horns every year, because they do not belong to him. — (Cheren Dorchkē, a Khalka man by the River Tamēr.)
28. The Fox and the Wolf.
The wolf and the fox found on the road a skin full of fat. "Hand it over; let us eat it," said the wolf. "That won't do here. Here people are going backwards and forwards; we must carry it to the top of a mountain and eat it there. Do thou carry it." The wolf carried the fat to a great mountain. The fox says, "There's not enough fat for us both, it's not worth dividing; let one of us eat the whole." "Which of us?" asks the wolf. "Let the elder eat it," said the fox; "pray how old art thou?" The wolf thought a while, and determined to invent a lie, so as to cheat the fox. "When," says he, "I was a youngster the Mount Sumêru was only a clot of earth in a bog, and the ocean only a puddle." The fox lay down and wept. "Why weepest thou?" "I wept because I once had two cubs, and the youngest was just your age"; so the fox cheated the wolf, and the wolf was so ashamed that he ran away.—(Daba, a Khalka man from Kheke tushe gun Gachoun.)
29. Legends about Sheduir Van.
There were four Djan djēn[1] to the four aimaks, and Shêduir Van was one of them. He purposed to free the Mongols.[2] Ui Djan djen was in the same council, but thought differently, and informed Êdzên Khan[3] of Shêduir Van's designs. Shêduir Van had an officer (mêrên) named Donduk, who had only one eye; he warned Shêduir Van. "Do not trust Ui Djan djen, he says one thing but thinks another." Shêduir Van did not believe him, and said, "Donduk has only one eye, he sees badly and counsels badly." When the plot was discovered, and there remained nothing to do but to escape, Shêduir
