sand." Then the three sisters came down from the sky again and sat on the sand, and then Andrianòro caught one of them, the youngest, and said to her, "Thou art my wife, Ifàravàvy." But she replied, "I am not thy wife, Andrianòro. Then said Andrianòro, "What is it makes thee unwilling to marry me?" She answered, "There are many things about you which trouble me." "What things are they?" said he. Ifàravàvy replied, "My parents do not live here on the earth, but in the skies; and thou art of human-kind here on the earth, and art not able to live in heaven with father and mother; for if father speaks the thunder-bolt darts forth; and besides, I do not drink spirits (tòaka=rum), for if spirits even touch my mouth I die." Then said Andrianòro, "I can endure all that for my love to thee, my darling" [lit. "piece of my life"]. Then she consented to be his wife. And when the pair went home to Andrianòro's house they were met by a great many people, and both his subjects and his father and mother rejoiced. And Andrianòro made an exceedingly strong town, with seven inclosures, one within another[1] did he make it; and together with Andrianòro there lived also his younger sister, whom he loved best of the two.
And after a long time, Andrianòro's wife said to him, "I should like to play with the horns of the làloména" [a fabulous creature, see p. 173]. So he replied, "I will go to seek it, my dear, wherever it may be; so do not trouble yourself needlessly about it, my wife." Then Andrianòro told his parents that he was going to seek the thing desired by his wife, speaking to them thus: "I am going, father and mother, to procure the horns of the làloména, and lo, here is my wife for you to take care of, if you love me; and let my sister Rafàravàvy stay with her until I come, for if I do not find the horns of the làloména I shall not return" [they say he did find them]. So Andrianòro's father and mother agreed to take good care of his wife and children until he returned. Then his dependants and servants pounded rice for the journey, for he was about to go. And when the rice was pounded, he went and took leave of his parents and his wife and sisters, saying, "Farewell [lit. "May you live"] then until I come back, so do not grieve fruitlessly!" And then Andrianòro set off with very many of his people to seek the horns of the làloména. And after he had remained away a long time,
- ↑ The old Hova villages, generally built on the top of hills, were all thus enclosed within a series of deep fosses, for the sake of security, in the former warlike times.
