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OCTOBER, 1893.)
FOLKLORE OF THE SGAW-KARENS.
285
was the Burman, whilst the youngest was the Kuld." The Karen grew up the biggest, but, if there was any work to do or journey to make, he did not like to do it. The younger brethren did the work and the elder one oppressed them beyond measure.
After a long time the younger brethren could not endure this oppression any longer, and they went away, one to one place and one to another. They could not remain together. But their father, God, thought to himself: "Cannot my children live together? I will remove a little way, and instruct them, and they will live together."
II.-How the Karens procured liquor. Now there was a good piece of level ground near, and God made the Karen out a clearing there, and said to him, “Clear this ground thoroughly and well, and your father will plant it nicely with wheat.
And God thought:“If I instruct my children, they will certainly again live together.”
The Karen took his dat and axe and went at once to the level spot. And he saw that there were very many big trees (to cut), and a fit of laziness came over him, and, seeing some pleasant shade, he put down his dá and axe, and slept comfortably.
And one big tree was conspicuous amongst the others, but it was swollen in the middle and there was a hollow in it, in which was water. The latter, being visible, was drunk by various small birds, and those who drank it, becoming exceedingly excited and noisy, fell headlong on to the ground. But some fought and pecked each other on the tree. The excitement was entirely causeless. However, the Karen, having awaked from his sleep, looked and saw the great excitement of the birds, and said, “How is this P"
He slept no longer and went quickly to look. He climbed up the tree and saw the water that was in the hollow, and it was transparent and pure and good in his eyes. And the Karen touched it with his hands, and smelt it and tasted it. However, the Karen, not being yet stupefied, took up some more in the hollow of his hand and drank it, saying, “ It is very sweet to my taste," and, having taken ap and drank some more, he became aware that he was getting drunk! His heart and mind became different, and he became very brave and fierce. He descended quickly to the bottom of the tree. He became very brave until he became stupefied, after which, recovering his senses, he took up his dá and axe and retorned home. He then went to drink of the water of that tree every day. O friends! Thus bave our elders related how the Karens first drank intoxicating liquors !
A long time then elapsed and the Lord God, his father, asked the Karep if he had finished coltivating the piece of flat ground that he had sent him to do. And the Karen replied : "Let my father, God, have patience with me. I will work antil it is finished, and will then inform my father."
But though the Karen had thus replied, in his inmost heart he did not wish at all to do his father's business. And if his father bad sent him to go and do any work whatever, he had no wish for it. He had become lazy from getting drunk from the water in the tree, and did not want to do any work. However, his father said, “This son of mine is of no use at all."
And there was an orphan living with God. And God ordered him to cat down that tree, telling him to go to it by night.
And the orphan replied, “But my father, by night I cannot see, and I cannot cut at all." And God answered, "You shall most certainly go." Whereupon the orphan said, " I will go, but I cannot see, as it will be night." And God said, “Come close to me.”
• Burmese word = Barbarian or Foreigner.
The universal knife of Burma.
