made,[1] and give it to them, and send them off," he said. So she sent them off. In a short time Tlumtea also went in his turn by himself. The bamboo rat said to him,—"Tlumtea, where are you off to?" "I am going to court the Vanchung Maid," he said. Then the bamboo rat said,—"Dig up this bamboo root for me, do, please; indeed I want it very much," said he, and so Tlumtea dug it for him. Then he met the red-necked snake,—"Tlumtea, where are you off to?", it also asked, and Tlumtea,—"I am going to court the Vanchung Maid," he said. Then the snake,—"Just cut this thatching grass for me; I do indeed want it very much," said he. So he cut it, and off he went. Then he arrived at the house of the Vanchung Maid. Then the Vanchung Maid said to Tlumtea,—"Presently, if my father says to you, "If you wish very much to marry the Vanchung Maid, tell me where is the root of the floor," just you answer, Below," said she. "Then if he asks where are the roots of the walls and the posts, just you say, The ground ends," said she. Then presently the Vanchung Maid,—"My father, come here, we have a guest." said she. And her father,—"A good guest or a bad guest?", he said, and she said,—"A good guest." "Wrap him up some meat and rice, and send him off," said he. So her father came, and said,—"If you want to marry this Vanchung Maid very much indeed, dip up that water out of the puddle in the street without wetting the bottom of this gourd ladle," said he. He kept on ladling up the water, and the bottom kept on getting wet; he was in despair, and he wept bitterly. Then the bamboo rat sucked up the water, and spat it out into the ladle and filled it. Then,—"Bring without tearing
- ↑ The pots, being round-bottomed, are stood in twisted rings of cane, to prevent them from upsetting. Rice, out of which zu has been made, is useless as food. The cane rings replaced the necklace which might have been given to honoured guests, and the useless rice added to the insult, while keeping to the letter of the laws of hospitality, and not sending the guests away empty handed.
