shaking the south wind around the birches,
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  Speaker 1: awakening the throstles, and making chaste housewives all long for
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  Speaker 1: their heroes. Home, loving and love giving came she to
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  Speaker 1: scoring the long beards saga Charles Kingsley, The Prettiest plants
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  Speaker 1: and flowers in the north were called Fraya's hair or
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  Speaker 1: fray as i do, while the butterfly was called fray
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  Speaker 1: as hen. This goddess was also supposed to have special
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  Speaker 1: affection for the fire, whom she loved to watch dancing
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  Speaker 1: in the moonbeams, and for whom she reserved her daintiest
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  Speaker 1: flowers and sweetest honey. Adeur. Fraya's husband, being considered a
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  Speaker 1: personification of the sun, was also regarded as an emblem
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  Speaker 1: of passion or of the intoxicating pleasures of love, so
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  Speaker 1: the ancients declared that it was no wonder his wife
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  Speaker 1: could not be happy without him. Praya's necklace. Being goddess
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  Speaker 1: of beauty, Freya naturally was very fond of the toilet,
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  Speaker 1: of glittering adornments and of precious jewels. One day, while
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  Speaker 1: she was in spar At Alpheim, the Underground Kingdom, she
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  Speaker 1: saw four dwarfs fashioning the most wonderful necklace she had
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  Speaker 1: ever seen. Almost beside herself with longing to possess this treasure,
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  Speaker 1: which was called Prisingamen and was an emblem of the
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  Speaker 1: stars or of the fruitfulness of the earth. Freya implored
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  Speaker 1: the dwarfs to give it to her, but they obstinately
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  Speaker 1: refused to do so unless she would promise to grant
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  Speaker 1: them her favor. Having secured the necklace at this price,
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  Speaker 1: Freya hastened to put it on, and its beauty so
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  Speaker 1: enhanced her charms that she wore it night and day,
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  Speaker 1: and only occasionally could be persuaded to lend it to
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  Speaker 1: other divinities. Thor, however, wore this necklace when he personated Freya,
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  Speaker 1: and Jauntenheim and Loki coveted and would have stolen it
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  Speaker 1: had it not been for the watchfulness of Haim dal
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  Speaker 1: Fray was also the proud possessor of a falcon garb
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  Speaker 1: or falcon plumes, which enabled the wearer to flit through
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  Speaker 1: the air as a bird, and this garment was so
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  Speaker 1: invaluable that it was twice borrowed by Loki, and was
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  Speaker 1: used by Freya herself when she went in search of
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  Speaker 1: the missing Adur. Freya one day falcon wings took and
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  Speaker 1: through space hied away northward and southward. She sought her
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  Speaker 1: dearly loved Odur. Fritha hoff Saga Tiger Stephen's translation as
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  Speaker 1: Freya was considered the goddess of fruitfulness. She was sometimes
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  Speaker 1: represented as riding about with her brother Frey in the
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  Speaker 1: chariot drawn by the golden bristle boar, scattering with lavish
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  Speaker 1: hands fruits and flowers to gladden the hearts of mankind.
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  Speaker 1: She had a chariot of her own, however, which she
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  Speaker 1: generally traveled. This was drawn by cats, her favorite animals,
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  Speaker 1: the emblems of caressing fondness and sensuality, or the personifications
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  Speaker 1: of pecundity. Then came dark bearded Nord, and after him
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  Speaker 1: Frea then robed about her ankle's slim the gray cat's
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  Speaker 1: playing lovers of Gundran, William Morris, Frey and Freya were
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  Speaker 1: held in such high honor throughout the North that their names,
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  Speaker 1: in modified forms are still used for master and mistress,
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  Speaker 1: and one day of the week is called Freya's Day
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  Speaker 1: or Friday by the English speaking race. Freya's temples were
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  Speaker 1: very numerous, indeed, and were long maintained by her votiaries,
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  Speaker 1: the last in Madgeburg, Germany, being destroyed by order of Charlemagne.
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  Speaker 1: Story of Auteur and Angantyr. The Northern people were wont
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  Speaker 1: to invoke Freya not only for success in love, prosperity,
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  Speaker 1: and increase, but also at times for aid and protection.
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  Speaker 1: This she vouchsafed to all who served her truly. As
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  Speaker 1: appeared in the story of Ottar and Angatyer, two men who,
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  Speaker 1: after disputing for some time concerning the rites to a
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  Speaker 1: certain piece of property, laid their quarrel before the thing.
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  Speaker 1: That popular assembly degreed that the man who could prove
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  Speaker 1: that he had the longest line of noble ancestors should
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  Speaker 1: be declared the winner, and a special day was appointed
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  Speaker 1: to investigate the genealogy of each claimant. O Tar, unable
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  Speaker 1: to remember the names of more than a few of
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  Speaker 1: his progenitors, offered sacrifices to Freyer, entreating her aid. The
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  Speaker 1: goddess graciously hurt his prayer, and appearing before him, she
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  Speaker 1: changed into a boar and rode off upon his back
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  Speaker 1: to the dwelling of the sorceress Hindla, a most renown which,
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  Speaker 1: by threats and entreaties, Freya compelled the old woman to
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  Speaker 1: trace Otar's genealogy back to Odin and to every name
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  Speaker 1: every individual in turn, with a synopsis of his achievements. Thus,
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  Speaker 1: fearing lest her Votary's memory should be unable to retain
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  Speaker 1: so many details, Freya further compelled Hindla to brew a
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  Speaker 1: potion of remembrance, which she gave him to drink. He
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  Speaker 1: shall drink delicious drafts all the gods. I pray to
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  Speaker 1: favor Ottour Samon's Eta Throbe's translation. Thus prepared, o Tar
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  Speaker 1: presented himself before the thing on the appointed day, and
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  Speaker 1: glibly reciting his pedigree, he named so many more ancestors
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  Speaker 1: the naganteer could recollect that he was easily awarded possession
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  Speaker 1: of the property. He coveted a duty tis to act
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  Speaker 1: so that the young prince his paternal heritage may have
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  Speaker 1: after his kindred Somon's Eta Throbe's translation, Husbands of Freya.
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  Speaker 1: Freya was so beautiful that all the gods, giants and
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  Speaker 1: dwarfs longed for her love, and in turn tried to
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  Speaker 1: secure her as wife. But Freya scorned the ugly giant
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  Speaker 1: and refused even Threm when urged to accept him by
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  Speaker 1: Loki and Thor. She was not so Duran where the
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  Speaker 1: gods themselves were concerned, if the various mythologies are to
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  Speaker 1: be believed, for as the personification of the earth, she
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  Speaker 1: is said to have wedded odin the sky, Frey, the
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  Speaker 1: fruitful rain, Odur, the sunshine, et cetera, until it seems
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  Speaker 1: as if she deserves the accusation hurled against her by
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  Speaker 1: the arch fiend Loki, of having loved and wedded all
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  Speaker 1: the gods in turn worship of Freya. It was customary
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  Speaker 1: on solemn occasions to drink Freya's health with that of
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  Speaker 1: the other gods, and when Christianity was introduced in the North,
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  Speaker 1: this toast was transferred to the Virgin or to Saint Gertrude.
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  Speaker 1: Freya herself, like all the Heathen divinities, was decleared a
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  Speaker 1: demon or witch and banished to the mountain peaks of Norway,
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  Speaker 1: Sweden or Germany, where the Brocken is pointed out as
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  Speaker 1: her special abode and the general tryst place of her
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  Speaker 1: demon Train on belleperchsnot course of witches on to the Brocken.
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  Speaker 1: The witches are flockin' merry meet merry part how they
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  Speaker 1: gallop and thrive. Yellow stubble and stalk are rocking, and
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  Speaker 1: young green corn is merry alive, with the shapes and
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  Speaker 1: shadows swimming by. To the highest heights they fly where
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  Speaker 1: sir Urine sits on high throughout and about with clamor
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  Speaker 1: and shout drives the maddening route of her stock of
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  Speaker 1: her stone, shriek, laughter and moan before them are blown.
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  Speaker 1: Goth faust An Stir's translation as the swallow, cuckoo, and
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  Speaker 1: cat were held sacred to Freya in Heathen time. These
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  Speaker 1: creatures were supposed to have to monocle attributes, and to
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  Speaker 1: this day whiches are always depicted with cold black cats
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  Speaker 1: beside them. End of Freya in Myths and Legends Around
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  Speaker 1: the World Collection seventeen.
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  Speaker 2: My Lord Bag of Rice in Myths and Legends Around
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  Speaker 2: the World Collection seventeen from Japanese Fairy Tales. This is
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  Speaker 2: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 2: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 2: Read by Robert Tunick. My Lord Bag of Rice by
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  Speaker 2: yeay Theodora Ozaki. Long long ago there lived in Japan
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  Speaker 2: a brave warrior known to all as Tawara Toda or
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  Speaker 2: my Lord bag of Rice. His true name was Fujiwara
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  Speaker 2: hide Sato, and there is a very interesting story of
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  Speaker 2: how he came to change his name. One day he
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  Speaker 2: sallied forth in search of adventures, for he had the
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  Speaker 2: nature of a warrior, and he could not bear to
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  Speaker 2: be idle. So he buckled on his two swords, took
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  Speaker 2: his huge bow, much taller than himself and his hand,
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  Speaker 2: and slinging his quiver on his back, started out. He
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  Speaker 2: had not gone far when he came to the bridge
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  Speaker 2: of Seta no Karashi, spanning one end of the beautiful
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  Speaker 2: lake Biwa. No sooner had he set foot on the
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  Speaker 2: bridge than he saw lying right across his path a
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  Speaker 2: huge serpent dragon. Its body was so big that it
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  Speaker 2: looked like the trunk of a large pine tree, and
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  Speaker 2: took up the whole width of the bridge. One of
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  Speaker 2: its huge claws rested on the parapet of one side
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  Speaker 2: of the bridge, while its tail lay right against the other.
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  Speaker 2: The monster seemed to be asleep, and as it breathed,
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  Speaker 2: fire and smoke came out of its nostrils. At first,
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  Speaker 2: Hide's Hatto could not help feeling alarmed at the sight
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  Speaker 2: of this horrible reptile lying in his path, for he
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  Speaker 2: must either turned back or walk right over its body.
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  Speaker 2: He was a brave man, however, and putting aside all fear,
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  Speaker 2: went forward daubtlessly, crunch, crunch, He stepped now in the
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  Speaker 2: dragon's body now between its coils, and without even one
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  Speaker 2: glance backward, he went on his way. He had only
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  Speaker 2: gone a few steps before he heard someone calling him
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  Speaker 2: from behind. On turning back, he was much surprised to
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  Speaker 2: see that the monster dragon had entirely disappeared, and in
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  Speaker 2: its place was a strange looking man who was bowing
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  Speaker 2: most ceremoniously to the ground. His red hair streamed over
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  Speaker 2: his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in the
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  Speaker 2: shape of a dragon's head, and his sea green dress
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  Speaker 2: was patterned with shells. Hidesaughta knew at once that this
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  Speaker 2: was no ordinary immortal and he wondered much at the
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  Speaker 2: strange occurrence. Where had the dragon gone in such a
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  Speaker 2: short space of time, or had it transformed itself into
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  Speaker 2: this man? And what did the whole thing mean? While
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  Speaker 2: these thoughts passed through his mind, he came up to
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  Speaker 2: the man on the bridge and now addressed him. Was
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  Speaker 2: that you that called me just now?
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  Speaker 3: Yes?
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  Speaker 2: It was, I answered the man. I have an earnest
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  Speaker 2: request to make to you. Do you think you can
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  Speaker 2: grant it to me? If it is in my power
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  Speaker 2: to do so? I will, answered Hidesato, But first tell
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  Speaker 2: me who you are. I am the dragon King of
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  Speaker 2: the lake, and my home is in these waters, just
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  Speaker 2: under this bridge. And what is it that you have
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  Speaker 2: to ask of me, said Hidrisato. I want you to
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  Speaker 2: kill my mortal enemy, the centipede, who lives on the
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  Speaker 2: mountain beyond. And the dragon King pointed to a high
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  Speaker 2: peak on the opposite shore of the lake. I have
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  Speaker 2: lived now for many years in this lake, and I
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  Speaker 2: have a large family of children and grandchildren. For some
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  Speaker 2: time past we have lived in terror, for a monster
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  Speaker 2: centipede has discovered our home, and night after night it
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  Speaker 2: comes and carries off one of my family. I am
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  Speaker 2: powerless to save them. If it goes on much longer
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  Speaker 2: like this, not only shall I lose all of my children,
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  Speaker 2: but I myself must fall a victim to the monster.
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  Speaker 2: I am therefore very unhappy, and in my extremity, I
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  Speaker 2: determined to ask the help of a human being. For
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  Speaker 2: many days, with this intention, I have waited on the
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  Speaker 2: bridge in the shape of a horrible serpent dragon that
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  Speaker 2: you saw, in the hope that some strong, brave men
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  Speaker 2: would come along. But all who came this way as
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  Speaker 2: soon as they saw me were terrified and ran away.
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  Speaker 2: As fast as they could. You are the first man
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  Speaker 2: I have found able to look at me without fear,
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  Speaker 2: so I knew at once that you are a man
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  Speaker 2: of great courage. I beg you to have pity upon me.
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  Speaker 2: Will you not help me and kill my enemy the centipede.
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  Speaker 2: Hidisotto felt very sorry for the dragon King on hearing
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  Speaker 2: his story, and readily promised to do what he could
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  Speaker 2: to help him. The warrior asked where the centipede lived,
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  Speaker 2: so that he may attack the creature at once. The
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  Speaker 2: dragon King replied that its home was on the mountain Mikami,
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  Speaker 2: but that as it came every night at a certain
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  Speaker 2: hour to the palace of the Lake, it would be
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  Speaker 2: better to wait till then. So Hidesotto was conducted to
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  Speaker 2: the palace of the Dragon King under the bridge strange
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  Speaker 2: to say. As he followed his host downwards, the water
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  Speaker 2: parted to let them pass, and his clothes did not
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  Speaker 2: feel damp as he passed through the flood. Never had
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  Speaker 2: Hideasoto seen anything being so beautiful as this palace, built
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  Speaker 2: of white marble beneath the lake. He had often heard
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  Speaker 2: of the Sea King's palace at the bottom of the sea,
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  Speaker 2: where all the servants and retainers were salt water fishes.
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  Speaker 2: But here was a magnificent building in the heart of
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  Speaker 2: Lake Biwa. The dainty goldfishes, red carp and silvery trout
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  Speaker 2: waited upon the Dragon King and his guest, Hidrisato, was
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  Speaker 2: astonished at the feast that was spread for him. The
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  Speaker 2: dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers, and the chopsticks
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  Speaker 2: were of the rarest ebony. As soon as they sat down,
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  Speaker 2: the sliding doors opened, and ten lovely goldfish dancers came out,
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  Speaker 2: and behind them followed ten red carp musicians with the
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  Speaker 2: koto and the chamisen. Thus the hours flew by till midnight,
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  Speaker 2: and the beautiful music and the dancing had banished all
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  Speaker 2: thoughts of the centipede. The Dragon King was about to
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  Speaker 2: pledge the warrior in a fresh cup of wine when
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  Speaker 2: the palace was suddenly shaken by a tramp. Tramp as
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: if a mighty army had begun to march not far away.
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: Hide Sato and his host both rose to their feet
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: and rushed to the balcony, and the warriors saw on
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: the opposite mountain two great balls of glowing fire, coming
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: nearer and nearer. The dragon King stood by the warrior's side,
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: trembling with fear.
• 22:16
  Speaker 3: The senapede. The senefied, those two balls of fire are
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: its eyes that is coming for its prey. Now is
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: the time to kill it.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: Hideasato looked where his host pointed, and in the dim
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: light of the starlit evening behind the two balls of fire,
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: he saw the long body of an enormous centipede winding
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: round the mountains and the light and its hundred feet
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: glowed like so many distant lanterns, moving slowly towards the shore.
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: Hide.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: Sato showed not the least sign of fear. He tried
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: to calm the dragon king. Don't be afraid. I shall
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: surely kill the centipede. Just bring me my bow and arrows.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: The dragon king as he was bid, and the warrior
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver.
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: He took the bow and fitted an arrow to the notch,
• 23:08
  Speaker 2: took careful aim, and let fly. The arrow hit the
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: centipede right in the middle of its head, but instead
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: of penetrating it, it glanced off harmlessly and fell to
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: the ground. Nothing daunted, he Decaido took another arrow fitted
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: the notch of the bow and let fly again. The
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: arrow hit the mark. It struck the centipede right in
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: the middle of its head, only to glance off and
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: fall to the ground. The centipede was invulnerable to weapons.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: When the dragon king saw that even his brave warrior's
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: arrows were powerless to kill the centipede, he lost heart
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: and began to tremble with fear. The warriors saw they
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: had only one arrow left in his quiver, and that
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: if this failed, he could not kill the centipede. He
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: looked across the waters. The huge reptile had wound its
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: horrid body seven times round the mountain. It would soon
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: come down to the lake nearer and nearer. Gleamed fireballs
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: of eyes, and the light of its hundred feet began
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: to throw reflections in the still waters of the lake.
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: Then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had heard that
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: human saliva was deadly to centipedes. But this was no
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: ordinary centipede. This was so monstrous that even to think
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: of such a creature made one creep with horror. Hideous
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: Atto determined to try his last chance, So, taking his
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: last arrow, and first putting the end of it in
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: his mouth, he fitted the notch to his bow, took
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: careful aim once more and let fly. This time the
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: arrow again hit the centipede right in the middle of
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: its head, but instead of glancing off harmlessly as before,
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: it struck home to the creature's brain. Then, with the
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: convulsive shudder, the serpentine body stopped moving, and the fiery
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: light of its great eyes and a hundred feet darkened
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: to a dull glare, like the sunset of a stormy day,
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: and then went out in blackness. A great darkness now
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: overspread the heavens. The thunder rolled, and the lightning flashed,
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: and the wind roared in fury, and it seemed as
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: if the world was coming to an end. The dragon
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: King and his children and retainers all crouched in different
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: parts of the palace, frightened to death, for the building
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: was shaken to its foundation. At last, the dreadful night
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: was over. Day dawned beautiful and clear. The centipede was
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: gone from the mountain. Then he is set to a
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: call to the dragon King to come out with him
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: on the balcony, for the centipede was dead and he
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: had nothing more to fear. Then all the inhabitants of
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: the palace came out with joy, and he decaw appointed
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: to the lake. There lay the body of the dead
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: centipede floating on the water, which was dyed red with
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: its blood. The gratitude of the Dragon King knew no bounds.
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: The whole family came and bowed down before the warrior,
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: calling him their preserver and the bravest warrior in all
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: of Japan. Another feast was prepared, more sumptuous than the first.
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: All kinds of fish prepared in every imaginal way, raw, stewed,
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: boiled and roasted, served on quarrels, trays, and crystal dishes
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: were put before him, and the wine was the best
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: that Hidesato had ever tasted in his life. To add
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: to the beauty of everything, the sun shone brightly, the
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: lake glimmered like a liquid diamond, and the palace was
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: a thousand times more beautiful by day than by night.
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: His hosts tried to persuade the warrior to stay a
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: few days, but hide Sato insisted on going home, saying
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: that he had now finished what he had came to
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: do and must return. The Dragon King and his family
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: were all very sorry to have him leave so soon,
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: but since he would go. They begged him to accept
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: a few small presents, so they said, in token of
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: their gratitude to him for delivering them forever from the
• 26:39
  Speaker 2: horrible enemy, the centipede. As the warriors stood in the
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: porch taking leave, a train of fish was suddenly transformed
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: into a retinue of men, all wearing ceremonial robes and
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: dragon's crowns on their heads to show that they were
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: servants of the great Dragon King. The presents that they
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: carried were as follows, first a large bronze bell, second
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: a bag of rice, third a roll of silk, fourth
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: a cooking pot, fifth a bell. Hideosotto did not want
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: to accept all the presents, but as the Dragon King insisted,
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: he could not well refuse. The Dragon King himself accompanied
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: the warrior as far as the bridge, and then took
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: leave of him with many bows and good wishes, leaving
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: the procession of servants to accompany Hideesato to his house.
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: With the presence. The warrior's household and servants had been
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: very much concerned when they found that he did not
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: return the night before, and they finally concluded that he
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: had been kept by the violent storm and had taken
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: shelter somewhere. When the servants on the watch for his
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: return caught sight of him, they called to everyone that
• 27:43
  Speaker 2: he was approaching, and the whole household turned out to
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: meet him, wondering much what the retinue of men bearing
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: presents and banners that followed him could mean. As soon
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: as the Dragon King's retainers had put down the presence,
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: they vanished, and Hideesato told all that had happened to him.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: The presents which he had received from the grateful Dragon
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: King were found to be of great magic power. The
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: bell only was ordinary, and as Hideasato had no use
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: for it, he presented it to the temple near by,
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: where it was hung up to boom out the hour
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: of day over the surrounding neighborhood. The single bag of rice, however,
• 28:19
  Speaker 2: much was taken from it day after day for the
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: meals of the night, and his whole family never grew less.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: The supply in the bag was inexhaustible. The roll of silk, too,
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: never grew shorter. Through time after time, long pieces were
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: cut off to make the warrior a new set of
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: clothes to get to court in at the new year.
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: The cooking pot was wonderful too, no matter what was
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: put into it, it cooked deliciously whatever was wanted without
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: any firing. Truly a very economical saucepan. The fame of
• 28:50
  Speaker 2: Hideosato's fortunes spread far and wide, and as there was
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: no need for him to spend money on rice or
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: silk or firing, he became very rich and prosperous, henceforth
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: known as my Lord Bag of Rice. End of my
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: Lord Bag of Rice. In Myths and Legends Around the World,
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: collection seventeen. The Tangos or the elves with long Noses
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: in Myths and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen from
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: Japanese Fairy World. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Robert Tunic.
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: The Tangos or the elves with long Noses by William
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: Elliot Griffiths. Curious creatures are the tangos with the head
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: of a hawk and the body of a man. They
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: have very hairy hands or paws with two fingers, and
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: feet with two toes. They are hatched out of eggs
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: and have wings and feathers until full grown. Then their
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: wings molt and their stumps are concealed behind their dress,
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: which is like that of a man. They walk when
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: grown up, on clogs of foot high, which are like stilts,
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: as they have but one support instead of two, like
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: the sword of which men wear. The tengus strut about
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: easily on these without stumbling. The dye Tengu or master,
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: is a solemn faced, sculling individual with a very proud
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: expression and a nose about eight finger breaths long. When
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: he goes abroad, his retainers march before him for fear
• 30:28
  Speaker 2: he might break his nose against something. He wears a
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: long gray beard down to his girdle, and mustaches to
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: his chin. In his left hand, he carries a large
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: fan made of seven wide feathers. This is the sign
• 30:40
  Speaker 2: of his rank. He has a mouth, but he rarely
• 30:43
  Speaker 2: opens it. He is very wise and rolls over the tengus.
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: In Japan, the Karasu or crow tengu is a black
• 30:50
  Speaker 2: fellow with a long beak in the place where his
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: nose and mouth ought to be. He looks as if
• 30:55
  Speaker 2: someone had squeezed out the lower part of his face
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: and pulled his nose down so as to make a
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: beak like a crow's. He is the Dye Tengu's Lichdor.
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: He carries the axe of authority over his left shoulder
• 31:07
  Speaker 2: to chop bad people's heads off. In his right fist
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: is the master's book of wisdom and a roll of authority.
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: Even these, too, highest an authority in Tengu land, are
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: servants of the great Lord Kompira, the long haired patron
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: of sailors and mountaineers, the greatest of the Dae Tengu,
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: lived in Kuama Mountain and taught Yoshitsune. This lad, while
• 31:28
  Speaker 2: in a pupil in the monastery, would slip on the
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: evening when the priests thought him asleep, and come to
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: the King of the Tengus, who instructed him in the
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: military arts and cunning, magic and wisdom. Every night, the
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: boy would spread the roll of wisdom before him and
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: sit at the table of the hoary headed Tangu and
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: learn the strange letters in which Tengu wisdom is written.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: While the long nosed servant Tengus, propped on their still clogs,
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: looked on. The boy was not afraid, but quickly learned
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: the knowledge which birds, beasts, and fishes have, how to
• 32:00
  Speaker 2: understand their language and to fly swim and leap like them.
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: When a tangu stumbles and falls down on his nose,
• 32:07
  Speaker 2: it takes a long while to heel and if he
• 32:10
  Speaker 2: breaks it, the doctor puts it in splints like a
• 32:12
  Speaker 2: broken arm, until it straights out and heels up again.
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: Some of the amusements in Tangoland are very curious. A
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: pair of young tegus will fence with their noses as
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: if they were foils. Their faces are well protected by masks,
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: for if one tango should poke his nose into the
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: other's eye, he might put it out, and a blind
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: tangu could not walk about because he would be knocking
• 32:34
  Speaker 2: his nose against everything. Two old tangos with noses nearly
• 32:38
  Speaker 2: two feet long sometimes try their strength of their face handles.
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: One fellow has his beak straight up in the air
• 32:44
  Speaker 2: like a supporting post, while the other sits a yard
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: off with his elastic nose stretched out like a tight
• 32:49
  Speaker 2: rope and tied with twine at the top of the
• 32:51
  Speaker 2: other one's nose on this tight nose rope. A little
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: tango boy with a tiny pug only two inches long,
• 32:57
  Speaker 2: dances a jig. He holds an umbrella in his now
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: dancing and now standing upon one foot. The tango daddy,
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: whose nose serves as a tent pole, waves his fan
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: and sings a song, keeping time to the dance. There
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: is another tangu who sometimes quarrels with his wife, and
• 33:13
  Speaker 2: when angry, boxes her ears with his nose. A lady tango,
• 33:17
  Speaker 2: who is inclined to be literary and sentimental, writes poetry.
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: When the mood seizes her, she ties the pen to
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: her nose, dips it in the ink, and writes a
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: poem on the wall, a tango painter makes a long
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: handled brush to whitewash the ceiling by strapping it to
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: his nose. Sometimes the little tangos get fighting, and then
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: the feathers fly as they tear each other with the
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: little claws, which have talons on them, shaped like chickens,
• 33:43
  Speaker 2: but which when fully grown, look like hands. All the
• 33:46
  Speaker 2: big tangos are fond of trying the strength of their
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: noses and how far they can bend them up and
• 33:52
  Speaker 2: down without breaking. They have two favorite games in which
• 33:55
  Speaker 2: they sometimes give exhibitions. The player has long strings of
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: iron cash, that is one hundred of the little iron
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: coins with a square hole in the center. Several of
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: these he slides on a rope like buttons on a string,
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: or counters on a wire. Then he lifts them off
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: with the tip of his nose. Sometimes his nose bends
• 34:13
  Speaker 2: so much under the weight that the coins slip off.
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: Whichever Tengo can pick off the greater number of strings
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: without letting any slip, wins the game and is called
• 34:22
  Speaker 2: o Hannah, the king of noses. Another balances hoops and
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: poles on his nose and throws balls through the hoops.
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: Or he poises a saucer of water on the tip
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: of his nose without spilling a drop. Another fellow hangs
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: a bell from the ceiling. Then, with a handkerchief tied
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: loosely round his head, he pulls his nose back like
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: a snapping turtle's beak, and then he suddenly lets go
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: his nose, then strikes the bell and wrings it. It
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: hurts very much, but he does not mind it. The
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: Tengus have one great fault. They love liquor too much.
• 34:57
  Speaker 2: They often get drunk. They buy great casks of rice wine,
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: sling them round their necks, and drink out of long
• 35:03
  Speaker 2: cups shape like their faces, using the nose for a handle.
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: A drunken Tengu makes a funny sight as he staggers
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: about with his big wings drooping and flapping around him,
• 35:14
  Speaker 2: and the feathers trailing in the mud, and his long
• 35:16
  Speaker 2: nose limp, pendulous and groggy. When the master of Tengus
• 35:20
  Speaker 2: wishes to see the flowers, which means to go on
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: a picnic, he punishes his drunken servant by swinging the
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: box of eatables over the fellow's red nose, putting the
• 35:31
  Speaker 2: end over his shoulders. He compels the sot to come along.
• 35:34
  Speaker 2: It sobers the fellow, for the weight on his nose
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: and the pulling on it hurts dreadfully and often makes
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: him squeal. O Yama, a mountain neer Tokyo, is said
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: to be full of these long nosed elves, but many
• 35:47
  Speaker 2: other mountains are inhabited by them, for they like lonely
• 35:50
  Speaker 2: places away from men. Dancers often put masks like the
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: Tengu's face and dance a curious dance which they call
• 35:57
  Speaker 2: the Tengu's quadrille. The Tanngus are very proud fellows and
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: think themselves above human beings. They are afraid of brave men,
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: however they never dare to hurt them. They scare children,
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: especially bad boys. They watch a boy telling lies and
• 36:12
  Speaker 2: catch him. Then the tangus pull out his tongue by
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: their roots and run away with it. When a tangu walks,
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: he folds his arms, throws back his head till his
• 36:21
  Speaker 2: nose is far up in the air, and struts around
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: as if he were a daimyo. When a man becomes
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: vain and carries his nose too high, the people say
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: he has become a tangu. End of the tengus or
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: the elves with long noses. In Myths and Legends Around
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: the World Collection seventeen.
• 36:47
  Speaker 4: The Love of the snow White Fox in Myths and
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: Legends Around the World Collection seventeen from Old World, Japan,
• 36:55
  Speaker 4: Legends of the Land of the Gods. This is a
• 36:58
  Speaker 4: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 37:04
  Speaker 4: For more information or to volunteer, please visit librovox dot org.
• 37:09
  Speaker 4: Read by Seraphina. The Love of the snow White Fox
• 37:15
  Speaker 4: by Frank Rinder. In Izumo, the province of the Gods
• 37:20
  Speaker 4: are many foxes there. The wicked Ninko, in league with
• 37:25
  Speaker 4: the one, prowls about at nightfall and carries away the
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: souls of little children. He robs the poor man of
• 37:32
  Speaker 4: his rice and millet, and bewitches the maidens who cross
• 37:36
  Speaker 4: his path. There too is his enemy, the Innati fox,
• 37:41
  Speaker 4: who is kind of heart. The Innati loves the children
• 37:45
  Speaker 4: and warns the anxious mothers when Ninko is near. He
• 37:49
  Speaker 4: guards the store of the peasant and comes to the
• 37:52
  Speaker 4: aid of maidens in distress. Many centuries ago there lived
• 37:57
  Speaker 4: a young Innati fox, snow white, and her eyes were
• 38:02
  Speaker 4: keen and intelligent. She was beloved by all the good
• 38:06
  Speaker 4: people for miles around. They were glad if in the
• 38:10
  Speaker 4: evening she knocked softly with her tail against the window
• 38:13
  Speaker 4: of their hut. When she entered, she would play with
• 38:16
  Speaker 4: the children, eat of their humble fare, and then trot away.
• 38:21
  Speaker 4: The god Innadi protected those who were kind to her.
• 38:25
  Speaker 4: The Ninko foxes hated her. There are hunters in the
• 38:29
  Speaker 4: country of Izumo who thirsted for the blood of the
• 38:32
  Speaker 4: beautiful white fox. Once or twice she nearly lost her
• 38:36
  Speaker 4: life at the hands of these cruel men. One summer afternoon,
• 38:41
  Speaker 4: she was frisking about in the woods with some young
• 38:44
  Speaker 4: fox friends when two men caught sight of her. They
• 38:48
  Speaker 4: were fleet a foot and had dogs by their side,
• 38:51
  Speaker 4: off ran the white fox. The men uttered an excited
• 38:55
  Speaker 4: cry and gave chase. Instead of going towards the open plain,
• 39:00
  Speaker 4: she made for the temple of Inani Daimiyojin. There, surely
• 39:04
  Speaker 4: I will find a safe refuge from my pursuers, she thought. Now. Yashima,
• 39:09
  Speaker 4: a young prince of the noble house of Abe, was
• 39:12
  Speaker 4: in the temple deep in meditation. The white fox, whose
• 39:17
  Speaker 4: strength was almost spent, ran fearlessly up to him and
• 39:20
  Speaker 4: took refuge beneath the thick folds of his robe. Yashima
• 39:25
  Speaker 4: was moved with pity and did all in his power
• 39:28
  Speaker 4: to soothe the poor, frightened creature. He said, I will
• 39:33
  Speaker 4: protect you, little one, You have nothing to fear. The
• 39:37
  Speaker 4: fox looked up at him and seemed to understand. She
• 39:41
  Speaker 4: ceased to tremble. Then the prince went to the door
• 39:44
  Speaker 4: of the great temple. Two men hastened up to him
• 39:48
  Speaker 4: and asked if he had seen the pure white fox.
• 39:52
  Speaker 4: It must have run into the temple of Innati. We
• 39:54
  Speaker 4: would have its blood to cure the sickness of one
• 39:56
  Speaker 4: of our family. But yashimah, fail ful to his promise, answered,
• 40:02
  Speaker 4: I have been in the temple praying to the good God,
• 40:06
  Speaker 4: but I can tell you nothing of the fox. The
• 40:09
  Speaker 4: men were about to leave him when behind his robe
• 40:12
  Speaker 4: they spied a white bushy tail. Fiercely they demanded that
• 40:16
  Speaker 4: he should stand aside. The prince firmly refused, but intent
• 40:22
  Speaker 4: on their prey, the men attacked him, and he was
• 40:25
  Speaker 4: obliged to draw his sword in self defense. At this moment,
• 40:29
  Speaker 4: Yashima's father, a brave old man, came up. He rushed
• 40:33
  Speaker 4: upon the enemies of his son, but a deadly blow,
• 40:36
  Speaker 4: which Yashimah could not avert, struck him down. Then the
• 40:40
  Speaker 4: young prince was very wroth, and with two mighty strokes
• 40:43
  Speaker 4: he felt his adversaries to the ground. The loss of
• 40:47
  Speaker 4: his beloved father filled Yashimah with grief. He did not
• 40:51
  Speaker 4: break out into loud lamentation, for the sorrow lay too
• 40:54
  Speaker 4: near his heart. Then a sweet song fell on his ear.
• 41:00
  Speaker 4: It came from the temple. As he re entered the
• 41:03
  Speaker 4: sacred building, a beautiful maiden stood before him. She turned
• 41:08
  Speaker 4: and saw that he was in deep trouble. The prince
• 41:11
  Speaker 4: told her of the snow white fox and the cruel hunters,
• 41:15
  Speaker 4: and the death of his father, whom he loved the
• 41:18
  Speaker 4: maiden spoke tender words of sympathy. Her voice was so
• 41:22
  Speaker 4: soft and sweet that the sound brought comfort to him.
• 41:26
  Speaker 4: When Yashimah learned that the maiden was true, that her
• 41:29
  Speaker 4: heart was as pure and beautiful as her face, he
• 41:32
  Speaker 4: loved her and asked her to be his bride. She
• 41:36
  Speaker 4: replied very gently, I already love you. I know that
• 41:41
  Speaker 4: you are good and brave, and I would solace you
• 41:44
  Speaker 4: for the loss of your father. They were wed. Yashima
• 41:48
  Speaker 4: did not forget the death of his father, but he
• 41:51
  Speaker 4: remembered that his beautiful wife had then been given to him.
• 41:55
  Speaker 4: For some time, they lived happily together. The days passed swiftly.
• 42:00
  Speaker 4: Yashimah ruled his people wisely, and his fair princess was
• 42:03
  Speaker 4: ever by his side. Each morning they went to the
• 42:07
  Speaker 4: temple and thanked the good God in Nati for the
• 42:10
  Speaker 4: joy that had come to them. Now a son was
• 42:13
  Speaker 4: born to the prince and princess. They gave him the
• 42:16
  Speaker 4: name of Seymee. Thereafter, the princess became sorely troubled. She
• 42:21
  Speaker 4: sat alone for hours, and tears sprang to her eyes.
• 42:25
  Speaker 4: When Yashima asked her the cause of her sorrow, one
• 42:30
  Speaker 4: day she took his hand and said, our life here
• 42:33
  Speaker 4: has been very beautiful. I have given you a son
• 42:36
  Speaker 4: to be with you always. The god in Nai now
• 42:40
  Speaker 4: tells me that I must leave you. He will guard
• 42:42
  Speaker 4: you as you guarded me from the hunters at the
• 42:45
  Speaker 4: door of the Great Temple. I am none other than
• 42:48
  Speaker 4: the snow white fox, whose life you saved. Once more,
• 42:52
  Speaker 4: she looked into his eyes, and then without a word,
• 42:56
  Speaker 4: she was gone. Yashima and sey May lived long in
• 43:00
  Speaker 4: the province of the gods. They were greatly beloved, but
• 43:03
  Speaker 4: the snow white Fox was seen no more. And of
• 43:08
  Speaker 4: the love of the snow white Fox. In Myths and
• 43:11
  Speaker 4: Legends Around the World Collection seventeen.
• 43:21
  Speaker 5: Manita and Larina in Myths and Legends Around the World
• 43:24
  Speaker 5: Collection seventeen, from Philippine Folklore Stories. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 43:31
  Speaker 5: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 43:34
  Speaker 5: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read
• 43:40
  Speaker 5: by Lee and Joey, Magita and Larina by John Maurice Miller.
• 43:46
  Speaker 5: This is a tale told in the lake district of
• 43:49
  Speaker 5: Luzon at times of rain or in winter. The waters
• 43:53
  Speaker 5: of the Laguna de Bai rise and detached from the
• 43:56
  Speaker 5: banks a peculiar vegetation that resembles let us. These plants,
• 44:02
  Speaker 5: which flowed for months down the pastic river, gave Rice
• 44:06
  Speaker 5: no doubt to the story. Many years ago, there lived
• 44:10
  Speaker 5: on the banks of the Laguna de Bay a poor
• 44:13
  Speaker 5: fisherman whose wife had died, leaving him two beautiful daughters
• 44:17
  Speaker 5: named Manita and Laarina. Manita had hair as black as
• 44:22
  Speaker 5: night and a dark skin. She was as good as
• 44:26
  Speaker 5: she was beautiful, and was loved by all for her kindness.
• 44:30
  Speaker 5: She helped her father mend the nets and make the
• 44:33
  Speaker 5: torches to fish with at night, and her bright smile
• 44:38
  Speaker 5: lit up the little Nepa house like a ray of sunshine.
• 44:42
  Speaker 5: Larina was fair and had long golden hair, of which
• 44:45
  Speaker 5: she was very proud. She was different from her sister
• 44:49
  Speaker 5: and never helped with the work, but spent the day
• 44:53
  Speaker 5: combing her hair and catching butterflies. She would catch a
• 44:57
  Speaker 5: pretty butterfly cruily, stick a pin through it, and fasten
• 45:01
  Speaker 5: it in her hair. Then she would go down to
• 45:04
  Speaker 5: the lake to see her reflection in the clear water,
• 45:07
  Speaker 5: and would laugh to see the poor butterfly struggling in pain.
• 45:13
  Speaker 5: The people disliked her for her cruelty, but they loved
• 45:17
  Speaker 5: Manita very much. This made Ladina jealous, and the more
• 45:22
  Speaker 5: Manita was loved, the more her sister thought evil of her.
• 45:27
  Speaker 5: One day, a poor old woman came to the Nepa
• 45:30
  Speaker 5: house and begged for a little rice to put in
• 45:32
  Speaker 5: her bowl. Manita was mending a net and Ladina was
• 45:36
  Speaker 5: combing her hair in the doorway. When Laarina saw the
• 45:40
  Speaker 5: old woman, she spoke mockingly to her and gave her
• 45:43
  Speaker 5: a push that made her fall and cut her head
• 45:45
  Speaker 5: on a sharp rock. But Manita sprang to help her,
• 45:50
  Speaker 5: washed the blood away from her head and filled her
• 45:52
  Speaker 5: bowl with rise from the jar in the kitchen. The
• 45:56
  Speaker 5: poor woman thanked her and promised never to forget her kindness,
• 46:00
  Speaker 5: but to her sister she spoke not a word. Larina
• 46:04
  Speaker 5: did not care, however, but laughed at her and mocked
• 46:07
  Speaker 5: her as she painfully made her way again down the road.
• 46:11
  Speaker 5: When she had gone, Manita took Larina to task for
• 46:14
  Speaker 5: her cruel treatment of a stranger, but instead of doing
• 46:18
  Speaker 5: any good, it only caused Larina to hate her sister
• 46:21
  Speaker 5: all the more. Some time afterwards, the poor fisherman died.
• 46:27
  Speaker 5: He had gone to the big city down the river
• 46:29
  Speaker 5: to sell his fish and had been attacked with the
• 46:32
  Speaker 5: terrible sickness that was raging there. The girls were now
• 46:36
  Speaker 5: alone in the world. Manita carved pretty shells and earned
• 46:40
  Speaker 5: enough to buy food, but though she begged Larina to
• 46:44
  Speaker 5: try to help, her sister would only idle away the time.
• 46:49
  Speaker 5: The terrible sickness now swept everywhere, and the poor Manita
• 46:53
  Speaker 5: too fell ill. She asked Loarina to nurse her, but
• 46:57
  Speaker 5: the latter was jealous of her and would do nothing
• 47:00
  Speaker 5: to ease her pain. Manita grew worse and worse, but finally,
• 47:05
  Speaker 5: when it seemed as if she would soon die, the
• 47:08
  Speaker 5: door opened and the old woman to whom she had
• 47:10
  Speaker 5: been so kind, came into the room. She had a
• 47:14
  Speaker 5: bag of seeds in her hand, and taking one, she
• 47:17
  Speaker 5: gave it to Manita, who soon showed signs of being better,
• 47:21
  Speaker 5: but was so weak that she could not give things.
• 47:25
  Speaker 5: The old woman gave the bag to Loraina and told
• 47:28
  Speaker 5: her to give a seed to her sister every hour
• 47:30
  Speaker 5: until she returned. She then went away and left the
• 47:34
  Speaker 5: girls alone. Larina watched her sister, but did not give
• 47:39
  Speaker 5: her a single seed. Instead, she hid them in her
• 47:43
  Speaker 5: own long hair, and paid no attention to Manita's moans
• 47:46
  Speaker 5: of pain. The poor girl's cries grew weaker and weaker,
• 47:51
  Speaker 5: but not a seed would her cruel sister give her.
• 47:55
  Speaker 5: In fact, Lorena was so jealous that she wished her
• 47:58
  Speaker 5: sister to die. When at last the old woman returned,
• 48:04
  Speaker 5: poor Manita was at the point of death. The visitor
• 48:07
  Speaker 5: bent over the sick girl and then asked her sister
• 48:10
  Speaker 5: if she had given Manita the seeds. Larina showed her
• 48:14
  Speaker 5: the empty bag and said she had given them as directed.
• 48:19
  Speaker 5: The old woman searched the house, but of course could
• 48:22
  Speaker 5: not find the seeds. She then asked Larena again if
• 48:26
  Speaker 5: she had given them to Manita. Again, the cruel girl
• 48:31
  Speaker 5: said she had done so. Suddenly the room was filled
• 48:35
  Speaker 5: with the blinding light, and when Loreena could see once more,
• 48:39
  Speaker 5: in the place of the old woman stood a beautiful
• 48:42
  Speaker 5: fairy holding the now well Manita in her arms. She
• 48:46
  Speaker 5: pointed to Loreena and said, I am the poor woman
• 48:50
  Speaker 5: who asked for rice. I wish to know your hearts.
• 48:54
  Speaker 5: You were cruel, and Manita was kind, so she shall
• 48:58
  Speaker 5: live with me in my eyes home in the lake.
• 49:01
  Speaker 5: As for you, because you try to do evil to
• 49:05
  Speaker 5: your good sister. You shall sit at the bottom of
• 49:08
  Speaker 5: the lake forever, combing out the seeds you have hidden
• 49:12
  Speaker 5: in your hair. Then she clapped her hands, and a
• 49:15
  Speaker 5: number of elves appeared and carried the struggling Lreena away. Come,
• 49:21
  Speaker 5: said the ferry to Manita, and she carried her to
• 49:25
  Speaker 5: her beautiful home, where she lives in peace and happiness.
• 49:30
  Speaker 5: As for Larina, she sits at the bottom of the
• 49:33
  Speaker 5: lake and combs her hair. As she combs a seed out,
• 49:37
  Speaker 5: another comes in. And every seed that is combed out
• 49:40
  Speaker 5: becomes a green plant that floats out of the lake
• 49:43
  Speaker 5: and down the passage and off. Manita and Larina in
• 49:49
  Speaker 5: Myths and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen.
• 50:01
  Speaker 6: Bimini and the Fountain of Youth in Myths and Legends
• 50:05
  Speaker 6: Around the World Collection seventeen. From Tales of the Enchanted
• 50:09
  Speaker 6: Islands of the Atlantic. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 50:14
  Speaker 6: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 50:19
  Speaker 6: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by
• 50:25
  Speaker 6: Ashley Dawn Ryder. Bimini in the Fountain of Youth by
• 50:28
  Speaker 6: Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Bimini and the Fountain of Youth. When
• 50:35
  Speaker 6: Juan Ponce de Leon set forth from Puerto Rico March thirteenth,
• 50:40
  Speaker 6: fifteen twelve to seek the island of Bimini and its
• 50:43
  Speaker 6: fountain of youth, he was moved by the love of
• 50:46
  Speaker 6: adventure more than that of juvenility, For he was then
• 50:50
  Speaker 6: but about fifty, a time when a cavalier of his
• 50:53
  Speaker 6: day thought himself but in his prime. He looked, indeed
• 50:58
  Speaker 6: with perpetual sorrow, as much of it as a Spaniard
• 51:02
  Speaker 6: of those days could feel. Upon his kinsman, Lewis Ponce,
• 51:07
  Speaker 6: once a renowned warrior, but on whom age had already
• 51:11
  Speaker 6: at sixty five, laid its hand in earnest. There was
• 51:15
  Speaker 6: little in this slowly moving veteran to recall one who
• 51:18
  Speaker 6: had shot through the lists at the tournament, and had
• 51:21
  Speaker 6: advanced with his short sword at the bull fight, who
• 51:25
  Speaker 6: had ruled his vassals and won the love of high
• 51:28
  Speaker 6: born women. It was vain hope of restored youth which
• 51:32
  Speaker 6: had brought Don Louis from Spain to Puerto Rico four
• 51:36
  Speaker 6: years before, and when Ponce de Leon had subdued that island,
• 51:41
  Speaker 6: his older kinsman was forever, beseeching him to carry his
• 51:45
  Speaker 6: flag farther, and not stopped till he had reached Beminy
• 51:49
  Speaker 6: and sought the fountain of youth. For what end? He said,
• 51:54
  Speaker 6: should you stay here longer and lord it over these
• 51:58
  Speaker 6: miserable natives. Let us go where we can bathe in
• 52:01
  Speaker 6: those enchanted waters and be young once more. I need it,
• 52:05
  Speaker 6: and you will need it ere long. How know, we,
• 52:10
  Speaker 6: said his kinsman, that there is any such place? All
• 52:15
  Speaker 6: I know, said Louis Peter Martyr, said that there is
• 52:20
  Speaker 6: in Biminy a continual spring of running water of such
• 52:23
  Speaker 6: marvelous virtue that the water thereof being drunk, perhaps with
• 52:28
  Speaker 6: some diet, maketh old men young. And he adds that
• 52:32
  Speaker 6: an Indian grievously oppressed with old age, moved with the
• 52:36
  Speaker 6: fame of that fountain, and a lord, through the love
• 52:39
  Speaker 6: of longer life, went to an island near unto the
• 52:42
  Speaker 6: country of Florida to drink of the desired fountain, and,
• 52:47
  Speaker 6: having well drunk and washed himself for many days with
• 52:50
  Speaker 6: the appointed remedies by them who kept the bath, he
• 52:54
  Speaker 6: is reported to have brought home a manly strength and
• 52:57
  Speaker 6: to have used all manly exercise let us therefore go hither,
• 53:02
  Speaker 6: he cried, and be like him. They set sail with
• 53:07
  Speaker 6: three brigantines, and found without difficulty the island of vi Many,
• 53:12
  Speaker 6: among the Luccayos or Bahamas islands. But when they searched
• 53:17
  Speaker 6: for the Fountain of Youth, they were appointed farther westward
• 53:20
  Speaker 6: to Florida, where there was said to be a river
• 53:23
  Speaker 6: of the same magic powers, called the Jordan, touching at
• 53:28
  Speaker 6: Many a fair island, green with trees and occupied by
• 53:32
  Speaker 6: a gentle population, till then undisturbed. It was not strange
• 53:36
  Speaker 6: if nearing the coast of Florida, both Juan Ponce de
• 53:39
  Speaker 6: Leon and his more impatient cousin expected to find the
• 53:44
  Speaker 6: Fountain of Youth. They came at last to an inlet
• 53:49
  Speaker 6: which led invidingly up among wooded banks and flowery valleys.
• 53:54
  Speaker 6: And here, the older knight said, let us disembark here
• 53:59
  Speaker 6: and strike in them. And my heart tells me that
• 54:01
  Speaker 6: here at last will be found the Fountain of youth. Nonsense,
• 54:06
  Speaker 6: said one. Our way lies by water. Then leave me
• 54:10
  Speaker 6: here with my men, said Louis. He had brought with
• 54:13
  Speaker 6: him five servants, mostly veterans, from his own estate in Spain,
• 54:20
  Speaker 6: a fierce discussion ended in Louis obtaining his wish and
• 54:24
  Speaker 6: being left for a fortnight of exploration, his kinsmen promising
• 54:29
  Speaker 6: to come for him again at the mouth of the
• 54:31
  Speaker 6: river Saint John. The men left on shore, where themselves
• 54:35
  Speaker 6: past middle age and the more eager for their quest.
• 54:39
  Speaker 6: They climbed a hill and watched the Brigantines disappear in
• 54:42
  Speaker 6: the distance. Then set up a cross which they had
• 54:46
  Speaker 6: brought with them, and prayed before it bareheaded. Sending the
• 54:51
  Speaker 6: youngest of his men up to the top of a tree,
• 54:54
  Speaker 6: Louis learned from him that they were on an island
• 54:57
  Speaker 6: after all, and this cheered him much as making it
• 55:00
  Speaker 6: more likely that they should find the Fountain of Youth.
• 55:04
  Speaker 6: He saw that the ground was pawed up, as if
• 55:07
  Speaker 6: in a cattle range, and that there was a path
• 55:10
  Speaker 6: leading to huts. Taking this path, they met fifty Indian bowmen, who,
• 55:16
  Speaker 6: whether large or not, seemed to them like giants. The
• 55:20
  Speaker 6: Spaniards gave them beads and hawk bells, and each received
• 55:24
  Speaker 6: in return an arrow as a token of friendship. The
• 55:28
  Speaker 6: Indians promised them food in the morning, and brought fish,
• 55:31
  Speaker 6: roots and pure water, and finding them chilly from the
• 55:35
  Speaker 6: coldness of the night carried them in their arms to
• 55:38
  Speaker 6: their homes, first making four or five large fires on
• 55:41
  Speaker 6: the way. At the houses there were many fires, and
• 55:46
  Speaker 6: the Spaniards would have been wholly comfortable had they not
• 55:49
  Speaker 6: thought it just possible that they were to be offered
• 55:52
  Speaker 6: as a sacrifice. Still fearing this, they left their Indian
• 55:56
  Speaker 6: friends after a few days and traversed the country, stopping
• 56:00
  Speaker 6: at every spring or fountain to test its quality alas
• 56:04
  Speaker 6: they all grew older and more worn in look as
• 56:07
  Speaker 6: time went on, and farther from the Fountain of youth.
• 56:13
  Speaker 6: After a time they came upon new tribes of Indians,
• 56:16
  Speaker 6: and as they went farther from the coast, these people
• 56:19
  Speaker 6: seemed more and more friendly. They treated the white men
• 56:23
  Speaker 6: as if come from heaven, brought them food, made them houses,
• 56:28
  Speaker 6: carried every burden for them. Some had bows and went
• 56:31
  Speaker 6: upon the hills for deer, and brought half a dozen
• 56:34
  Speaker 6: every night for their guests. Others killed hares and rabbits
• 56:38
  Speaker 6: by arranging themselves in a circle and striking down the
• 56:41
  Speaker 6: game with bullets of wood as it ran from one
• 56:44
  Speaker 6: to another through the woods. All this game was brought
• 56:48
  Speaker 6: to the visitors to be breathed upon and blessed, And
• 56:51
  Speaker 6: when this had been done for several hundred people, it
• 56:55
  Speaker 6: became troublesome. The women also brought wild fruit and would
• 57:00
  Speaker 6: eat nothing till the guests had seen and touched it.
• 57:03
  Speaker 6: If the visitors seemed defended, the natives were terrified and
• 57:07
  Speaker 6: apparently thought that they should die unless they had the
• 57:09
  Speaker 6: favor of these wis and good men. Farther on, people
• 57:13
  Speaker 6: did not come out into the past to gather around them,
• 57:18
  Speaker 6: as the first had done, but stayed meekly in their houses,
• 57:21
  Speaker 6: sitting with their faces turned to the wall, and with
• 57:24
  Speaker 6: their property heaped in the middle of the room. From
• 57:27
  Speaker 6: these people, the travelers received many valuable skins and other gifts.
• 57:32
  Speaker 6: Whether there was a fountain, the natives readily showed it,
• 57:35
  Speaker 6: but apparently knew nothing of any miraculous gift. Yet they
• 57:39
  Speaker 6: themselves were in such fine physical condition, and seemed so
• 57:43
  Speaker 6: young and so active, and it was as if they
• 57:46
  Speaker 6: had already bathed in some magic spring. They had wonderful
• 57:51
  Speaker 6: endurance of heat and cold, and such health that when
• 57:54
  Speaker 6: their bodies were pierced through and through by arrows, they
• 57:58
  Speaker 6: would recover rapidly from their wound. These things convinced the
• 58:02
  Speaker 6: Spaniards that even if the Indians would not disclose the
• 58:05
  Speaker 6: source of all their bodily freshness, it must at any
• 58:10
  Speaker 6: rate lie somewhere in the neighborhood. Yet a little while,
• 58:15
  Speaker 6: no doubt, and their visitors would reach it. It was
• 58:19
  Speaker 6: a strange journey for these gray and careworn men as
• 58:22
  Speaker 6: they passed up the defiles and valleys along the Saint
• 58:25
  Speaker 6: John's River, beyond the spot where it now spreads the
• 58:28
  Speaker 6: city of Jacksonville, and even up to the woods and
• 58:31
  Speaker 6: springs about magnolia and green cove. Yellow jasmines trailed their
• 58:37
  Speaker 6: festoons above their heads. Wild roses grew at their feet.
• 58:42
  Speaker 6: The area was filled with the aromatic odors of pine
• 58:45
  Speaker 6: or sweet bay. The long gray moss hung from the
• 58:48
  Speaker 6: live oak branches. Birds and butterflies of wonderful hues fluttered
• 58:53
  Speaker 6: around them, and strange lizards crossed their paths or looked
• 58:57
  Speaker 6: with dull and blinking eyes from the branch. They came
• 59:01
  Speaker 6: at last to one spring, which widened into a natural basin,
• 59:06
  Speaker 6: and which was so deliciously aromatic that Louise ponce said,
• 59:10
  Speaker 6: on emerging, it is enough I have bathed in the
• 59:14
  Speaker 6: fountain of youth, and henceforth I am young. His companions
• 59:19
  Speaker 6: tried it and said the same, The Fountain of Youth
• 59:22
  Speaker 6: is found. No time must now be lost in proclaiming
• 59:26
  Speaker 6: the great discovery. They obtained a boat from the natives,
• 59:30
  Speaker 6: who wept at parting with the white strangers whom they
• 59:33
  Speaker 6: had so loved. In this boat they proposed to reach
• 59:37
  Speaker 6: the mouth of the Saint John, meet one Pons de Lyon,
• 59:40
  Speaker 6: and carry back the news to Spain. But one native,
• 59:44
  Speaker 6: whose wife and children they had cured, and who had
• 59:47
  Speaker 6: grown angry at their refusal to stay longer, went down
• 59:51
  Speaker 6: to the water's edge, and, sending an arrow from his bow,
• 59:55
  Speaker 6: transfixed Don Louise, so that even his foretaste of the
• 59:58
  Speaker 6: fountain could not se and he died ere reaching the
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 6: mouth of the river. If Don Louis ever reached what
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 6: he sought, it was in another world. But those who
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 6: have ever bathed in Green Cove Spring near Magnolia on
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 6: the Saint John's River will be ready to testify that
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 6: had he but stayed there longer, he would have found
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 6: something to recall his visions of the Fountain of Youth.
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 6: End of Biminy and the Fountain of Youth in Myths
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 6: and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen, read by Ashley
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 6: Dawn Ryder, Gulf Schors, Alabama, January thirteenth, two Thy twenty three.
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 7: Origin of the World First Dynasty Uranus and Gaya, Celus
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 7: and Terra in Myths and Legends Around the World Collection
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 7: seventeen from Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome.
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 7: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 7: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 7: visit LibriVox dot Org. Read by Bill Havanki. Origin of
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 7: the World First Dynasty Uranus and Gaia, Celeus and Terra
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 7: by E. M. Brens. The ancient Greeks had several different
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 7: theories with regard to the origin of the world, but
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 7: the generally accepted notion was that before this world came
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 7: into existence, there was in its place a confused mass
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 7: of shapeless elements called chaos. These elements, becoming at length
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 7: consolidated by what means does not appear, resolved themselves into
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 7: two widely different substances, the lighter portion of which, soaring
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 7: on high, formed the sky or firmament, and constituted itself
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 7: into a vast, overarching vault which protected the firm and
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 7: solid mass beneath. Thus came into being the two first
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 7: great primeval deities of the Greeks, Urinus and gay or Gia. Uranus,
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 7: the more refined deity, represented the light and air of heaven,
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 7: possessing the distinguishing qualities of light, heat, purity, and omnipresence,
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 7: whilst Gia, the firm, flat life sustaining Earth, was worshiped
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 7: as the great all nourishing mother. Her many titles refer
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 7: to her more or less in this character, and she
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 7: appears to have been universally revered among the Greeks, there
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 7: being scarcely a city in Greece which did not contain
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 7: a temple erected in her honor. Indeed, Gia was held
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 7: in such veneration that her name was always invoked whenever
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 7: the gods took a solemn oath, made an emphatic declaration,
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 7: or implored assistance. Uranus the Heaven was believed to have
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 7: united himself in marriage with Guia the Earth, and a
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 7: moment's reflection will show what a truly poetical and also
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 7: what a logical idea this was. For taken in a
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 7: figurative sense, this union actually does exist. The smiles of
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 7: Heaven produce the flowers of Earth, whereas his long continued
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 7: frowns exercise so depressing an influence upon his loving partner
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 7: that she no longer decks herself in bright and festive robes,
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 7: but responds with ready sympathy to his melancholy mood. The
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 7: first born child of Uranus in Gia was Oceanus, the
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 7: ocean stream, that vast expanse of ever flowing water which
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 7: encircled the Earth. Here we meet with another logical, though fanciful, conclusion,
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 7: which a very slight knowledge of the workings of nature
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 7: proves to have been just and true. The ocean is
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 7: formed from the rains which descend from Heaven and the
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 7: streams which flow from Earth, by making oceanis therefore the
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 7: offspring of Uranus and Gaia. The ancients, if we take
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 7: this notion in its literal sense, merely assert that the
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 7: ocean is produced by the combined influence of Heaven and Earth,
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 7: whilst at the same time their fervid and poetical imagination
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 7: led them to see in this as in all manifestations
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 7: of the powers of nature, an actual tangible divinity, but Uranus,
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 7: the heaven, the embodiment of light, heat, and the breath
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 7: of life, produced offspring who were of a much less
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 7: material nature than his son Oceanus. These other children of
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 7: his were supposed to occupy the intermediate space which divided
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 7: him from Gaia. Nearest to Uranus and just beneath him,
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 7: came Ether, a bright creation representing that highly rarefied atmosphere
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 7: which a mortals alone could breathe. Then followed Air, which
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 7: was in close proximity to Gia and represented, as its
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 7: name implies, the grosser atmosphere surrounding the Earth, which mortals
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 7: could freely breathe, and without which they would perish. Ether
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 7: and Air were separated from each other by divinities called nephili.
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 7: These were their restless and wandering sisters, who existed in
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 7: the form of clouds ever floating between Ether and air.
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 7: Gaia also produced the mountains and Pontus the sea. She
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 7: united herself with the latter, and their offspring were the
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 7: sea deities Neraeus, Thaumas, Phorsus, Cito, and Erabia. Coexistent with
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 7: Uranus and Gaia were two mighty powers who were also
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 7: the offspring of chaos. These were Arabis Darkness, and Nix Knight,
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 7: who formed a striking contrast to this cheerful light of
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 7: heaven and the bright smiles of Earth. Arabis reigned in
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 7: that mysterious world below where no ray of sunshine, no
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 7: gleam of daylight, nor vestige of health giving terrestrial life
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 7: ever appeared. Nix, the sister of Arabis, represented knight and
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 7: was worshiped by the ancients with the greatest solemnity. Uranus
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 7: was also supposed to have been united to Nix, but
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 7: only in his capacity as God of light, he being
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 7: considered the source and fountain of all light, and their
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 7: children were Aeos, Aurora the Dawn and Hemera the Daylight. Nix,
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 7: again on her side, was also doubly united, having been
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 7: married at some indefinite period to Erebus. In addition to
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 7: those children of Heaven and Earth already enumerated, Uranus and
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 7: Gaya produced two distinctly different races of beings, called giants
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 7: and Titans. The Giants personified brute strength alone, but the Titans,
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 7: united to their great physical power, intellectual qualifications variously developed.
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 7: There were three giants, Briarius, Coddas, and Guiges, who each
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 7: possessed a hundred hands and fifty heads, and were known
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 7: collectively by the name of the Hecatoncaries, which signified one
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 7: hundred handed. These mighty giants could shake the universe and
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 7: produce earthquakes. It is therefore, are evident that they represented
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 7: those active subterranean forces to which allusion has been made
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 7: in the opening chapter. The Titans were twelve in number.
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 7: Their names were Oceanus, Sias, Crios, Hyperion, Yapetus, Cronus, Thia, Rhea, Themis,
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 7: Nemosine Phoebe, and theephys now Uranus, the chaste light of Heaven,
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 7: the essence of all that is bright and pleasing, held
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 7: in abhorrence his crude, rough and turbulent offspring, the Giants,
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 7: and moreover feared that their great power might eventually prove
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 7: hurtful to himself. He therefore hurled them into Tartarus, that
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 7: portion of the lower world which served as the subterranean
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 7: dungeon of the gods. In order to avenge the oppression
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 7: of her children the giants, Guia instigated a conspiracy on
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 7: the part of the Titans against Uranus, which was carried
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 7: to a successful issue by her son Cronus, he wounded
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 7: his father, and from the blood of the wound, which
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 7: fell upon the earth, sprang a race of monstrous beings
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 7: also called giants. Assisted by his brother Titans, Cronus succeeded
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 7: in dethroning his father, who, enraged at his defeat, cursed
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 7: his rebellious son and foretold to him a similar fate.
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 7: Cronus now became invested with supreme power and assigned to
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 7: his brother's offices of distinction, subordinate only to himself. Subsequently, however,
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 7: when secure of his position he no longer needed their assistance,
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 7: he basely repaid their former services with treachery, made war
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 7: upon his brothers and faithful allies, and assisted by the giants,
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 7: completely defeated them, sending such as resisted his all conquering
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 7: arm down into the lowest depths of Tartarus. End of
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 7: Origin of the World first Dynasty Uranus and Gaia, Celus
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 7: and Terra. In Myths and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen.
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 8: Baboon Skins in Myths and Legends Around the World Collection
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 8: seventeen from Fairy Tales from South Africa. This is a
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 8: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 8: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 8: Read by Curtis Richardson. Baboon Skins arranged by Missus E.
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 8: J Boorhil and Missus J. B. Drake a Swazi tale.
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 8: Now in this story there is neither fairy nor azimu,
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 8: nor does anyone win a kingdom by secret spells. Some
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 8: little bags of python skin are indeed just mentioned, but
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 8: you will see that they have no effect on anyone.
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 8: The only magic used in this story is a woman's
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 8: wis and kindness of heart, the oldest charms in the world.
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 8: Long years ago, there lived a chief who had many wives.
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 8: Two of these were more distinguished than the others, for
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 8: each had a most beautiful daughter. Indeed, their families were
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 8: exactly alike, for each had a son and two daughters,
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 8: one very pretty and the other plain. I cannot tell
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 8: you what became of the plain daughters. No doubt they
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 8: each had a history, But this tale concerns only the
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 8: two beauties. The name of one was Inkosasana, which means
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 8: the young lady. Her mother was very proud of her
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 8: from the first and expected her to marry a very
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 8: great chief and Inkosasana was as conceited as possible. In consequence,
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 8: the name of the other was Lalawi, which only means throwaway.
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 8: As you may suppose from her name, she was a
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 8: much quieter and more modest girl than inkos Asana. But
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 8: as time went on and both girls grew up to womanhood,
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 8: suitors began to arrive, and each mother hoped for great
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 8: things for her daughter. The rivalry between the two families
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 8: became more and more bitter, till at last it was
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 8: all they could do to keep the constant quarrels from
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 8: coming to the ear of the chief. One morning, Lalawi's
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 8: mother awoke and went to see about the kaffir corn
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 8: for the day's provisions. To her horror, she found under
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 8: the grinding stone the blood of some animal and several
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 8: little bags of python's skin filled with charms. Lallawi cried
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 8: the mother, come and look at these. Laalowi nearly fainted
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 8: with fright. It is witch craft, said she. It must
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 8: be some wickedness devised by Inkosasana and her mother. They
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 8: will never rest till we are ruined. Those charms are
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 8: meant to cast a spell over us so that we
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 8: may fall ill and die. Laloi then ran quickly to
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 8: a neighbor who was a wise woman, and begged her
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 8: to come and give her charms to counteract the evil
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 8: influence of her rivals. When all was done, she sat
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 8: down and said, dear mother, I am tired of all this.
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 8: What do I care about beauty? It has only brought
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 8: us endless quarrels and wretched jealousy. Give me some baboon skins.
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 8: They are the ugliest disguise of all, and I will
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 8: wrap myself up in them and retire from life till
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 8: Inco Sosana is married. In that way we shall all
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 8: have peace. That very day she asked her brother to
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 8: get two baboon skins for her, and to bring them
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 8: with the heads and limbs still on them. As soon
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 8: as they were ready, she made herself a complete disguise.
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 8: She joined the two skins at the shoulders and again
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 8: at the heads. Then she slipped them on, so that
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 8: the two baboons heads covered her face and hair before
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 8: and behind her bright eyes peeped through the two eye holes,
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 8: but her face was completely hidden. All that was visible
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 8: was the mask of a grinning ape. The two skins
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 8: hung from her shoulder to her knee back in front.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 8: One could still see that her limbs were pretty and
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 8: well turned, but her laughing face and ivory teeth were
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 8: hidden completely, and so were her graceful shoulders. In fact,
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 8: she looked like a girl afflicted with some great deformity
• 1:13:37
  Speaker 8: who was obliged to hide herself from the gaze of men.
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 8: As soon as her rival's mother heard of her decision,
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 8: she laughed heartily and said, this is the best news
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 8: I have heard for many a long day. What a
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 8: fool that girl is. To be sure, she must be mad.
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 8: All the women in the crawl were of the same opinion.
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 8: They had never heard of any one hiding a pretty
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 8: face before, and could not believe that Laalawi did it
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 8: all to have peace and save her family from calamity.
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 8: In spite of all the remarks that were made, she
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 8: never faltered, but wore her ugly baboon skins every day
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 8: and never once showed her face, even to her girl friends.
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 8: Great peace reigned in the crawl after the first few days.
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 8: There were no more quarrels. Every one was quite happy,
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 8: and Incosasana remained at the undisputed beauty of the countryside.
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 8: But one day, when Laalawi had worn the baboon skins
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 8: many months, there was a great stir in the krawl.
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 8: Two counselors had arrived from a very mighty chief, seeking
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 8: not one bride but two for their master. Both must
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 8: be beautiful. The chief was very rich and would make
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 8: a magnificent marriage gift to the father of a really
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 8: lovely maiden. The two counselors sat long in conversation with
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 8: the head of the krawl, while the women stood in
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 8: little knots and talked excitedly. Presently they were asked to
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 8: come forward, and the demand of the great chief was
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 8: made known. The mother of InKo Sasana at once advanced
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 8: with an air of triumph. Here said she is the
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 8: bride you are looking for, and she showed them InKo Sasana,
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 8: who did indeed look charming. She had thrown aside her
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 8: cloak and appeared decked in all her prettiest beads, which
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 8: set off her beautiful skin and graceful figure to full advantage.
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 8: The counselors both said at once, this is the most
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 8: beautiful girl we have yet seen. We accept her with pleasure.
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 8: Our king could not wish for a more lovely woman. Then,
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 8: turning to the father, they said, have you another pretty daughter,
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 8: so that we may see her. The father said nothing,
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 8: but the mother of Inco Sosana, mad with gratified pride
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 8: and longing to triumph yet further called out, Yes, there
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 8: is another daughter, but she is always wrapped in baboon
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 8: skins and is of no consequence at all. Let us
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 8: see her, said the councilors, who felt curious. At once.
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 8: Lalawi stepped forward, very reluctantly, holding her skins tightly around her,
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 8: but nothing could take away from the grace of her
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 8: pretty limbs, and the counselors walked round her and longed
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 8: to see her face. What are you hiding under those skins?
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 8: They said? You have very pretty limbs, and you walk gracefully.
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 8: What is wrong with you? We beg you to show
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 8: us your face. No, said Lalawi. He who marries me
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 8: must marry me for myself alone, not for my beauty.
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 8: Are you deformed then, or are you very ugly? I
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 8: did not say so, answered Lalowi quietly. All I said
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 8: was that he who marries me must marry me for
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 8: myself alone. But why do you do this? Strange thing
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 8: to please myself, said Laliwi. You must be deformed, said
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 8: one counselor, hoping to make her angry. I did not
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 8: say so, answered the girl. And although the counselors did
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 8: all they could to provoke her and make her throw
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 8: off her skins, she did not get angry or speak
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 8: rudely to them. They confessed themselves beaten and held a
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 8: long consultation. Should they take Lalawi as well as the
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 8: beautiful Incusasana and risk it. Both of them admired her
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 8: wit and her good temper, and at last they decided
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 8: to ask for her also and the hope that all
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 8: would be well. Before they went back to their master,
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 8: they saw the brothers from the two families. They told
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 8: the brother of Incoasana to make a big crawl to
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 8: receive the cattle in payment for his sister, as there
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 8: was no doubt their master would be delighted with her.
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 8: To Lalawi's brother, they said nothing, and he, fearing his
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 8: sister would not be welcomed, made only a little crawl
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 8: sufficient for some twenty cattle. The councilors then returned to
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 8: the king. He was pleased with the reports they brought
• 1:18:26
  Speaker 8: of Inkosasana. But when he heard the tale of the
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 8: second bride who wore baboon skins, he was very angry. Indeed,
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 8: no girl, said he who had a pretty face, would
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 8: hide it. Without doubt, she is absolutely hideous. And remember,
• 1:18:44
  Speaker 8: if that is the case, you pay the penalty of
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 8: death to think that I should have sent such fools.
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 8: The counselors were very sad and awaited the coming of
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 8: the brides with much fear, for they could not be
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 8: sure they had guessed rightly, and the king always kept
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 8: his word. As a precaution, the king only sent twenty
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 8: cattle for each bride. We can easily send more if
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 8: both are acceptable, said he. And if there is trouble,
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 8: for I will not have an ugly wife on any account,
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 8: then we need not ask for a return of the
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 8: marriage gift. These forty cattle will then be the due
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 8: payment for Incosessana. At the appointed time, the two brides
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 8: said farewell to the kraw and set out on their
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 8: long journey. They walked for many days, each attended by
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 8: her bridesmaids. At length they reached their future home and
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 8: appeared before the great Chief. He was pleased at once
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 8: with Inkosessana, but looked with puzzled eyes on Lalawi, who
• 1:19:50
  Speaker 8: still remained muffled in her baboon skins. He admired her
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 8: graceful bearing and longed the more to know her secret.
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 8: I beg of you, said, he let me see your face. No,
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 8: great King, said Lalowi, in her usual quiet voice. I
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 8: show my face to no one until the wedding morning.
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 8: The two brides then retired with their maids, each to
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 8: her own hut until the preparations for the wedding feast
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 8: were made. You can imagine how eagerly they were discussed
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 8: among the women of the kraal Inkosessana was much admired,
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 8: but Lalawi found no supporters. She must certainly be hideous,
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 8: they said, or she would show her face. When the
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 8: great day arrived, the brides each left their hut and
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 8: went down to the river to bathe. They went to
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 8: separate pools, and neither saw the other. Lalowi descended with
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 8: her maids to a deep pool under a great rock.
• 1:20:52
  Speaker 8: The sun just touched the top of the highest tree.
• 1:20:55
  Speaker 8: Tall white lilies grew on the banks, and in every
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 8: cranny and nook were great clusters of green fern fresh
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 8: with dew. Lalai slipped off her skins, rolled them in
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 8: a tight bundle, and buried them deep in a great
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 8: ant bear hole. Then she and her maidens bathed in
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 8: the clear pool, laughing and chattering, till it was time
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 8: to array themselves for the great day. The bride'smaids decked
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 8: themselves out in all their most wonderful bead work. But Lalowi,
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 8: as befitted a bride on her wedding morning, wore the
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 8: deep black kilt of ox skins, which is the dress
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 8: of married women only, and for ornament just a girdle
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 8: of white beads around her waist and in asagi in
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 8: her hand. But when she stood in the sun surrounded
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 8: by her maids, they all cried, Lalai, you are more
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 8: beautiful than ever. You are far more lovely than inco sasana.
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 8: And indeed it was true. All these months Lalawi had
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 8: been hidden from the sun, and she had grown in beauty.
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 8: Her skin was as smooth and soft as satin, and
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 8: every movement was a joy to behold. The bride'smaids placed
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 8: her at their head, and all together they ascended the
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 8: path towards the kraw. They sang a song as they went,
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 8: but the song was sad. It was their farewell to
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 8: a friend who would play with them no more in
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 8: the old home, and who had come to a strange
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 8: life in a distant land. At the gate of the kraw,
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 8: they met in Kosasana, who proudly stepped before them and
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 8: was the first to meet the glances of the wedding guests.
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 8: All clapped and greeted her with great approval, but their
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 8: eager eyes looked beyond her to the mysterious sister. When
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 8: Laloi appeared in all her perfect grace, shouts of joy
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 8: and surprise were heard on all sides. She is lovely,
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 8: cried all the guests. There is no one so beautiful
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 8: in all our land. When the two brides appeared before
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 8: the king and danced in the great cattle crawl according
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 8: to custom, he was struck dumb with amazement and never
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 8: took his eyes from Lalowi. When the wedding was over,
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 8: he called the two councilors and gave them each twenty
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 8: beautiful oxen. You have shown yourselves wise and trusty counselors,
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 8: said he. Lalowi is beautiful beyond belief. Choose all my
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 8: finest cattle, let them all be young, and send them
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 8: as a marriage gift to her father's crawl. Let the
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 8: first herd be the marriage gift for Inco Sasana. But
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 8: let Lalawi have such a dowry as never been seen
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 8: before in our land. The King's commands were carried out.
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 8: Great was the rejoicing and wonder of Lalowi's mother when
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 8: the marvelous herd of cattle arrived. She had never expected
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 8: such honor to come upon her child. But her rival
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 8: hid herself in her hut. Filled with bitter disappointment, she
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 8: sulked alone for months, Nor did she ever recover her
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 8: old position in the krawl end of Baboon Skins in
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 8: Myths and Legends Around the World Collection seventeen.
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 9: The Fight with the Foxes in Myths and Legends Around
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 9: the World Collection seventeen from Strange Stories from a Chinese studio.
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 9: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 9: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 9: visit LibriVox dot organ The Fight with the Foxes by
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 9: song Ling Pu in the Province of churl, there was
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 9: a wealthy family in want of a tutor. One day
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 9: a graduate presented himself at the door and was asked
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 9: by the master of the house to walk in, And
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 9: he conversed so pleasantly that in a short time it
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 9: was clear to both sides that they were mutually pleased
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 9: with each other. The tutor said his name was who,
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 9: and when the usual present had been made to him,
• 1:25:25
  Speaker 9: he was forthwith provided with apartments, and entered very energetically
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 9: upon his duties, proving himself a scholar of no mean order.
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 9: He was, however, very fond of roaming, and generally came
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 9: back in the middle of the night, not troubling himself
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 9: to knock if the door was locked, but suddenly appearing
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 9: on the inside. It was therefore suspected that he was
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 9: a fox, though as his intentions seemed to be harmless,
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 9: he was treated extremely well and not with any want
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 9: of courtesy, as if he had been something uncanny. By
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 9: and bye, he discovered that his master had a daughter, and,
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 9: being desirous of securing the match, was always dropping hints
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 9: to that effect, which his master, on the other hand,
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 9: invariably pretended not to understand. One day he went off
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 9: for a holiday, and on the next day a stranger
• 1:26:14
  Speaker 9: called Who, tying a black mule at the door, accept
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 9: the invitation of the master to take a seat within.
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 9: He was about fifty years of age, very neat and
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 9: clean in his dress, and gentlemanly in his manners. When
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 9: they were seated, the stranger began by saying that he
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 9: was come with proposals of marriage on behalf of mister Who,
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 9: to which his host, after some consideration, replied that he
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 9: and mister Who got along excellently well as friends, and
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 9: there was no object in bringing about a closer connection. Besides,
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 9: he added, my daughter is already betrothed, and I beg you,
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 9: therefore to ask mister Who to excuse me. The stranger
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 9: said he was quite sure the young lady was not engaged,
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 9: and inquired what might be the objection to the match.
• 1:27:01
  Speaker 9: But it was all of no avail until at length
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 9: he remarked, mister Who is of a good family. I
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 9: see no reason why you should have such an aversion
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 9: to him. Well, then replied the other, I will tell
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 9: you what it is. We don't like his species. The
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 9: stranger here got very angry, and his host also lost
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 9: his temper, so that they came to high words and
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 9: were already on the way to blows, when the latter
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 9: bade his servants give the stranger a beating and turn
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 9: him out. The stranger then retired, leaving his meal behind him,
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 9: and when they drew near to look at it, they
• 1:27:36
  Speaker 9: found a huge creature with black hair, drooping ears, and
• 1:27:39
  Speaker 9: a long tail. They tried to lead it away, but
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 9: it would not move, and on giving it a shove
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 9: with the hand from behind, it toppled over and was
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 9: discovered to be only of straw. In consequence of the
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 9: angry words that had been said, the master of the
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 9: house felt sure that there would be an attempt at revenge,
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 9: and accordingly made all preparations, and the next day a
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 9: whole host of fox soldiers arrived, some on horseback, some
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 9: on foot, some with spears and others with crossbows, men
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 9: and horses trampling along with an indescribable din. The family
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 9: were afraid to leave the house, and the foxes shouted
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 9: out to set the place on fire, at which the
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 9: inmates were dreadfully alarmed. But just then one of the
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 9: bravest of them rushed forth with a number of the
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 9: servants to engage the foxes. Stones and arrows flew about
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 9: in all directions, and many on both sides were wounded.
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 9: At length. However, the foxes drew off, leaving their swords
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 9: on the field. These glittered like frost or snow, but
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 9: when picked up, turned out to be only millet stocks.
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 9: Is this all their cunning, cried their adversary, laughing at
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 9: the same time making still more careful preparations in case
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 9: the foxes should come again. Next day, they were deliberating
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 9: together when suddenly a giant ascended upon them from the sky.
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 9: He was over ten feet in height by several feet
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 9: in breadth, and brand dished a sword as broad as
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 9: half a door. But they attacked him so vigorously with
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 9: arrows and stones that he was soon stretched dead upon
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 9: the ground. When they saw that he was made of grass.
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 9: Our friends now began to make light of their fox foes,
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 9: and as they saw nothing more of them for three days,
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 9: their precautions were somewhat relaxed. The foxes, however, soon reappeared,
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 9: armed with bows and arrows, and succeeded in shooting the
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 9: master of the house in the back, disappearing when he
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 9: summoned his servants and proceeded to attack them. Then, drawing
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 9: the arrow from his back, he found it was a
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 9: long thorn. And thus the foxes went on for a
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 9: month or so, coming and going and making it necessary
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 9: to take precautions, though not really inflicting any serious injury.
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 9: This annoyed the master of the family very much until
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 9: one day mister Who himself appeared with a troop of
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 9: soldiers at his back, and he immediately went out to
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 9: meet him. Mister Who withdrew among his men, but the
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 9: master called to him to come forth, and then asked
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 9: him what he had do done that soldiers should be
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 9: thus brought against his family. The foxes were now on
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 9: the point of discharging their arrows. Mister Who, however, stopped them,
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 9: whereupon he and his old master shook hands, and the
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 9: latter invited him to walk into his old room. Wine
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 9: being served. His host observed, you, mister, who are a
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 9: man of intelligence, and I trust you will make allowances
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 9: for me. Friends as we were, I should naturally have
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 9: been glad to form a connection with you. Your carriages, However, horses, houses,
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 9: et cetera, are not those of ordinary mortals, and even
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 9: had my daughter consented, you must know the thing would
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 9: have been impossible, she being still a great deal too young.
• 1:30:42
  Speaker 9: Mister Who was somewhat disconcerted at this, but his host continued,
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 9: it's of no consequence. We can still be friends as before,
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 9: and if you do not despise us earthly creatures. There
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 9: is my son whom you have taught. He is fifteen
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 9: years old, and I should be proud to see him
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 9: connected with you, if such an arrangement should be feasible.
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 9: Mister Who was delighted and said, I have a daughter
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 9: one year younger than your son. She is neither ugly
• 1:31:07
  Speaker 9: nor stupid. How would she do? His host got up
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 9: and made a low bow, which mister Who forthwith returned,
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 9: and they then became the best of friends. Forgetting all
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 9: about the former unpleasantness, wine was given to mister Who's attendants,
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 9: and every one was made happy. The host now inquired
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 9: where mister Who lived, that the ceremony of pouring out
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 9: a libation to the geese might be performed, but mister
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 9: Who said this would not be necessary, and remained drinking
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 9: till night when he went away again. From this time
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 9: there was no more trouble, and a year passed without
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 9: any news. Of mister Who, so that it seemed as
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 9: if he wished to get out of his bargain. The family, however,
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 9: went on waiting, and in six months more mister Who reappeared,
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 9: when after a few general remarks, he declared that his
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 9: daughter was ready and requested that an auspicious day might
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 9: be fixed for her to come to her husband's home.
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 9: This being arranged, the young lady arrived with retinue of
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 9: sedan chairs and horses and a beautiful trousseau, but nearly
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 9: filled the room. She was unusually respectful to her father
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 9: and mother in law, and the former was much pleased
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 9: with the match. Her father and a younger brother of
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 9: his had escorted her to the house, and, conversing away
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 9: in a most refined style, they sat drinking till daybreak
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 9: before they went away. The bride herself had the gift
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 9: of foreknowing whether the harvest would be good or bad,
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 9: and her advice was always taken in such matters. Mister
• 1:32:32
  Speaker 9: Who and his brother, and also their mother often came
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 9: to visit her in her new home, and were then
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 9: very frequently seen by people. End of the fight with
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 9: the Foxes in myths and legends around the World Collection seventeen,
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 9: read by Luke Seiburg Omaha, twenty twenty three.
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 10: King Karo or the Wild Baby in Myths and Legends
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 10: Around the World Collection seventeen from Fairy World Stories from
• 1:33:07
  Speaker 10: the Wonder Lore of Japan by William Elliot Griffiths. This
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 10: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 10: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 10: LibriVox dot org. Kintaro or the Wild Baby read by Quartertone.
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 10: Long long ago, when the tallest fir trees on the
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 10: Hakune Mountains were no higher than a rice stalk, there
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 10: lived in that part of the range called Ashigara, a
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 10: little ruddy boy whom his mother had named Kintaro or
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 10: golden darling. He was not like other boys, for having
• 1:33:48
  Speaker 10: no children to play with. He made companions of the
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 10: wild animals of the forest. He romped with the little bears,
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 10: and often when the old she bear would come for
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 10: her cubs to give them their supper and put them
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 10: to bed, kim Taro would jump on her back and
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 10: have a ride to her cave. He also put his
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 10: arms around the neck of the deer, which were not
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 10: afraid of him. He was prince of the forest, and
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 10: the rabbits, wild boars, squirrels and martins, Pheasants and hawks
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 10: were his servants and messengers. Although not much more than
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 10: a fat baby, kim Taro wielded a big axe and
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 10: could chop a snake to pieces before he had time
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 10: to wriggle. King Taro's father had been a brave soldier
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 10: in Kioto, who, through the malice of enemies at court,
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 10: had fallen into disgrace. He had loved a beautiful lady,
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 10: whom he married. When her husband died, she fled eastward
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 10: to the Ashigara Mountains, and there in the lonely forests
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 10: in which no human being except poor wood cutters ever came.
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 10: Her boy was born. She lived in a cave, nourishing
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 10: herself on roots and herbs. The woodcutters soon learned about
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 10: the strange pair, living wild but peacefully in the woods,
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 10: though they did not dream of her noble rank. The
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 10: boy was known among them as Little Wonder, and the
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 10: women as the old Nurse of the mountain. Thus, all alone,
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 10: the little fellow grew up, exercising himself daily, so that
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 10: even though a child, he could easily wrestle with a bear.
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 10: Among his retainers were the Tengus, though they were often
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 10: rebellious and disobedient, not liking to be governed by a boy.
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 10: One day, an old mother Tengu, who had always laughed
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 10: at the idea of obeying a little dumpling of a
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 10: fellow like Kimtaro, flew up to her nest in a
• 1:35:40
  Speaker 10: high fir tree. Kimtaro watched to see where it was,
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 10: and waited till she left it to go and seek
• 1:35:47
  Speaker 10: for food. Then, going up to the tree, he shook
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 10: it with all his might until the nest came tumbling
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 10: down and the two young squabs of Tengus with it.
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 10: Now it happened that just at that time, the great
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 10: hero and imp killer Raiko was marching through the mountains
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 10: on his way to Kyoto. Seeing that the ruddy little
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 10: fellow was no ordinary child, he found out the mother
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 10: and heard her story. He then asked for the child
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 10: and adopted him as his own. So Kintaro went off
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 10: with Raiko and grew up to be a brave soldier,
• 1:36:23
  Speaker 10: and taking his father's name, he was known as Sakata Kintoki.
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 10: His mother, however, remained in the mountains and living to
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 10: an extreme old age was always known as the Old
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 10: Nurse of the Mountains. To this day, Kintaro is the
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 10: hero of Japanese boys, and on their huge kites will
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 10: usually be seen a picture of the little black eyed,
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 10: ruddy boy of the Mountains with his axe while around
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 10: him or his wild playmates and the young tingus rubbing
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 10: their long noses which were so nearly broken by their fall,
• 1:36:57
  Speaker 10: and of Kintaro or the wild Baby. In Myths and
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 10: Legends Around the World Collection seventeen.
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 11: How the Turkey Buzzard Got His Suit and Myths and
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 11: Legends around the World Collection seventeen, from stories the Iroquois
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 11: tell their children. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 11: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 11: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Rachel Evans,
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 11: How the Turkey Buzzard Got His Suit by Mabel Powers.
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 11: It was a long long time ago when the earth
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 11: was very young. Trees and flowers were growing everywhere, but
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 11: there were no birds. One morning, the Great Spirit drew
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 11: back the blanket from the door of his wigwam in
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 11: the sky. He looked upon the earth and smiled, for
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 11: he saw that his work was good. To day, thought he,
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 11: I will make big butterflies to fly in and out
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 11: among the beautiful trees and flowers of the earth. They
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 11: shall sing as they fly. Then the Great Spirit spoke,
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 11: and the tree tops were full of birds, but they
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 11: had no feathers. All day he watched them fly and
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 11: listened to their songs, but their naked bodies and long
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 11: legs did not please him. Before the sun had set,
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 11: he had made feathered suits of every size and color
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 11: to cover them. That night, as the birds hid their
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 11: heads under their wings, the Great Spirit spoke to them.
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 11: He told them about the feathered suits he had made
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 11: for them, and where these suits could be found. A
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 11: council was called next day by the birds. They chose
• 1:38:42
  Speaker 11: Gay Go Go wah the turkey Buzzard to get the suits.
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 11: He could fly over a long trail and not be tired.
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 11: The birds told him that if he would go, he
• 1:38:53
  Speaker 11: might have the first choice of the suits of feathers,
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 11: but he must try on no suit more than once.
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 11: Turkey Buzzard promised and set out toward the setting sun.
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 11: Twice the sun set and three times it rose before
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 11: he found the feathered suits. There were many of them,
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 11: and they were very beautiful. He could not make up
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 11: his mind which one he would like best to wear.
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 11: Then he remembered that he could try on each suit
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 11: of feathers once, so he began to put them on.
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 11: The feathers of the first suit were too long. They
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 11: trailed on the ground as he walked. Neither could he
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 11: fly well in them. Turkey Buzzard laid that suit aside.
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 11: The next suit shone like gold. The feathers wore beautiful yellow.
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 11: Turkey Buzzard put it on and strutted up and down
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 11: the forest. Oh how handsome I am, he said, But
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 11: I must not keep this, for if I did, I
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 11: should shine so like the face of the Great Spirit
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 11: that all the other birds would see me. And he
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 11: slipped off the suit of yellow feathers as quickly as possible.
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 11: A third suit was of pure white feathers. Turkey Buzzard
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 11: thought it looked very beautiful. It was a perfect fit.
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 11: But it will get dirty too soon, he said, I
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 11: will not choose this, and this too was laid aside.
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 11: There were not enough feathers in the fourth suit. Turkey
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 11: Buzzard shivered with cold. It was not warm enough. He
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 11: would not have it. There were too many feathers and
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 11: too many pieces in the fifth suit. It took too
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 11: much time to put it on. Turkey Buzzard did not
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 11: want that, so he went from one suit to another,
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 11: trying on and taking off. Always he had some new
• 1:40:30
  Speaker 11: fault to find. Something was wrong with each one. Nothing
• 1:40:34
  Speaker 11: quite pleased him. No suit was just right. At last,
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 11: there was but one suit left. It was not pretty.
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 11: It was a plain, dull color and very short of
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 11: feathers at the neck and head. Turkey Buzzard put it on.
• 1:40:49
  Speaker 11: He did not like it. It did not fit him well.
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 11: It was cut too low in the neck. Turkey Buzzard
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 11: thought it was the homeliest suit of awe. But it
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 11: was the last suit, so he kept it on. Then
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 11: Gay Gay goa the Turkey Buzzard gathered up the suits
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 11: and flew back to the bird lodge. He still wore
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 11: the plain dull colored suit. The birds again called a council.
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 11: Each was told to select a suit from those that
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 11: Gagay Goway had brought and put it on. This they did.
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 11: Then the birds, in their beautiful feathered suits, began to
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 11: walk and fly about the turkey Buzzard, and to make
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 11: fun of his plain, dull dress. But Gey gay Goway
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 11: held his head high. He walked proudly about among the birds.
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 11: He looked with scorn on their beautiful suits. After time
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 11: he spoke, he said, gey Ga, go way. The Turkey
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 11: Buzzard does not want your suits. He had the pick
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 11: of them all. He likes his own suit. Best adapted
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 11: from Erminie Smith's Myths of the Iroquois end of How
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 11: the Turkey Buzzard Got his suit and Myths and Legends
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 11: around the World collection seventeen.
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 12: Rajah Ruslau in Myths and Legends Around the World Collection
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 12: seventeen from Indian Fairy Tales. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 12: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 12: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 12: by Maggie Rajah Russlou selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs.
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 12: Once there lived a great raja whose name was Selibhan,
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 12: and he had a queen by name Loona, who, though
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 12: she wept and prayed at many a shrine, never had
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 12: a child to gladden her eyes. After a long time, however,
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 12: a son was promised to her. Queen Lona returned to
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 12: the palace, and when the time for the birth of
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 12: the promised son drew nigh, she inquired of three yogi
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 12: who came begging to her gate what the child's fate
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 12: would be. And the youngest of them answered and said, oh, Queen,
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 12: the child will be a boy, and he will live
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 12: to be a great man. But for twelve years, you
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 12: must not look upon his face, for if either you
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 12: or his father see it before the twelve years are past,
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 12: you will surely die. This is what you must do.
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 12: As soon as the child is born. You must send
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 12: him away to a cellar underneath the ground, and never
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 12: let him see the light of day for twelve years.
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 12: After they are over, he may come forth, bathe in
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 12: the river, put on new clothes, and visit you. His
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 12: name shall be Rajah Roussaleu, and he shall be known
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 12: far and wide. So when a fair young prince was
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 12: in due time born into the world, his parents hid
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 12: him away in an underground paste with nurses and servants
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 12: and everything else a king's son might desire. And with
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 12: him they sent a young colt born the same day,
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 12: a sword, spear and shield against the day when Raja
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 12: Rousselou would go forth into the world. So there the
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 12: child lived, playing with his colt and talking to his parrot,
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 12: while the nurses taught him all things needful for a
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 12: king's son to know. Young Russalieu lived on far from
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 12: the light of day for eleven long years, growing tall
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 12: and strong, yet contented to remain playing with his colt
• 1:44:39
  Speaker 12: and talking to his parrot. But when the twelfth year began,
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 12: the lad's heart leapt up with desire for change, and
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 12: he loved to listen to the sounds of life which
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 12: came to him in his palace prison from the outside world.
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 12: I must go and see where the voices come from,
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 12: he said, And when his nurse told him he must
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 12: not go for one year more, he only laughed aloud, saying, nay,
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 12: I stay no longer herefore any man. Then he saddled
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 12: his Arab horse Baha'unar, put on his shining armor, and
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 12: rode forth into the world, but mindful of what his
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 12: nurses had oft told him. When he came to the river,
• 1:45:24
  Speaker 12: he dismounted, and, going into the water, washed himself and
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 12: his clothes. Then clean of raiment, fair of face, and
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 12: brave of heart. He rode on his way until he
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 12: reached his father's city. There he sat down to rest
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 12: a while by the well, where the women were drawing
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 12: water in earthen pitchers. Now, as they passed him, their
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 12: full pitchers poised upon their heads. The gay young prince
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 12: flung stones at the earthen vessels and broke them all.
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 12: Then the women, drenched with water, went weeping and wailing
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 12: to the palace, complaining to the king that a mighty
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 12: young prince in shining armor, with a parrot on his
• 1:46:07
  Speaker 12: wrist and a gallant steed behind him, sat by the
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 12: well and broke their pitchers. Now, as soon as Raja
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 12: Salaban heard this, he guessed at once that it was
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 12: Prince rousselou come forth before the time. And, mindful of
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 12: the Yogi's words that he would die if he looked
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 12: on his son's face before twelve years were past, he
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 12: did not dare to send his guards to seize the
• 1:46:33
  Speaker 12: offender and bring him to be judged. So he bade
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 12: the women be comforted and take pictures of iron and brass,
• 1:46:41
  Speaker 12: giving new ones from his treasury to those who did
• 1:46:44
  Speaker 12: not possess any of their own. But when Prince Rausselu
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 12: saw the women returning to the well with pictures of
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 12: iron and brass. He laughed to himself and drew his
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 12: mighty bow till the sharp pointed arrows pierced the metal
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 12: vessels as though they had been clay. Yet still the
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 12: king did not send for him. So he mounted his
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 12: steed and set off in the pride of his youth
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 12: and strength, to the palace. He strode into the audience hall,
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 12: where his father sat trembling, and saluted him with all reverence.
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 12: But Raja Salibung, in fear of his life, turned his
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 12: back hastily and never said a word in reply. Then
• 1:47:27
  Speaker 12: Prince Rasoliu called scornfully to him from across the hall.
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 12: I came to greet thee King, and not to harm
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 12: thee What have I done that thou shouldst turn away?
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 12: Scepter and empire have no power to charm me. I
• 1:47:42
  Speaker 12: go to seek a worthier prize than they. Then he
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 12: strode away, full of bitterness and anger. But as he
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 12: passed under the palace windows, he heard his mother weeping,
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 12: and the sound softened his heart, so that his wrath
• 1:47:57
  Speaker 12: died down, and a great lone fell upon him, because
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 12: he was spurned by both father and mother. So he
• 1:48:06
  Speaker 12: cried sorrowfully, Oh heart, crowned with grief, hast thou naught
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 12: but tears for thy son, Art mother of mine, give
• 1:48:16
  Speaker 12: one thought to my life just begun. And Queen Lona answered,
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 12: through her tears, yea, mother, I am, though I weep,
• 1:48:27
  Speaker 12: so hold this word. Sure go reign king of all men,
• 1:48:32
  Speaker 12: But keep thy heart good and pure. So rajah Rousselou
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 12: was comforted and began to make ready for fortune. He
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 12: took with him his horse Bahaunur and his parrot, both
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 12: of whom had lived with him since he was born.
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 12: So they made a goodly company, and Queen Lona, when
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 12: she saw them going, watched them from her window till
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 12: she saw nothing but a cloud of dust the horizon.
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 12: Then she bowed her head on her hands and wept, saying,
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 12: oh son, who ne'er gladdened my eyes. Let the cloud
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 12: of thy going arise, dim the sunlight and darken the day.
• 1:49:16
  Speaker 12: For the mother whose son is away is as dust.
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 12: Russelieu had started off to play Chopin with King Sargup,
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 12: and as he journeyed there came a fierce storm of
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 12: thunder and lightning, so that he sought shelter and found
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 12: none save an old graveyard, where a headless corpse lay
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 12: upon the ground. So lonesome was it that even the
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 12: corpse seemed company, And Russealeu, sitting down beside it, said,
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 12: there is no one here, nor far nor near, save
• 1:49:49
  Speaker 12: this breathless corpse, so cold and grim, would God he
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 12: might come back to life, twould be less lonely to
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 12: talk to him. And immediately the headless corpse arose and
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 12: sat beside Rajah Rousselau, and he nothing, astonished, said to it.
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 12: The storm beats fierce and loud, the clouds rise thick
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 12: in the west. What ails thy grave and shroud o
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 12: corpse that thou canst not rest? The headless corpse replied
• 1:50:22
  Speaker 12: on earth, I was even as thou my tarban awry,
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 12: like a king, my head with the highest I trow,
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 12: having my fun and my fling, fighting my foes like
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 12: a brave, living my life with a swing. And now
• 1:50:38
  Speaker 12: as I am dead, sins heavy as lead will give
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 12: me no rest in my grave. So the night passed
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 12: on dark and dreary, while Rousselu sat in the graveyard
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 12: and talked to the headless corpse. Now, when morning broke,
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 12: and Russaleu said he must continue his journey. The headless
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 12: orpes asked him whither he was going, and when he
• 1:51:03
  Speaker 12: said to play Chopur with King Saragup, the corpse begged
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 12: him to give up the idea, saying, I am King
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 12: Sargub's brother, and I know his ways. Every day before
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 12: breakfast he cuts off the head of two or three
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 12: men just to amuse himself. One day, no one else
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 12: was at hand, so he cut off mine, and he
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 12: will surely cut off yours on some pretense or another. However,
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 12: if you are determined to go and play Schaupater with him,
• 1:51:34
  Speaker 12: take some of the bones from this graveyard and make
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 12: your dice out of them, And then the enchanted dice
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 12: with which my brother plays will lose their virtue. Otherwise
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 12: he will always win. So Russalou took some of the
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 12: bones lying about and fashioned them into dice, and these
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 12: he put into his pocket. Then, bidding adieu to the
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 12: headless corpse, he went on his way to play chaopter
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 12: with the king. Now as Raja Rousselou, tender hearted and strong,
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 12: journeyed along to play Shaubatter with the king. He came
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 12: to a burning forest, and a voice rose from the fire, saying, oh, traveler,
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 12: for God's sake, save me from the fire. Then the
• 1:52:18
  Speaker 12: prince turned toward the burning forest, and lo, the voice
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 12: was the voice of a tiny cricket. Nevertheless, Rousselau, tender
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 12: hearted and strong, snatched it from the fire and set
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 12: it at liberty. Then the little creature, full of gratitude,
• 1:52:36
  Speaker 12: pulled out one of its feelers, and giving it to
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 12: its preserver, said keep this, and should you ever be
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 12: in trouble, put it into the fire, and instantly I
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 12: will come to your aid. The prince smiled, saying what
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 12: help could you give me? Nevertheless, he kept the hair
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 12: and went on his way. Now, when he reached the
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 12: city of King Sargap, seventy maidens, daughters of the king,
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 12: came out to meet him. Seventy fair maidens, merry and careless,
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 12: full of smiles and laughter. But one, the youngest of
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 12: them all, when she saw the gallant, young prince riding
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 12: on Baha'u Raki going gaily to his doom, was filled
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 12: with pity and called to him, saying, fair prince on
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 12: the charger, so gray, turn thee back, turn thee back,
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 12: or lower thy lance for the fray, thy head will
• 1:53:32
  Speaker 12: be forfeit to day. Dost love life, then, stranger, I
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 12: pray turn thee back, turn thee back. But he, smiling
• 1:53:42
  Speaker 12: at the maiden, answered lightly, fair maiden, I come from Afar,
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 12: sworn conqueror in love and in war, King Stoka. My
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 12: coming will rue his head in four pieces. I'll hew
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 12: then forth as a bridegroom. I'll ride with you, little maid,
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 12: as my bride. Now. When Rousselou replied so gallantly, the
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 12: maiden looked in his face, and seeing how fair he
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 12: was and how brave and strong, she straightway fell in
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 12: love with him, and would gladly have followed him through
• 1:54:16
  Speaker 12: the world. But the other sixty nine maidens, being jealous,
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 12: laughed scornfully at her, saying, not so fast, o, gallant warrior.
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 12: If you would marry our sister, you must first do
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 12: our bidding, for you will be our younger brother. Fair sisters,
• 1:54:35
  Speaker 12: quoth Russelou, gaily give me my task, and I will
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 12: perform it. So the sixty nine maidens mixed a hundred
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 12: weight of millet seed with a hundred weight of sand,
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 12: and giving it to Russelau, bade him separate the seed
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 12: from the sand then he bethought him of the cricket, and,
• 1:54:54
  Speaker 12: drawing the feeler from his pocket, thrust it into the fire.
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 12: And immediately there was a whirring noise in the air,
• 1:55:01
  Speaker 12: and a great flight of crickets alighted beside him, and
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 12: amongst them the cricket whose life he had saved. Then
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 12: Russelau said, separate the millet seed from the sand? Is
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 12: that all quoth the cricket. Had I known how small
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 12: a job you wanted me to do, I would not
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 12: have assembled so many of my brethren. With that, the
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 12: flight of crickets set to work, and in one night
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 12: they separated the seed from the sand. Now, when the
• 1:55:31
  Speaker 12: sixty nine fair maidens daughters of the king, saw that
• 1:55:35
  Speaker 12: Russelieu had performed this task, they set him another, bidding
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 12: him swing them all one by one in their swings
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 12: until they were tired. Whereupon he laughed, saying, there are
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 12: seventy of you, counting my little bride yonder, and I
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 12: am not going to spend my life swinging girls. Why,
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 12: by the time I've given each of you a swing,
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 12: the first will be wanting another. No, if you want
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 12: a swing, get in all seventy of you into one swing,
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 12: and then I'll see what can be done. So the
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 12: seventy maidens climbed into one swing, and rajah Rousselou, standing
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 12: in his shining armor, fastened the ropes to his mighty
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 12: bow and drew it up to its fullest bent. Then
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 12: he let go, and like an arrow, the swing shot
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 12: into the air with its burden of seventy fair maidens,
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 12: merry and careless, full of smiles and laughter. But as
• 1:56:33
  Speaker 12: it swung back again, Russelau, standing there in his shining armor,
• 1:56:37
  Speaker 12: drew his sharp sword and severed the ropes. Then the
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 12: seventy fair maidens fell to the ground headlong, and some
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 12: were bruised and some broken. But the only one who
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 12: escaped unhurt was the maiden who loved Russelu, for she
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 12: fell out last on top of the others, and so
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 12: came to no harm. After this, russel strode on fifteen
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 12: paces till he came to the seventy drums that everyone
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 12: who came to play chaupa with the king had to
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 12: beat in turn, and he beat them so loudly that
• 1:57:11
  Speaker 12: he broke them all. Then he came to the seventy gongs,
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 12: all in a row, and he hammered them so hard
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 12: that they cracked into pieces. Seeing this, the youngest princess,
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 12: who was the only one who could run, fled to
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 12: her father, the king in a great fright, saying, a
• 1:57:30
  Speaker 12: mighty prince Zaytakap making havoc rides along. He swung us
• 1:57:35
  Speaker 12: seventy maidens fair and threw us out headlong. He broke
• 1:57:39
  Speaker 12: the drums you placed there, and the gongs too in
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 12: his bride. Sure he will kill thee father mine and
• 1:57:47
  Speaker 12: take me for his bride. But King Satokup replied scornfully,
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 12: silly maiden, thy words make a lot of a very
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 12: small matter. For fear of my valor, I WoT his
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 12: his armor will clatter. As soon as I've eaten my bread,
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 12: I'll go forth and cut off his head. Notwithstanding these
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 12: brave and boastful words, he was, in reality very much afraid.
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 12: Having heard of Russlou's renown, and learning that he was
• 1:58:18
  Speaker 12: stopping at the house of an old woman in the
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 12: city till the hour of playing Shaoper arrived. Sargab sent
• 1:58:25
  Speaker 12: slaves to him with trays of sweetmeats and fruit, as
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 12: to an honored guest, But the food was poisoned. Now,
• 1:58:34
  Speaker 12: when the slaves brought the trays to Raja Russelu. He
• 1:58:37
  Speaker 12: rose up haughtily, saying, go tell your master I have
• 1:58:41
  Speaker 12: naught to do with him in friendship. I am his
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 12: sworn enemy, and I eat nut of his salt. So saying,
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 12: he threw the sweetmeats to Raja's Sarkap's dog, which had
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 12: followed the slave, and lo the dog died. Then Russelou
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 12: was very wroth and said, bitter, go back to Sardogup's
• 1:59:02
  Speaker 12: slaves and tell him that Russlou deems it no act
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 12: of bravery to kill even an enemy by treachery. Now,
• 1:59:11
  Speaker 12: when evening came, Raja Rousselou went forth to play Shaubar
• 1:59:15
  Speaker 12: with King Sartogup, And as he passed some potter's kilns,
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 12: he saw a cat wandering about restlessly. So he asked
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 12: what ailed her that she never stood still, and she replied,
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 12: my kittens are in an unbaked pot in the kiln. Yonder,
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 12: it has just been set alight, and my children will
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 12: be baked alive. Therefore I cannot rest. Her words moved
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 12: the heart of Raja Russelu, and going to the potter,
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 12: he asked him to sell the kiln as it was,
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 12: But the potter replied that he could not settle a
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 12: fair price till the pots were burnt, as he could
• 1:59:51
  Speaker 12: not tell how many would come out whole. Nevertheless, after
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 12: some bargaining, he consented at last to sell the kiln,
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 12: and Russelou, having searched all the pots, restored the kittens
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 12: to their mother, and she, in gratitude for his mercy,
• 2:00:08
  Speaker 12: gave him one of them, saying, put it in your pocket,
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 12: for it will help you when you are in difficulties.
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 12: So Raja Rousselou put the kitten in his pocket and
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 12: went to play chaupin with the king. Now, before they
• 2:00:22
  Speaker 12: sat down to play, Raja Sargap fixed his stakes on
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 12: the first game his kingdom, on the second the wealth
• 2:00:31
  Speaker 12: of the whole world, and on the third his own head.
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 12: So likewise Raja Rousselou fixed his stakes on the first
• 2:00:40
  Speaker 12: game his arms, on the second his horse, and on
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 12: the third his own head. Then they began to play,
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 12: and it fell to Russelou's lot to make the first move. Now, he,
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 12: forgetful of the dead man's warning, played with the dice
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 12: given to him by Raja Sargup, besides which Sarkap let
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 12: loose his famous rat dol Roja, and it ran about
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 12: the board, upsetting the shelter pieces on the sly, so
• 2:01:09
  Speaker 12: that Russalou lost the first game and gave up his
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 12: shining armor. Then the second game began, and once more
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 12: the hol Raja the rat upset the pieces, and Russelu,
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 12: losing the game, gave up his faithful steed. Then Bahauner
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 12: the Arab Steed, who stood by, found voice and cried
• 2:01:30
  Speaker 12: to his master seaborn am, I bought with much gold,
• 2:01:35
  Speaker 12: dear prince, trust me now as of old, I'll carry
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 12: you far from these wiles. My flight, all unspurred, will
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 12: be swift as a bird for thousands and thousands of miles.
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 12: Or if needs, you must stay ere. The next game
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 12: you play, place your hand in your pocket, I pray.
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 12: Hearing this, Raja Sarkup frowned and bade his slaves remove
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 12: Bahaunar the Arab Steed, since he gave his master advice
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 12: in the game. Now, when the slaves came to lead
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 12: the Faithful Steed away, Russelah could not refrain from tears,
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 12: thinking over the long years which Baha'unar the Arab Steed
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 12: had been his companion. But the horse cried out again,
• 2:02:21
  Speaker 12: weep not, dear Prince, I shall not eat my bread
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 12: of stranger hands, nor to a strange stall be led.
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 12: Take thy right hand and place it as I said.
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 12: These words roused some recollection in Russeluv's mind, and when
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 12: just at this moment the kitten in his pocket began
• 2:02:41
  Speaker 12: to struggle, he remembered all about the warning and the
• 2:02:45
  Speaker 12: dice made from dead men's bones. Then his heart rose
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 12: up once more, and he called boldly to Rajasarkap, leave
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 12: my horse and arms here for the present time, enough
• 2:02:57
  Speaker 12: to take them away when you have won my head. Now,
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 12: Raja Sarkup, seeing Russelu's confident bearing, began to be afraid
• 2:03:07
  Speaker 12: and ordered all the women of his palace to come
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 12: forth in their gayest attire and stand before Russelau so
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 12: as to distract his attention from the game. But he
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 12: never even looked at them, and, drawing the dice from
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 12: his pocket, said to Sargap, we have played with your
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 12: dice all this time. Now we will play with mine.
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 12: Then the kitten went and sat at the window through
• 2:03:31
  Speaker 12: which the rat hole Raja he used to come, and
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 12: the game began. After a while. Sargup, seeing Roja Russelau
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 12: was winning, called to his rat, but whend hol Raja
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 12: saw the kitten, he was afraid and would not go further.
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 12: So Russelau won and took back his arms. Next he
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 12: played for his horse and once more Raja. Sarkup called
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 12: for his rat, but hol Roja, seeing the kitten keeping watch,
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 12: was afraid. So Russelou won the second stake and took
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 12: back Bahauner, the Arab steed. Then Sarkup brought all his
• 2:04:09
  Speaker 12: skill to bear on the third and last game, saying, oh,
• 2:04:14
  Speaker 12: molded pieces favor me to day forsooth. This is a
• 2:04:19
  Speaker 12: man with whom I play no paltry risk, but life
• 2:04:23
  Speaker 12: and death at stake, as Sarkup does so do for
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 12: Sarkup's sake. But Russelou answered back, Oh molded pieces favor
• 2:04:35
  Speaker 12: me to day forsooth. It is a man with whom
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 12: I play no paltry risk, but life and death at stake,
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 12: as Heaven does so do for Heaven's sake. So they
• 2:04:48
  Speaker 12: began to play, whilst the woman stood round in a
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 12: circle and the kitten watched whole Rajah from the window.
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 12: Then Sarkup lost first his kingdom, then the wealth, the
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 12: whole world, and lastly his head. Just then a servant
• 2:05:05
  Speaker 12: came in to announce the birth of a daughter to Rajasarkap,
• 2:05:09
  Speaker 12: and he, overcome by misfortunes, said kill her at once,
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 12: for she has been born in an evil moment and
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 12: has brought her father ill luck. But Russlou rose up
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 12: in his shining armor, tender hearted and strong, saying, not so, o, King,
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 12: she has done no evil. Give me this child to wife.
• 2:05:30
  Speaker 12: And if you will vow, by all you hold sacred
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 12: never again to play chaupa for another's head, I will
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 12: spare yours now. Then, Sayrkup vowed a solemn vow never
• 2:05:42
  Speaker 12: to play for another's head. And after that he took
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 12: a fresh mango branch and the new born babe, and
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 12: placing them on a golden dish, gave them to Russelou. Now.
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 12: As he left the palace, carrying with him the new
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 12: born babe and the mango branch, he met a band
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 12: of prisoners, and they called out to him a royal
• 2:06:05
  Speaker 12: hawk lt thou, o King the rest but timid wild fowl,
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 12: grant us our request, unloose these chains and live forever blest,
• 2:06:17
  Speaker 12: and raja Rouslau, hearkened to them and bade King Sarkap
• 2:06:21
  Speaker 12: set them at liberty. Then he went to the Murti
• 2:06:24
  Speaker 12: Hills and placed the new born Babe Gokolon in an
• 2:06:28
  Speaker 12: underground palace and planted the mango branch at the door, saying,
• 2:06:33
  Speaker 12: in twelve years the mango tree will blossom. Then will
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 12: I return and marry Cocolan. And after twelve years, the
• 2:06:42
  Speaker 12: mango tree began to flower and Raja Raslau married the
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 12: Princess Cocolan, whom he won from Sarkap when he played
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 12: chopur with the King. End of Raja Rouslau in Myths
• 2:06:55
  Speaker 12: and Legends Around the World, Collection, seventeen
• 2:07:00
  Speaker 5: S