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origins of mankind: tigers and men |
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From Pian-kon came: Wakching, Wanching, Kongan, Chingtang, Chinglong. |
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Yang-wom-ou-niu was a big bird which was in the water of the Dikhu, he is as big as a house. |
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(148v) Another tradition says that men came out of a great gourd, only the old men plant gourds. |
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In the old times the tiger had one field and the man one, and were friends. The tiger's field was damaged by pigs, so he killed them, but the man took the meat for himself and for the tiger cooked a bitter root. When they were eating the man turned for a moment to clean his nose. In this moment the tiger took the man's (149v) meat from his plate and found that it was very good. So he said to the man "You are eating good meat, and to me you give such bitter food" and chased the man. So the man ran away, and entered into a hole in the ground, but the end of his cane belt remained behind, so the tiger tried to pull him out with the cane, but it was very long, so the tiger got tired of pulling and (153) then the tiger said, "Alright, this man is very clever, so I shall see him later" and went away. After a few days he smeared himself with mud and lay down as if he were dead. Then the man and all animals assembled to see the tiger and asked "How did the tiger die?" Then the man told the monkey to try if the tiger was really dead. So the monkey took a small reed and pushed it into the anus of the tiger. The tiger jumped up and chased the monkey and killed him. But the man and the other animals (154) could escape. When the tiger tried to catch the man, the man went in another direction and thus frustrated the endeavours of the tiger. |
