________________
276
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(SEPTEMBER, 1889.
Applying the first formula of his preceptor to his case, he travelled on and on and passed through strange scenes and countries. During his journey he asked the people he met questions on various subjects, and gained much information. At last he reached Tagaung, the most ancient capital of the kings of Burma. His inquisitive spirit soon made him acquainted with the condition of the country he was in. The King had been dead for some time, and his Queen had taken & Naga, or a huge serpent, for her spouse, much against the wish of her people. The ministers and her other subjects wanted a human being to rule over them; but their wish was foiled because every one of the candidates elected by them to be their King, was killed by the Naga after passing a single night in the palace.
Maung Pauk Kyaing became desirous of aspiring to the hand of the widowed Queen, in spite of the rumours that all that had done so met with sure death. He accordingly intimated his wish to the ministers, and was, in due course, ushered into the palace. He observed that the Queen was sedate and silent, and be vainly tried to put ber in good humoar by his joviality.
Night came on, and the Queen put on her blandishments to induce Maung Pauk Kyaing to fall into a slumber. But he was too sharp for her. He had ascertained that all the former aspirants to her hand were killed by a Nags, whose spouse she was, and that to sleep in the palace was to sleep for ever.
He therefore pretended to go off to sleep and snore as loudly as possible. The Queen slept by his side. As soon as he found ont that she had fallen into a natural slumber, he got up and placed the trunk of a plantain-tree on the bed, covered it up with his own blanket, and retired behind a screen to see what would happen. He had not to wait long. Out from the darkness came a huge serpent hissing and wriggling along in a fearful manner. It reached the place where the Queen was sleeping, and taking a well-directed aim its head descended on the plantain tree with a tremendous crash. The Naga could move no more. Its fangs had been deeply buried in the fibrous tree, and tenaciously held there, while Maung Pank Kyaing with the quickness of lightning, darted forth from his hiding place and plunged his dagger into the Naga, cutting it in twain.
In due course Maung Pauk Kyaing was crowned King. There was great rejoicing and jollification among his subjects, but the Queen would not cast off her ballen and melancholy aspect.
The news of the good fortune that befell Maung Pauk Kyaing soon reached his parents, who accordingly set out for their son's kingdom. On nearing Taganng they rested under a tree on which two grows, who were husband and wife, were perched. The male bird said:
Wife, to-morrow we shall have a good feast." "Why ?" asked the female bird. “Because the King is to be executed. He and the Queen, you know, laid & wager that on his failore to solve a certain oonundrum be was to forfeit his life, but that if he was successful, the Queen was to die." "What may that conundrum be?" "It is this :
Htaung pe: lo hsók Yá pe: lo chok Chit tè la ayo: sado: sagyin lok. "A thousand is given to tear;
A hundred to sew; And the bones of the loved one
Are made into hair-pins." The female orow obferved that its solution was very easy, and she said : -"This conundram refers to the Naga, the loved one of the Queen. A thousand coins were paid for tearing
• Tagaung is on the left bank of the Irrawaddy, and lies about a hundred miles north of Mandalay. It is sapposed to be the most ancient ospital of Burma, and to have remained a fuo during the reign of 50 kings. It founder wu Abiy&zA (Abhirkja) who immigrated from the valley of the Ganges long before the birth of Gaatama Buddhs (628 B. C.).
+ The Nagus play an important part in Burmese folklore. They are represented bogo Nepents; but us matter of fact they are the indigenous Naga race inhabiting the country.
