Tales of the Golden Corpse: Tibetan Folk Tales

Tales of the Golden Corpse TIBET

Tales of the Golden Corpse Tibetan Folk Tales retold by Sandra Benson foreword by ]etsun Perna illustrations by Sherup

ll Interlink Books

An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. Northampton, MassachusettS

First published in 2007 by INTERLINK BOOKS An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MassachusettS 01060 www.interlinkbooks.com Text copyright © 2007 by Sandra Benson Foreword copyright © 2007 by Jecsun Perna Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Sherup All righcs reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Benson, Sandra. Tales of the golden corpse :Tibetan folktales I retold by Sandra Benson.-1st American ed. p. em. ISBN 1-56656-632-0 (pbk.) 1SBN 13: 978-1-56656-632-2 1. Tales-China-Tibet. I. Tide. GR337.B43 2005 398.2'0951'5-dc22 2005013184 Printed and bound in the United States of America To request our complete 40-page full-color catalog, please call us roll free at I-800-238-LINK, visit our website at www.interlinkbooks.com, or write to Interlink Publishing 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060 e-mail: [email protected]

To the Tibetans

Table of Contents Foreword viii Acknowledgments ix Introduction I The First Story 13 The Carpenter Kunga 23 The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter 29 The Travelling Spirit 37 The Quiet Woman 43 The Daughter Serdrun 51 The Young Man Saved by a Black-and-White Dree 57 The Six Brothers 65 The Shepherd Boy 75 The Farmer and the Tyrant King 81 Dransel, the Poor Man 87 The Princess and the Frog 93 Sermotso and Gnulmotso 103 The Fountains ofTurquoise and Gold 109 The Rich Thief 115 The Feathered Prince 121 The Two Brothers 127 The Brave Young Woman 137 The Pig-Head Seer 143 Masang Yharu Khadra 15 5 The Stone Lion Opens His Mouth 165 A Debt of Gratitude 171 The Three Evil Brothers 181 The Honest Horse Keeper 195 The Three Hard-working Women 201

Commentary 2II Glossary 223 Recommended Reading

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Foreword

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ne aspect of Tibetan culture that is not widely known is the tradition and power of educating children through tales. Through stories, both oral and written, children learn about right and wrong, cause and effect, love and compassion, and generally the lessons of life. Not just children, but everyone-nomads, farmers, traders, artisans, indeed people of all walks of life in Tibet-revels in storytelling and listening. Tales of the Golden Corpse (mi ro gser sgrung) is an important collection of such folk tales. These tales not only captivate and delight the reader, but through them the ethical principles of right living are passed on from generation to generation. Sandra Benson has done a tremendous service to the readers by making this rich collection of Tibetan folk stories available in English. The hard work put into translating this collection is highly commendable. The original syntax and the beauty of the narration have been faithfully maintained. When one reads the tales in English, their humor and nuance is still vivid and the underlying significance of the consequences of the characters' actions comes· through, tale after tale. Fulfilling the original aspiration ofTibetan scholar Perna Bhum by this collection, Benson's English translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse serves as a bridge to the West, offering lesser-known aspects of Tibetan secular literature. -Jetsun Pema, sister ofHis Holiness the Dalai Lama viii

Acknowledgments

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his translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse was initiated by Perna Bhum, Tibetan scholar and former professor of Tibetan languages and letters at Lanzhou University in northwestern China and at Indiana University, now director of Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library in New York City. Perna Bhum felt that an English version of the complete collection of stories he heard as a child in Rebkong would be an excellent introduction for Westerners to the more secular aspects of his homeland. I am grateful to Perna Bhum for his commitment to the lengthy translation process. Following the initial work with Perna Bhum, many Tibetans shared their knowledge of the stories, insights, and humor while reviewing the translation. Dawa Dolma diligently reread the complete collection in both English and Tibetan. Dr. Thubten Phuntsog, author and Tibetan professor at Beijing Nationalities University, further clarified the meaning of the many Tibetan phrases and traditions found in the text. Jigme Phunrsog, Lama Rinchen Phunrsog, Perna Rabgey, and Tempa Tsering shared wonderful stories of how they came to know these tales. Yangbum Gyal, Tserang Dorje, Norbu, Tashi Oser, and Lama Gyaltsen all provided useful information on various aspects of the collection. Ani Dechen and Ani Tenzin Choezum read the final version of the translation. The support and friendship of Bhungyal, Sonam Tsering, and Dorje Tsetan always added joy to the translation process. I

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A heartfelt thanks goes to Perna Bhum's nephew Ka Bhum Gyal, who, assisted by Shawotar, provided the illustrations drawn by Sherup from the district of Rebkong in Amdo. Research for the introduction was assisted by the competent guidance of Allan Thrasher of the Sanskrit department and Susan Meinheit of the Tibetan department at the Library of Congress; John Lundquist at New York City Public Library; Tashi Tsering, former senior researcher at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives' in Dharamsala, India; Ree Mobley of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Jamyang Tsering in Santa Fe. I was also fortunate to receive invaluable comments and suggestions along the way from the following readers: Jill Ansel, Julie Brittain, Carole Cotter, Granville Green, Jean Green, Peter Harley, Lidian King, Susu King, Karla Lauitsen, Mary Patterson, Pat Schneider, Kevin Stuart, James Stubenraugh, and Claudia Williams. Advice from Jane Yolen, Goya Timpanilli, and Sydney Mackenzie was very valuable. Greg Hansen's advice helped set the focus for the introduction and broadened my understanding of these tales. Kathleen Conner graciously contributed her excellent editing skills and Bob Rashkin did an excellent job reviewing the final material. I also appreciated receiving advice from Namakhai Norbu and housing assistance from the American Shang Shung Institute in Conway, Massachusetts. Finally, I thank the folks at Interlink Publishing Group; my editor, Hilary Plum, is to be particularly commended for her patience and thoughtful suggestions throughout the editing process. Thank you all. I am deeply grateful to all who helped with this project. -Sandra Benson Santa Fe, New Mexico

Introduction

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rom one generation to the next, since the beginning of time, we have been listening to and telling stories. Folk tales in particular not only entertain but also help us understand each other, for it is the storytellers' role to weave the moral fabric that holds our societies together. The adventures of whimsical, dastardly, and lovable characters mirror our own sense of justice: the unruly, cruel, and ungrateful are scorned while the compassionate and helpful are rewarded. These twenty-five tales, first told to enthrall Tibetan youngsters, also provide us with a window through which to view ancient Tibetan culture. Crossing barriers of language, national boundaries, geography, and time, these tales have survived a journey spanning over 2,000 years and thousands of miles. Each story takes place in a remote region often referred to as "the roof of the world," in a landscape of indescribably beautiful snow-capped mountains, rugged icy rivers, high desert grassland plateaus, and verdant valleys. Located in the heart of Asia, bordering India, Nepal, China, Burma, and Bhutan, Tibet covers an area larger than Western Europe. Over 75 percent of Tibet's population are nomads who herd sheep, yaks, and goats year-round in the harshest conditions, living at altitudes of over 15,000 feet. The farmers tend to live in the valleys' more temperate climates, while the monastics, who have traditionally made up about one quarter of the male population, reside in Buddhist monasteries throughout the country.

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The characters in the tales draw from Tibet's history. In the seventh century King. Songtsen Gampo ruled a vast empire, acquired by fierce Tibetan warriors and reaching far into Mongolia, China, and India. By the eighth century, the 38th Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, wishing to bring peace throughout his kingdom, invited the Indian Master Padmasambava to Tibet to spread the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings. Experiencing periods of decline and revival over the centuries, Buddhism continues to be the foundation ofTibetan society. Since the stories in this collection have been told through time in an atmosphere saturated with religion, it follows that many aspects of Buddhist philosophy appear frequently. A primary tenet of Buddhism is to wish happiness for all sentient beings and to rid the world of suffering through the practice of wisdom and compassion. Of course, these stories also abound with examples of rascals who choose to ignore these principles, with predictably disastrous results. Tales of the Golden Corpse includes some of the most common folk tales ofTibet. The first story in the collection establishes the context for all those that follow. Here we meet the main characters: the storyteller, an enchanted corpse named Ro Gnoedrup Chen, meaning "the spirit of amazing accomplishments"; and the listener, a clever young Tibetan boy named Dondrup. The premise is that the young boy must be redeemed for his terrible deed of killing seven wicked sorcerers in the cave of Master Nagarjuna, an influential and important Buddhist teacher from India, known as Lopon Lodrup in Tibet. Nagarjuna insists that to make amends the boy must be sent on a journey to capture and deliver a magical corpse, who, in the hands of a Master, has the amazing power to liberate all beings from suffering. The most difficult

INTRODUCTION

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part of this task will be to obey the Master's demand that the boy never speak a word to the corpse. When Dondrup manages to capture Ro Gnoedrup Chen and set off for the Master's cave, the clever corpse begins to tell his stories of mystery and adventure. Entranced by the tales, the boy forgets his vow of silence and speaks to the corpse, who flies off, disappearing into the sky like a rainbow, returning to his perch in a tree in a distant graveyard. Over and over again the boy attempts to retrieve the creature for the Master, and with each journey the corpse escapes and another tale is told. This recurring pattern helps us navigate through the often strange, yet familiar territory of the individual stories, while also introducing us to the culture and land ofTibet. Having been passed along from one generation to another, the tales' flavor and feel is closely aligned with that of oral storytelling traditions. Memory-triggering devices such as repetition, fixed phrasing, traditional songs, and references to situations in daily life, mingled with the supernatural, are all techniques found in oral transmissions of stories. Tibetan exclamations, such as "whey," similar to English expressions of "ah ha," "ouch," or "wow," have been left in with their phonetic spellings to share with the reader a sense of the sound ofTibetan language. Not found in this collection are elaborate descriptions of the environment or of characters' psychological states. Adjectives such as "happy," "sad," "cold," and "strong" are used to set the tone, allowing our imaginations to provide texture and nuance to the adventures they recount. ·Sayings included in almost every tale serve to warn, admonish, and praise, while giving readers insights into Tibetan folk wisdom. Episodes jump from one scene to another; characters

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appear and disappear without explanation; and some stories end abruptly-all elements to be expected from the world of folk tales. Ranging from the simple' to the complex, these rich sto'ries blend ordinary Tibetan life with magical interventions by all sorts of talking beings. The atmosphere in which these stories have been told has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. When the day is done, nomadic Tibetan children sit in the quiet of the night, gathered around a small fire inside their yak-hair tents, hearing barking mastiff guard dogs, the shuffling of the resting herds, the whistling wind of the grassland-sounds that accompany the voice of the aunt or father who tells these stories filled with humor, mystery, and adventure. In the farming villages, the children sit on woolen carpets in an adobe home listening to an elder, who likely has a special talent for making the tales come alive with jokes, songs, and rhymes. To mimic the silence imposed on the boy in the stories, the children may be told that if they utter a word during the tale, the St
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For example, burning juniper branches as offerings to gods and goddesses is a daily ritual in Tibet. In "The Carpenter Kunga," however, smoke offerings play a surprisingly mischievous role. The swiftly repeated whispered invocation or mantra Om mani padme hum, meaning "Blessed be the jewel in the lotus," is spoken to invoke Chenrizig (Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit), a highly revered deity known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The purpose of repeating these words is to awaken the force of one's own compassion. This mantra is generally favored by Tibetans in all settings, and is also recited by the Master in these tales. In 'The Daughter Serdrun," a statue of Chenrizig provides a deceptive man with a place to hide. The mala, a string of 108 beads used to count the number of times a mantra has been recited, is also mysteriously transformed into a place for Dondrup to hide from the wicked sorcerers. Although storytelling is a common vehicle for teaching Buddhist ideas, the stories in the Tales of the Golden Corpse are told for children's amusement and are not necessarily recognized as sources of Buddhist instruction. They do, however, include characters who understand Buddhist terms such as rebirth, karma, the bardo, and the meditative practice of powa. The glossary and commentary have been provided to explain some of the more frequently referenced Tibetan terms appearing in the tales. Even though these stories take place a long time ago, many of the descriptions of daily life, the material culture, and the role of storytelling remain true today in Tibet. Young boys still ride horses over the lonely grasslands herding yaks and sheep; old hermits still live alone for years in remote mountain huts; and villages continue to celebrate great festivals that feature dancers colorfully adorned with jewelry and silver and brocade

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costumes. Horse races, archery contests, and ample consumption of the traditional Tibetan chang, a potent beer made from barley, are always present at annual spring and harvest festivals. Rites of passage such as weddings and funerals and daily tasks of tending animals, gathering firewood, and hauling water are a frequent background for many of the stories. The characters eat the same foods that Tibetans have always enjoyed and depended on for sustenance: tsampa, a barley flour meal, with butter, meat, and teatraditionally, a salted and buttered tea. A guest might be invited to share some hot roasted barley, stirred with a long wooden stick kept close to the kitchen fire. All visitors would be offered a wooden bowl filled to the brim with steaming yak-butter tea. Just as the tales introduce us to what is readily seen in Tibet, they also invite us to become familiar with the unseen forces that play a vital part in this ancient culture. Tibetan children learn early on that their world is filled with many types of beings that work hard to protect, guide, and inform them. In a traditional Tibetan home, the child observes daily offering rituals that deal with these beings, some who promote and maintain harmony among all living things and others who have the potential to cause illness and climatic disasters. When feasts are prepared at celebrations, these unseen forces are spoken of as the "four guests." At the highest level are the enlightened beings such as the historical Buddha, or one who has attained full enlightenment and is free from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. This level also includes the Bodhisattvas, saintly practitioners who have delayed their enlightenment to help humanity reach freedom from ignorance and selfishness. Bodhisattvas have taken a vow to

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return each lifetime to continue to work for the happiness of all beings until all have achieved the state of enlightenment. It is with this altruistic intent that the Master asks the boy to retrieve the magical corpse. The next level includes the local guardian beings, protectors of the mountaintops who must be consulted before embarking on activities in the surrounding area. On Tibet's many mountain peaks, thousands of colorful prayer flags hang, sending greetings of kindness and gratitude to these beings and all who journey through the valleys. For many centuries, during the spring and harvest times, Tibetans have held festivals for a week or more to honor these beings. One of these is the garuda, a brightly colored bird drawn from ancient Indian mythology, which possesses the power to protect all beings from negative forces. In "The Six Brothers," a hunter flies upon a magical garuda to rescue his wife, who is being held prisoner by a king. The third level indudes the beings living in springs, streams, rivers, rocks, trees, and valleys. In this group are the nagas, or water serpents, that surface numerous times throughout the <::ollection. Nagas live as either peaceful or wrathful beings and appe.ar in both forms in the tales. The naga king in "The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter" is so grateful to a boy for saving his son that he gives him all the tools needed to win a series of contests with a nasty king. Yet in another tale, "The Two Brothers," the nagas demand the sacrifice of two boys, or they will punish the village by cutting off its water supply. The fourth level comprises those with whom we have a karmic relationship: our friends, family, and enemies, whether human, animal, or formless. In Tibetan Buddhism, one's conditions in this life depend

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on actions created in past lives. It is believed that many unfortunate events are the result of unresolved disputes with these beings. The stories of "The Six Brothers," "The Quiet Woman," and "The Princess and the Frog" are filled with the influences of past lives. While most Tibetans maintain positive interactions with all these tinseen beings for their sense of well-being, domestic animals play the more important role in people's worldly survival. Nomads traditionally use the hides from their yaks to make the sturdy tents that shelter them from the high winds and frigid temperatures of the open grasslands. The long hair of the yak is woven into ropes and clothing, and its meat and butter provide a staple food for the family. Sheep wool and meat are also used and traded. The tales reflect this interdependency between animal and man, with the beasts often showing a generosity of spirit, magically helping their owners. In several stories, the main characters can only save themselves by butchering the very animal that has helped them survive. Before the animals are slaughtered, they even give detailed instructions on how to use their own butchered bodies against the evil forces that threaten the humans. Many aspects of Tibetan culture found in these stories may be unfamiliar to the Western reader, although the way the characters behave, particularly in response to conflict, will be readily recognizable. Greedy, mean, and self-serving kings, queens, ministers, and sorcerers usually meet with a swift and violent end. Bravery, generosity, patience, and compassion are qualities of the humble survivors. The theme of the poor outwitting the rich and powerful is of course found throughout time in folk tales told around the world. A collection of stories from any country wouldn't be complete without encountering some truly

INTRODUCTION

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frightening characters during hair-raising adventures. These bloodthirsty, hideously ugly, curse-inflicting witches and devils spread fear in the hearts of the innocent people in several of the tales. In "Masang Yharu Khadra," the wit and courage of the hero is challenged by a brutal battle with a pint-sized witch, and in "The Three Hard-working Women" a clever young boy overcomes three murderous demons sent by the devil king himself Yet not all the villains in the stories are evil; many are selfish, lazy, or clever tricksters. For example, in "The Pig-Head Seer," a befuddled and indolent man limps from village to village searching for his lost horse, dog, fox, and bow and arrow, inadvertently insulting the villagers, who chase him out of every place he visits. Such is a fitting consequence for someone motivated only by vanity and greed. The biggest trickster of the collection is Ro Gnoedrup Chen, the relendessly mischievous goldenand-turquoise corpse. Between episodes of capture and escape, we find this 'seemingly nonchalant storyteller sitting in a tree, munching on mangos. From inside a bag carried on Dondrup's back, the chatty corpse amusedly mesmerizes his captor into forgetting the Master's instructions. Though unable to control his impulse to respond to these tales, Dondrup pursues his task of returning the corpse to the Master, who can then help dispel all suffering in the world. And we, in turn, are entertained by Ro Gnoedrup Chen's colorful, wry commentary as the escapades unfold. Revealing all levels ofTibetan society and its world of gods, goddesses, and spirits, the Tales of the Golden Corpse remind us that the unseen and the unknown share our world. Many of the rituals appearing in the stories, particularly those involving animal sacrifice, are related

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to shamanistic rites of the Bon, the indigenous, preBuddhist religion ofTibet. This could indicate that the tales existed before the arrival of Buddhism. Several similarities with the Tales of the Golden Corpse exist in the modern Indian story collection known as King Vikram and the Ghost or Twenty-five Vetala Tales ( Vetalapafichavi'IJ'lfatt). Both collections are anchored around the character of the Master, Nagarjuna, a famous Buddhist philosopher living in the second century CE. The inclusion of the Master's name in the Tibetan collection likely reflects the deep respect and admiration Tibetans hold for the magnificent society of ancient India; the beloved saints who brought Buddhism to Tibet came from India. In both the Tibetan and the Indian collections, the magical corpse (or mendicant in the Indian tales) is found in Sitavana (in Tibetan, Selwa Tsal), one of the eight famous cremation grounds of India. Both collections also share a literary device called a "frame" story, in which several stories narrated by one or more characters form an interlacing and coherent whole. The model for this enfolding of stories within stories, sometimes many layers deep, is thought to have originated from a massive collection of ancient Sanskrit folktales called Kathiisaritsiigara ("The Ocean of Story''). This device is also found in 1001 Arabian Nights, Boccacio's Decameron, and Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. It would, however, be misleading to claim that this Tibetan collection derives exclusively from India. When one compares either the older or contemporary versions of King Vikram and the Ghost (which currently appear in Indian comic books and on television or radio programs) with Tales ofthe Golden Corpse, one finds differences between the two to be as significant as those found between the cultures of India and Tibet.

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In contrast to the massive quantity of Buddhist literature, there was little secular writing published in the monasteries, the main centers for literary production. Many written versions of this collection have been printed throughout Tibet, including a woodblock print in the eastern region (Kham) daring back 800 years. Several versions have also been collected and handwritten in India by Tibetan exiles, notably from the towns of Bir and Darjeeling. In both the written and oral versions of the tales, the number of stories included may range from as few as thirteen to as many as thirty-seven. The collections have been entitled Tales of the Golden Corpse, The Corpse Stories, The Auspicious Tales of the Magical Corpse, and Tales of the Enchanted Corpse. Versions of this collection have been translated over the years into Mongolian, Nepali, Hindi, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and French. To dare, only smaller sections of the collection have been translated into English. Published in 1922 by Little, Brown and Co., Wonder Tales .from Tibet by Eleanor Myers Jewett is a translation of nine stories drawn from a Mongolian version. Bits and pieces of the interior stories appear independent of their "frame" in various English-language Tibetan folk-tale collections, including those written by Fredrick Hyde-Chamber, Alan Schroder, Norbu Chophel, Clifford Thurlow, and Goya Timpanilli. As a testament to the stories' enduring popularity, segments or even the whole collection can be heard via radio and television broadcasts in all three regions ofTiber: Kham, U-Tsang, and Amdo. Some of the stories are also found in Tibetan-language textbooks. Tibetan customs, language, and traditions have suffered greatly under the strain of encroaching modernization and restrictions imposed under many years of Chinese rule. Yet, thanks to the strength of the Tibetans' desire to

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tell a good story, we are invited to share their world of humor, wit, and wisdom. The commentary, glossary, and recommended reading list have been included for those interested in more detail on Tibetan culture. It is also to be hoped that folklorists, anthropologists, translators, and. the general public will be inspired by these stories to further explore the vast body of oral and secular literature ofTibet.

The First Story

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nee upon a time in a small village in Tibet there were seven brothers. Each of the brothers had extraordinary magical powers. They could turn themselves into the most fantastic creatures, conjure spells, and invent grand illusions whenever they desired. Each brother was as skillful as the other at creating magic more amazing than the world had ever seen. The villagers called them the seven magical brothers. In a village not far away lived two brothers called Selchay and Dondrup. The older brother, Selchay, thought to himself, "Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if the magical brothers would teach me the secret of making butter, cheese, and tsampa appear any time I want." So Selchay set off to study magic with the seven magical brothers. Selchay worked hard as a servant for three long years, but during that whole time the brothers didn't teach him even one bit of magic. Not only that, whenever the brothers practiced their magic, they sent Selchay to work somewhere far away. Selchay was often hungry and lived in a cold, dark, damp little room. But Selchay stayed on, hoping to learn some magic. One day, Selchay was happy that his younger brother Dondrup decided to visit, to bring him some supplies. Selchay was happy to see his younger brother. One evening Dondrup slipped out of the house to spy 13

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on the seven magical brothers. In a forest nearby, carefully hidden behind some bushes, Dondrup listened as the brothers recited their secret mantras. Missing nothing from start to finish and without any mistakes, Dondrup learned all the magical secret formulas of the seven magical brothers. Dondrup quietly returned to the house to wake Selchay. "My dear older brother. It's not certain this magic can be learned. Why stay here living in these miserable conditions? Let's go home." Selchay agreed. So, shortly before dawn, they went home. "Older brother," said Dondrup when they arrived back home, "Who knows if anyone can learn that kind of magic. Come and see what I have for you. I have something very special to show you. Out back in our pasture is a perfectly wonderful white horse. You must go sell this horse in the village. Return home with the goods you are given for the horse. But whatever you do, do not take this horse to the village of the seven magical brothers." After telling his brother about the horse, Dondrup walked to the pasture and transformed himself into a wonderful white horse. Selchay arrived at the pasture where he was surprised to find an exquisitely beautiful white horse, just as Dondrup had told him he would. Selchay stood there staring at the horse. He couldn't take his eyes away, not even for a moment. Selchay was so overjoyed that he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he couldn't even get his mouth closed again. He also forgot to wonder where his brother had gone. "Even though I tried to study the lllagical secrets for three years, I never learned anything. And here my younger brother has found such a wonderful white horse. Dondrup is so smart," Selchay thought to himself. He began to wonder if it would be good to sell

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the horse or if perhaps it would be better to keep this horse for himself, just for riding. So he stood in the pasture, gazing at the fine horse, wondering about this and several other possibilities for quite some time. Later that same morning, the seven magical brothers went to fetch Selchay in his room. But the room was completely empty. "Oh, last night while practicing our magic, we didn't watch out for those two brothers. Why else would they have snuck away in the middle of the night? No doubt they spied on us and learned all our secret formulas." The ?Iinds of those seven magical brothers were evil indeed. They knew how to make very terrible things happen. The oldest of the seven brothers began to speak. "To lead a wild horse, use a long rope. To cut a huge tree, use a long-handled ax. This is how the saying goes. We must not let them go free. If a single flame is not snuffed out, there is a great danger that the grasslands will burn. If a trickle of water is not stopped, there is a great danger the valley will flood. If we, the seven magical brothers, do not turn the lives of the two brothers into an abandoned courtyard where the grass grows tall, we will lose everything. It is sure that our reputations, our possessions, and all the treasures we have will turn into a pile of ashes scattered by a gust of wind. We must use our powers of illusion." And so the seven magical brothers turned themselves into seven rich merchants. They loaded some goods onto the back of a mule and set off for Selchay's home. Though the name Selchay means "one with a clear mind," in Selchay's case, it was only a name. Selchaywas not a very clever man. In fact, his thinking was a bit dull. He didn't even suspect that those seven merchants were actually the seven magical brothers. When Selchay saw

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the merchants arriving at his gate, he went our to meet them, greeting them warmly as if they were his guests. "Lucky rich people. Even as they sleep their wealth arrives on its own. This is how that saying goes, doesn't it?" Selchay thought he was a very lucky man. With one quick glance at the white horse in the pasture, the seven magical brothers knew it was Dondrup. The merchants quickly began bargaining for the horse. Finally, when they offered one hundred pure gold coins, the wonderful horse was sold. Leading their new horse away, the seven magical brothers could be heard saying, "Let's kill the horse and chop it into small bits of meat and skin." Laughing and chatting as they walked along, they led the white horse home along a path down by the river. Dondrup, the horse, couldn't say anything of course. He was terrified the brothers were going to kill him. It wasn't long before the seven magical brothers stopped along the way to prepare a fire for the evening meal. The youngest brother was .given the job of holding the horse. Dondrup's mind leaped wildly, realizing that only the young boy was watching him. His heart fluttered like a frisky lamb before he took a chance, snapped his head back, and ripped the rope out of the boy's hand. He broke free like a bird released from a cage and raced off down the riverbank. Watching the horse gallop away, the brothers all yelled, "Stop that horse!" "Grab our horse, he's getting away!" as they ran after. Just when they were about to catch him, the magical horse glanced into the water at a fish swimming by. In a flash, the horse turned into a golden fish and dove into the deepest parr of the river. And just as fast, the seven magical brothers turned themselves into seven otters, plunged into the river, and continued the chase.

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Again, just when the golden fish saw that the otters were close to catching him, he glanced up into the sky and saw a dove. In an instant the fish flipped over and turned into a dove. Flapping his wings as hard as he could, he soared up into the deep blue sky. In an instant, the otters turned themselves into seven hawks, and the brothers raced up into the 'Sky trailing the dove. The hawks almost had their claws in the dove when, using every last bit of his strength, he disappeared into a cave in the middle of a huge mountain. The dove had arrived at the cave of the great Buddhist practitioner, Master Lodrup. Instantly Dondrup became a young boy again and quickly prostrated before the Master. Bowing his head before the Master, Dondrup began to speak. "Have good news? Tell a leader. Have suffering? Tell a protector. Have tasty food? Offer it to your parents. If you can tell the truth, tell the Master. Oh dear, the seven magical brothers are chasing me. There is no way for me to escape or even find a hole to hide in. Master, I beg you, please protect me," he pleaded. Having compassion for all living creatures, near and far, without exception, the Master of course felt compassion for the young boy. "What better reason is there to meditate on compassion if not to save those in trouble like you," said Master Lodrup. ''Actually, I rarely concern myself with worldly problems of this sort, but oh my! Your situation is very bad. Your life is in great danger. For seven people to overpower one person, this goes against everything we know to be good and true. So I will help you. Now, quickly turn yourself into the biggest bead on my mala." In one swift leap, Dondrup was safely hidden in the Master's mala, a string of' prayer beads, which the Master held gently in his right hand.

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Meanwhile, just as the dove had vanished into the cave, the seven magical brothers turned into seven hunters and raced up the mountain. Moments later, they barged into the Master's cave. "Whey! Old man! Not long ago a dove flew into this cave. Where is he? You must give him to us!" The Master remained sitting in the cave with his eyes closed, peacefully chanting, "Om rnani padme hum," a powerful prayer of compassion for all living beings. "Whey! Are you deaf or mute?" demanded the hunters. '~e you or are you not going to give us the dove? If you don't give him to us, we will do this!" And with that, the seven hunters turned into seven large scorpions and began to climb up the Master's body. Dondrup gasped and shivered as he watched the scorpions sink their poisonous claws into the Master. "Ah tsey! They are about to kill the Master all because of me," he thought. "What can I do?" Without giving it another thought, he jumped down &om the mala and turned into a big rooster. As fast as he could, he pecked at the scorpions until each one was dead. One by one, the scorpion bodies turned into the bodies of the seven magical brothers. Seeing seven corpses lying on the floor of his cave, the Master became very unhappy. "Ah tsey! The lives of seven people have been snuffed out. An immeasurably terrible deed has occurred," he said. Now Dondrup didn't know what to do. Feeling deeply regretful and full of remorse, he cried out. "But Master, you saved my life! I know the seven brothers are dead, but I will do whatever you ask of me to show how grateful I am to you for saving my life." "There is no need for you to worry any longer. What has been done cannot be changed. Feeling regret at this time is of no use to us, but you must seek redemption," explained the Master.

THE FIRST STORY

I9

The seven scorpions began to climb up the Master's body. "What can I do to be redeemed?" asked Dondrup. "You must leave here and travel west, crossing many mountains and valleys. Many miles away is a large cemetery called Selwa Tsal. Go there and you will find a corpse called Ro Ngoedrup Chen. The top of his body is made of turquoise and below the waist he is completely golden. A-beautiful white conch shell rests on top of his head, clasping a little tuft of hair. It would be a miracle if you capture that extraordinary corpse. People everywhere in the world would live for hundreds of years. There would be plenty of everything for everyone. Not even one person would ever again be poor. Bring me that corpse, and this is how you will be redeemed." "That is easily done," said the young boy. "Delivering Ro Ngoedrup Chen to my cave will not be so easy," warned the Master. ''I'm sure you are strong enough to carry him, but as you return, all along the way, you must be silent. Not one word must

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escape from your lips. That will not be so easy. If one word is spoken, you will lose Ro Ngoedrup Chen." Mter hearing the Master's instruction, Dondrup solemnly pledged to overcome any obstacles that would come his way while accomplishing this task. He promised to return with Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back so the world would become a place of everlasting peace and harmony. As Dondrup prepared to leave, the Master collected some special tools for the boy's journey. "When you arrive at the cemetery called Selwa Tsal, corpses of many shapes and sizes will be sitting in the treetops. As soon as they see you, they will call to you and cry out, Please take me! Please take me! You must recite a special mantra and scatter these magic barley seeds, and watch the corpses fall from the trees. But the corpses that fall are not Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Ro Ngoedrup Chen will climb to the top of the mango tree 3f1d say, Don't take me! Don't take me! When he says that, you take out this ax called Dawa Carpo, meaning 'white moon.' With a few swings of this ax, threaten to cut down the tree. As soon as Ro N goedrup Chen sees you do this, he will climb down from the tree. Then put Ro N goedrup Chen into this leather bag called Tongshongthramo, 'the container of a thousand things,' and tie the bag with this rope called Jathreethrawo, the rainbow-colored rope. Carry Ro Ngoedrup Chen all the way back to this cave. Travel day and night without stopping for a moment. Along the way you can eat this butter called Seebeyzalmay, 'the never-ending supply of butter.' But remember, on your journey, you must not utter one word until you arrive here in front of me. Let one word slip from your mouth and the corpse flies back to the cemetery. Always keep this in mind. From this moment on, until you return to this cave called

THE FIRST STORY

2I

Daychod, your name will be Daychodsangbo." And so the Master helped load the bag of tools onto the boy's back and sent him off on his way. Daychodsangbo headed west, following the Master's instructions. The journey was long and treacherous, but finally he arrived at the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. "Please take me! Please take me!" the corpses called out from the trees. Just as he had been told, Daychodsangbo recited the mantras and scattered the barley seeds. One by one the corpses fell. Standing at the bottom of the mango tree, Daychodsangbo peered into the branches up high at the very top of the'tree. There, perched on a branch with his arms wrapped tightly around the tree, was Ro Ngoedrup Chen, just as the Master had said. His fine body of turquoise and gold sparkled in the sun. "Please don't take me! Please don't take me!" cried Ro N goedrup Chen. "My Master's name is Lodrup," boasted the boy. With tools in hand, he called out to the corpse, "This ax is called Dawa Carpo. This butter is called Seebeyzalmay and this bag is called Tongshongthramo. The rope is called Jathreethrawo and I myself am Daychodsangbo. You old corpse! Come here right now or I'll chop down this tree!" "No! Don't cut the tree. I will come," said Ro Ngoedrup Chen, who climbed down from the tree. Daychodsangbo put the corpse into the bag and tied the bag tight with the rope. Hoisting the heavy sack onto his back, Daychodsangbo started off toward to the'Master's cave, eating some butter along the way. They hadn't travelled more than a few steps before Ro N goedrup Chen stuck his head out of the bag and began to complain. "Whey! What a long day it's been. Aren't you getting tired of carrying me? If you need to travel great distances, you must have a horse. I notice

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you don't have a horse. Well, neither do I. Besides, if we are going to go a long way, don't we need a little conversation? You know how to talk. I'm sure of that. And I know how to talk too. Why don't you tell me a story and I will listen. Or-how about if I tell a story and you listen?" Daychodsangbo remembered exactly what the Master had told him and didn't say a word. He simply continued walking along, carrying the corpse. Ro Ngoedrup Chen spoke again. "Okay! If you won't talk, I'll tell a story and you listen."

The Carpenter Kunga

0

nee upon a time in a kingdom called Kunmon there lived a king called Kunnang. After the king died, his son, Prince Kunkyong, made arrangements for his father's funeral. The prince invited many Rinpoches. Only these incarnated Buddhist teachers knew how to perform the powa, the special prayers that would ensure the king's spirit a gentle journey through the place between this life and the next. The astrologers consulted by the prince thankfully predicted that the spirit of his father would safely arrive in heaven. And as was natural according to the laws of the kingdom, Prince Kunkyong became the new king. The farmers from all around the kingdom praised one man who made different kinds of wooden furniture for a living. The farmers felt this man was both friendly and fair, and seeing that his furniture was very well made, they honored him with the highly regarded name Carpenter Kunga. There also happened to be a member of the king's inner court with the name Kunga, an artist called Lhaso Kunga. Lhaso Kunga had been a member of the king's court since the time of King Kunnang's rule. When Lhaso Kunga heard that someone else in the kingdom had also been given the name Kunga, he wasn't pleased. "I am a member of the king's inner court, so I am the only one who should be called Kunga. Kunga is not a name suitable for a mere 23

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furniture maker. If this carpenter uses my name, people will no longer pay the kind of respect to a Kunga that a Kunga deserves," thought Lhaso Kunga. It wasn't long before an idea blossomed in his mind of how to make Carpenter Kunga disappear. It was the next day, in fact, that Lhaso Kunga made his way to a hallway at the top of the palace without anyone seeing him. He placed a letter on the floor and left the palace. A member of the Icing's court soon found the letter and delivered it to the king. The king opened and read the letter. To my son Kunkyong, I have left my home and have been reborn in heaven. Here I have everything I could possibly need. I am wealthier than one can possibly imagine, but I cannot find a carpenter to build a temple here. Send Carpenter Kunga. As for how to get him here, do as Lhaso Kunga advises. From your old father, Kunnang

As King Kunkyong read the letter, there was no doubt in his mind that it was from his father who had been reborn in heaven. Immediately, he summoned Carpenter Kunga to the palace. "My honorable father, the king, needs a temple. I received this letter saying you must go and build a temple in heaven," said the young king, showing the letter to Carpenter Kunga. Carpenter Kunga was surprised for a moment and then quickly thought, "This must surely be a trick." Turning to the king, he said, "King, if I am to go to heaven, how do I get there?"

THE CARPENTER KUNGA

25

"As this letter clearly states," replied the king, "Lhasa Kunga will advise on how this is done." The king sent a messenger to bring Lhasa Kunga before them. "One gets to heaven by riding on the smoke horse from the prayer fire," explained Lhasa Kunga. "First, make a big wooden tent, then rub oil all over the tent. Place all the carpenter's tools in the tent. Cover the top of the wooden tent with branches of pine and juniper, which when burned will make a lot of heavenly smoke. Just as they do in the temples for praying, the monks will play music with drums and horns both large and small. Only then, by the magic of the smoke and melodies, the carpenter may ride the 'smoke horse' to heaven." Carpenter Kunga thought to himself, "This is Lhasa Kunga's wicked idea. I need to do something." Turning to the king he said, "I will do as your father orders, but to go to heaven I must pack some tools. I am a carpenter, so I, by myself, can build the tent behind my house. To do this I need at least seven days. By the end of this time I promise to fulfill the king's orders." So the king agreed and Carpenter Kunga returned to his home. For the next seven days, throughout the day and night, the carpenter's wife and son dug a tunnel from inside his house to the middle of a field behind the house. When the tunnel was finished, they carefully covered the hole, hiding the entrance to the tunnel. All of the villagers living in the kingdom were given a tax of oil and wood. One by one the villagers brought the materials to build Carpenter Kunga's big tent. After seven days King Kunkyong, Lhasa Kunga, and others arrived to witness Carpenter Kunga enter the tent with his tools. The fire was lit and the orchestra began to play. The smoke began billowing into the sky. The sky grew darker and darker. Finally

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Lhaso Kunga pointed his finger to the sky and said, "Look, look! Carpenter Kunga is riding the smoke horse to heaven." But, just as the tent had begun to burn, Carpenter Kunga escaped through the tunnel to his home, where he hid for one month. At the end of that month, early in the morning, Carpenter Kunga took a long bath, making sure he washed himself completely, put on white clothes, and set off to appear before the king. Arriving before the king, Carpenter Kunga described everything about his trip to heaven. He told a long story of how powerful and wealthy the king's father was in heaven and all about how the temple had been built. Then Carpenter Kunga said, "This letter is from your father, the king." The king opened and read the letter. To my son Kunkyong, I am happy to hear you are in good health and ruling your kingdom properly. Because you sent Carpenter Kunga, the temple was completed very well. Give Carpenter Kunga an appropriate reward. Now the temple needs to be painted by a painter. Send Lhaso Kunga. As for how he should come, do as was done before. From your father, Kunnang Mter reading the letter the king was very happy and rewarded Carpenter Kunga with loads of silk clothing, many small statues 'of the Buddha covered in precious gems and gold, and a number of fine yaks for his pasture. Carpenter Kunga returned to his home a wealthy man. Yet, even though he was now very rich,

THE CARPENTER KUNCA

27

Carpenter Kunga went back to making wooden furniture, just as he had done before. The farmers in the kingdom appreciated this kind of humility: a man returning to his true work even though he'd been given riches by a king. This made the farmers in that kingdom like him even more. When Lhaso Kunga saw the strange turn of events, he thought to himself, "What is this? I do something bad and the result is good? That bad carpenter did not burn in the fire after all. He actually returned from heaven alive! What's more, he even received a generous reward. Maybe it is possible to ride a smoke horse to heaven." Lhaso Kunga was very jealous of Carpenter Kunga, but at that moment there was nothing he could do. Since the king had ordered Lhaso Kunga to go to heaven to paint the temple, there was no way for Lhaso Kunga to refuse. Of course, Lhaso Kunga was also hoping to get a large reward when he returned. It was agreed that after two days Lhaso Kunga would leave, riding the "smoke.horse" to heaven.

Lhaso Kunga rides the "smoke horse" to heaven.

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Two days later the villagers once again brought loads of oil and wood and ,Carpenter Kunga built another big wooden tent. Everyone was watching when Lhaso Kunga entered the tent carrying his cools. The fire was lit and the monks began to play. The musicians played the instruments so loudly that no one heard Lhaso Kunga's screams rising from the tent, but the stench of his burning flesh was everywhere.

The words "Oh, that Lhaso Kunga got what he deserved right away!" slipped from Daychodsangbo's mouth. Ro Ngoedrup Chen went Pha laa ... and flew all the way back to the cemetery.

The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter

D

aychodsangbo had spoken, so Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew off to the cemetery. "Since I wasn't able to keep my mouth shut, I bought my own suffering, " thought Daychodsangbo regretfUlly as he slowly began his second long and dangerous trip back to the cemetery. just as before, when Daychodsangbo took the ax called Dawa Carpo and pretended to chop the tree, Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down and was put inside the bag called Tongshongthramo. Daychodsangbo then tied the bag with the rope called jathreethrawo. Keeping his mouth shut tight, he started off back to the Master's cave. just as before, after going a little way, Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell a story. Once upon a time there was a poor man. A very poor man. Just as in the saying, The cold wind drives him inside, hunger forces him outside, the poor man wandered day and night through the countryside like a beggar. One day he saw a hawk circling high in the sky with a snake dangling from its mouth. The poor man took off his tattered old hat and tossed it into the sky. The hawk opened his mouth to grab the hat and the snake fell to the ground. The snake was still alive, and so the man put the snake in his hat and started on his way agam. It wasn't long before two men, one riding a white horse and the other a black horse, appeared on the road. Catching up to the poor man, they asked, "Khey! 29

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Have you seen the king's son?" This frightened the poor man. "I have not seen a prince, but I saved this baby snake from a hawk," said the poor man, taking off his hat and showing the snake to the men. "Oh, this baby snake is the serpent king's son. He was playing happily in the lake one day when a witch disguised as a hawk cast a spell on him. It's lucky you rescued him. We are sorry to have troubled you," they said. "If this is your prince, I give him to you. I don't want any trouble," said the poor man, handing the snake to the riders. "We certainly are grateful. Tomorrow, early in the morning, go to the lake," they said, pointing into the distance. "The serpent king will give you a reward. Don't forget. Come early in the morning, tomorrow." The man riding the white horse set the baby snake gently inside his chuba and then he and his friend hurried away. The poor man wandered on looking for something to eat. He arrived home so tired and hungry that his head was nodding from weakness. The poor man's neighbor, an old woman, feeling sorry for him, offered him a bowl of thick soup made of barley flour. As the poor man drank the soup, he told the old woman about all the strange things that had happened to him that day. "The serpent king invited you to meet him. Why don't you go? Tomorrow, if you go early in the morning, you can ask him for anything you want. Say to the king, 'I don't want anything other than the black-and-white-striped dog that sits beside your gate, and the black stick you use to stir the roasted barley,"' advised the old woman. Early the next day, when the poor man arrived at the lake, the serpent king suddenly appeared. "Oh,

THE POOR MAN AND THE SERPENT'S DAUGHTER

31

The serpent king greets the poor man.

welcome!" he said. "You saved my son and I am very grateful to you. If you ask, I can give you anything you , want. "I don't really need anything," said the poor man. "But if you want to know what I want, please give me the black-and-white-striped dog that sits beside your gate and the black stick you use to stir the roasted barley." Hearing the poor man's request, the serpent king thought to himself for a moment. Finally he spoke, "I really shouldn't give anyone these kinds of things, but my family is very grateful to you." So from the bottom of the lake, the serpent king brought the dog and the stick for the poor man. "In the fUture, if you have any trouble, come back again. I will help you." Having said this, the serpent king vanished into the lake.

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The poor man wandered on carrying the dog and the stick until he grew very hungry and tired again. "Ah tsey, I am so stupid," thought the poor man regretfully. "I didn't ask for anything except these two useless things. What good are a dog and a stick to me? If I had asked for a little food, at least I wouldn't be so hungry now." Feeling completely frustrated, he struck the dog with the stick. The dog yelped and ran off. Instantly, a steaming hot bowl of milk tea appeared before him. Actually, meat, butter, and his favorite food, tsampa, along with any other type of food that entered his mind, began appearing in front of him. Without a moment's hesitation, he ate until he could eat no more. Happy to be no longer hungry, he quickly fell into a deep sleep. It's not known how long he slept, but when he awoke something bright was shining in his eyes. Blinking and rubbing his eyes several times, he sat up and looked around. Where nothing had been before, he saw he was now sleeping in a large -and splendid house. He was also holding the stick and the dog was sitting at his feet. Out behind the house was a pasture filled with sheep, horses, and yaks. He got up quickly and went outside to herd the animals to the grasslands. That afternoon when he returned, the kitchen table was covered with bowls of tasty stew, but the cook was nowhere to be found. The second day he drove the animals out to graze again, and later when he returned, same as the day before, a wonderful feast awaited him. "This is really amazing," he thought to himself. The third day, after letting the herd scatter on the grassland, he sneaked back to his house and hid below the kitchen window. Peering carefully through the window, he watched as his dog rolled on the ground and suddenly turned into a beautiful woman. After peeling the dog's skin from her body, she tossed

THE POOR MAN AND THE SERPENT'S DAUGHTER

33

it into the corner and began preparing another delicious meal. The poor man rushed. into the house, snatched the dog skin from the floor and tossed it into the fire. From that day on the beautiful woman and the poor man would live a very happy life together. A few days later, a king and members of his court happened to be hunting wild animals near the poor man's home. Caught suddenly in a big storm, they" ran to take shelter in his house. As soon as the poor man's wife saw the king at her door, she sensed something wicked about him. She blackened her face with soot from the fire before inviting the king and his court into the house for tea. With so many guests, as she rushed about serving tea, her face began to sweat and soon her face appeared shiny and clean. The king thought the woman was very beautiful, her face as lovely as a lotus flower in bloom. An evil idea landed in the king's mind. Turning to the husband, the king announced, "Oh, let's make a bet! Tomorrow we will have a contest to see who has the longest katak. The one with the longest katak will become this woman's husband. If you lose, you must deliver your wife to my palace where she will become my queen," commanded the king before he left for the palace. The poor man was furious. "I am such a poor man," he said to his wife. ''I'm so poor, I'm almost naked. How am I going to compete with the king?" He was afraid to refuse the king and feared what would happen if he lost. He sat in a corner, sadly holding his head in his hands. "You don't need to be afraid," said his wife comfortingly. "If you take the black stick to the edge of the lake and hit the big rock three times, the serpent king's messenger will appear. Say, 'Please lend me the box of kataks from the serpent king's palace,' and he will send a messenger to bring it to you. With this box,

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you will be able to compete with the king. You mustn't worry and do as I say." The poor man did everything his wife told him to do .. He went to the edge of the lake, hit the rock three times with his roasting stick, and asked for the king's box of kataks. Right away a friendly messenger boy appeared, just as his wife had said he would, and handed the poor man a small but heavy box. Carrying the box under his arm, the poor man returned home. The next day, the king returned and demanded to see the poor man's best katak. The poor man opened the box and took out a katak woven from the finest silk threads. Unfolding the katak, he found that it completely covered the whole side of the mountain. Even though the king had brought all the kataks from his storeroom, when laid from end to end, they didn't cover even half of the mountainside. The king's face turned red when he realized he had lost the contest. "This contest doesn't count," announced the king. "Tomorrow we will have another contest. The finest yaks will fight. The owner of the winning yak will become the husband of this woman." The poor man returned home and told his wife everything that the king had said. "You don't need to be afraid," said his wife. "Tomorrow, return the box of kataks and ask to borrow the small box called the yak box. This is how you can compete with the king." So the poor man did everything his wife told him to do. This box was much heavier than the last. Later that afternoon the poor man carried the heavy box to the field where he was to meet the king. As he stood in the field surrounded by a large herd of the king's yaks, he opened his box and out came a very special gray yak with sparkling golden horns and hoofs. As soon as they saw the yak with his shiny horns and hoofs, the

THE POOR MAN AND THE SERPENT'S DAUGHTER

35

king's yaks were terrified and ran off in all directions. Again, the king had lost the contest. But losing the contest didn't destroy the king's desire for the poor man's wife. "The battle was lost, but it doesn't matter," said the king. "Tomorrow we will have a horse race. This time the owner of the fastest horse will take the woman as his bride." Disappointed, the poor man went home and once more told his wife everything the king said. Without hesitation, his wife said to him, "Don't be discouraged. Go ask to borrow the best horse box from the messenger at the lake." So he went to the lake again, returned the yak box, and came back carrying the best horse box. At the horse race, the next day, the poor man's horse ran faster than all of the king's horses, and again, the poor man defeated the king. Still, the king was not satisfied and he announced even another contest. "Tomorrow we will scatter grain all over the field. Whoever collects the most grain will get this woman as his wife," said the king. The poor man went home and told his wife everything the king said. His wife confidently replied, "Go return the best horse box and ask to borrow the small bird box." He went to the lake and returned home carrying the small bird box. The next day the king arrived and told his servants to pick up the grain, but they only collected enough to fill one bag. When the poor man opened his box of small birds, thousands and thousands of birds flew out and picked up enough grain to fill many bags. Once again, the king lost. By now, the king had become very angry. "All the contests we have had before mean nothing," he said. "Tomorrow we will fight with swords and spears and the winner will get the woman as his wife," said the king.

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Again the poor man went home and told his wife everything about the newest contest with the king. Just as his wife had done before, she quickly advised her husband, "Go and borrow the small box called 'Ha Oh."' So he went to the lake and asked to borrow the 'Ha Oh' box. Just as before, the kind messenger lent the poor man a box. This box was bigger and heavier than any of the other boxes. On his way home, the poor man became so curious about this box, he had to stop to look inside. As soon as he opened the box, out marched an uncountable number of soldiers each carrying an iron hammer. "Ha Oh!" yelled the soldiers. "Who do you want us to attack?" The poor man was terrified. Quickly he yelled, "Attack that big rock!" The soldiers rushed over to the big rock and within seconds turned it into a pile of sand. Then they marched back into the box. The following day the king led his .army to the battlefield. "Ku! Ho! So!" the king's soldiers shouted as they prepared to fight. The poor man's soldiers jumped out of their box and cried, "Ha Oh! Ha Oh! Who do we hit?" '~ttack the cruel king!" yelled the poor man as loud as he could. Instantly the soldiers ran among the king's army, attacking like bees swarming from a broken hive. As easily as a rock can break an egg, the king's army was conquered. They also killed the king, chopping him to pieces like bits of meat.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo asked, ':After that, did the poor man become the king?" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away, escaping to the cemetery.

The Travelling Spirit

D

aychodsangbo ran all the way back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. Again, just as before, he started back carrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen. The corpse began to tell a new story and Daychodsangbo kept his mouth shut tight. Long ago two good friends, a young .prince and a minister's son, went tb India to study with a great scholar priest. In exchange for the many precious gifts they brought for their teacher, he would teach them the language of birds, animals, water, fire, and wind. They were also going to study the secret powers of powa, the ancient practice of willing the spirit to travel at the moment of death. The minister's son was a diligent student, and after studying for three years, he became an expert on ·both topics. But the king's son was only interested in playing, so he didn't learn anything at all. Finally, at the end of their studies, the two students headed back over the mountains toward their home in Tibet. They were walking along when the prince began to worry about how little he had learned. "If I don't kill the minister's son on the way home, I shall carry the shameful burden of not being a good student," he thought to himsel£ The prince walked on mulling over a murderous plan. One day, as they went on their way, a bird called to them, "Kee, kee, ko, ko." The bird sang this song over 37

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and over again. The minister's son understood the bird's message, but, of course, the prince didn't know what was being said. "Hey, my friend," said the prince. "You know bird language, so tell me, what is the bird saying?" "The bird says that there are two roads ahead, an upper road and a lower road. On the lower road an enemy is waiting for us. We should take the upper road," said the minister's son. "You're lying, aren't you? A bird is only a bird, what can a bird know? Who would be our enemy?" Not daring to argue, the minister's son quietly followed the prince down the lower road. Before long they arrived at a narrow path in a deep rock canyon. Suddenly right in front of them, blocking their way, was a big, dead, poisonous snake. "Oh! I told you before about the bird's warning, but you didn't trust me. Isn't this our enemy?" complained the minister's son, pointing directly at the snake. The prince was not very brave. In fact, he was a coward. Frightened by the snake, he cried out, "Ah tsey! It's sure we can't get home this way." "Don't cry," said the minister's son. "There is something we can do. I will use the secret mantras I learned from the master in India. Then my spirit can enter the dead snake's body. Once I'm inside the snake, I will move to the side of the path. Be sure to guard my body until I return. Don't move me or let anything harm my body," warned the minister's son. The prince agreed. As soon as the spirit of the minister's son entered the snake's body, it came alive and began crawling away slowly. The prince saw his chance for the perfect crime. Just before the minister's son's spirit returned to his own body, the prince picked up a stone and smashed his body into many little pieces. Then he kicked the

THE TRAVELLING SPIRIT

39

broken body parts off the side of the road, over the edge of a clif£ The prince quickly ran away without looking back. The spirit of the minister's son was ready to return to his own body, but it was nowhere to be found. The minister's son felt sad discovering what the prince had done. He desperately wanted to find his body, but he knew there was nothing for him to do but wander in the bardo, the place between one life and the next, in that area around the canyon. After a while, an old woman carne walking down the canyon path carrying a dead parrot on top of a pile of firewood. Knowing his spirit couldn't stay in the bardo for a long time, the minister's son quickly entered the parrot's dead body. Instantly, the parrot came alive .. The old woman was delighted when the parrot began chirping on her shoulder. Gently cradling the parrot in her arms, she carried the parrot home to her village. Not only was the parrot very pretty, but he could also chat with anyone about anything, which made all the villagers very happy, too. One day, when a rich merchant stopped to rest in the village for a few nights, the parrot sarig him this song: Oh, wealthy merchant, have you had a troublesome journey? Come in, relax and please drink some fresh tea.

This tea is made with the finest butter. Travelling such a long way is so tiring for a merchant. Oh, wealthy merchant, have you had a troublesome journey? Come in and drink some fresh chang.

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This thick tasty chang was made only this mornmg. Drink this and you will feel refreshed and happy. Oh, wealthy merchant, have you had a troublesome journey? Come in, watch the dances, enjoy the music and songs. These young women are the finest dancers. The merchant was so impressed with the parrot's song that he bought him from the old woman for two bricks of tea and took the parrot home as a gift for his pretty young wife. The parrot lived in the rafters of their house and from then on, the merchant and his wife enjoyed chatting and joking with the very smart parrot. One day the merchant set out on a long journey to sell his wares. Every night while the merchant was away, a secret friend, the prince, would come visit the merchant's .wife. Peering down from the rafters, the parrot saw everything. So one night the parrot sang this song: Everything my ears hear, I tell the owner. Everything my eyes see, I tell the owner. What is good, I praise. What is bad, I throw away like dirty water. What happens during the day, I tell the owner. The activities of the night, I tell the owner. The qwner is so kind to me, How can I keep these things a secret? Hearing this, the wife turned to her friend and said, "Don't come here tomorrow. The parrot knows

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our secrets. We will be in great danger if he tells my husband." Early the next morning the prince swung a stick wildly about in the rafters, trying to hit the parrot. Suddenly the parrot was nowhere to be found. Thinking the parrot was dead, the prince left the house, but actually the parrot was only hiding in the rafters, completely unharmed. Once .again the next night the prince visited the merchant's wife. They were enjoying their secret time together when the parrot begah to speak. "My dear owner, are you happy to be back home? Have you had a difficult journey? Come in, rest, drink some sweet tea. Or have a sip of chang if you like." The prince was terrified. The merchant's wife quickly tied a rope around the prince's waist and began lowering him out the window. The merchant's wife had let the rope down only a short way when she heard, in a voice that sounded like the prince's, ''I'm on the ground. Let go of the rope!" Thinking the prince had reached the ground safely, she let the rope slip though her hands. The prince fell to the ground, hitting his head so hard that he died instantly. The parrot sent his spirit into the prince's dead body immediately. Then the minister's son stood up and started walking home.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo had to ask, "When the minister's son returns home in a different body, how will the villagers recognize him?" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away.

The Quiet Woman

0

nee again Daychodsangbo was a bit too talkative. Because he forgot the Master's advice, Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the caves. Daychodsangbo could only blame himself He thought about this all the way back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down from the top of the mango tree. just as before, Daychodsangbo put him in the bag and tied it tight with the rope. Daychodsangbo lifted the bag onto his back and just as before, Ro Ngoedrup Chen told a story. A long time ago in the land ofTsang on the wide, open, high desert plains of western Tibet lived the son of a chief, the son of a rich man, and the son of a poor man. They cared for each other like brothers and spent many happy days together. One day the poor man's son said to his friends, "Deep inside our valley there is a beautiful and gentle woman who is a very skilled weaver. Every day many men arrive at her home asking to marry her, yet it seems that she doesn't know how to speak. She never says a word." Hearing this, his friends were eager to meet this strange young woman. The chief's son suddenly had an idea. He said, "Wouldn't it be good if we could get the woman to marry one of us? If I marry her, the rich man's son can give me half his property and the poor man's son will be my servant for the rest of his life. 43

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If the rich man gets a wife, I will give him half my farm and the poor man's son will be his servant for the rest of his life. If we can't convince this woman to marry either of us and the poor man's son is lucky enough to marry this woman, I will give him half my farm. And you, the rich man's son, will give him half of your property, too." The three all agreed that yes, this was a good plan, and promised to abide by it. First, the chief's son bravely set off into the valley to arrange his marriage. He rode a fine horse and was surrounded by many servants, each carrying gifts of precious gems and silk. Everyone could see that the man arriving at the young woman's home was the son of a very powerful chie£ But the -young woman was not impressed. The chief's son talked and talked. He actually talked for hours, all day long, until his tongue was covered in blisters, but he still couldn't entice the young woman to speak. He told the young woman jokes, sad stories, happy stories, and yet nothing worked. The young woman just wouldn't say a word. Disappointed, the chief's son went home without a bride. After the chief's son returned to the village, the rich man's son gathered piles of fine wool chubas lined with leopard skin, beautiful long dresses like those women wore to festivals, and an immeasurable number of handmade silver and red coral earrings and necklaces. Accompanied by a troupe of dancers and musicians, he started toward the quiet woman's home. When he arrived, he proudly showed her all his riches, and the musicians played delightful tunes as the dancers performed charming dances. But after the musicians had played, the dancers had danced, and the gifts had all been displayed, the rich man's son had nothing else to offer. The young woman still hadn't changed her mind, nor did she say even one word.

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Having lost all hope that the young woman would ever speak to him, the rich man's son headed home. Finally it was time for the poor man's son to attempt a marriage arrangement. There was no way the poor man's son could offer precious gifts to the young woman. He was so poor he couldn't even offer her any sweets or tasty food. There is a saying, During the day, no need to care for the animals. At night, no need to guard the property. This is how the poor man's son lived from day to day. So holding only a small bag of tsampa, he started out for the young woman's home. At the end of the day, while making his way to his destination, the poor man's son saw an old woman sitting on a big rock beside a cave. This woman was very old. Her hair was as white as a conch shell and her eyes were as blue as turquoise. Not even one tooth was left in her mouth. She sat on the rock, leaning heavily on her walking stick. Just as the poor man's son walked by she heaved a great sigh. "My dear old woman, is something wrong? What can I do to help?" asked the poor man's son. The old woman slowly raised her head to look at the young man. "Young man, you are so very kind. I am weak and hungry. Do you have any food to share? I would eat only a little bit. Would this be okay?" begged the old woman. The young man took out his small bag of tsampa and handed it to the old woman. After taking a few small bites of tsampa, the old woman returned the bag to the young man. "Young man, you are very kind. Where are you going?" she asked. "Dear old woman. I am going to the edge of the valley to arrange a marriage." "Oh? And whose daughter will you marry?"

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"I want to marry the young woman who doesn't speak." "Ah tsey! I know the one. The one who didn't speak to either the rich man's son or the chief's son. If you go, do you think you will be successful?" asked the old woman. "This woman doesn't care about a man's wealth or tide. She is waiting for someone who loves her deeply. Go, try to talk with her. May your wish to marry her come true. " The poor man's son stood up and was ready to go when the old woman began to speak once more. "Since you are such a kind young man, I will tell you a secret. That young woman has many sad thoughts that fill her mind everyday. This is why she doesn)t want to speak" . "What brings her such sadness?" asked the poor mans son. "Nobody knows where these sad thoughts come from, but I heard that in her first life she was born a blackbird. All day long she enjoyed singing happy songs with a beautiful voice. Later she gave birth to three little blackbirds, which made her even happier. One day after a very heavy rain, the river flooded the area around her nest. Her wings weren't strong enough to save her babies and they were swept away. She and her husband both jumped into the river trying to rescue their family, but the current was too strong, so they drowned. "After that, she took a life as a bird as small as your thumb. During this life she also had two baby birds. One day she was out pecking the floor of the forest, gathering food for her babies. When she returned to her nest, she saw that a naughty shepherd boy had set fire to the tree where her family lived. Without wings or tail feathers, the little baby birds couldn't escape. She and )

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her husband rushed into the fire to try to save them, but they were too late and they all burned to death. "In her next life she was born as a female tiger and after a time gave birth to two baby tigers. One day a group of hunters came and killed them all. And now in this life she has taken the body of a young woman. Remembering her former lives, she realizes that families and husbands are the source of all suffering. All day long she grieves and she has no desire to speak to anyone. These are the secrets of her life," said the old woman. The young man listened carefully to the old woman so that he would remember everything she told him. The old woman bade him farewell and good luck. The poor man's son started off alone, toward the young woman's home at the edge of the valley. When she saw another man walking toward her home, the young woman rushed inside and hid behind the door. Standing outside the house, the poor man's son called, "Ah tsey, hello! In our past lives we have suffered the same fate-why did you run and hide when you saw me coming? How have you forgotten? In our first life we were b,lackbirds. We were such a happy couple until the day the river overflowed and our babies were carried away. We sacrificed ourselves to save our family. This is how we were separated the first time," explained the young man. Surprised by what she heard, the young woman became curious. She opened the door slowly, stepped out onto the front porch, walked over to her wooden loom and sat down, pretending to weave woolen clothes. But her ears were eager to hear more. The poor man's son noticed she was listening, so he began to speak again. "Have you forgotten what happened in the next life? We were born as two small birds. We thought we would

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The poor man's son talks to the quiet woman.

be happy our whole lives. Then that naughty shepherd came and started a fire, burning our sweet little babies, and when we tried to rescue them, we too perished. Again our happiness was broken." As the young man said this, the young woman stopped weaving. "In the next life we lived happily as a couple of tigers with two lovely babies, until the hunters on the mountain found us. Now in this life, you are here. In this life, I was born to a poor family living on the edge of a mountain and have lived a difficult life. Now I have found you, but you have forgotten everything about our previous lives. Just when you saw me at your door, you didn't even do me the favor of saying one word to me. I truly can't imagine how this can be!" The poor man's son sank down to his knees and cried.

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The young woman ran to the young man, reached out to him and began to cry. "Oh!" cried the young woman. "It was so sad, what happened in our past lives! But now that we've found each other, we must never part. Of all the men that came before, wealthy, or noble, I was never tempted by any of them. It was you I was waiting for." The happy couple returned to the poor man's son's home, where they were soon married. The day after the wedding, his friends kept their promises: the chief's son gave the poor man's son half his farm and the rich man's son gave him half his wealth. And there in that village in Tsang they lived, happily letting the days pass by. The young woman was so pleased to have found the husband of her former lives that she no longer felt sad. "Can you guess who that old woman was?" Ro Ngoedrup Chen asked Daychodsangbo. "She was probably the mother-in-law," answered Daychodsangbo-once again, he lost some words. Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away to the cemetery.

The Daughter Serdrun

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ust as before, Daychodsangbo went to the cemetery, took his ax and threatened to chop down the tree, and Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down from the tree and got into the bag. Daychodsangbo tied the bag with the rope. Once again Daychodsangbo carried Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back while walking down the road back to the Master's cave. "How about ifI tell you a story, just for fun?" said Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Not even waiting for the boy to reply, that old corpse said, "I'll talk, and you just listen. "And he began to tell this story. Once upon a time in a village lived an old couple with their two children. The daughter's name was Serdrun and the son was called Dondrup. The daughter had grown into a beautiful, hardworking young woman, kind and obedient, and her parents were especially fond of her. The old couple often visited the temple of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, not far from their village. With offerings and prostrations they prayed that Chenrezig would find a good and kind husband for their daughter. One night when the children were fast asleep, the old couple discussed arranging a marriage for their daughter. "Our lovely daughter Serdrun is now grown and it's time to send her off to live with a husband," said the mother. "How should we arrange this? What is the best thing for us to do?" 51

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"Years ago by our prayers to Chenrezig our lovely daughter was delivered to us. Now again, Chenrezig will determine our daughter's fate," said the father. Just as the parents were talking, a thief happened to be passing by their home. Overhearing the parents, the .thief got a very evil idea. Later that night, the thief entered the temple and hid behind the statue of Chenrezig. The next morning, the old couple arrived at the temple to deliver offerings and prostrate many times. Standing in front of the statue, with their hands pressed together before their hearts in prayer, they called out to the Bodhisattva. "0, Chenrezig, Bodhisattva of Compassion," said the father. "Our happiness, possessions, and family are all the result of your compassion. Now that my daughter Serdrun has become a fine young woman, I have come to seek your advice. Is she to marry or become a nun? If she is to marry, how do we find someone who will be good to her and make her happy? Please tell us or at least give us a sign in our dreams." They prayed and waited hopefully. "It is good if your daughter is married," said the thief from behind the statue. "Tomorrow morning," he continued, "give your daughter to the. man who arrives at the gate of your house. If you do this, everything you have asked for will come true." The old couple was amazed. "0, Chenrezig, we will do as you say!" they replied. Mter several prostrations, they went home. The next morning the old couple helped their daughter prepare for the day. They braided her hair, dressed her in lovely clothes, and adorned her with b~autiful turquoise and coral jewels. Then they went outside to wait by the gate. After some time, the thief arrived at the gate. The first thing he saw was a large wooden box filled with

THE DAUGHTER SERDRUN

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fruit. The old couple welcomed the man into their home and offered him plenty of delicious food and drink. The thief was pleased to see that not only was the daughter wearing priceless jewelry, but her parents had also made a generous gift of what few valuables they had. But Serdrun herself didn't agree with this arrangement. And why was this? Her parents were old and her brother was so young. This man who had just arrived at their gate was a stranger. She didn't want to marry him. The old couple told her over and over that this was the man she was destined to marry. Finally, she was persuaded to follow her parents' advice. As the thief led her away, she turned back again and again to look at her family. The thief and the young woman walked through the lonely grassland for a long time until they arrived at the edge of a desolate valley. As they walked along, the thief worried, "I already have a wife waiting for me at home. I even have several children. I will take the jewels and gifts and then I must kill Serdrun. But how can I do this without anyone in the village becoming suspicious?" Stopping to rest just outside a cave, the thief turned to Serdrun and said, "This is no way for a man to invite a bride to her new home. Stay here and wait for me while I go ahead to see that everything is prepared for our wedding. I will come back to get you soon." Then he led her into the cave. He was careful to completely cover the cave door with branches and stones before he left. The young woman felt sad and afraid, but there was nothing she could do. She was so frightened she didn't even dare to move. Soon a young prince from a nearby kingdom happened to pass by the cave while hunting with his tiger and two servants. The prince ordered the servants to search the cave for wild animals. Peering inside, they

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were all surprised to see a beautifully adorned young woman. "How did you come to be in a place like this?" asked the young prince. Serdrun told them everything that had happened to her. "The man who put you in this cave is certainly not a good person, and it is dangerous for you to stay here. If you wish, you may come with me," offered the prince. Serdrun liked the prince very much, so she said she would go with him. As they prepared to go, the young woman began to worry. "If I go, someone must stay here. What can we do?" asked Serdrun. "We can do this!" said the prince as he led the tiger into the cave. Before they left, the servants completely covered the front of the cave with branches and stones. Then the prince led the young woman back to his palace. While all this had been going on, the thief had returned to his village and was busy telling everyone,

The tiger surprises the thief

THE DAUGHTER SERDRUN

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"How is it that until now I couldn't get rich even though I worked so hard? I have now learned a special ritual that can bring me anything I could ever want." The thief then entered his home as if to begin a meditation retreat, when actually he was preparing to return to the cave to steal all the lovely gems arid ornaments belonging to his new young bride. That evening, when the villagers were asleep, the thief sneaked out of his home and made his way back to the cave where Serdrun was waiting. He removed only a few stones and branches from the entrance to the cave, afraid she might escape. "0 my dear, are you tired of waiting for me? You can come out now." As the thief called to the young woman, the tiger leaped forward and devoured him.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo said, "That thief got exactly what he deserved!" At the sound ofthese words, Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen swiftly sailed out ofsight high into the sky.

The Young Man Saved by a Black-and-White Dree

0

nee again Daychodsangbo returned to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal and started back carrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen. just as the corpse had done before, he asked Daychodsangbo aJew questions, and when he got no reply, he began to tell a story. One time there was a chief who had more horses, sheep, and yaks than there were stars in the sky. He also had three very special horses: one white, one black, and the third chestnut. Each horse drank from a different stream in a nearby valley. The white horse drank from the stream with white water; the black horse drank from the stream with black water; and the chestnut horse drank from the· stream filled with golden water. Also in that valley lived an especially powerful witch, who was trapped under a large flat stone. Everyone who entered the valley feared the horrid witch. Among the chief's servants were two orphans, a brother and sister. It was the brother's duty to care for the horses, so every day, even though he was frightened, he led the horses into the dangerous valley. The chief tormented all his servants, especially the orphans, so the sister and brother took great care to look after each other. One day the chief ordered the brother to collect firewood in the forest. His sister hurried to put a fine saddle on the best horse for her brother. But when the 57

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chief saw this, he ordered her to put an old saddle on a slow horse. So, reluctantly, she did. Just before her brother was ready to leave, the sister thought it would be good if he had a bow and arrow. But the chief grumbled, "Why does he need a bow and arrow to collect firewood? This old knife will be fine." He said to the boy, "This is all you will need." So the brother set off for the forest on the slow horse with the shabby saddle, carrying a dull knife. While her brother was away, it would be the sister's job to water the horses. Before leaving, the brother warned his sister: You and I, sister, shared the same parents. Now that they're gone, mind your brother's warnmg, Today you must water the horses. Make no mistake about the horses and the water they drink. The flat rock on the side of the stream must never be touched. The weeds at the mouth of the stream must never be disturbed. The sister replied: You and I, brother, shared the same parents. Now that they're gone, you are like them to me. As surely as the tsampa I eat fills my stomach Your words will stay with me. Then the brother left to collect the firewood. Later that day the sister was daydreaming when she watered the horses. One by one she led each horse

THE YOUNG MAN SAVED...

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to drink from the wrong stream. The horses not only chomped on weeds at the mouth of the stream, but when they rolled on their backs, they nudged the big flat rock that lay on its bank. Suddenly, out from under the rock crawled the terrible witch. Sticking out from her scraggly red hair were many long sharp needles. Her long white fangs snapped sharply against each other as she spoke. Her body was completely covered with hair and two withered breasts dangled between her shoulders. The witch grabbed the young girl and chanted: The water in the stream is from my tears and you stirred it! The weeds are the hair on my body and you plucked them! The earth is my back and your horses rolled on it! And now you have opened the gate to my home! So today, young girl, you I must eat!

The sister was so terrified she almost fainted. Struggling to escape, she screamed for help. Her brother was on the mountain collecting firewood when he heard her cries. He jumped on the slow horse, pulled out his dull knife and raced off to rescue his sister. When the witch saw the boy charging directly at them, she let go of the girl. But just as a hawk captures a small bird, she reached out with her long arms and snatched up both the horse and the boy. The evil witch carried them far away over many mountains and valleys. Finally they arrived at a deep rock canyon, where, without a thought, she killed the horse-but she didn't touch the boy.

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I haven't eaten the meat of a horse for three long years. Today I eat horse. I haven't drunk the blood of a horse for three long years. Today I drink horse blood. After the meat is eaten and the blood is

drunk, I will eat a boy's body and drink a boy's blood. Boy, you cannot fly up into the blue sky. You cannot burrow down deep in the

earth. Until it is time for you to be eaten, wait here. After you are eaten you may go to heaven, Bur today you will gather my wood. After the witch had spoken, she went into the cave, ate the horse, and drank all of its blood. As the brother walked through the forest picking up sticks for the fire, he thought, "How terrible to have fallen into the hands of a witch like this." He was wondering what he should do next when he suddenly met a small musk deer. At first the young boy laughed to see such a lovely deer, but the next moment he cried. "Why do -you laugh one moment and cry the next?" asked the musk deer. "I laugh because I've met such a happy little deer. I cry because the witch is going to eat me tomorrow," answered the boy. "Don't cry! Tomorrow I will come and save you," said the musk deer. Early the next day the musk deer set off through the forest to save the boy's life. But before the deer

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could reach the canyon, the evil witch drew out a spear called Takma whalu and killed the deer. She then went to the boy and chanted: I haven't eaten the meat of a deer for three long years. Today I eat warm deer meat. I haven't drunk the blood of a deer for three long years. Today I drink warm deer blood. Tomorrow I will eat a boy's body and drink a boy's blood. Until it is time for you to be eaten, wait here. After you are eaten you may go to heaven, But today you will fetch my water.

Then the witch went into the cave, and ate the deer and drank its blood. On the way to fetch the water, the brother met a dree, a female yak-like animal whose long black-andwhite hair glistened in the sun and looked just like the rare Tibetan agate called a dzi. The brother both laughed and cried when he saw the dree. "Why do you laugh one moment and then cry the next?" asked the dree. "I laugh becau~e I have met such a happy dree. I cry because the witch is going to eat me tomorrow," answered the boy. "You mustn't cry. Tomorrow I will come to save you. You can ride on my back and escape from that terrible witch." "Yesterday a friendly little deer told me the same thing, that he would come and save me, but that witch killed him. It's useless for you ·to even try," said the boy sadly. "No need to be afraid. I have a way. Tomorrow,

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The boy looked back and saw the witch chasing them.

while the witch is sleeping, steal a spirit needle from her head. When the needle is broken, the witch will begin to lose her powers. Then you can escape by riding on my back," explained the dree. The next day the dree arrived and the boy did everything he had been told. He snuck up to the sleeping witch and stole a needle from her hair. With the needle in his hand, the boy hopped on the dree's back, and off they rode. Suddenly a loud roar came from behind. The brother looked back and saw the witch chasing them, running as fast as she could. The dree yelled at the boy, "Quickly, quickly, faster, faster! Break the needle!" The boy broke the needle in half and flung both pieces into the sky. Within seconds, the witch began to falter and stumble, slowing down so much that they were able to escape ..

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"Kill me! Quickly!" said the dree to the boy when they got to the grassland. "Then, spread the hide out on the grass. Place my heart in the center of my hide. Point my legs in all four directions, and unfold my intestines around the edge of my body. Take the dark hair and scatter it in the east. Take the white hair and scatter it in the west. Take the black-and-white hair and scatter it in between. Lie down, place the kidneys under your legs, and then go to sleep. If you do exactly as I say, when you wake, you will have whatever you desire." "But I am so grateful to you," said the boy. "You saved my life! How could I possibly kill you?" "Listen to me. Do everything I have told you right now," demanded the dree. "That regret won't be of much use later when the witch comes to eat you. She is coming to eat me anyway." So the boy did everything the dree had told him to do. He tried to sleep, as he'd been told, but after a while he opened his eyes and saw that a huge yak-hair tent had appeared. Herds of white sheep, big black yaks, and colorful horses were grazing all around the tent. The kidneys had been transformed into powerful guard dogs, and the dree's heart had turned into a beautiful young woman. Earlier the boy's hand was shaking when he was cutting the dree, and by accident he had nicked the dree's heart with his knife. Even though the woman had a small scar on the tip of her nose, she was still the most beautiful woman the boy had ever seen. Daydreaming about the beautiful young woman, Daychodsangbo carelessly let these words slip ftom his mouth: "Oh, except for the scar on the woman's nose, everything was perfect!" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away, just like a rainbow disappearing after a storm.

The Six Brothers

D

aychodsangbo again returned to the cemetery and, just as before, he carried Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back to the Mastt;r's cave. ''Whey, young man!" said Ro Ngoedrup Chen. "The journey is long and it's a warm day. Shouldn't we tell a story to make the journey more enjoyable?" "That old corpse really tricked me, making me run back and forth like this, " Daychodsangbo thought to himself "This time I must not let one word escape ftom my mouth. " They walked along and Daychodsangbo pretended not to listen to anything the corpse said. "Okay, ifyou don't want to talk, "said Ro Ngoedrup Chen, ''then I'll tell a story. "And this is the story he told.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, lived the son of a hunter, the son of a doctor, the son of a painter, the son of an astrologer, the son of a carpenter, and the son of a blacksmith. These six young boys were such good friends that they were as close to each other as if they were blood brothers. Each of them had learned their trade from their fathers, just as young hawks learn to fly and ducklings learn to swim.. The boys usually spent their days working hard, but they also had many happy times playing together. One day the brothers were talking among themselves .. There is a saying in this world, When the magical bird, the garuda, has learned how to use its wings, he soars into the sky. Even though the sky is vast, he 65

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is never afraid. So too, when a boy becomes a young man, he travels the world. Even though the earth is so big, a young man has no fear on his journey. This is how the saying goes. So the brothers agreed to travel the world. True to their word, they set out from their homeland to explore many new lands. Capable and resourceful, none of them had any trouble finding food, clothes, or places to stay along the way. They saw sights they had never seen before and agreed that the world was more amazing than they could ever have imagined. One day, on a reaching a crossroads, the six brothers had a discussion: "So far we have seen many interesting places, but now it is time for us to separate and travel by ourselves. After three years we will meet here again. At that time we must tell each other all about our travels. Without keeping any secrets or holding anything back, we will share our stories." After this promise, each brother planted his own special spirit tree, a tree that would watch over him on his journey. "When we gather here after a year, if any tree has wilted and one of us has not returned, we will know one of our brothers is in trouble, and we promise to go look for him." They all nodded in agreement. With graciousness and warmth they bade each other goodbye. And each started off on his own separate way. The hunter's son was not only brave, but wise. After travelling far and crossing over many mountains, he finally arrived in a heavily forested valley. At the edge of the forest he found an old couple living with their young daughter. He was very happy to find such a family-it was as if he had arrived at his own home. "This is the right time and place for me to apply my skills. Tonight I will ask that family ifl might stay with them for awhile," he thought to himsel£ This family worked very hard every day. All day long

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they picked plants and grasses to make medicine. They also collected firewood. The family was pleased to see the hunter's son at their door. "Son, where are you coming from? Where are you going?" The old couple asked him many questions, welcoming him into their home. After listening to a very detailed account of the young man's life, the family noted that he was not only handsome, but he was also honest and kind. Every morning that he stayed with them, the hunter's son went to the mountain to hunt wild animals. At the end of the day he returned home carrying a big load of meat and hide to share with the family. This made life much easier for the old couple and their daughter. The young daughter was beautiful, so beautiful one would never tire of looking at her. If she went to the forest to gather firewood, even the birds in the sky would gather around her, listening to her songs. When she bathed by the riverbank, even the goldfish would come and gaze at her. The old couple cherished her as much as their own hearts and eyes. The hunter's son was kind to the young daughter, and she in return was kind to him. Soon they found they wanted nothing more than to be together. The young couple was so in love that they made a vow to care for each other for as long as they lived. And the old couple? As the saying goes, Horses raced in their minds-meaning they were delighted their daughter had found such happiness. This was everything they had ever hoped for. From then on the beautiful young daughter was a housewife. Every morning she went to bathe and to braid her long hair by the river. One day, as she was daydreaming, her precious jeweled ring slid off her finger into the river. She tried desperately to get it back, but the river current was too fast and too deep,

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and the ring was swiftly carried away. On a lovely spring day later that same year, the king's servants went to play by the river. The servants thought it strange to find such a beautiful, jeweled ring come floating down the river. One of the servants snatched the ring from the river and ran to the palace to offer it to the king. The king could see that this ring was very well made, with many sparkling gems. "This ring must belong to a woman of exquisite beauty," the king mused to himself, then shouted a command as powerful as lightning in the sky, "That woman must be brought to the palace immediately." He quickly summoned his ministers. "Whey! Ministers!" commanded the king. "Hear this order! Today a special ring, of a kind that is one in a hundred, has been found. Even if you had already chosen the most beautiful of eight rings, you could not find one as beautiful ·as this. The woman who was wearing this ring is certain to be beautiful as well. The day after tomorrow as the sun begins to rise, deliver that beautiful woman to my palace. If you are not able to bring her here by that time, I must let the full force of the king's law fall upon your shoulders. You have been warned, so don't say I am cruel if I show no compassion to those who can't·fulfill my demand." "Oh, dear precious king," said the ministers. "First, we don't know the name of this woman. Second, how can we go looking for her if we don't know where she lives?" The king became furious hearing such questions. "I, the king, have spoken! Do as I say!" he roared. The ministers left the palace sighing deeply, wondering how they would find this woman. One of the ministers was not only smart but also wicked. This cunning minister announced to the others, "I have an idea. Since that ring was found in

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the river, go up along the riverbank. Ask everyone you see, 'Do you know who has lost a treasured ring?' and you will be sure to find its owner." It wasn't long before the ministers found the owner of the ring. Of course the cunning minister was the first to return to the palace to announce the good news to the king. He also told the king that, just as one becomes two and a hundred becomes a thousand, this is how naturally beautiful and fine that woman was. The king's desire for this beautiful woman grew like a burst of flame. Moments later the king ordered the cunning minister to lead the troops on horseback to capture the young woman. The troops arrived at the edge of the valley and swiftly captured the young couple and took them back to the palace. As the old couple watched the troops ride off with their daughter and son-in-law, all they could do was cry. The ministers presented the young woman to the king. "This woman is like a goddess," thought the king. "Compared to her, my wives are like pigs. This woman is to be my wife," he decided. He tried to win her affection in many ways, offering her the finest silk brocade gowns and gorgeous gold and silver jewelry, but the young woman's heart never wavered. She knew that even if her life were threat,ened, she would never change her mind. "I already have a husband. As the saying goes, the first friend is the best friend," she boldly declared to the king. Then the king had another evil idea. He called in his ministers and commanded them to do his bidding. The ministers led the hunter's son outside behind the palace and killed him. They threw his corpse in a hole beside the river and covered the hole with a huge stone. The ministers were careful not to let the young woman know what they had done, but everyone else in the

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kingdom knew what had happened. The villagers all sighed when they thought about what had become of that young couple. Meanwhile, the young woman spent her nights and days longing to see her husband again. Now, a whole year had passed since the six brothers had parted ways, and it was time for them to gather again at the crossroads. Five of the brothers arrived at the spot where they had agreed to meet to tell stories of their adventures. Only the hunter's son had not arrived, and the hunter's son's spirit tree was so wilted it was almost dead. Fearing something terrible had happened, the brothers consulted the astrologer's son, who examined the star charts and announced that the hunter's son was in a deep hole covered by a large stone. Following the astrologer's son's directions, the brothers found the large stone covering the hole. They pushed and pulled and tried everything they could think of, but they couldn't move the stone. Finally, the blacksmith's son hit the rock with his big iron hammer, shattering it into many small pieces. The young men worked together to lift the hunter's son out of the hole. The doctor's son made medicine for him and quickly poured it into his mouth. Blinking a few times before opening his eyes, the hunter's son awoke, looked up at his brothers, and burst into tears. With tears streaming down his face, he described all the suffering and sadness of his journey. Naturally, the brothers began to discuss how to rescue his beautiful wife from the hands of the king. It would be very difficult for the boys to get inside, for many powerful guards surrounded the king's palace. Even members of the king's court were often not allowed to enter the inner palace grounds. While searching for the best way to rescue the wife, the carpenter's son came up with a very good plan. They

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would build a big wooden garuda, a mystical bird with great powers of protection. The blacksmith's son made a special large iron steering wheel and placed it inside the garuda so the hunter's son could guide the big wooden bird wherever he needed to go. The painter's son painted the body and wings of the wooden bird all the colors of the rainbow. When everything was ready, the hunter's son climbed into the bird, where no one could see him, and flew high into the sky toward the king's palace. Meanwhile, in a large room on the palace roof, all the king's relatives were having a grand celebration in preparation for the king's wedding. Everyone was eating meat and butter and a special sweet and sour bread called tu. There was plenty of chang to drink. The people were enjoying themselves, singing and dancing. But the young woman was imprisoned in a dark kitchen far below the palace and ordered to roast the barley. Hidden inside the wooden garuda, the hunter's son swept through the sky down by the palace. He searched everywhere, but he couldn't see his dear wife. He could, however, hear someone singing a song that went like this: Many couples of deer in the mountains Stand side by side, freely eating the grass. But me, I am a woman suffering without freedom. When will this sad fate end? The sheep in the grasslands Eat the grass side by side. But me, I am a woman suffering without any freedom. When will this sad fate end?

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She was surprised to see her husband flying in the magical garuda.

The ducks float on the blue lake, Swimming next to each other. But me, I am a woman suffering without any freedom. When will this sad fate end?

The hunter's son immediately recognized his wife's lovely voice. He was sure only she could sing this song. Riding inside the wooden garuda, he flew down past the open window from which he could hear his wife singing quite clearly. He began to sing a song that went like this: As dusk arrives, so darkness comes. There is a time for the sun to rise in the sky. As the sun rises from behind the eastern

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mountain, The darkness naturally disappears. Just as the earth gets cold and the wind blows strong, There is a time for the warmth of summer to arrive. When the grass and trees turn green, The winter wind naturally disappears. Couples may part, but we will return To the place of familiar faces again. If in our minds our feelings are strong, Then in time we will be together again. Hearing the sound of a familiar voice singing, the young woman looked out the window. She was overjoyed to see her husband fly by inside a miraculous wooden garuda. In one swift leap she was out the window and sitting beside him. Joyfully singing, side by side in the magical wooden garuda, they flew back to the five brothers, who could not have been happier to see them.

Daychodsangbo was so happy at the ending that he cried, "Ah tsey, that is really good!" "Bad luck for you. You lost some words!" said Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery.

The Shepherd Boy

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aychodsangbo returned to the graves yet again. And again, Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down from the treetop and got in the bag. Daychodsangbo heaved the bag onto his shoulder and began another long journey. And Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell another story.

Long ago in Tibet there lived a little orphan boy. The sister of the boy's mother felt sorry for him because he had lost his parents at such a young age, so she and her husband took him into their home and raised him as their own. Years later, when the young boy was nearly fifteen years old, his aunt passed away. Soon after this, his uncle married a woman who didn't want any children around the house. The boy knew it was time for him look for another place to live. So one day, with only his sheepskin chuba wrapped around him for warmth, he set out to find a new home. The uncle was heartbroken to see his son leave, but he couldn't refuse the wishes of his new wife. The boy and his uncle walked together to the edge of the village. Arriving at an intersection of three roads, the uncle handed his nephew a small bag of food and said, "My dear nephew, watch for changing weather and wild beasts. It is said that Having a hundred friends is none too few. Having even one enemy is too many. 75

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The boy shares tsampa with his friends.

Remember this and don't forget to make good friends along the way." The boy nodded and tearfully thanked his uncle for taking such good care of him for so many years. They said goodbye sadly as the boy set off to find a new home. After wandering for only a few days, the boy found work as a shepherd for a wealthy family. Every day the homeowner handed the boy a small bag full of tsampa. The boy drove the sheep to the mountain in the morning and led them back to the pasture at night. At the end of the day, returning to his room, the boy would share the rest of his tsampa with his friends: a small cat, a dog, and a parrot. In the evenings he sat in his room with the cat in his lap, the dog at his feet, and the parrot perched on a pole beside him. Grateful for life's small pleasures, the boy would chat with himself, happy to stroke the cat and watch over the dog and the parrot.

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But one morning something very bad happened to the shepherd boy: while tending the sheep on the mountain, he became very ill. His body turned red and swollen. Yellow pus oozed from cracks in his skin. His throat became so sore he could no longer speak. By the afternoon he was too weak to care for the sheep, and he went to his room and fell into a heavy sleep. Many hours later he woke to find he could barely move. His eyes darted frantically around the room to see what was happening. Worried the poor orphan boy might die, the homeowner brought him tea and tsampa every day, but the boy was too sick to eat or drink anything. Each day his condition grew worse. Burning with fever, he tossed restlessly on his bed. He was very thirsty, but he couldn't get enough water to drink. He couldn't even lift his heavy head off the pillow. He began to believe he was going to die. Suddenly, he heard voices: "Our good friend is very sick, and no one has called a doctor for him. He needs a doctor. He's not getting the care he dearly needs. Isn't this terrible?" Another voice sighed deeply and said, "Oh, it's true. We must help him, but he doesn't understand our language. How can we be of any help?" The shepherd thought this w~ all very strange. Who could be talking? He opened his eyes and there in front of him, sitting across from each other, were the cat and th~ dog. Not looking at the boy, the cat asked the dog, "What kind of illness does our friend have? Is there any cure?" "It's easy to know how he became so ill," replied the dog. "One afternoon on the mountain, his hand happened to brush against a poison weed, which gave him this illness. Fortunately, it is easily cured. First, he

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must wash his body with the blood of a black female goat, and then he must eat the goat's liver. But we have no way of telling the boy about this." The shepherd boy had heard everything they said, but he wasn't sure he believed this strange treatment would cure him. But, he thought, it couldn't hurt to try, and he was feeling very desperate. That afternoon he pleaded with the homeowner to bring him a black female goat, saying that he thought it would cure him to be washed in its blood and then eat its liver. Eager to help the honest, hardworking boy, the homeowner went right out and killed the goat. Returning to the shepherd boy's room, the homeowner washed his body with the goat's blood and fed him the goat's liver. The boy felt better quickly, and. after only a few days his illness was completely cured. Once again, every morning, he drove the sheep to the mountain. And every night he sat happily in his room with his three friends. And then one night, the homeowner's son got a horrible headache. With his son rolling. on the ground and screaming in pain, the father quickly sent for lamas to come pray for the boy. The homeowner was very wealthy, so it didn't matter how much money it cost; he only wanted his son to get well. The lamas arrived and began performing fire rituals and many other prayers, but nothing they did made the boy any better. The father was so worried about his son that he completely lost interest in taking care of his land. The shepherd was also very sad about the boy's condition. He continued to lead the flock to the mountain, but all day long his mind was as cold as stone. The shepherd was not completely asleep one night when he heard voices in. his room again. "Our owner's son is very ill," he heard a voice say. "The lamas come and make predictions, but this won't help him."

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Strangely enough, the animals were talking to each other again. "That is so true," the cat replied, "but how did the boy get so ill?" "This is easy to explain," said the parrot. "The boy doesn't really have a disease. While asleep one night, spiders crawled into his ear. Day by day, the spiders grew bigger feeding on the blood and pus in his ear. This is all that is wrong with the boy. As for the cure? First, make a small tent using blue cloth. Put a small kettle of fire inside to warm the air. Sprinkle water on the floor, then have the boy enter the tent. Beat a drum and the spiders will think summer has arrived. They'll think the drumming is the thundering call of the sky dragons' summer storm. No doubt, the spiders and all their babies will march right out of the boy's ear. Do this and the boy's illness will be cured." "But what can we do? No one understands what we say," said the dog sadly. The animals had spoken clearly, so the shepherd boy knew exactly what to do. The next day he told the homeowner everything he had heard. Although the homeowner had his doubts, at that time there wasn't anything else to do except follow the shepherd's advice. So the father allowed the shepherd to try to help his son. The shepherd followed the parrot's instructions exactly. He built a small tent out of blue cloth and started a fire inside to warm the air. He then scattered water all over the tent floor to make it seem as if it had rained. He led the boy into the tent, and began beating the drum, holding it close to the boy's ear. It wasn't long before the boy's father saw all kinds and sizes of spiders crawling out of the boy's ear. The spiders were caught and killed instantly. And so the illness of the homeowner's son was cured.

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The homeowner thanked the shepherd boy for saving his son's life. Realizing the shepherd boy was truly both honest and good, and that not once had he seen the young shepherd boy do anything wrong, he decided to allow him to marry his daughter. The homeowner gave his daughter many wonderful gifts to help begin her new life with the young shepherd.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo spoke. ''! have a question for you. If the shepherd boy didn't know the language ofthe animals at first, how come he could understand later everything they said?" Ro Ngoedrup Chen didn't answer. Pha laa... Again Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away to the graves.

The Farmer and the Tyrant King

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aychodsangbo started back for the cemetery without resting for even a moment. Again he put Ro Ngoedrup Chen in the bag and tied the bag shut with the rope called jathreethrawo. Daychodsangbo began to huff and puff, struggling under the weight of the corpse on his back. Ro Ngoedrup Chen said to him, "Whey, my dear young boy, why are you breathing like that? I have a story I know you will enjoy. Please listen. "And this is the story he told.

Once, long ago, a poor farmer ,lived in a Tibetan village called Dreeyul. Even though he worked hard planting his own crops, he was still so poor he had to work for others too. Paying high taxes to the king and rent to the landlord made the farmer poorer and poorer every year. One year was particularly bad for the farmers and many crops died, but the king's taxes rose even higher. and the farmer still had to pay rent for his land. By the end of the year, the poor farmer didn't have an ounce of grain to pay either the taxes or rent. "You haven't paid the rent or taxes, so you can no longer stay in this village. You must leave," ordered the king. That same day, the door to the farmer's home was sealed with an official stamp. With no place to stay, the poor farmer was forced to wander the countryside in search of a new home. He didn't even have a chance to collect even a small leather bag of tsampa from his 81

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house. He was very sad, but there was nothing he could do. Broken-hearted, he started out, alone, not knowing where to go. After walking all day and night, he finally arrived at the edge of a large, dry grassland. He staggered on a bit further, weak from hunger and thirst. Suddenly he thought he saw something lying in the grass ahead of him, but he couldn't see what it was-he was so dizzy he couldn't see clearly. Getting closer to the lump in the grass, he saw that it was a horse carcass. It had been lying there a very long time, and the bones were bare and almost all the meat had fallen away. Still, a few pieces of meat were left on the horse's head. He tied a belt around the horse's head and carried it slung over his shoulder so he would have something to eat along the way. In the middle of the grassland he saw a very big tree with lots of low branches. He climbed the tree to rest on a branch for a while, hauling the horse's head up beside him. Thick black clouds billowed along the horizon as the sun began to set. Suddenly a strong gust of wind swept over the grassland and rain burst from the clouds. The roar of the thunder was terrifying. Just at that moment, from out of nowhere, a group of horsemen appeared in the middle of the grassland, wearing black hats and riding piebalds and roans. Seeking shelter from the storm, they gathered at the base of the tree to eat and drink. The farmer could only hear mumbles and grunts floating up from the men below. "These people are, no doubt, those evil cha druels, the spell casters," thought the farmer. ""Who else would come out in a night like this except for ghosts?" As he trembled with fear, the horse's head suddenly slipped from his hands into the crowd below. The cha druels leaped up and started yelling and running all

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"This bowl is my everything-1-could-ever-want bowl."

about. Off they ran in every direction, disappearing into the stormy night. The next morning the farmer climbed down from the treetop. He was looking for a clue to the identity of the strangers from the night before when he found a beautiful golden bowl filled with chang. He was so thirsty he gulped it down as fast as he could, but the bowl refilled right away. As soon as he imagined any kind of food or drink, it would appear in the golden bowl. So he ate and drank until he was completely satisfied, and soon he felt fully recovered. Feeling strong again made him very happy. "This bowl is my everything-I-could-ever-want bowl," he thought as he started on his way again, wrapping the bowl carefully in the folds of his chuba. He was no longer afraid of being hungry or thirsty. "But what if the robbers come

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to steal my everything-I-could-ever-want bowl?" This worry stayed with him as he continued his journey. After travelling a short way, he met a man holding a fighting stick attached to a long rope called a kor yegh. This man frightened the farmer at first, but gradually, as they talked, he learned that this man had also been banished from his village for not paying the king's high taxes. The two men found they got along with each other very well. "It's better to travel at night," the farmer said to the man with the kor yegh. "During the day there isn't anywhere to hide and it would be really horrible if we met some robbers." "You don't need to be afraid of robbers. If we meet an enemy, I only need to throw my kor yegh. It can wrap around a man's neck and kill him instantly. We should be .more concerned about our homelands, having such a bad year for the crops, and with the king's taxes so high. I'm more afraid of not being able to find anything to eat or drink. It would be good if we looked for food during the day." "Finding something to eat and drink is easy. Anything you want, you can have," said the farmer. From the everything-you-could-ever-want bowl he took meat and butter and cakes along with tsampa and chang and much more, and handed it all to this man. This made the man with the kor yegh very happy, and they became friends, as close as brothers. They continued on their journey. After a travelling a bitfurther, they met a man with an iron harrimer. "Where are you going? What do you do with that iron hammer?" they asked. "I am looking for food and something to drink. I was forced from my home because I couldn't pay the king's taxes. If I strike the earth nine times with this

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iron hammer, an iron castle nine stories tall will appear." The farmer took some food and drink from his everything-you-could-ever-want bowl and handed it to this man, who was very happy to get it. The man with the hammer joined the other two as a brother and together they travelled on. They then met a man carrying a goatskin. "Where are you going? What do you do with that goat skin?" they asked. "This was a very bad year for my village, so I am wandering in search of a meal. By shaking this goatskin, I can make it rain. Ifl shake it strong enough, it will rain heavily." Hearing this, the farmer reached into the folds of his chuba and pulled out his everything-you-couldever want bowl. And this man also ate and drank until he was completely satisfied. He too agreed to travel together with the others, as a brother. Those four brothers felt that if they were truly good and trusted companions they could solve their problems together. They soon began to feel brave enough to even seek revenge on the greedy king. They all agreed to follow the farmer's plans for what to do. At midnight, they went behind the king's palace and struck the earth nine times with the iron hammer. Each time the hammer fell, another floor of an iron castle appeared. The next morning, one of the king's ministers, while walking behind the palace, was very surprised to find an iron castle nine stories tall. The minister cautiously approached the front gate of the castle. There, standing beside the castle, was a man he recognized from not so long ago. He was sure it was the poor farmer who had been banished from the kingdom. "I'd better tell the king about this right away," he thought and dashed off into the palace.

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"If slaves eat well, they can compete with the kingthis saying really is true!" said the king hearing about the poor farmer's amazing castle. "Have the soldiers burn the castle at once!" he ordered. Obeying the king, the soldiers covered the castle with embers and the castle began to burn. They pumped huge bellows to make the fire grow faster. But as the farmer flapped the goatskin from the top of the castle, the fire died out. Seeing this, the king was furious. "Take picks and axes and break that castle to pieces!" commanded the king. The soldiers began pounding on the castle with their tools. The farmer flapped the goatskin even more, making it rain so hard that all the soldiers were washed away in a great flood. Now the king was even more frightened. "That person must be killed," thought the king. The king and his ministers dressed in armor, grabbed their bows and arrows, surrounded the castle, and began shooting at the poor farmer. Swinging the kor yegh high around his head, the poor farmer flung the weapon around the king's neck, killing him instantly. Again and again he threw the kor yegh, killing each minister, one by one.

When they arrived at that point in the story, Daychodsangbo exclaimed, "That poor former really got revenge.I" Pha laa ... Again, Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery.

Dransel, the Poor Man

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aychodsangbo had spoken, so Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery called Selwa TsaL Again, Daychodsangbo struggled along the treacherous journey back to the cemetery. And once more, arriving at the cemetery, he threatened Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down ftom the top of the tree and was put into the bag call~d Tongshongthramo. Using the rope called ]athreethrawo to tie the bag, Daychodsangbo started offcarrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back. "Whey, young boy! I could tell another story. That would be .fon, wouldn't it?" said Ro Ngoedrup Chen. "That old corpse tells a story and I am tricked into talking, " Daychodsangbo thought to himself ''My legs get tired travelling so for like this. This time, no matter what he says, I will not be fooled again. " Determined to keep his mouth closed, he walked on. Ro Ngoedrup Chen noticed that Daychodsangbo wasn't saying anything. "Oh, if you don't have anything to sa.» then I will talk and you can listen. "As they went along Ro Ngoedrup Chen told this story. Once upon a time there was a very happy place called Maytok Genba. This land was covered with forests of sandalwood, pine, and cedar trees. Flowers, many of them with special healing properties, dotted the grassland. A river flowed gently past fields of various crops. In this land lived a poor man who was both smart and brave. This poor man worked very hard. The villagers called him Dransel. 87

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Ifyou can steal this spirit stone from

my neck, I will give

you half my kingdom. The king of Maytok Genba was also called Dransel. One day a servant said to the king, ''Among all the subjects in your kingdom there is also someone called Dransel." Hearing this, the king became very upset and quickly summoned the poor man to his palace. "Is it true that you are called Dransel?" he asked. Not knowing why the king was asking this question, Dransel replied humbly, "Yes, the people call me Dransel." "Oh, if you are called Dransel, you must have a very clear and powerful mind. It is only for this reason you would be named Dransel. Look here," said the king as he pointed to his necklace of a single turquoise stone. "This turquoise stone has the power to protect me from all harm. If you can take this spirit stone from my neck at the end of three days, you will fully deserve your given name, and I will give you half my kingdom and treasures. If you cannot accomplish this task, then I will

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seize your house, property, wife, and whatever else you have. I will also take out your eyes," declared the king. Poor Dransel. No matter how much he begged, he could not find a way to refuse. As the saying goes, Dung cannot turn into gold. Oil cannot be made from boiling water--there was no arguing with the king. So the bet was agreed on by all. Before the king went to sleep that night, he gave strict orders for the members of the court to watch for Dransel's attempt to steal his spirit stone. Four strong men on powerful horses stood guard around the castle. Four sorcerers holding drums guarded the inner courtyard. Just outside the Icing's bedroom, two female servants waited in a large kitchen, ready to light a fire for the king. Further down the hall, next to a smaller kitchen, sat two young girls, ready to prepare food for the king. Inside the Icing's bedroom, several members of the inner court stood around the king's bed. They all would stay awake, standing guard, protecting the king as he slept comfortably on his bed with the precious turquoise pendant around his neck. On the first night, nothing stirred, and no one heard a sound. On the second night, again no one heard a thing. On the third night, the guards became so sleepy they couldn't keep their eyes open. Dransel, watching, chose just that time to approach the castle, dressed as a woman well adorned with Jewels and precious stones. Wearing beautiful earrings, rings, and necklaces, with a long braid of hair hanging down his back, Dransel approached the front gate of the palace carrying a bucket of thick powerful chang. Outside the palace the guards were nearly asleep on their horses. The long winter night chilled them to the bones. When they saw the woman with her bucket, they thought that a few strong bowls of sweet, frothy

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chang would be just the thing to warm them and keep them awake. "Hey, girl! Where are you going?" they called, dismounting their horses. ''Are you selling something to drink? Have you seen Dransel?" Chuckling to himself, Dransel replied. "Dransel? I don't know any Dransel. If you want to buy, then buy. If not, I'll have to sell my chang elsewhere." The guards bought one bowl of chang after another. They drank so much that they were soon so drunk they couldn't even stand. So Dransel helped them mount the yard wall and then cleverly led their horses away. He then slipped past the palace gate and approached the four sorcerers guarding the inner court gate. The sorcerers were asleep, so Dransel was able to attach a small knife to the end of each of their drumsticks. Arriving at the large stove, he placed a small stone into the cuff of each sleeve of the two sleeping servants. Finding that the cooks in the smaller kitchen were already fast asleep, he quickly stuffed their hair with wheat stalks. The court members guarding the king's bed for the past three nights were sleeping so soundly it seemed they were dead, so it didn't take long for Dransel to tie their braids together. fu the king slept like a pig, Dransel wrapped a sheep's stomach around his head, untied the necklace and removed it from the king's neck. "I am Dransel! And I have the king's precious turquoise!" shouted Dransel as he rushed through the palace, yelling as loud as he could. After making sure everyone knew what he had done, he ran out of the palace. With all the noise, the king woke and grabbed at his neck. The precious turquoise necklace was gone. "The spirit stone has been taken! The turquoise has

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been taken!" screamed the king. "Chase him! Go after him!" The king reached up and felt the smooth bare skin on his head. "Ah, tsey! Ah, tsey! My hair was also taken! Catch that thiefl" By this time everyone was shouting and running about. "Don't pull! Don't pull!" the bedroom guards cried, pushing and shoving each other, circling around the king's bed before they realized their braids had been tied together. The two cooks in the smaller kitchen also woke from all the commotion. As they blew on the embers to start the fire, the stalks in their hair burst into flame. "What's going on?" cried the cooks in surprise. Without even knowing what had happened, they shouted, "Dransel has arrived! Run and catch him! The king's turquoise has been carried away! The king's hair also has also been stolen!" An old dog barks for a reason but young dogs bark for no reason, as the saying goes. Running around only made the stalks burn faster. When the two servants saw the cooks with their heads aflame, they rushed over to help them, swatting the cooks' hair with their sleeves. The two servants didn't mean to hurt anyone, but, with the stones in their sleeves, blood quickly flowed from the cooks' heads. The four sorcerers were quick to announce, "Oh! Dransel has· arrived!" They began beating their drums as hard as they could but the knives on the end of their drumsticks quickly slashed all the drums, so instead there was silence. All the shouting inside the palace woke the four guards, who were still mounted on the palace wall. They whipped their "horses" frantically, trying to chase after the thief, before they realized where they were and knew that Dransel must have escaped with their horses. The next day Dransel presented the necklace to the king. "I did as you ordered," announced Dransel. But

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the king wasn't satisfied. In fact, he was sorry he had ever made the bet and was furious that Dransel had won. The king muttered, "I wanted to make that bet as difficult as possible. I can't imagine how he won." The king's face turned an angry red as he shouted, "Oh, it is true that part of the bet was to capture my precious stone, but why did you cover my head with the sheep stomach? Take that horrible man to prison and cut off his head!" Terrified and furious, Dransel quickly thought to himsel£ "The king is going to kill me anyway." So he threw the turquoise to the ground. At that very moment, blood spurted from the king's mouth and he dropped to the ground dead.

Daychodsangbo had been listening quietly until he said, "Oh! That king got what he deserved!" Ro Ngoedrup Chen said, "Oh! Bad luck. You've lost some words!" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery.

The Princess and the Fro!}

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aychodsangbo followed Ro Ngoedrup Chen back to the cemetery. just as he had done many times before, he put the corpse in the bag and tied it shut. Huffing and puffing, Daychodsangbo started toward the Master's cave carrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen o_n his back. And, just as before, as they went. along, Ro Ngoedrup Chen told a story. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king who had three lovely daughters whom he loved as if they were made of silver and gold. Princes arrived from all four directions and everywhere in between, hoping to marry a princess, but the king refused them all. In the king's palace lived an old woman servant who fetched water for the king. She and her husband had spent their whole lives suffering horrible conditions as servants of the palace. They worked hard, but sometimes they couldn't get even a little taste of tsampa to eat. One year something strange happened to the old woman's knee. Her knee began to swell, and every day it grew a little worse. Soon she was unable to walk, so she certainly couldn't fetch water for the king. Most of the time she stayed at home, lying in bed, not even attempting to move. Finally, the knee swelled up so much that it burst open and out popped a frog. "Oh, a frog like this must be a demon," yelled the husband. "This is not lucky for us. Throw it away!" 93

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But the old woman didn't dare let the frog go. "Demon or devil, god or serpent, we don't know who this is," said the old woman. "Buddha knows we are so poor. We don't have a child to fetch water or even help us build a fire. We don't really know if this frog hasn't been given to us as a child of our own." The old woman sobbed gently as she spoke. The old man didn't want his wife to feel sad, and so he couldn't refuse her wish to keep the frog. He even gave the frog some food. But the frog was so ugly, sitting there with its big flat head, gaping mouth, and two big bulging eyes! The sight of it bothered the old man so much that he had to leave home. After that, the little frog and the old woman lived together happily. At meal times she would give the frog little bits of her own food. Every day she cared for the frog as if he were her own little baby. Even though he didn't know how to speak, he looked very kind, and the way his big eyes followed her around the house made the old woman feel as if he understood everything she was thinking. One day the old woman wasn't doing anything in particular, and she picked up the little frog and held him in her lap. "Whey, my little frog, if only you could talk! Oh, how nice that would be. We could chat about this or that and have a delightful time!" she joked with the frog. Suddenly the little frog looked up at her with his big dark eyes and began to speak. "Mother, mother, don't be sad. When I grow up you can find a wife for me who can help with all the work around the house. This way your troubles will be over. You wouldn't even have to fetch water for the king." The old woman never imagined the frog knew how to speak, much less to say such kind words! Of

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course, this made her like the frog even more. The frog and the mother spent many days happily chatting and joking with each other. After some time, the frog said to the old woman, "Mother, mother, don't you want someone to come and help you with all the work? It is time to do something about this. What if you arranged a marriage for me? Isn't this a good idea?" "Where can I find you a wife?" said the mother. "Whom could I beg? You are only a little frog. Who wants to marry you? Not only that, our house is so poor, who would come live here?" "Don't be afraid to go before the king," instructed the frog. "Go and say to the king, 'You have three daughters, so give one of your daughters as a bride for my son.' Make it sound like an order and it's sure he will give you a daughter. Why wouldn't you want someone to help with all the work?" "Oh, little frog. Your little frog jokes really make me laugh! A princess as your wife in our home! Is such a thing possible?" "Mother, you must go speak to the king. Please, go talk to the king," the frog pleaded over and over again. The old woman couldn't find a way to refuse. She wrapped a pretty sash around her finest dress, put on her best jacket, draped her loveliest scarf about her shoulders, and set off to visit the king. Arriving at the palace, she called out, "Oh, great king! This old lady has something to say to you. I have come to ask for something." "What business do you have with me? Do 'you need some food? Some clothes maybe?" asked the king. ''I'm not asking for food or clothing. I have come to request a wife for my son. You have three daughters. Please, can you give one of your daughters as a bride for my son?" begged the old woman.

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"This woman must be crazy or have some kind of fever," said the king to his ministers with an angry laugh. "Otherwise she couldn't dare to ask such a thing." Peering down at the old woman from the top of his palace, he yelled, "My daughter to become the wife of your son? There is no way in this world this can happen. Khey ho! Take this woman away from here!" ordered the king. So the old woman was banished from the palace. By the time she returned home, she was furious with the frog. "You are so stupid! Don't you have any brains? You are so ambitious, asking to marry the king's daughter. I went and suffered needlessly. If a corpse is buried, do you pick it up and carry it on your shoulder? There is a saying like this, isn't there? Peacocks and crows are never friends; elephants and cows don't make a good match. Isn't this true? In the future, don't be so ambitious. Abandon those evil desires." Hearing this, the frog jumped high into the air and started to speak excitedly. "Ah la la," squeaked the frog, hopping all around. "I will go to the king and arrange this marriage myself. Even if the king doesn't want to give me a wife, he must! You wait and see what happens." So off the little frog went, jumping, running, and crawling as fast as he could, to the gate of the king's palace. "Khey! Great king, ministers and chiefs, listen to me," yelled the frog. "I am the son of the old woman who fetches the water. I have come to the palace to arrange a marriage. Open the gate! I must enter the palace!" The king and his ministers heard a voice roaring like thunder from outside the palace. The sound was so loud it made their ears ring. They rushed to the window only to see a small frog standing near the palace gate.

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"What are you doing? What is the reason for all this shouting?" growled the king from the top of the palace. "I am the son of the old woman who carries the water. My mother came to arrange a marriage for me, but you didn't treat her kindly. Even so, out of respect for you I have come myself. Now give me one of your daughters in marriage. Yes or no?" demanded the frog. "Did you hear that?" bellowed the king, laughing loudly. Looking side to side at the crowd that had gathered, curious to see what he was yelling about, the king called out, "That little frog has quite a big mouth. Is this a custom somewhere in the world? A frog asks to marry a princess?" The crowd burst into laughter and shook their heads in disbelie£ The king turned to the frog and said in a very serious voice, "My daughter is like a flower. I should let her marry a frog, as ugly as yak dung? Get away! If you don't leave I will order my fierce dogs to swallow you without even chewing!" "If you can't give me a wife, I will start laughing," warned the frog. "If you want to laugh, go ahead, laugh. Even if you laugh so hard that your guts fall out, this doesn't mean anything to me," answered the king. "Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha," The frog began laughing. The sound of his laughter grew louder and louder until the earth began to shake. The floor of the palace was shaking so much that the king and his ministers could barely stand. Chunks of dirt fdl from the rafters, landing on their heads. The palace walls started to sway from side to side. Right in front of their eyes, it looked as ·if the whole palace was about to collapse. Terrified and gasping for breath, the king ran to the window. "Don't laugh," he yelled down to the little frog. "I will ask which daughter wishes to be married." And he

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dashed back into the palace to ask his oldest daughter to marry the little frog. "Oh, my dear father! You must not be happy with me!" cried the oldest daughter. "Otherwise, how could you ask me to marry the son of a water carrier? If only he weren't so small and ugly, then perhaps I could do it. But I would rather die· than be the wife of a frog." The king went back to see the frog. "I can agree to give one of my daughters in marriage, but my oldest daughter won't marry you. She says you are too small and ugly to be her husband." "Oh! If you still don't want to give me one of your daughters, I will cry," said the frog. "If you want to cry, cry. Your tears are useless. If my daughter doesn't want to marry you, what can I do? As they say, Ifa yak doesn't want to drink, forcing its neck to the water doesn't help," said the king. So the little frog opened his big mouth and started to cry. "Hu, Hu, Hu," sobbed the frog. His tears fell like the rain of a summer storm. All around the palace the water began to rise. The more he cried, the higher the water rose. The king and his ministers could already see water covering the first floor of the palace, and it was rising very quickly. The king was very afraid. "Stop crying! I will go and see if one of my other daughters is willing to marry you." Once again the king went inside. This time he asked the middle daughter if she would marry the little frog. "Oh, dear father. From among your three daughters, do you hate me the most?" asked the middle daughter. "If this is not so, how can you ask me to marry the son of a servant?" The king quickly ran back to the window to tell the frog. "Really, what can I do? Even my middle daughter

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The ftogjumped andjumped until the palace began to shake. doesn't want to marry you. She said she wouldn't marry you because you are only the son of a servant," explained the king. "If you still don't want to give me one of your daughters, I will start jumping," threatened the frog. "You laughed and you cried and now you want to jump? Do as you like," replied the king. So the frog hopped up and down, shaking the palace with such a force that everything inside was tossed upside down. The king turned pale with fear. "Stop jumping! I will go and see if my youngest daughter wants to marry you," he yelled as he ran to the youngest daughter's room. Whep. the king asked the youngest daughter if she wanted to marry the frog, she replied, "If that frog is so powerful, I don't mind if he is the son of a servant. In order to save my parents, I will marry the frog." The king was very relieved to hear this and went to tell the frog immediately.

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"Yes, I will give you my youngest daughter in marriage," announced the king. The servants dressed the youngest daughter in her finest clothes, adorned her with the most beautiful jewels, and sent her off to live with the frog. As they were leaving, her sisters clapped their hands slowly and chanted, praying that the youngest sister would carry away all the bad luck that had come to the palace. Even though the old woman was very happy to see the frog returning home, she worried that their poor home was no place for a princess. But she quickly learned that of all the king's daughters, the frog had married the one most gentle and kind, and the princess wasn't the least bit proud or arrogant. As soon as the princess arrived, she began cleaning the house, gathering yak dung for the fire, fetching water, and cooking the meals. The very next morning, just as the sun began to shine, they woke and looked about only to see that their small home had been replaced by a mansion. Each room in the house was filled with everything they would ever need. This is how the old woman and the king's youngest daughter learned that their little frog had special powers indeed. The frog made them both promise never to reveal the secret that when he took off his frog skin at night, he turned into the handsome son of a rich serpent king. The old woman, the princess, and the frog let the days pass happily, living together in their splendid mansion. One day the princess said, "Do you think we could invite my older sisters to visit us? We don't need to ask them for anything, but since they are my sisters, it is proper to invite them to come to visit our home." "Your sisters have dark minds," replied the frog. "It would be better if we didn't invite them." Yet to please

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his wife, the frog agreed to the invitation-but only on one condition. She must not let her sisters know his true identity. A few days later, when the older sisters arrived at their sister's new home, they were amazed by what they saw. "How did this old water carrier get such a rich home as this?" they wondered. They were very suspicious and eager to learn the truth. That night, the sisters celebrated, drinking chang together and chatting about their lives. The older sisters plied their youngest sister with more and more chang and questions about her life with the frog. The youngest sister was soon drunk, and, without knowing what she was saying, she explained how the frog was really the son of a rich serpent king and how after gaining special powers he could peel off his frog skin and turn into a very handsome young prince. The youngest daughter had soon told her sisters all the secrets of her life with the frog prince. The older sisters became quite jealous listening to the story. They realized that only their youngest sister had found a happy life. So they grabbed her and tossed her out the window into a deep, dark well. The following morning the frog went to the top of the house to look for his wife. The older sister, wearing her younger sister's clothes, was standing there, pretending to be his wife. "Our oldest sister went back to the palace," said the middle sister to the frog, but the frog suspected something was not right. Mter some time, a walnut tree full of ripe walnuts grew from the well nearby. The old woman and the frog ate several nuts and agreed they were very tasty. The oldest sister, disguised as the wife, ate the nuts, but to her they tasted as bitter as poison. So she cut down the tree, burned the wood, and then scattered the ashes

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in a field nearby. Stalks of barley sprouted instantly from the field of ashes. The old woman and the frog thought the grain was as sweet as sugar, but to the older sister the grain tasted bitter. So she gathered up all the grain and scattered it over the lake nearby. Suddenly, thousands of small birds sprang from the grain floating on the lake. One of the little birds flew over to the frog and landed on his shoulder. So the frog carried the little bird back home. All the way home bird sang a long, sad song telling the story of everything that had happened to her. It wasn't long before the frog knew this little bird had been his wife in her former life. The frog banished the two sisters from his home immediately. From that day on, the three of them, the little bird, the little frog, and the old woman, lived in their wonderful home together, letting the days pass by happily.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo asked, «Did the youngest daughter ever return to the body she had before?" Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away.

Sermotso and Gnulmotso

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nee again young Daychodsangbo had spoken, so there was nothing for him to do but watch Ro Ngoedrup Chen fly away. "That old corpse tricked me into talking by telling that story, " thought Daychodsangbo. He deeply regretted letting himself be deceived. This time he knew he must think ofa better way to stop himselffrom speaking. Once again he made the long journey back to the cemetery· called Selwa Tsal and, just as he had done before, struggling with the heavy Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back, he began another long journey to the Master's cave. He kept his mouth busy by filling it with one handfol of butter after another. 'This time there is no way that old corpse can escape," the young boy thought to himself confidently. As they went along, that chatty Ro Ngoedrup Chen told another story. Once, long ago, there lived a king whose realm was larger and richer than the kingdoms in all four directions. The king had more subjects and servants than there were stars in the sky, and his land was covered with herds of horses, yak, and sheep. The king's only regret was that he had no son, only two daughters, and so there was no one to inherit his kingdom. The king cared for his daughters as much as his own heart and eyes. There is a saying: One's own children are good, just as the crops ofothers are good. The king also felt no one could compare to his two lovely daughters. Sermotso and Gnulmotso were their given 103

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names. Oh, yes, their given names certainly reflected the truth of their beauty, for they were like beautiful goddesses. Their wisdom and kindness shone brighter than the sun and moon and everyone talked about the daughters' friendly smiles and warm hearts. Even though the daughters were now young women, the king had ordered a woman servant called Shingtamo to watch over them. But he didn't know Shingtamo was really an evil witch. From the outside she appeared to be honest and respectful, yet inside, her mind was cruel, as sharp as a knife that could split a strand of hair. From the moment the king placed her in charge of his daughters, she began planning a way to kill them and to take over the kingdom. One day, Shingtamo was walking with the two daughters when they arrived at the shore of a lake. The surface of the lake was as smooth and clear as a mirror. Looking at the reflections of Shingtamo and the two sisters in the lake, whose face was more beautiful? Ah tsey! Anyone could clearly see that the witch Shingtamo's face was truly ugly-like the face of a guard dog compared to that of a white snow lion. "Let's throw our bowls into the lake and see whose bowl will float," suggested Shingtamo. Without thinking, the two young daughters took the gold and silver bowls from inside their chubas and tossed them into the water. The bowls quickly disappeared. Shingtamo threw her wooden bowl and there it stayed, floating on the lake's surface. When Sermotso saw her silver bowl sink into the lake, she feared she would be severely scolded by her father and felt very ashamed. She became so upset that, before anyone could stop her, she jumped into the lake after the bowl and drowned. Gnulmotso was very frightened and unbearably sad, but she didn't know what to do.

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Shingtamo, taking advantage of the moment, grabbed Gnulmotso's hand and led her away, escaping to a neighboring kingdom. Meanwhile, after jumping into the lake, Sermotso was captured by the serpent king who lived there arid taken to his palace far beneath its surface. The following day she became the serpent queen and from then on spent her days happily living under the lake. As Gnulmotso and the evil witch Shingtamo were approaching the next kingdom, they saw that all the people were rushing about outside a very large palace. Gnulmotso had no idea what was going on, but watched everything with great interest. They had arrived on the very day that the king was choosing a queen for his three sons. All the young girls in the kingdom had gathered in front of the palace gate. According to tradition, a special arrow, decorated with flags of five different colors, would be shot into the sky. Whoever was closest to the arrow when it landed would become the new queen. The ceremonial arrow was shot into the sky. All the girls raced toward the falling arrow. Now it just so happened that, nor missing by less than an inch in front or behind, the arrow fell directly into Gnulmotso's hand. But she still didn't understand what was happening when the witch Shingtamo snatched the arrow away. Shingtamo was escorted into the king's palace, where she was crowned queen of the king's three sons, and Gnulmotso became her servant. Every day, as the first rays of dawn struck the sky, Gnulmotso was sent out to care for the sheep. Shingtamo, being an evil witch, used her powers to make the eldest prince mysteriously disappear. Within a short while after that, the middle prince began to

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suffer from a strange illness that no medicine could cure. After he died, Shingtamo ate his heart. Now she was starting to use her evil power to make the life of the youngest prince very unpleasant, too. Each morning Gnulmotso was given a small bag of roasted barley to eat while she watched the sheep graze on the grasslands. But the bag was so small she often went hungry for most of the day. One day, she drove the large flock of sheep to the edge of the lake where she had been that fateful day not long ago. She could see her homeland far away on the other side of the lake, but, fearing for her life, she didn't dare escape. She missed her sister so much that her heart filled with an immeasurable sadness. Sitting by the lake, her eyes filling with tears, she began to sing a song: Sermotso is in the lake. Poor me, sitting all alone on the shore. The witch Shingtamo controls everything. Ifl am hungry, who will give me food? If I am cold, who will give me clothes? Oh, sister of the silver lake, Please help me gather the goats and sheep. Please help me spin the white wool. Deep down below the surface of the lake, from inside the serpent's palace, Sermotso heard her sister's lonely song. Sermotso rose to the top of the lake carrying butter and curds for her sister. "Please don't feel so sad," she said, trying to comfort her sister. "Happier days are coming." Every day after that, Gnulmotso drove the sheep to the spot by the lake where her sister woul~ bring her food. They enjoyed their precious time together, and

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Sermotso brings her sister some food.

every afternoon, as the sun began to sink from the sky, Gnulmotso would drive the flock back to the palace. One day the evil witch Shingtamo was waiting for Gnulmotso to return when she saw her stuffing some food into the folds of her chuba. After Gnulmotso entered the palace, Shingtamo gave her a terrible beating and demanded to know where she had gotten the food. Gnulmotso told the truth. She explained exactly how every day she had gone to the edge of the lake to visit her sister. That evil witch had a mind as cruel as poison. The very next day, early in the morning, Shingtamo appeared at the gate just as Gnulmotso was driving the sheep to the grassland. "Today, you can stay home and care for the youngest prince," said Shingtamo. "He is not feeling very well these days. I will take the sheep to the lake myself" So Shingtamo strode off leading the sheep to the lake with an ax tucked under her arm. Gnulmotso was very

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worried and frightened, but she turned away and went inside the palace to see the youngest prince. The youngest prince was very kindhearted. He sat quiedy while Gnulmotso washed and braided his hair. As she braided, she thought to hersel£ "How will my sister escape Shingtamo and her ax?" Tears ran down her face, landing on the neck of the king's son. "Why are you crying?" asked the prince softly. Gnulmotso told' him the truth about everything that had happened, everything that had made her so sad. She also said to the prince, ''I'm sure Shingtamo has already eaten your two brothers. Now I'm afraid she is getting ready to eat you!" The prince had suspected just as much, and, hearing this, his suspicions were confirmed. It wasn't long before the prince and Gnulmotso came up with a plan. In the palace, right below the spot where Shingtamo usually sat, they dug a hole nine levels deep. Then they carefully unrolled a thick carpet over the hole. That afternoon, when Shingtamo returned to the palace she was angry and began yelling at Gnulmotso. Shingtamo marched across the room and plopped herself down on the carpet-and disappeared into the hole. Before the witch knew what had happened, the youngest prince and Gnulmotso filled the hole and quickly covered it with a statue of the Buddha. After that, Gnulmotso became the youngest prince's queen and they lived happily ever after.

When Ro Ngoedrup Chens story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo asked, "Oh, but did the witch harm Sermotso?" "Bad luck for you! You've just let some words escape!" Pha laa ... was the sound ofRo Ngoedrup Chen flying back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal.

The Fountains of Turquoise and Gold

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aychodsangbo was so interested in hearing Ro Ngoedrup Chen's story of Sermotso and Gnulmotso that he had forgotten the Master's advice, and there was nothing for Daychodsangbo to do but return to the cemetery just as he had done before. He put Ro Ngoedrup Chen in the bag, tied the bag shut, and quickly started off toward the Master's cave carrying his burden. He had only taken a few steps when Ro Ngoedrup Chen, just as he had done before, began to tell a story. Once upon a time there was a village at the foot of a mountain. Not far up the mountain was a pond, whose streams flowed generously down the slopes and gave the village everything it needed-drinking water for all the villagers and their animals, and water to help the crops grow strong. For many years the village was a very happy and pleasant place to live. Then-no one knew where they came from-two water demons arrived at the pond; one looked like a turtle and the other appeared to be a frog. Moments after the devils entered the pond, the water stopped flowing to the farmers. Every year after that the villagers were forced to sacrifice two young boys to the demons to make the water flow again. If the villagers failed to make this offering, the demons not only cut off the water but 109

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they also created terrible storms. Many animals died from the heavy rains, hail, and cold, making the farmers' lives impossible. Of course, no one wanted their sons to be eaten by the demons, so the villagers decided that they would select the boys to be sacrificed by a throw of the dice. And this is how things went on in the village for many years. One year the dice selected a farmer's son and a hunter's son. According to the tradition, the two young boys went to the pond to offer themselves to the demons. The villagers sadly walked with them part of the way to the pond. These boys, being both smart and brave, thought it would be foolish to let the demons eat them. The boys didn't see the demons when they got to the pond, so they quickly hid among the trees. It wasn't long before they saw the frog and turtle demons climbing out of the water. "Whey! Brother! What makes you so proud?" said the turtle to the frog as they climbed out of the water. "The villagers are fools to think you are really dangerous. If they really knew about you, they would come with the branch of a juniper tree, beat you over the head and kill you. If they then swallowed you without chewing, wouldn't they throw up turquoise stones?" "Ha! Ha! You shouldn't talk like the black pig who calls the crow black," replied the frog, rising up on his hind legs and puffing out his chest. "Aren't we the same? If those people knew about you, they would come, grab a stone from the shore and break your neck. You, too, can be killed. Furthermore, if they swallow your corpse without chewing, wouldn't gold begin to flow from their mouths?" Hidden in the trees, the two children heard everything the devils said. With one quick glance at each other, the farmer's son grabbed a thick juniper tree

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branch and the hunter's son picked up a flat stone from the shore. Together they rushed from the forest, attacking the demons. After they were killed, the demons' bodies shrank quickly, becoming smaller and smaller. To see if what they had overheard was true, the farmer's son popped the frog into his mouth and the hunter's son swallowed the turtle. The boys were very happy when from the mouth of the hunter's son came a fountain of golden nuggets and from the mouth of the farmer's son flowed beautiful turquoise stones. "Now that we have killed the two demons, there is no one to stop the water from flowing to the village. We should go home," said the farmer's son. "If we return to our village right away, they will think we have become ro-langs, scary creatures who wander the world like the living dead. There is so much suffering and poverty in our village, and if we go back, we might never get another chance to travel. Now we have everything we could ever want. We don't need to go back! It's better that we first travel to other kingdoms and have a grand adventure," said the hunter's son. So the boys set out from their homeland and travelled for many days, over many mountains and through many valleys. Finally, they arrived at a shelter on the road where a woman sold them bowls of tasty chang. After drinking many bowls of the beer, a steady flow of turquoise and gold flowed from their mouths. The woman was amazed. She encouraged them to drink as much of the strong chang as they wanted and offered them a place to stay for the night. Those two boys really enjoyed chang, so it wasn't long before they became as drunk as mud. At first, the gold and turquoise flowed and flowed and the chang-seller happily collected all the jewels flowing from their mouths. Finally, out popped the

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evil turtle and the evil frog. After that, only water came out. As soon as this happened, the chang-seller understood the source of the gold and turquoise. She turned to her daughter and told her to quickly swallow the turquoise frog. Then, the chang-seller popped the golden turtle into her mouth. The next day at dawn, the two drunken boys woke remembering that they had to pay for their night lodging. But when they looked for their jewels they only found water. They knew something terrible must have happened. They demanded that the chang-seller tell them where their precious jewels had gone, but she refused to answer and even pretended to be very angry.

"One who has no shame is a dog. A dog who has no tail is a deviL That saying is really true!" she said. "You two haven't paid for all your drinks and lodging. On top of that, you have put a black hat on a good person, as the saying goes. Oh my!" she scolded. There was nothing else for the two boys to do but start off on their way again. The two travelled until they carne to the edge of a forest. Resting on a branch at the top of a tree was a man holding a yellow flower. As soon as he touched the flower to his body, he turned into a monkey. The monkey gracefully climbed to the top of another tree and ate fruit until his hunger was completely satisfied. Next, the monkey picked a red flower and touched it to his body. Instaricly the monkey became the same man he was before. Those two boys watched all this with great interest. In this way they learned the magic of this flower's touch. The boys continued on their amazing adventure for many years. By the time they started back to their homeland, they had learned many tricks like that of the magic flower: Along the way the boys arrived at the same shelter where they had stayed long ago. The chang-seller sent her daughter out to welcome them. The two boys

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hadn't forgotten how the chang-seller and her daughter had tricked them, so they took a yellow flower and touched it to the body of the chang-seller's daughter. Suddenly, she turned into a monkey, running and jumping all about the shelter. The mother entered the room, but when she looked for her daughter, all she could see was the monkey. Recognizing the two boys, she thought to herself, "These two are the ones with amazing powers." Regretting what she had done to the boys before, she pleaded with them not to cast more spells. "If a horse runs too much," replied the boys, "eventually it will get stuck in the mud. Ifan ant races too much, its legs will get stuck in the sap of the tree. If something is high, there will always be something higher. If you are smart, there is always someone smarter. A racehorse runs best on a flat field. Ifyou make a speech, you must speak the truth. This is how the saying goes. It's important to be honest, isn't it? Do you really think it was wise to steal our two demons?" asked the boys. Full of shame, the mother's face turned very red. A moment later, the evil turtle fell from her mouth and her daughter, the monkey, threw up the evil frog. The two boys reclaimed the demons, and the farmer's son touched the red flower to the monkey's body. The spell was broken and the chang-seller's daughter returned to the way she was before. The two boys returned to their homeland carrying the precious jewels, where the water flowed freely and they lived happily ever after. Daychodsangbo wasn't thinking at all of the Master's instructions when he said, "Oh, those two were very capable boys. " ':And you are a boy with bad luck. You lost some words again!" Ro Ngoedrup Chen remarked as he flew off back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal.

The Rich Thief

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aychodsangbo was panting heavily by the time he arrived again at the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. Pursing his lips and tightening his grip on the ax called Dawa Carpo, Daychodsangbo took a big swing at the corpse's tree. A frightened Ro Ngoedrup Chen called out, "Don't cut down the tree. I will come down. " So he shimmied down the tree and stepped into the bag called Tongshongthramo. Daychodsangbo tied the bag with the rope called jathreethrawo and lugged Ro Ngoedrup Chen onto his back. As they started on their way again, Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell a story. Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a farming village in Tibet there lived a boy and his mother. Although the son worked hard providing for his mother, they were still very poor. The boy's mother depended on her son for everything. He was young, and yet he was a good and kind-hearted son who was well liked by all his neighbors. In another village not far from this place lived a man who became rich by stealing from people he befriended. He travelled from village to village, making friends and deceiving them, always looking for a chance to make himself richer. One day he approached the young boy. "Tomorrow, I would like to come to your house so we can get to know one another. I'm new here and don't know many people. It would make me very happy to 115

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become a friend of yours. What do you think of that?" The young boy had already heard of this man and knew he wasn't a good person. Even so, he replied kindly, "That sounds like an excellent idea. Please come. just as the peacock honors the forest, a guest honors the home. If you come to my home, I am sure you will bring us good luck." Later that day, the boy took his mother all over the countryside, filling a bucket with iron nails and brackets they found along the road. The next morning, the rich man arrived at their home. The young boy and his guest were busy talking, while in the next room the old mother amused herself by dropping iron pieces in and out of her bucket. The boy and his guest heard a tinkling sound, something that sounded like many coins being counted. "What is happeni'ng in that room over there?" asked the rich man. "My mother has a bad habit. She enjoys counting coins. All day long without stopping, she counts them into a big bucket. These sounds are very annoying. We can't even relax and have a comfortable time getting to know each other. I so much want to be your close friend, so please don't let this sound bother you." "Ah lay, this kind of thing is not a problem for me. I am never bored by this kind of sound," said the rich man. The son stepped out of the room for a moment and when he returned he handed his guest a single gold coin. "I offer this piece of gold to you as my gift. Since this is the first time you have visited my home, I want you to feel welcome and comfortable here." Actually, that one gold coin was the only coin in the house. As the rich man listened to the endless counting of coins, his eyes darted about searching for things he could steal. "Ah tsey! They have so much money! Oh,

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the young boy so easily gave me this gold coin as a gift. The tinkling of the coins never stops! How much money can they have?" His greed grew stronger still. "Tonight, I will extend a long arm into this home," he mused to himsel£ After the rich man left, the mother said to the boy, "My child, I'm sure you have lost your mind. What are we going to do without our gold coin? What are we going to do today? You have made life so difficult for yourself, as if you had dumped a bucket of cold water over your own head. What are we going to do?" his mother complained. "My dear old mother, just wait. Lose one coin, get nine. Lose a sheep, get a horse. Isn't that how the saying goes?" he said laughingly. As dusk turned to night, the boy and his mother sat waiting. Around midnight, just as the boy had guessed, the rich man arrived to rob their home. Very quietly, he dug a hole ·in the wall surrounding the house. The moment the rich man stuck his head through the hole, the boy grabbed him by the neck. "Mother, bring me the light! I have captured a thiefl" the boy yelled. The moment the light shone on the thief's face, the boy acted surprised. "Ah kha! Is that you? I thought to myself, who can this be? What is wrong, my friend? What are you thinking? I gave you a gold coin as a gift and in return, you come and dig a hole in the wall of my home? If someone gives you chang, you give him water in return? You are such a bad person. Like a bad dog whose bark fills the whole valley, a bad person makes trouble for the whole village. I must inform the chief of our village so he can properly punish a person such as you." The rich thief was quite frightened and very embarrassed that someone had caught him doing his

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''Mother, I have captured a thief!" dirty business. The way the young boy was speaking to him made him even more afraid. Again and again he pleaded with the boy, "My dear friend, I beg you. There is no need to say anything to the chief. After the

goat and sheep have fought, ifthe fox gets to lick the blood off their foreheads, only the fox benefits. Please don't tell the chiefl I can offer you one thousand gold coins in exchange for your forgiveness-then we can keep this a secret from even the stones in the earth. Isn't this a better idea?" In his heart he agreed, but from the boy's mouth came, "No, No! I could take your thousand coins but if it won't stop you from stealing again, how can this be right?" The rich man tugged the skin of his own neck to show how sincere he was. Over and over again the rich man swore, in the strongest way he knew, that he would never steal again. He promised and promised.

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The boy turned to his mother and said, "What do you think? You decide. Should I or shouldn't I let him go?"

Daychodsangbo had been listening to the story with great interest when Ro Ngoedrup Chen suddenly asked him, "What did the mother say? Can you guess?" ''Do I need to tell you the answer?" Daychodsangbo replied. "Give up the chance to get one thousand gold coins?" And like a rainbow fodingfrom the sky, Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away.

The Feathered Prince

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gain, just as he had before, Daychodsangbo starte.d toward the Master's cave carrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen on his back. Daychodsangbo had only taken a few steps before Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell a story. Once upon a time in a village lived a family with three sisters. Ever since their parents died, they depended on their family cow for many things: The sisters lived on the butter and cheese made from the milk of their magical cow. The cow provided for all their needs, anything they could ever want. One day the family's magical cow suddenly disappeared. The oldest sister travelled far searching for her, through a valley of thick, green grass with a lovely river. Growing tired, the sister sat beside a cave to rest and have a bite to eat, when a white bird flew down from the sky and sang this song: Kee, Kee, Kee ... Kee, Kee, Kee ... Give me a little tsampa and I'll give you one word of good news. Give me a little butter and I'll give you two words of good news. Give me a little dried meat and I'll give you three words of gqod news. And if you'll be my wife forevermore, I'll tell you all the good news.

The older sister was very disturbed. ''A bird to be 121

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The youngest sister offered the cute little bird a dab of butter.

my husband?" she asked. She grabbed a stone and angrily hurled it into the sky to scare off the bird, which flew away. She spent the rest of the day looking for the cow until she grew weary and went home. The next day the middle sister set out to search for the family cow. She followed the same path her older sister had taken the day before, through the beautiful fields of grass, past the gently flowing river. Finally she came to a cave where she sat to rest and have a bite to eat. The white bird flew down from the sky and sang the same song he sang before. The middle sister was concerned about the family cow and annoyed by the bird's song, so she picked up a stick and hit the bird. Tail feathers flapping, the bird flew away. The third day the youngest sister left home to look for the family cow. Travelling the same route her sisters had taken earlier, she too came to a cave where she sat

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down to rest and have something to eat. Once again the white bird appeared. Landing next to her beside the cave, the bird sang the same song he had sung before. The youngest sister thought that a bird who sang to people in their own language was a very cute little bird indeed. First she gave him some tsampa. Then she gave him a bit of butter, and finally she offered him some dried meat. The white bird ate everything until he was completely satisfied. "Come with me to see this cave," said the bird to the youngest sister, and she followed him into the cave. It wasn't long before she came to a red door. After opening the red door, she found a golden door. After opening the golden door, she arrived at a door made of beautiful white shells. And after opening this door, she came to a door made of turquoise. When she opened the turquoise door, she found herself in a luxurious home filled with many precious jewels of turquoise and pearls, coral and gold. And there, in front of her, sat the white bird on his throne. "Young woman, a witch has eaten your cow, and that is why you can't find it. Do not return to your village. Why don't you stay here with me?. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be the mistress of this lovely home?" asked the bird. The youngest sister thought the white bird was very beautiful, and everything she saw in the house was very lovely indeed, so ~he promised to stay and live there with him. Days passed by peacefully as the young woman carried water, cooked meals, and cleaned the house. One day the youngest sister went to see the horse races and archery contests at a big festival in a village nearby. She saw more amazing things at the festival than she could even count. She noticed particularly a young man who rode a blue horse, looking like a god. Everyone at the

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festival was intrigued by the young man. He looked at the youngest sister again and again, making her quite nervous. She thought to herself, "From among all the men, that young man gets the most attention, yet from among the women, I am the one getting the most attention because of my beautiful clothing and jewels." It was a very enjoyable day for the youngest sister. On her way home, she met an old woman. "From among all the men and women at the festival today, who attracted the most attention?" asked the old woman. "Today the most interesting man was a very handsome young man riding a blue horse. Not a single horse could race faster than his. No one could shoot an arrow further and straighter than he. My husband is a bird, so it's not possible for us to go to the festival together," she said, sadly. "Don't say that!" said the old woman. "Today, from among all the women, you were the most beautiful. The young man riding the blue horse is actually your husband, the prince. Tomorrow, pretend to set off for the festival. Find a good place to hide and watch him take off all his feathers. After he goes to the pasture, mounts his blue horse and rides away, you must gather all the feathers and burn them. When this is done, you and the handsome young man will be together forever." The next day the young girl did everything the old woman told her to do. She hid and watched as the bird-prince removed his feathers. Looking as handsome and brave as a lion cub, he rode away on his fine blue horse. The youngest sister waited until he was out of sight and then she burned all the feathers. Then she waited patiently until sunse.t when her husband returned. As soon as he arrived, he rushed to her and

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asked, "Oh, I see you arrived home before me-where is my coat of feathers?" "I burned the feathers," she said proudly. "Ah tsa ma! You did something terrible. Now that you have burned my feathers, we can no longer live together!" "Why? If you don't wear those feathers, you are much more handsome. Aren't you?" "Ka yee!" said the prince. "Of course I don't want to wear these feathers. I am a prince! But I have been cursed by a witch. If I don't wear these feathers, the witch will become very angry. She might even try to destroy the village. As long as I wear these feathers, she won't harm anyone. And now you have burned the feathers. This is very unlucky for us both." The youngest sister felt great sadness for what she had done. Suddenly, from out of the sky, in a gust of wind as strong as a tornado, a witch appeared. In an instant the witch swept down, grabbed the prince and carried him off into the sky. The youngest sister was terrified. Upset and alone, she set out to find her husband. Wandering through the desolate valley, she cried out against the howling wind, "My feathered prince! My feathered prince!" Day and night she searched, calling out to him, but he was nowhere to be found. She searched for him for a long time, until she heard a faint "Ahhh!" coming from the bottom of the valley. Following the sound, she finally found her husband walking past a statue, lugging a large sack of iron shoes. "Now I must fetch water for the witch," explained the prince. "Nothing will change until all these shoes are completely worn out. If you really love me, you will return to our home and collect feathers of a hundred different colors. You must also pray for my spirit to

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return. After you wmplete these tasks I will be able to come home to you." A great roar rang through the valley as the witch dove down from the sky and carried the prince off once more. The youngest sister quickly went home and searched everywhere for feathers of a hundred different colors. She worked hard through the day and night until the collection was finally complete. Then she chanted a special prayer asking for the return of her husband's spirit. Suddenly the young man appeared in front of her, covered with sweat. He fell to the ground and rolled in the feathers she had carefully laid out for him. Anyone watching could clearly see how the prince became a beautifully feathered bird once again. All the different colors of feathers merged like light to form a brilliant white-feathered coat for the prince. The villagers could, once again, live in peace without fearing the evil witch. The feathered prince and his wife returned to their home where they spent the rest of their happy lives together. When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo asked, "Who was that old woman? %s she really the witch?" Pha laa ... Like a rainbow disappearing from the sky, Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away.

The Two Brothers

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aychodsangbo deeply regretted having spoken again, so he returned to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal as fast as he could. He picked up Ro Ngoedrup Chen and started off for the Master's cave thinking to himself, "This time I will remain silent!" They hadn't travelled even one hour before Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell a story.

A long time ago there lived a king and his two wives. The first wife was called Nima Treekee and the second was called Dawa Treetsun. One year the two queens each had a son. The first one born was Nima Treekee's son, called Nima Odser, and only a few days later Dawa Treetsun's son, called Dawa Odser, was born. Everyone knew the queens were enemies. They hated each other as much as if one had murdered the other's mother. Yet as their sons grew up together, they cared for each other as if they were brothers, living side-by-side as easily as water mixes with milk. The king's second wife, Dawa Treetsun, was overjoyed when the first wife became ill and passed away. Every day after that, Dawa Treetsun spent most of her time plotting different ways to kill Nima Odser, the dead queen's son. She knew that if Nima Odser were allowed to come of age at the end of the year, her own son would never become king. And so, being a cold-hearted queen, she made a very evil plan. 127

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One day she pretended to be very sick. She began to moan and groan, tossing and turning on her bed. Remembering how his first wife died, the king was very worried about her. He asked doctors and lamas to help the queen, but nothing they did made the queen feel any better. "Where does it hurt? What should we do?" the king asked his wife. "Oh, my great and wonderful king, you cannot help me. There is only one thing that can be done to help me, and this you cannot do, nor should you dobut this is the only thing that could possibly save me. So we must soon be separated by my death." "If there is anything I can do to help you, I promise to do it. I can even give up my kingdom if necessary. You must tell me!" "My dear king, of course I trust you to do as I ask, but first you must make a promise. Please promise to do exactly as I say, and then I will explain everything to you." So the king, swearing by everything he ever believed in, promised to do whatever his wife asked of him. Once the king promised, Queen Dawa Treetsun calmly explained, "The astrological signs for the years Nima Odser and I were born are enemies. Therefore, the only cure for my illness is for me to eat your boy's heart. Other than this, there is nothing to do." The king was very upset at the thought of killing his own son, but he had made a very solemn promise to his wife and so could not refuse her. There is a saying: A horse that has escaped can be caught, but words that have escaped can never be retrieved.

Having overheard this conversation between the king and queen, Dawa Odser dashed off to tell his brother exactly what had been said. Nima Odser was frightened, and, after discussing the situation, the two

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The two brothers travelled without stopping for nine days and nights. brothers knew they couldn't stay in the palace much longer. They agreed they must go live in another village. That very night they packed a small leather bag with some torma cakes taken from the king's shrine. Then, the very next evening, which happened to be the auspicious fifteenth of the month, they escaped and headed east under the light of the full moon. The two brothers travelled without stopping for nine days and nights. Finally, they came to a barren valley. They had eaten the last of the torma a few days before. Dawa Odser was so weak from hunger and thirst that he helplessly slumped to the ground in a faint. "You stay here, and I will go look for water," said his older brother. Nima Odser struggled over the next mountain, but he still didn't find any water on the other side. By the time he returned, he saw that his brother was no longer

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moving. The older brother began weeping, sure his younger brother had died. Nima Odser gently pulled his brother's corpse over to rest in the shade of a tree and placed a small wall of stones around the boy's body for protection. Hoping they would be reunited in the next life, the older brother started off on his way alone. The older brother walked as far as two more hills before coming to a cave with a big red door. He knocked on the door. After a moment, an old hermit came out from behind the door. The hermit's hair was as white as wool and his old eyes were as blue as turquoise. He was so old, not even one small pearl of a tooth was left in his mouth. "Oh, my dear boy, where have you come from? Why have you come to a place so far away from everything?" asked the hermit. While the boy was explaining everything that had happened to him, the hermit nodded and sighed deeply. "Dear boy, do not cry," said the hermit. "First, we must go see if your younger brother is dead or alive. He was such an honest boy. We must try to save him." They gathered up some food and water -to take to the younger brother. Finally they arrived at the tree where the younger brother was last seen. But the stone wall was broken and stones had been scattered everywhere. The younger brother was gone. While the older brother was away, it had rained. Drops of water had dripped from the leaves into the younger brother's mouth, reviving him. Feeling better, he had set off in search of his brother. Now, Dawa Treetsun called out his brother's name and from a distance he heard his brother do the same. By following the sound of their calls, the two brothers finally met again. The hermit and the older brother happily looked on as the younger brother ate and

THE TWO BROTHERS

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drank until he couldn't eat or drink anymore. Then the two brothers followed the hermit back to his cave. The following day, the wise old hermit said to the boys, "Both of you should stay close to the cave. Also, do not boast about who you are to people you meet. Something bad might happen if you don't follow my advice." At first, the boys played close to the cave. But after a few days, they forgot the hermit's warning and went to play with the children living in a village below. One day the children held a contest to see who was the strongest. "Why are you both so strong?" the children asked the boys. "We were both born in the year of the tiger," boasted the boys. "That is why we are so strong." So this was how the people in that village learned there were two boys living on the mountain who were born in the year of the tiger. Many years ago, in a big lake next to the village where the children were playing, there had lived a friendly serpent that provided everything for the villagers. Just as parents feed their children, the lake shared its water with the crops to help them grow. But several years back, an evil serpent had come to live in the lake. Every year after that, the king sent his ministers through the village to find two boys born in the year of the tiger, who would be sacrificed to the serpent. This was the only offering that satisfied the evil serpent; if the villagers didn't make the offering, the lake would overflow and destroy the people and their animals. Each year there were fewer and fewer boys born in the year of the tiger still living in this village. Some boys had escaped to other villages. Now not even one boy born in the year of the tiger could be

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found, so the king ordered his mm1sters to search beyond the village for such boys. The ministers heard a rumor that up on the mountain lived two boys born in the "tiger year," so they hurried off to find them. The hermit had feared that this would happen, and so he was ready. He ordered the boys to hide inside a large clay pot. The hermit disguised the pot to make it look as if it were full of chang. He warned the two children, "No matter what happens, do not come out of the pot!" The ministers ran to the hermit's cave just as a hungry beast races to devour its food. "When the ministers arrived at the hermit's door, they shouted, "You rotten old man, give us the two boys! "Who are you to refuse the king's order?" ""What are you saying?" replied the hermit. "I gave up my life as a homeowner to be a hermit, so how can I have any sons?" The ministers ignored the hermit, barged through the door, and began beating the old hermit from head to toe. One of the ministers pulled out a knife and threatened, "Old man, if you don't hand over those children, we will cut off your head!" The children couldn't control themselves any longer. "Don't make trouble for the dear old man. We are here!" they cried as they leaped out of the pot. As easy as capturing baby hawks, the ministers snatched up the two boys and took them away. The hermit was so sad. There was nothing left for him to do but cry. The boys were led off to the palace, given a bath, and dressed in fine new clothes and jewelry. They both looked very handsome. The king held a great feast for all the villagers before the boys were to be offered to the evil serpent. The king's daughter Lhamo Tserma fell in love as soon as she saw the two boys. "Those two

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young boys are brave and smart and handsome. They should not be thrown into the lake. Oh, how sad!" the daughter thought to hersel£ She begged the king, "Those two young boys are very special. You should let them remain living here with us in the palace." But he wouldn't listen. The princess was very sad. "If you must throw those boys into the lake, you will have to throw me into the lake along with them," she cried to her father. "Look how ungrateful my daughter is to her father," the king said to his servants. "She has no concern about what happens to my kingdom. Tie her up with the boys in the bag and throw all three of them in the lake." The king's order could not be refused, so the servants wrapped the three of them in a leather bag and heaved the bag into the water. Nima Odser and Dawa Odser thought to themselves, "Of course, since we were born in the year of the tiger, it makes sense that we would be thrown in the lake. But now this girl has been thrown in the lake with us. Oh, how sad!" The king's daughter thought, "I was thrown into the lake to be punished, but this is no reason to let the serpent eat those two young boys. Oh, how sad!" The evil serpent rose to the top of the lake to receive the leather bag offered to him by the village. Opening the bag he was surprised to find two boys and a girl. "What is the reason for this?" he wondered. "This girl is not your food. We are your food, eat us." said the two boys eagerly, trying to protect the girl. "Those two boys are not your food. I am your food, please eat me!" cried the girl, trying to protect the two boys. The evil serpent in the lake watched as the three of them struggled to be the first to sacrifice their lives for

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the village. When the evil serpent saw how much compassion the children had for each other, all harmful thoughts vanished from his mind. From that moment on the serpent decided to dedicate himself to giving life rather than taking it. The serpent invited the children to climb on his back and he gently carried them to the shore. Then the serpent announced to all the villagers. "From this moment on, boys born in the year of the tiger will no longer need to be sacrificed. I also promise to make the sky rain whenever you ask!" Before the children parted ways, the princess turned to the boys and said, "In this life I promise we will never be apart." It wasn't long before the boys returned to the door of the hermit's cave. Knocking on the door, they called out softly, "We are the hermit's sons. Please let us in." Bt.i.t the hermit did not believe them. "I once had two sons," said the hermit, "but the king took them away and killed them, so now they are gone." The brothers explained everything that had happened to them and begged the hermit to open the door, and he did, overjoyed to see them. Meanwhile, the king and his subjects were very surprised to see the princess return to the palace. As his daughter explained everything that had happened, the king's heart filled with joy. The king immediately sent a messenger to the hermit's cave inviting the boys and the hermit to his palace. The king also agreed to let the older brother, Nima Odser, marry his daughter. The whole village celebrated the marriage with a grand wedding festival lasting seven days. According to tradition, all the king's subjects surrounded the daughter as they led her away, escorting her to her husband's kingdom. Many gifts and precious offerings, enough to fill the loads of five hundred elephants, accompanied the bride.

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The boys' father greeted his sons on their return with both happiness and guilt. Tears streamed down his face as he hugged the boys, welcoming them home. Seeing that both of the boys had survived and were even happy, the cruel queen, Dawa Treetsun, was overcome with shame and hatred. Blood gushed from her mouth instantly and she died. When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo said, "Oh, that is such a satisfYing ending to the story. " Pha laa ... just like a rainbow Ro Ngoedrup Chen disappeared into the sky.

The Brave Young Woman

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aychodsangbo returned to the cemetery to get Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Ro Ngoedrup Chen told this story on the way back to the Masters cave.

Long ago, in a place called Puram Pal in Tibet, lived a farmer and his wife with their very intelligent, hardworking, delightful young daughter. Her voice was especially beautiful. In fact, her singing pleased the people's ears even more than that ofYangchen Lhamo, the goddess of music. When she collected firewood in the forest, her songs of love and adventure would ring through the trees. Even people living far away, past many mountains and valleys, could hear her songs clearly. Listening to their daughter sing always gave her parents great happiness. One day, King Nangzay said to his lonely, unmarried son, "Perhaps hunting for wild animals in the forest would cure your sadness." The prince left the palace and when he reached the forest, he heard a young woman singing far off in the distance. Entranced by her exquisite voice, ,he thought, "I must find this young woman who sings." He rushed through the forest following the sound of her voice. Finally he saw her. "Oh, she is amazing! She is as lovely as a goddess," said the prince. ''She sings like a nightingale. Most likely she is the goddess of the forest." The prince was so in love with the young woman that 137

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he too began to sing. Now, the young woman, on meeting the prince, thought him as sweet as a baby hawk. He was handsome but not the least bit proud. She too fell in love with him. From that day on, the prince visited the young woman in her family home, where they joyfully sang and danced for hours. Her parents liked him very much and offered him endless cups of sweet chang. In this way, a deep and lasting love grew between the prince and the farmer's daughter. Meanwhile, King Nangzay was busy arranging for his son to marry the princess from a nearby kingdom. But the prince did not like this princess at all. She didn't know how to sing or dance. She only knew how to eat fat meat and drink chang. Every day, the prince longed for the farmer's daughter. Even without fine clothes and precious jewels, she was so lovely. Even without painted cheeks, her face was naturally beautiful. Unaccompanied by a lute or lyre, her voice si:ill sounded like the sweet call of the nightingale. He especially remembered her smile, which made her eyes sparkle with joy. But ever since his father had arranged his marriage with the princess, he hadn't been allowed to leave the palace. The prince and his new wife argued constantly. If he said one word, she said two words back. Every day, he couldn't help but dislike her more. Life went on like this; months turned into years as the prince became more and more forlorn. He grew weaker with each day, and finally he died, broken-hearted. Not knowing the prince had married, the young farmer's daughter still went each day to the forest hoping to meet her love. In the second month of the year, when the dragon's roar announces the arrival of spring, she was sure the prince would come. In the

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fourth month of the year, when the sweet song of the ku-ku bird announces that summer has begun, she was sure the prince would come. Months turned to years as she waited patiently for the prince to appear. On nights when the full moon lit the forest, she would wait, hoping her prince would come. Just past midnight, when the moon began to set, she would walk back to her home filled with sadness. One night, peering out her window into the moonlit forest, she whispered a prayer. "Tonight my prince will come." Suddenly she heard someone knocking at the door. ''I'm sure my prince has come," she thought to herself as she went to open the door. "Oh my!" she gasped. There in front of her stood the prince, as pale as a ghost, wearing only simple white clothing. He wasn't carrying any weapons or wearing any of the fine golden ornaments he usually wore. Clearly he had arrived on foot. The farmer's daughter took his hand, overjoyed, and invited him inside. "Oh, this is delicious," said the prince, sipping the chang she offered him. "Before, you were so healthy, always ready to dance and sing. Tonight you look so weak and sad. What has happened to you?" asked the farmer's daughter. "Come with me, then you will know," said the prince. And the farmer's daughter followed him through the forest in the moonlight. Arriving near the palace gates, they heard an orchestra of cymbals and drums playing wildly. "What has happened? What is wrong?" asked the farmer's daughter. "You don't understand?" said the prince. "This is a ritual for a man who has died." "Who has died? Did your father die?"

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The prince was very sad. He knew he must tell her everything that had happened. Listening to the prince's story, the farmer's daughter began to cry. And the prince cried with her. They held each other, sobbing like babies. For just how long they cried no one knows. Finally, together, in the first light of morning, they walked back through the forest to the farmer's home. When they got to the front gate, the daughter turned to the prince and invited him into her home. But the prince told her, "The sun is rising. I must go. Next month, on the night of the full moon, I will return to see you again." In a flash, a great gust of wind roared through the trees and the prince vanished. Overcome by sadness and fear, the farmer's daughter fainted. When she woke and opened her eyes, she found herself calling out, "My prince! My prince!" But the night's silence was the only reply. Full of sorrow, she returned to her room to wait until the arrival of the next full moon. Every full moon after that, the prince returned to visit the farmer's daughter. In the moonlit forest, she offered the prince sweet chang and they danced and sang together until just before dawn. One full moon night, the farmer's daughter said to the prince, "That I see you again under the light of every full moon brings me great joy, but for so many other days, it is not possible for us to be together. This makes me very sad." "Your love is so strong. There is one way for us to remain together forever-but to make this happen, you must be very brave," said the prince. "The sun and moon can drop from the sky, but it's not possible for my love to change. For us to be together forever, I could tear skin from bone. I assure you I have enough courage," replied the farmer's daughter.

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"If this is true, as the full moon of the fourth month rises in the night sky, you must travel for at least one hour to the south. At that spot a wild man made of iron, who drinks molten iron, will appear. 'I am so thirsty!' he will call to you, so give him a leather bag full of chang. Then go a short way further south until you see two sheep fighting. Give them each a bundle of fresh grass. Continue in the same direction until you meet three soldiers holding spears and arrows. Hand them each big pieces of meat. After travelling only a few minutes longer, you will come upon a black house covered in blood. A frightening flag made of human skin will be flying from the top of a pole next to the front gate. Guarding the gate will be two of the devil's servants, each wearing a long braid soaked in blood. To pass, you must offer each servant a bowl filled with blood. Enter the house and you will see eight sorcerers seated around a mandala. At the edge of the mandala, the sorcerers will have placed eight old hearts, along with one taken from a dead body only moments before. "The old hearts will cry out to you saying, 'Take me! Take me!' The fresh heart will beg you, 'Dori't take me! Don't take me!' But don't listen to the hearts. Be brave. Without worry or fear, rush in and grab the fresh heart, then run away. Don't ever, even once, look back. If you can get that fresh heart, then we can be together forever." As soon as the prince said these words, a blast of cold wind swept him away into the darkness. So on the holiday of Saka Dawa, the anniversary of Buddha's birth and death, as the full moon rose, the farmer's daughter gathered her supplies and courage and set off heading south. Following the prince's instructions exactly, she bravely snatched the fresh heart from the circle of sorcerers, placed it in the folds of her chuba, and raced toward the gate without looking back.

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"Bloody devils!" the sorcerers yelled to the guards at the gate. "Stop her! Our heart has been stolen!" "Even we devils are grateful for a meal!" said the two devil servants. "This young woman already gave us each a full bowl of blood." Without looking back she ran through the gate and soon before her on the path were the three soldiers holding spears. "Capture that woman! She stole our heart!" yelled the sorcerers to the soldiers. "This woman fed us meat earlier today," said the soldiers as they moved to the side of the path to let her pass. When she came to the fighting sheep, the sorcerers yelled, "That woman stole our heart. Stop her! Beat her!" "She gave us both bundles of grass," replied the sheep. Again she escaped. Finally, she met the wild man made of 1ron. "Iron man!" called the sorcerers. "That woman is running away with a heart she stole from us. You must kill her!" "This woman gave me a bag full of tasty sweet chang. I'm not going to kill her. You are the ones who make me drink this molten iron. I must kill you!" growled the wild man made of iron. He picked up an iron stick with a large iron ball on the end and swung it around madly, killing the eight heart-eaters one by one. That very morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, the farmer's daughter arrived home carrying the fresh heart. And there, standing beside her happy parents, was the prince wearing a beautiful vest coat, appearing as healthy and strong as he had ever been before.

When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo said, "Oh, the farmer's daughter must have been so happy. " Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the graves.

The Pig-Head Seer

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nee more, Daychodsangbo returned to the cemetery, picked up Ro Ngoedrup Chen, and started back carrying him to the Master's cave. And again, Ro Ngoedrup Chen told a story. This time Daychodsangbo was determined not to let one word escape from his mouth. With a mouth foil ofbutter, he walked on.

Long ago there lived a very lazy man. He didn't know how to work and he completely depended on his wife for everything. He slept like a pig and ate like a dog. All day long his wife worked hard to care for her husband. "It is my karma to be like this," her husband explained. And then he would go back to sleep. Her husband also claimed he was a healer and an astrologer, but none of the villagers ever invited him to their homes to perform any rituals for them. Every day the lazy man ate his breakfast and went back to bed, joined his wife for lunch and then took a nap and rose for dinner only to return to bed early in the evening. He never offered to help do anything around the house. His wife could see that her husband wanted to eat but didn't want to work-which, of course, made her quite unhappy. "I must do something about this," she thought to hersel£ "If this continues, soon there won't be anything for us to wear or eat." One day early in the morning, his wife went to the dry riverbed near their home and hid a small bag of butter in a clump of grass. Then she scattered some 143

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small pieces of fat around the bag. Returning home she whispered to her sleeping husband, "Whey, if a man takes three steps he accomplishes three things. Wherever he goes he may get lucky. Isn't there a saying like this? At least go up to the roof, look around, and see if you aren't lucky. Ifa man sleeps too much, enemies will conquer him. If a woman sleeps too much, she will be overcome by housework. Haven't you heard this before?" Both encouraged and scolded by his wife, he got up reluctantly and went up to the roof. Looking out over the village, he saw many crows circling above a clump of grass in the dry riverbed. So he walked down to the riverbed, looked around and found a small leather bag of butter. "Oh, my wife was right. If I had stayed inside sleeping all day, how could I have found this butter?" he thought to himself. So he proudly carried the bag of butter back home to show it to his wife. "Look what I found! What do you think of this?" said the lazy man. "Oh, this is how a man should be," she said, praising him, feigning surprise. The lazy man was pleased with himself. "Oh, this is nothing," he bragged. "Usually I don't do any work at all, but if I did you would really be surprised. Look, tomorrow I am going out to hunt wild animals. Prepare my horse and weapons and bring me my hunting dog. Wait here and I'll return with a fresh load of meat from all the wild beasts I kill." "This is ridiculous, but I suppose it's possible he could kill some small animal," laughed the wife to herself as she prepared everything for her husband's journey. That night the lazy man couldn't sleep. Visions of all the wild beasts he was going to kill raced through his mind. When he returned, he thought, he would be

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the village hero. All night long he pictured how his neighbors would praise him and how his wife would show him more respect. The next morning he got up, gathered his bow and arrows, mounted his horse and started off with his dog to hunt beasts. The lazy man hunted from morning until noon, but he didn't kill even one rabbit. He was very discouraged. "It would have been better not to go hunting. It's probably a bad day for hunting anyway." He went along thinking such things until a fox suddenly ran right in front of him. He quickly let go of the dog, and when the fox saw the dog, it ran like a shooting arrow. The dog chased the fox as fast as a bird can fly. The lazy man whipped his horse and chased after them both. Terrified, the fox dashed into a small tunnel. The lazy man quickly stuffed his hat over one end of the tunnel. Then he tied his bow to the horse's saddle, and, not wanting the dog to run away, he wrapped the horse's rope around the dog's waist and hurriedly began burrowing his way into the tunnel where the fox was hiding. The frightened little fox dashed out the other end of the tunnel, escaping with the lazy man's hat on his head. Seeing the fox getting away, the dog began to chase it, and because the horse was tied to the dog's neck, it galloped full-speed after the dog. "Oh no," thought the lazy man. "Bend over to pick up rocks on the ground and e~erything inside your chuba falls out, this is how the saying goes." Bareheaded and shoeless, the lazy man ran after the fox and the dog and the horse. And so the fox escaped. The dog chased after the fox, and the horse, tied to the dog, had no choice but to run along after the dog. And the lazy man chased after them all for a long time, until he became very tired. Gasping for breath, he stopped to rest. Of course, while he was resting, the fox

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and the dog and the horse ran further and further away. Soon he had no idea where they had gone. After he had caught his breath, the lazy man started off again. To everyone he met along the way, he anxiously called out, "Have you seen a fox wearing a hat? Have you seen a dog leading a horse? Have you seen a horse carrying a bow and arrow?" All who heard this said to each other, "That is a crazy man saying crazy things!" Everyone laughed, but no one gave him an answer. The lazy man walked and walked and finally arrived at a village. In one home, he saw several villagers and monks rushing around busily. He thought to himself, "This time I must speak to these people with great respect and kindness." ''Ah, you are all enjoying life like the gods! Have you seen a fox wearing a hat? Have you seen a dog leading a horse? Have you seen a horse carrying a bow and arrow?" He asked the people very politely. The villagers had gathered at that home because their elder had recently died and they were busy reciting the prayers for his funeral. When they heard what the lazy man was saying, they spit at him angrily and chased him out of the village with sticks. "You are such a thoughtless man!" the villagers shouted. "We have all gathered to perform the funeral rites for our elder and you say that we look as happy as gods? Not only that, you are speaking nonsense! Be gone!" The lazy man staggered away sadly, leaving the village far behind. Eventually he arrived at another village. In that village was another home where many people were rushing about. "Last time a beating was the price I paid for saying the wrong thing," thought the lazy man as he approached the village. "This time I must not make any mistakes." "Oh, it's so sad," called out the lazy man to the

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busy people. "You look like a ghost digging a hole of suffering. I am so sorry to bother you, but have you seen a fox wearing my hat? Have you seen my dog leading a horse? Have you seen my bow and arrow being carried by a horse?" These busy villagers were preparing a grand feast for a bride who had just arrived, and they had all just gathered around to see her. They were very upset by the lazy man's words. "That man is like an evil spirit! At a wedding only kind and friendly words should be spoken. We have taken great care to let the bride see and hear only the best things, but here you are, with your talk-it is a bad omen! We know how to get rid of you: we must turn you into a big torma cake and put you out in the cold. Only then will all the evil spirits be banished from this place." And with this, they tore off the lazy man's chuba and kicked him out of the village. By this time the lazy man was very depressed, frightened, and missed his long, warm, sheepskin chuba. He couldn't stand the cold much longer. "Wind, don't blow, don't blow," he begged the sky as he struggled along. He then came to a place where the villagers were harvesting barley. The villagers were tossing barley high into the sky to catch the wind, separating the seeds from the stalks, when they saw a naked man running toward them, shouting, "Wind, don't blow, don't blow!" The superstitious villagers rushed toward the crazy man with their rakes held high, yelling, "We need the wind to thrash the barley. You come and yell, 'Wind, don't blow,' praying for the opposite of what we need? This is a bad omen!" "I shouldn't say 'wind don't blow,"' thought the lazy man as he ran away from the villagers. "Big wind, blow, big wind, blow," he yelled as he went along, shivering from the cold. It wasn't long before he came to a paper-

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making village. The wind blew the paper into the sky. The paper makers saw a naked man come towards them yelling "Big wind, blow, big wind, blow!" Shaking their sticks, the paper makers chased him away, not letting him get one step closer to where they were making paper. And again, the lazy man escaped. Finally, the lazy man arrived at the gate of a king's palace. By now, he was so hungry and tired he couldn't go any further. The sun was setting, so he decided to crawl inside a haystack near the gate to sleep. A pig living near the king's gate also decided to sleep in the haystack that night. When he heard something enter the haystack, the lazy man's heart almost exploded with fear. Seeing that it was only a pig, he relaxed and went back to sleep. The next morning the lazy man was still hiding in the haystack when he was awakened from a deep sleep by a strange sound. "Tak!" Something hit the ground. Peering out from the haystack, he saw a beautiful turquoise stone had fallen from the top window of a building nearby. A servant picked up the stone, covered it in yak dung and placed the dung patty on the wall to dry. The lazy man, watching, knew exactly where the stone was hidden. Shortly afterward, people were rushing all around the palace. "The queen has lost her spirit stone!" they were saying to each other. Sticking his head up out of the haystack, the lazy man said, "If I do a divination, I can find the spirit stone." The servants, believing the man to have special powers, 'dressed the man in fine silk clothes and led him into the palace. Impressed with the man's claims, the king offered him all the food and drink he wanted. The lazy man ate and drank until he was completely satisfied. "What do you need in order to perform the divination?" asked the king. Recalling how the pig frightened him the

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night before he said, "I need a pig's head and five flags, each of a different color." The servants provided everything he requested. The lazy man hung the flags from the pig's head. Then he began to perform the divination. Sitting with his eyes closed, he started to chant and sing. Suddenly he opened his eyes, picked up the pig's head and went outside near the palace gate. Touching the pig's head to the yak dung patty on the wall, he announced, "It is in here!" The servant broke open the yak dung patty and found the queen's spirit stone, just as the lazy man had predicted. The king's faith in the lazy man's skills grew, and for the next three days the lazy man was the most honored guest in the palace. The king asked the lazy man, "What can we offer you to show our gratitude?" "One horse, one hunting dog, a bow and arrow, and the skin of a fox. These are the things I want," replied the lazy man. The king not only gave him all that, he also gave him lots of meat, butter, and tsampa. Then the king ordered his subjects to escort the lazy man back to his village. The lazy man's wife was very relieved to see her husband return safely to the village after a long absence and felt she would be more respectful to him in the future. "I can read people's minds with my pig head," boasted the lazy man. He became known in his village . h ead seer. " as th e "p1gSeveral days later, thieves stole many golden statues, coins, and jewelry from the king's treasury. The king ordered his messenger to invite the pig-head seer to the palace. Of course, the pig-head seer had no idea who had stolen from the king, but he was afraid that if he didn't go to the palace, the king would surely punish him. With the pig head under his arm, he went to the palace.

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The king's servants greeted him at the palace gate and led him to the king. "This time, in order to identify the thieves, I must meditate for many days alone." The pig-head seer entered a small hut, where he sat quietly and began to meditate, but he was so nervous about not being able to name the thieves that he lost his appetite. He couldn't even sleep at night. It wasn't long before he became pale and weak. He began chanting, "Ah ngo, nee ngo, I'm so pale. Ah khee, nee khee, I'm so thin. Like the dry skin of a corpse, my body is only flesh and bones." Mindlessly he chanted these words over and over again. Meanwhile, the two thieves had heard that the pighead seer was meditating on who had stolen the king's treasures. Fearing they would soon be identified, they decided to go to the small hut to hear what the pig-head seer was saying. It just so happened the thieves were called Ah Ngo and Ah Khee. Crouched outside the hut, the thieves heard the pig head seer chanting, "Ah ngo, ah khee." Terrified that the seer knew their names, they raced home, grabbed the stolen goods, returned to the hut and handed the treasures to the pig-head seer, begging him not to reveal their identities. Early the next morning the pig-head seer delivered the treasures to the king. Overjoyed that the precious objects had been returned, the king rewarded the seer by giving him anything he wanted. After this, the king ordered his servants to escort the seer back to his village. Now the pig-head seer was even more famous. Not long after, in the village near the king's palace, the chief's son became very ill. Even though the chief and his lamas performed many rituals and prayers, nothing seemed to work. The boy was nearly dead, and so the chief's closest servant made a suggestion. ''A man called the pig-head seer lives in a village nearby.

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I've heard he is a great healer. Perhaps we should invite him to visit your son?" "Yes, do this right away!" replied the chief. So the pig-head seer was invited to the chief's home. As soon as he arrived, he was taken to the boy's room. "You must cure my son's illness!" the chief said to the seer, then left him alone in the room with the boy. The pig-head seer pretended not to be nervous. Sitting next to the boy, he made a torma cake as big as a man's body and placed it in front of the pig's head. Then the seer sat up, awake all night, watching to make sure nothing happened to the boy. The boy slept so soundly it seemed as if he had died. "Chief's son? Chief's son? Chief's son?" The seer whispered three times, but the boy didn't make a sound. Fearing the boy had died, he grabbed the pig head and sneaked away. With the pig head tucked under his arm, he ran across the roof of the king's treasury. A guard yelled out, ''A thief has come! Kill him! Beat him!" The lazy man jumped from the roof into a nearby corral, trying to escape. The corral was no safer, however; he turned around to discover that a large, angry dzo was racing toward him. The crazed horned yak with long red hair flying in the wind chased after the lazy man. In a sudden moment of courage, the lazy man stood his ground and fought back. He hit the dzo with the pig head several times, before managing to hide behind a big rock in the far corner of the corral. Later that night, the lazy man peeked out from behind the rock and saw a light shining from a building near the edge of the corral. Carefully watching for the angry dzo, he crept through the corral until he was crouched below the kitchen window, where he could overhear two servants talking. "For months the chief's son has been terrified by a ghost.

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The poor boy couldn't sleep and he became very ill. But tonight the pig-head seer arrived. I heard that now the boy is able to sleep peacefully." As soon as the pig head seer heard this, he felt much better, and quickly sneaked back into the boy's room. Sitting very tall and alert, the pig-head seer guarded the boy for the rest of the night. That next morning the lazy man announced to the chief, "The red dzo in your corral is the cause of your son's suffering. He must be killed." So the servants quickly killed the dzo. After that the chief's son was no longer afraid and slept easily every night. The chief was so happy his son had been cured that he offered the pig-head seer a huge reward and an escort to carry even more gifts back to his village. Of course, the seer's reputation and fame grew even more. The very next day, in the pig-head seer's own village, he learned that his neighbors' husband had not yet returned from the hunting trip he had gone on a few days before. There was a rumor that said he had been eaten by wild be.asts. The hunter's wife was very worried about her husband, so she asked the pig-head seer to perform a divination. Mter arriving at the wife's home, the pig-head seer sat quietly with his eyes closed. By this time he was feeling very confident in his powers. After a short time, he said, "Oh, I can see your husband has been eaten by wild beasts in a thick forest, near a valley to the north. Now it's time to prepare a grand funeral to honor his death." The hunter's wife was very sad and began to cry, but to show her gratitude to the pig-head seer, she offered him all her finest jewels. Just as the funeral rites were beginning, the husband suddenly appeared in the doorway. The hunter had arrived home safely, with the antlers from a large deer he had killed resting on his shoulders.

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When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo said, "Oracles, diviners, magicians-all these types carry big bags oflies! Oh, it's so true!" Hearing these words, Ro Ngoedrup Chen went Pha laa... and flew away, returning to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal.

Masang Yharu Khadra

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aychodsangbo saw Ro Ngoedrup Chen escape from the bag called Tongshongdhrawo. RegretfUlly, he returned to the cemetery. Once again, Daychodsangbo loaded Ro Ngoedrup Chen onto his back, and Ro Ngoedrup Chen told this story. Once upon a time at the edge of a deep valley, a man lived alone with his cow. All his milk, cheese, and butter came from the cow, but. he still had to hum wild animals for meat. One year the cow bore a calf, but to the man's shock, he saw that although it was born with a hull's head and tail, the rest of its body was human. Being a very superstitious man, he grabbed his iron bow and arrow, preparing to kill the calf, when suddenly it spoke: "Don't kill me. Feed me! I will be your faithful son and I will return the favor in the future." The man didn't dare kill an animal that could speak. Also, he was lonely living in the valley without a son of his own. So he put down the bow and arrow and decided to keep the cal£ He gave it an unusual name, Masang Yharu Khadra. He fed the calf plenty of milk, butter, and, because he was part human, many fine morsels of meat. Masang Yharu Khadra grew quickly and before long he was as big and strong as a bull should be. One day Masang Yharu Khadra told his father that !55

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in order to repay his father's kindness, he should be allowed to hunt. The man agreed to let his son leave home. So the next day the bull made his way through the thick forest, where he met a black man whose face was as dark as the bark of a tree he was leaning against. "Who are you?" Masang Yharu Khadra asked the man. "I was born the strong man of the forest. I can go anywhere with you as your friend," said the blackfaced man. So together they went on their way. Soon they came to a grassland, where they met another man, whose face was almost as blue as the sky. "Who are you?" Masang Yharu Khadra asked the blue-faced man. "I was born the strong man of the grassland. I too can be your friend," said the blue man. So the three of them travelled together. It wasn't long before they arrived at a big rock. The bull saw a man whose face was as pale as the rock he was sitting on. "Who are you?" the bull asked the pale-faced man. "I was born the strong man of the rock. I too will be your friend," the pale-faced man replied. So the four of them continued on together. After many hours walking, they arrived at a very large two-story house in a deep rock canyon. On the ground floor was a barn where several wild animals had been living. Above that, supported by thick, wooden pillars, was the main room, a very large kitchen. It appeared that the animals had been staying there for a while, but the owner of the house was nowhere to be found. The four friends decided to stay at the house. After some discussion, they agreed that every day one man would stay at home to prepare the meals, while the others would hunt for animals.

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After travelling many hours they arrived at a big house.

On the first day, the strong man of the forest stayed at home. He was churning the milk and watching a pot of meat boiling on the stove when the kitchen door opened slowly. "Oh, you work so hard!" said an old woman. Turning to look at the woman he saw she was tiny, her body only the size of his hand. Yet, she was loaded down with a very large bundle, just like a mule. "Oh, a boy like you, home alone, cooking the meat!" she said to the man. "Give me a little taste of that meat and yogurt." He offered the old woman some food. She took a bite of meat and tasted the yogurt and then walked out the door struggling under her heavy load. The strong man returned to the kitchen only to find all the food had disappeared. He searched everywhere in the house. Finally, he went outside and, after finding a horseshoe, he set about making many hoofprints all

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around the house. Then he rushed inside the house, gathered all the arrows he could find, went back outside and shot the arrows into the roof of the house until they were sticking out all around the roo£ It was dusk by the time the three hunters returned with their kill of the day. Noticing no food had been prepared for their evening meal, they asked the strong man, "Where is the food you made for us today?" "Today close to a hundred thieves on horseback came and stole all the food. Then they beat me until I couldn't move," said the strong man of the forest. "Go outside and see." Stepping outside they saw the hoofprints all around the house and arrows sticking out all along the roof. The three friends then believed everything that the strong man of the forest had said. The second day, the strong man of the grassland stayed at home while the others went hunting. Everything that happened the day before happened again, but this time, the hoofprints the strong man of the grassland made outside the house were those of a yak. When the others returned, the strong man of the grassland told them many thieves riding yaks had come and stolen all the food from the house. On the third day, the strong man of the rock stayed at home. Everything that happened the day before happened again, but this time, the hoofprints where those of a mule. When the others returned, the strong man of the rock told them that thieves, riding mules, had taken all the food from the house. The following day, the three men went hunting, and this time it was the bull, Masang Yharu Khadra, who stayed horne waiting. Horns alert and tail swishing from side to side, the bull was ready for anything. While he was churning the milk and boiling the meat, the little old woman returned to the house.

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"Oh, now a strange person like you stays here. Give an old woman a taste of yogurt and meat!" demanded the old woman. The bull thought to himself, "So this is what happened when the others stayed at home. I wonder what will happen if I give this old woman a taste of our food?" He quickly grabbed a needle and, turning his back on the woman, punched many little holes in a water bucket.

"The corpse must be cut into pieces before being fed to the birds; all four limbs must work to take care of the body. Isn't there a saying like this? Before I give you a taste of yogurt and meat, you must take this bucket and fetch some water," said the bull, handing her the bucket. The old woman couldn't refuse, so she put down her bundle and set off t;o get the water. After she left, the bull opened her bundle. Inside he found a leather rope, a pair of iron tongs, and an iron hammer. He removed these things and replaced them with an old wool rope, a pair of wooden tongs, and a wooden hammer. Then he tied the bundle shut just as it had been tied before. The old woman returned and said to the bull, "I went to get the water, but your bucket doesn't hold water. Now, give me a taste of that food!" "You couldn't even get a little bit of water?" asked the bull. "You useless old feedbag! I'm not going to give you a taste of anything." The old woman was furious. Gnashing her teeth wildly, hands clenched into fists, her face curled into a fierce scowl and her body suddenly seemed to grow very powerful, though she was still a tiny woman. "This house and everything in it belongs to me," she growled. ''And you won't even give me a taste of your food? Now, let's see who is more powerful!" With that, she took the old, rotten rope from her

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bundle and tied up the bull. She pinched his body with the wooden tongs and beat him with her wooden hammer, but the wooden tongs and hammer quickly broke. In fact, the beating hadn't hurt the bull at all. Struggling against the rope, he broke free. He grabbed the leather rope, tied up the old woman, and pinched her body with the iron tongs. Then he beat her with the iron hammer until she was barely alive. Mter that he carried her downstairs and hung her from a pillar beneath the kitchen. Then he walked back up the stairs to the kitchen to finish making the yogurt and boiling the meat. Soon, the three hunters returned. "Have you had a difficult time while we were away?" the hunters asked the bull. "You three told lies. You are all cowards!" said the bull to the others. "Where are the thieves? Today I caught a thief and I've hung her body from a pillar downstairs. I'll show you. Follow me." They all followed him, but when they arrived they saw nothing but a pool of blood just below the pillar. A small trickle of blood made a path across the back of the barn and outside, leading to a small opening in the side of a big rocky mountain. Peering down into the dark crevice they saw a golden pillar glistening in the middle of a cave. From far below came an eerie groaning sound. No one dared enter the cave. "Tie a rope around my waist and I will go down," said the brave Masang Yharu Khadra. The three friends did as he said, tied the rope around his waist, and lowered him into the cave. The bull was halfWay down into the cave when off to one side he saw a huge room filled with gold, silver, silks, and many other precious objects. Beside a pile of gold lay the witch. Blood was still flowing from her mouth and nose, but she was finally dead. Placing many precious objects into a box, the bull

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wrapped a strong rope around the box and called to his friends to lift it out of the cave. Lifting the box from the cave, the three friends said, "If we help Masang Yharu Khadra out of the cave, we will have to share the precious gems and gold with him." So as soon as the three friends pulled the box out of the cave they ran away, leaving the bull at the bottom of the cave. The bull soon realized he'd been tricked by his friends. He looked around desperately for a way out of the cave, but all he found were three peach pits. Setting the pits on the cave floor, he sprinkled them with water, before falling asleep. Without knowing how long he had slept, he woke to find three fully grown peach trees in the cave. He quickly climbed one of the trees, reaching the mouth of the cave easily. Picking up his iron bow and arrow, he started off toward the big house in the forest. The bull hadn't gone very far before he came to a spring of clear, cold running water. Beside the spring sat a beautiful woman filling her water bucket. She slowly walked toward a rose-covered ladder, which she then began climbing into the sky. Surprised but curious, the bull decided to follow the young woman up the ladder. He climbed the flowered ladder for a long time until he finally arrived in heaven. The bull went directly to the king's palace, where he was greeted warmly. "Masang Yharu Khadra," said the king. "It's lucky for us that you have come. We, the gods of heaven, have been battling the devils. We have no fear of the devils we .fight. Tomorrow, come to the battlefield and see what happens. In the morning the white yaks, the gods, drive away all the black yaks to the far side of the .field. In the afternoon, the black yaks, the devils, drive the white yaks back to the other side of the field. In the middle of the black yaks is one very big black yak with a beam of light shining from his forehead. He is the

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king of the devils. You must aim carefully at the devil's bright spot with your bow and arrow. Be sure to hit this target. If you can do this, the gods will win and all disease and suffering in the world will end." The next day, accompanied by many gods and goddesses, the bull went to the battlefield. In the middle of all the black yaks he saw the bright light shining from between the eyes of one huge black yak. The bull drew his arrow, aimed carefully and shot the devil king. Suddenly, a great roar rose from the herd as the frightened black yaks, the devil's soldiers, ran away. The bull returned to the palace to appear before the king of the gods. The king was extremely pleased to hear the good news. "You have our deepest gratitude. Today we have won. I must warn, you, though, that when you shot .the devil king, you seriously wounded him, but he didn't die. Returning to the human realm could be dangerous for you. You should stay here in heaven with us," said5the god king. "I will not stay. I must go back to earth to return a favor to my father," explained the bull. "I must also find my three greedy friends." To show his gratitude, the king gave the bull some precious jewels and five grains of barley. "Then as you go," said the king, "if the devil causes you any trouble, just toss these five barley seeds into the sky and I will defend you. When you arrive in the land of humans, pray to the precious jewels I have given you and they will grant your every desire." And so the bull started on his way back home. The bull hadn't travelled .very far before he took a wrong turn in the road and arrived at the gate of the devil king's home. Suddenly the devil king's wife was at the gate holding a ball of flaming iron. A blast of fire roared from her mouth. The bull quickly tossed the five

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barley grains into the sky. Seconds later a huge iron chain rattled down from the clouds. The bull grabbed the chain and began climbing as fast as he could, but the devil's wife rushed toward the chain and threw the fireball at the bull, almost searing his body in hal£ In a flash, the king of the gods unfurled his long braid of hair down from the sky and swept the bull away. Clasping tightly to the braid, the bull sailed high into the night sky, where he became the famous seven stars you can see every night.

At this point in the story, Daychodsangbo asked, ':After all that, the king ofthe devils, did he or didn't he die?" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen escaped again.

The Stone Lion Opens His Mouth

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aychodsangbo turned around and went directly back to the cemetery. By the time he got there, Ro Ngoedrup Chen was already resting comfortably in the treetop. Daychodsangbo took out the ax called Dawa Carpo and started to take a swing at the tree. Ro Ngoedrup Chen climbed down from the tree and slipped into the bag again. Daychodsangbo tied the bag shut, heaved it onto his back, and started the long trip back to the Master's cave. After a little while, Ro Ngoedrup stuck his head out of the bag and said, "Whey! My dear younger brother, this is a very lonely road. We haven't seen any other travellers. We must find a way to keep ourselves happy. " Daychodsangbo thought to himself, "You wicked old corpse, again and again you have tricked me. This time, I won't be fooled. " Of course, Daychodsangbo wouldn't let Ro Ngoedrup Chen know how he felt. After a few more steps, Ro Ngoedrup Chen said, "Okay, ifyou don't want to talk, I will tell a story. " At the bottom of a very big mountain lived a rich man and a poor man. Every day the poor man climbed the mountain to collect firewood that he would later trade for food and clothing. Every day he carried of a small bag of tsampa and a few bits of butter and cheese for his lunch. Staying up on the mountain for lunch saved time, and he could collect more firewood before coming home at the end of the day. 165

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Collecting firewood on the mountain alone was very peaceful. Usually the poor man worked all morning, collecting a full load of wood before noon, and then he would stop to have lunch, resting in the shade of a large stone lion statue. Every day, he put a few bits of cheese, butter, and tsampa on the base of the statue, saying, "My older brother, stone lion, please taste these little bits of food I have left here for you." Day after day, this is what the poor man did. One day, while he was eating his lunch and talking to the lion as usual, the lion finally spoke. "Thank you, my dear brother. You are full of compassion. You have little food to share, yet you always leave some here for me. Every day you show respect with this offering." At first the poor man was frightened. He didn't know lions could talk. But when he realized the lion meant no harm, he was no longer afraid. "My older brother," said the poor man. "You don't have anyone to look after you. I'm sorry I only have these little bits of food to offer. I should give you something more than this, but I am poor and have nothing else." "Oh, but you are a very honest man," said the lion. "Tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, come visit me and I will help you. Be sure to bring a big bag." The poor man picked up a few more branches before returning to his home at the bottom of the mountain. The next day, long before the sun began to rise, the poor man carried the same small bag of food he usually carried and went to the mountain to collect firewood. It was close to dawn by the time he reached the stone lion. "My brother, you have arrived," said the stone lion. It wasn't until the lion spoke that the poor man

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'Tomorrow morning, come before dawn, "said the lion.

remembered what he had been told the day before. "Oh, yes. I have arrived," answered the poor man. "When I open my mouth, reach down into my throat," instructed the lion. "Reach down until you find many pieces of gold. Fill the bag with as much gold as you can. But before the sun rises you must take your hand away. & the first rays of sun strike the mountaintop, I will snap my mouth shut. Be sure to remember this." "Lha so, lha so. Yes, yes," said the poor man. The lion opened his mouth and the poor man thrust his arm down the lion's throat. He reached down into the lion's throat again and again, bringing up many handfuls of golden nuggets. It wasn't long before his bag was full. "Oh, dear brother lion. Thank you, thank you so much!" said the poor man.

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"Have you filled your bag?" asked the lion. "If you had a bigger bag, you could have taken even more gold." "This is enough gold here for my whole life! Look!" said the poor man holding up his bag for the lion to see. "Isn't this enough?" By then the sun had begun to rise, so the poor man loaded his pile of firewood onto his back and started off down the mountain to his home. From that day on, the poor man never again climbed the mountain to collect firewood. There was nothing to worry about now that he had so much gold. His fields were covered with herds of horses, sheep, and yaks. He built himself a new home and had all the food and clothes he could ever want. The pasture is full of animals, the granary is full ofgrain, as the saying goes. So this is what had become of the poor man's life. The rich man who lived nearby was surprised to see his neighbor's life change so quickly. "Just a few days back that man was so poor, he didn't even own an old hairless donkey," he thought to himself "Now, suddenly he has this amazing home. How did this happen, I wonder-by stealing? Or did he rob someone? I must find out." So the rich man went to visit the poor man. At first, the rich man was flattering, pretending to be friendly, but soon he began to ask some very direct questions. How was such a poor man able to build such a big home? And how did he get all these wonderful things? Well, the poor man was a very honest man, so he told his neighbor the secret of his new wealth. The rich man sighed deeply and wondered to himself why he had never met that lion. The rich man sat dazed and drooling, listening to the poor man's tale. The more he heard, the greedier he became. He asked impatiently, "How did you meet this lion?

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Where does he live? How do you collect the firewood? The rich man continued asking questions like this until he was sure he could find. the stone lion by himself. Then he went home. That night the rich man couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about finding the stone lion. The next morning and for many mornings after that, just before dawn, the rich man put on a tattered sheepskin chuba and went up the mountain to collect firewood. Every day he sat beside the stone lion eating his lunch. Every day the rich man spoke sweetly to the lion, but after a few days of silence, the rich man began to worry. "Maybe the poor man lied to me. Or maybe the lion doesn't believe me." But he was eager to get the gold, so every day he returned to the same spot in the forest, ate his lunch and waited patiently for the stone lion to speak. One day, the lion finally spoke. "Oh, my brother, the wood collector! Out of respect you have come again and ·again to offer me food. I must thank you for this," said the lion. Overjoyed to hear the lion speak, the rich man quickly replied, "Ah tsey! Ah tsey! Yes, yes! Thank you, thank you! Now as you know, my home is very poor. .. " "Don't be in such a hurry," said the lion. "Tomorrow morning come before dawn and bring a bag. I will help you. " The next morning, carrying a huge leather bag, the rich man went to visit the stone lion. Just as before, the lion opened his mouth, and the rich man stuck his hand down into the lion's throat and brought up a fistful of gold. "Don't forget to take your hand out of my mouth before the sun rises," reminded the lion between handfuls. The rich man's head bobbed up and down, agreeing, as he grabbed handful after handful of gold from the lion's mouth and stuffed it into his big

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leather bag. The rich man continued to dig like this for a long time. Finally the lion said, "Now, is that enough? It's getting close to dawn." "Lha so, lha so. Yes, yes! A few more handfuls? Yes? My bag still isn't full," said the rich man as he dug for more and more gold. The leather bag was huge and still wasn't full even after a few more handfuls. "Enough? The sun is starting to rise," warned the lion. "Lha, lha, sure, sure. Just a few more handfuls and my bag will be filled to the top. Okay?" said the rich man as he shoveled a few more fistfuls of gold into his bag. The rich man's arm had just reached the bottom of the lion's throat again when the sun's first rays streaked across the morning sky, lighting the peak of the eastern mountain. Thak!The lion clamped his mouth shut. "My hand, my hand! Oh, my poor hand is stuck!" cried the rich man. When the story arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo couldn't help but sa)4 "Oh, that rich man got what he deserved!" Pha laa ... Ro Ngoedrup Chen again flew away.

A Debt of Gratitude

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gain, Ro Ngoedrup Chen had flown all the way back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. Daychodsangbo didn't care how tired he was. He returned to the cemetery, quickly lugged Ro Ngoedrup Chen up onto his back and started for the Master's cave. This time, Daychodsangbo swore not to let one word slip from his mouth. He hadn't been thinking about this for long before Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell another story. Once upon a time in a very remote village lived a kind-hearted tenant farmer. His landlord's greed grew like a raging fire as he increased the taxes again and again. By the end of the year, some poor farmers had nothing to call their own. Only their shadows followed them, and only their footprints were left behind. Having nothing to use to pay his taxes, the kindhearted farmer was forced to leave his home and sell the few items he still owned as quickly as he could, for a very low price. In exchange for what little he had, he received one donkey and two long pieces of woolen cloth. He would have to search for his food. As the saying goes, One's homeland and mother: so difficult to abandon. There was nothing else for the poor farmer to do but to drive his donkey up and over the mountains, through many valleys, travelling further and further from his home.

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One day, while walking on the road, the poor farmer met a group of children who had captured a mouse. The children had tied a small rope around its neck and were dragging it along, dipping it in and out of the river. He heard the children say, "Let's skin this mouse alive!" The farmer saw the mouse shivering with fear. His sadness and compassion for the mouse grew as he remembered how badly he had been treated by his landlord. "Whey! Children!" he called out. "Why do you want to treat that mouse so badly, making him suffer so? Please let him go." "The mouse wants to be captured," the children replied, continuing their game. "Can I give you my woolen cloth in exchange for the mouse?" he asked. This pleased the children, and they took the woolen cloth and gave him the mouse, which he set free right away. Later, as the farmer went along, he found a group of children who had captured a baby monkey. The children wanted the baby monkey to jump and dance for them, but the little monkey didn't know how to play. The children whipped the little monkey until it cried out in pain. Seeing this reminded the farmer of when he once saw the landlord whip a servant, and his compassion for the baby monkey grew. He gave the other piece of woolen cloth in exchange for the baby monkey and then set the monkey free. The farmer hadn't travelled much further down the ·road when he arrived on the edge of a village. There he saw a group of hunters who had captured a bear cub. The hunters were hitting the bear with sticks, trying to teach him some tricks. This made the poor farmer recall suffering helplessly under the power of his greedy landlord's demands. "Can I give you my donkey in exchange for that

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young bear?" he asked the hunters. The hunters were pleased with the offer and handed the bear cub to the farmer, taking the donkey. The farmer immediately released the baby bear into the forest. This is how the farmer became a beggar, travelling alone with only his shadow as his friend, sleeping alone with only his knees to keep him warm. Later that day, as the sun had begun to set, the farmer, tired and hungry, happened to be passing the front gate of a very rich man's home. At that moment, he saw the housekeeper running from the house, with a bundle of what was surely stolen silk tucked under his arm. At the same time, the farmer saw the rich man's wife walking toward the gate from the other direction. Suddenly, the housekeeper saw her too, and immediately dropped the bundle of silk. Pointing at the farmer, the housekeeper yelled, "This man stole this silk from the mansion!" The servants all rushed to help the housekeeper capture the farmer, while one of them ran off to tell the rich man. "Nothing like this has ever happened here before. This thief is a very bad person!" announced the rich man. "Tie him up in a leather bag and throw him in the river!" And that is exactly what the servants did. The poor farmer was swept down the river until the leather bag became lodged against a tree branch. The farmer thought to himself, very sadly, "Well, if I haven't died by drowning by now, I am sure to die by suffocating or starving." This is just what he was worrying about when a mouse came along the riverbank searching for food. Thinking something tasty might be inside, the mouse bit a hole in the leather bag~ Fortunately for the farmer, the mouse made a hole just where the farmer's eye was, so when the farmer looked out, he saw the mouse peering in. The mouse recognized

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The bear, the monkey, and the mouse watch over their friend, the farmer. him immediately: the man who had saved his life! The mouse ran along the edge of the river crying, "Tsee, Tsee." The bear and the monkey rushed to see what the mouse had found. In fact, ever since the bear, the monkey, and the mouse had been set free by the farmer, they had stayed together as the best of friends. They even had tried to find the farmer who had been so kind to them. The three friends quickly tore open the leather bag and set the farmer free. They helped the farmer out of the soggy bag and gently laid him down on a piece of wood to rest. After that, the three friends went off to gather some fruit for the farmer. Returning with a fine selection of sweet fruits, they decided to stay with him for a while to make sure he was comfortable. Later that evening, the bear thought he saw something shining brightly in the middle of the field

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where they rested. The monkey went to see what it was and was very surprised to discover jewels as big as chicken's eggs. He collected the jewels and rushed back to offer them to the farmer. The farmer was so happy he could barely believe his eyes. The farmer made a wish on the jewels and suddenly a huge castle appeared before them. Behind the castle was a pp.sture filled with horses. All around the castle grew all sorts of trees, some already covered with fruit. Inside the castle was a grand hall especially made for dancing and singing. The rooms were filled with everything the farmer could ever want. In great comfort and happiness, the four of them stayed in the luxurious castle. One day a man arrived at the castle gate. The farmer recognized this man as Ralpa Chen, a trader from his old village. "It's really good that this poor wandering farmer is no longer a beggar, isn't it?" thought the trader to himself. "He even has a castle now. It's unbelievable how rich he has become!" Again and again the trader asked the farmer how this had come about. Finally the farmer explained everything that had happened to him. As Ralpa Chen listened to the story, his greed and ambition grew. "Whey! My friend. You have become so wealthy. Aren't you rich enough now? Can't you see how much I have suffered? If you would lend me the precious jewels, I could also become rich like you. Wouldn't that be good?" he asked. The farmer was a compassionate man. If others asked him for something, he couldn't refuse. So he handed the precious jewels to Ralpa Chen, who took them back to his home. It was late at night when Ralpa Chen arrived home, but he quickly prayed to the jewels, "Make me rich!" So the precious jewels took away everything they

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had given to the farmer and instantly made all the riches appear inside the trader's home. Earlier that night, the farmer had fallen asleep in his fluffy feathered bed. But the next morning when he woke, his body was as stiff as if he had slept all night on a wooden plank. He sat up, looked around, and was shocked to see the amazing castle and all the wonderful things in it had completely disappeared. When the bear, the monkey, and the mouse woke and saw what had happened, they asked the farmer, "What's wrong? How did you become a beggar like this again?" The farmer told them exactly what had happened. "That Ralpa Chen is not an honest man!" cried the mouse. "If I give you water when you ask for tea, is that not wrong? His words are like milk, but his mind inside is sharp like a thorn. How can he be like this? We must get ba,ck the precious jewels." Together the three friends went off to find the trader. Meanwhile, the precious jewels had made Ralpa Chen both rich and powerful. A very tall stone wall surrounded his huge castle. As they stood outside the front gate, the three friends couldn't see where Ralpa Chen was staying. It seemed impossible for anyone to get inside, but the little mouse was able to sneak through a very small hole in the courtyard wall. The mouse found Ralpa Chen sleeping in a splendid bedroom with silk-covered walls. Searching further, the mouse found the precious jewels in the granary, in a bag hanging from the top of a prayer flag on a pole stuck in the middle of a pile of grain. But the mouse also saw a cat tied close to the flagpole, so he returned to his three friends to explain everything he had seen. "There is nothing to do," said the bear. "Let's go back."

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"I have an idea," said the monkey. "Tonight, mouse, go to Ralpa Chen's bedroom while he is sleeping and cut his long braid of hair. Then we can get the precious jewels." The mouse returned to the castle. As Ralpa Chen lay sound asleep, the mouse bit off the braid. The next morning, as soon as he woke, Ralpa Chen saw his hair lying on the floor by his bed, all coiled up like a snake. Ralpa Chen was sure this was a bad omen. "Oh my! By my father's dead body! Last night someone cut my braid. If I'm not careful, maybe the next time something worse will happen. Tonight I'm going to tie the cat close to me," he said and he tied the cat close to his pillow in the bedroom. The next night, the bear and the monkey stood near the castle gate, and again the mouse sneaked inside. Although he didn't see the cat, it was still impossible to get the jewels because he was not strong enough to climb to the top of the tall pole. He returned to his two friends and explained everything that happened. "There is nothing we can do," said the bear. "Let's go back," "I have an idea," said the monkey. "Mouse, you must go and dig a hole in the pile of grain and the pole will fall over." The mouse returned to the granary and did everything the monkey had told him to do. The prayer flag fell and the jewels rolled toward him. But no matter how hard he tried, he was too small to carry them. Once again, he returned to his friends frustrated and explained what happened. "We have tried everythiqg," said the bear. "It's better to go back now." "I have an idea," said the monkey. "Mouse, tie a string to your tail. Get inside the granary, grab the

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jewels tightly with your hands and feet, and don't move. I will pull you back with the string." And that is how they got back the precious jewels. On their way back to the farmer, the mouse slept in the bear's ear and the monkey rode on the bear's back, holding the jewels in his mouth and hands. It wasn't long before they came to the edge of a very deep and wide river. Standing on the riverbank, the bear proudly thought to himself, "I am carrying the monkey and the mouse and all the precious jewels, so I must be really powerful." "Aren't I powerful?" the bear asked his two friends, hoping they would agree. The mouse was asleep and didn't answer. Fearing the precious jewels would drop from his mouth, the monkey didn't answer either. The bear became angry and growled, "If neither of you will even answer me, I will toss you into the river!" The monkey cried out, "Don't throw us in the water!" And the precious jewels dropped plop! into the river. The monkey scolded the bear when they reached the other side of the river, but the bear replied by saying what he had said before: "There is nothing to do. Let's just go back to the farmer." "We must try to do something," said the mouse. Running up and down the riverbank, he called to his friends, "Tsee, Tsee." One by one, his friends from the forest and river quickly appeared. "Mouse, why do you summon us like this? What is wrong?" said the friends. "Haven't you heard? There is an army coming that cannot be stopped by anything on land or by water!" said the mouse. "Then what can we do?" asked the friends from the nver. "There is nothing to do but build a strong fort made

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of stones, right here by the river," the mouse explained. So they all gathered many stones and the mouse began building a wall for a fort. The wall wasn't very tall before a big frog rolled the jewels out of the water. "I have never tried to roll stones heavier than these," said the frog, huffing and puffing as he handed them to the monkey. "That mouse is a very smart mouse," whispered the monkey to the bear. The monkey popped the precious jewels into his mouth and climbed up onto the bear's back. With the mouse comfortably asleep in the bear's ear, they were quickly on their way again. By the time they reached the farmer, he was almost starving to death. They gendy placed the jewels in his hands. "My three friends," said the farmer weakly. ''I'm so grateful to you. Thank you." And then he made another wish on the precious jewels. Suddenly, right before their eyes, there appeared a casde much greater than a king's palace. Many fruit trees circled the casde, and birds of all sizes sang sweedy from their branches. The rooms inside the amazing casde were filled with everything they could ever want. The crops were always in season, and the word "winter" need never be used there again. The farmer made one more wish on the precious jewels. "I have everything I could ever want except a wife-so please, give me 'a good wife," he prayed. Almost before he had finished his prayer, from out of the sky carne a goddess, so mesmerizingly beautiful it was hard to look away from her even for a moment.

At this point in the story, Daychodsangbo said, "Oh, do people and animals know how to show gratitude for a kind deed?" Pha laa... was the only sound heard as Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery.

The Three Evil Brothers

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aychodsangbo grumbled, angrily marching back to the cemetery once again to get Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Shortly after they started on· their way, Ro Ngoedrup Chen said, "My dear young brother. Don't be angry with me. It is said, Even ugly shoes can keep your feet warm. We have a long way to go. Wouldn't a little friendly conversation be helpful? A story will cheer us up. " And this is the story he told. Long ago in the land of Tibet lived three evil brothers, but although they had plenty of land, herds of animals, and fine homes, none of them had found a wife. They had heard of a beautiful, hard-working young woman who lived on the other side of the mountain. It was time for them to arrange a marriage for themselves, so they climbed over the mountain and went looking for her. It wasn't long before they found the home of the hard-working young woman. Standing outside, they called out to her mother in one voice: On the other side of the high mountain, Near the edge of the wide, open plains, Is the land of the three powerful brothers. Only the gods in heaven can compete with our magic. Countless treasures fill our storehouses, Horses, sheep, and yaks cover the mountains and valleys. 181

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It's hard even to see where our farmland ends. Our piles ofgrain are mountains high. Send your daughter to us to be our wife, And she will live as happily as in a king's palace! The prayers of our past lives have brought us here. The old mother replied: This beautiful young woman is my only daughter. Her beauty rivals that of a goddess. This most beautiful young woman is my only daughter, Her nature is as smooth as silk. Even if you offer buckets of gold, Don't think I would exchange her for that. Even if you give the fastest horse, Don't think I would sell her for that. A woman of my age relies on her daughter. Without any sons or grandsons, She must take care of our home. This daughter is very wise, So how can I send her to you? A peacock with its elegant, colorful fanHow can it be sent away? That you three have come to arrange a marnage, My family is deeply honored. So, if you can tell me my daughter's name, We will know this marriage is meant to be.

The three evil brothers usually had an answer for

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any question, but they couldn't guess the young woman's name. They glanced back and forth at each other, but no one said a word. No one knew her name. There was nothing else for them to do, so they turned around and went home. Along the way, they met a rabbit. "Where are you going?" they asked the rabbit. "I am looking for some fruit," answered the rabbit. "You don't need to bother doing that. If you can help us with something, we will give you all the fruit you could ever want," said the three brothers. "Tell me, what do you need? What can I do for you?" said the rabbit eagerly. ''A beautiful young woman lives in a house up over there," they said, pointing to the mountain behind them. "When you hear what she is called, come back to our house, just up this road, and tell us." "Oh, this is easy," said the rabbit and off he went, hopping toward the mountain. The rabbit found the home of the beautiful young woman right away. While he was hiding outside the house below the window, he heard the mother call out. "Lhasa Flower, Lhasa Flower! It looks like it is going to rain. Go take care of the cheese that is drying on the roof." ''Aha, her name is Lhasa Flower!" said the rabbit to himsel£ The rabbit chanted the young woman's name over and over again as he hopped back over the mountain to the brothers' home. Along the way, he grew tired and stopped to rest in the shade of a tree on the side of the road. Bop! A kurura fruit bounced off his head and rolled onto the ground in front of him. Surprised and afraid, not knowing what had hit him, the rabbit leaped to his feet and started to rush off. But when he looked back, he

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saw that it was just a piece of kurura that had fallen on his head. The rabbit was tempted to stay and munch on the fruit for a while, but at the same time he worried that he should return to the brothers' home as soon as possible. Leaving the fruit tree behind, he started on the road again, but by the time he got to the other side of the mountain,, he'd forgotten part of the woman's name. "Flower" was the only part he could recall. A moment later, he thought, "Oh, yes! Now I remember. The young woman's name is Kuru Flower," and he chanted "Kuru Flower, Kuru Flower, Kuru Flower," the rest of the way to the brothers' home. As soon as he arrived, the rabbit announced proudly, "The beautiful young woman who lives on the other side of the mountain? Her name is Kuru Flower." The three evil brothers travelled again over the mountain, hoping to marry the beautiful young woman. When they arrived at her home, they called out to the mother together in song: If the field is plowed, stones rise to the surface. After the water dries, sand rises to the surface. The name of your daughter Is known to us, the three powerful brothers. Give your daughter to us and The sunshine of happiness will brighten your home.

And the mother replied: Some say that it is Mount Kailash itself that shines so bright But it is only the sun shining on the

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many crystals that cover the mountain, If you know the name of my daughter, Oh, tell me now.

"Your daughter's name 1s Kuru Flower!" announced the three brothers. "No, it's not. No, no!" said the mother. "That is not what we call her. You don't know anything. Go away!" With nothing else to do, the three brothers turned back toward their home. Along the way, they met a hungry fox. "Oh, dear sister fox. Please, can you help us?" asked the brothers. "In our home is as much meat as you could ever want." "What must I do to help you?" replied the fox. "Go up there over the mountain and you will see the home of a beautiful young woman. Find out her name and come back right away to tell us. If you can do this, we will give you your big reward." The fox went to the other side of the mountain and found the young woman's home easily. Carefully hidden behind the door, the fox heard the mother call to her daughter. "Lhasa Flower! It is getting dark outside. It's time to feed the dree some grass." "Lhasa Flower, Lhasa Flower, Lhasa Flower," chanted the fox to herself, happily making her way back to the home of the three brothers. On her way, she saw a very big fish swimming in the middle of a small stream beside the road. Thinking the fish would make a tasty lunch, she wanted to stop, but didn't want to be late getting back to the three brothers. Mter she had thought about this and continued on, she realized she had already forgotten half of the young woman's name. "Lhasa... something? Lhasa what?" Again and again she tried to think of the name, but she just

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couldn't remember. Finally, she thought, "Lhasa Fish! Yes, that is her name. Lhasa Fish, Lhasa Fish, Lhasa Fish," she chanted the rest of the way over the mountain. "Lhasa Fish is the name of the beautiful young woman," announced the fox when she reached the brothers' home. And once again the three evil brothers crossed over the mountain to arrange a marriage. Arriving in front of the young woman's home, in one voice they proclaimed: Having travelled the same road many times, One comes to know it well. We know how many stars shine in the sky And now we know the name of your daughter. Soon, she will be our bride.

And the mother said: Clouds can fill the sky, but it doesn't rain. Grain does not sprout from a stone. Many words have come from your mouths, Tell me now, what is the name of my daughter?

"The name of your daughter is Lhasa Fish!" said the three brothers in unison. "Oh, no, no, no! My daughter is not called Lhasa Fish," said the mother, turning and going quickly back into her house. There was nothing left for the brothers to do but to go home. Along the way, they met a crow. "Dear brother crow!" they called. "Fly up over that mountain and find the home of a beautiful woman.

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If you can learn her name and tell us quickly, we will give you a big reward." The crow agreed to help the brothers and immediately flew to the other side of the mountain. The crow landed on a prayer-flag pole just outside the young woman's home and then waited, listening for her name. "Lhasa Flower!" called the mother. "It's getting dark, so put away your weaving, blow out the lantern, and come inside. It's time to say our prayers to Goddess Drolma before we go to sleep." "Oh, Lhasa Flower is her name," said the crow to himself. "The flower that grows in Lhasa, that's how I'll remember it." "Lhasa Flower, Lhasa Flower, Lhasa Flower," chanted the crow as he flew back to the home of the three evil brothers. "The name of that beautiful young woman is Lhasa Flower!" announced the crow when he arrived at the brothers' home. The brothers thought to themselves, "The rabbit told us her name was 'Kuru Flower.' The fox told us she was called 'Lhasa Fish.' Since both of these names were wrong, the name 'Lhasa Flower' must be right.'' Once again, the brothers went to the young woman's home to arrange a marriage. The young woman's mother had already promised that if they knew her daughter's name, she would become their wife, and once a promise has been spoken, it can't be taken back, just as you can't retrieve an arrow that has already been shot. This time, when the brothers arrived, they called out the young woman's name confidently: "Lhasa Flower." The mother kept her promise and arranged a lovely wedding. To celebrate the marriage, she gave her daughter a wonderful white horse.

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Life for Lhasa Flower, however, was very difficult in the brothers' home. Even though she worked hard day and night, the brothers often scolded her and sometimes even beat her. You can't imagine the kind of suffering this young woman experienced every day, working like a slave in her new home. One day, as they were about to leave, the three brothers said to her, "While we are gone, stay inside. You don't need to go outside-your work is here inside the home. But you must remember one thing: Don't ever open the small door in the back of the house." They left without saying anything more. As soon as the brothers were gone, the young woman became so frightened she hardly dared to move. Bur she was curious about the door at the back of the house. She walked slowly over to the door, opened it just a crack and looked in. Oh my! Piles of human bones lay everywhere. Sitting on top of a: pile of bones was the skeleton of an old woman, the bones still covered by a thin layer of wrinkled skin. "Oh, beautiful young woman!" cried the old woman. "You must flee from here at once. You are in great danger. The three evil brothers are going to eat you when they return. Cover your body with my skin and then you must escape." The young woman took the old woman's skin. Quickly wrapping it around her body, she ran to the white horse her mother had given her. She jumped on the horse and rode off just as the brothers returned home. The white horse led the young woman to a house in a valley nearby. Disguised as an old woman, she collected firewood and fetched water for the family who lived there in exchange for her meals. Every morning she enjoyed a peaceful walk down to the river's edge. She woUld remove the old woman's skin,

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sit and comb her hair, and wistfully gaze across the river into the distance. The young woman was still as beautiful as she had always been. If she saw someone approaching, she would wrap the skin around her, quickly turning back into the old woman. No one could recognize her with this disguise. She no longer had to fear that the three evil brothers would find her and take her back to the horrible life she had escaped. One day, early in the morning, the king's groom happened to be walking along the river when he saw a stunning young woman combing her hair. He rushed back to the palace to tell the king. "Today, down by the river, I saw the most beautiful young woman," reported the groom to the king. "Her beauty is of the rarest kind. You won't be able to take your eyes off her." The groom led the king down the path to the river. But when they arrived, they saw only a very old woman. The king ordered the groom beaten for telling such lies. "How did that young woman, whom I saw so clearly, turn into an old woman?" wondered the groom. The beating he received didn't change his mind about what he had seen. Early the very next morning, the groom crept along the path near the river and waited, watching for the beautiful young woman. It wasn't long before the old woman arrived beside the river. After a while, she took off her disguise, sat on a rock and started to comb her hair. She was gazing into the distance when the groom dashed over, grabbed the old woman's skin and tossed it into the middle of the river. Taking the young woman by the hand, he led her back to the palace and offered her to the king. The next day she was made the queen.

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The new queen had been living in the palace for a little less than a year when the king learned he must go far away for a yearlong retreat. At the same time, the queen was about to give birth to their first child. The king was reluctant to leave his wife, but he knew he must go and pray to the gods who would protect his family and kingdom through the coming years. The king said goodbye to his wife very reluctantly. A few days after he left, she gave birth to a lovely, healthy son. The queen asked the groom to deliver a letter to her husband telling him the good news. The groom started off on his way. He soon came to a bridge where he saw three men resting and drinking chang. This groom was the kind of man who would give his life for a drink, so he joined the three men and began drinking. Those who drink a lot, talk a lot, or so the saying goes. After drinking a few bowls of chang, the groom chatted on about how his king got a new queen and how this queen had worn the skin of an old woman. On and on he went, chatting about everything he had seen. Of course, don't think that those three men sitting together drinking were anyone other than the three evil brothers. Mter listening to the groom, they knew where their wife had gone, and they were furious. As soon as the groom had fallen asleep, the three evil brothers dug into his bag looking for clues as to where they could find their wife. Taking a letter from the bag, they opened it and read, "Your lineage continues with the birth of your son. Please return. We are waiting for you." The three evil brothers decided to change the letter to read: ''An evil baby with a hull's head and a human body has been born. According to you, what should be done?"

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The groom woke with a start, grabbed his bag, and ran off along the road leading to the king's hut. Arriving at the hut, the groom handed the letter to the king. The king opened it and read, ''An evil baby with a hull's head and a human body has been born. According to you, what should be done?" The king's heart was filled with sadness. "How can this be true?" he wondered. But, being a kind and gentle man, he wrote in a letter to his wife, saying, "Don't worry. Wait for me, I will come." On the way back to the palace, the groom met the same three men at the bridge-although he didn't know that they had been waiting for him. That drunkard the groom sat down without saying a word and began drinking one bowl of chang after another, as fast as he could. The groom got so drunk he quickly fell asleep. The three evil brothers reached into the grooms' bag, took out the letter, and changed it to read: "You stupid woman, throw that evil baby away and remove yourself from my palace!" After a short nap, the groom woke completely refreshed, picked up his bag, and started on his way back to the palace. The queen, reading the king's letter, felt a great sorrow grow in her heart. "Why does the king_ hate me so?" she wondered. There was nothing else for her to do. She gathered the baby in her arms and left the palace riding her white horse. When they arrived at a very remote and lonely place on the road, the horse began to speak. "My dear queen. You must kill me. Take my hide and spread it out on the ground. Place my hooves in the four corners of the hide. Pile my bones in the middle. Scatter the hair from my mane in every direction. Take my heart, lungs, liver, and eyes and put them to one side. It is to your benefit to do as I say."

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The queen felt that no matter what would happen to her, she wouldn't dare kill her wonderful horse. But just at that moment the horse, by himself, fell to the ground dead. So the queen did everything the horse had told her to do. She went to sleep close by, her child in her arms. In the morning the queen woke, surprised to see that next to her in the empty grassland was a huge castle. Lovely clusters of trees grew all around the castle. In each corner of the castle stood four large towers, and in the middle was a courtyard filled with flowers. Just beside the castle was a spring of clear, cold running water. Even more wonderful than all that was a treasure house filled with a countless number of riches and jewels. This is how the queen came to live in a very splendid home with her baby. Meanwhile, the king was on his way back to his palace when he arrived at a spot on the road that seemed quite strange to him. Where before there had been a wide, empty valley, there was now an incredible castle in the middle of a thick forest. "What is this?" he thought to himself as he passed cautiously through the castle's front gate. And there inside the castle, sitting with the baby in her lap, was the queen. Feelings of great sadness and joy rose as the king and queen greeted each other. Comparing stories of their recent past, they discovered how the three evil brothers had changed their letters and caused such suffering for them both. So there, in that magnificent castle, the king and the queen and their son happily passed their days together. Several years had gone by, but the three evil brothers had never lost their desire to cause trouble for their young bride from long ago. Disguised as three merchants, they called on the king and queen in their new home. The

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merchants stood at the castle gate, offering loads of fine silk for sale, but with one glance, the queen recognized the youngest as one of the evil brothers by a special mark on his ear. The queen whispered to her husband who these merchants really were. The king called his servants and told them to go to the great hall of the castle and dig a very large, long, and deep hole, as fast as they could. Then he ordered the servants to cover the pole completely with many carpets. Once this was done, the king and queen graciously led the merchants to the great hall and invited them to sit on the fine carpets. As soon as they sat down, all three of them fell into that big, deep hole, and the servants rushed to fill the hole with din. And on top of the hole, they built a statue of the Buddha. Daychodsangbo had been listening to the story when he suddenly burst out, "Was that groom ever punished? Oh, people like that who give their lives for a drink of chang-how terrible!" Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away to the graves.

The Honest Horse Keeper

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gain Daychodsangbo returned to the cemetery, put Ro Ngoedrup Chen in the bag, heaved it onto his back, and began another journey back to the Master's cave. "Whey, my dear friend," said Ro Ngoedrup Chen, 'This time I will tell a story. Pay attention!" And this is the story he told.

A long, long time ago there were two large tribes in Tibet. One, the upper tribe, was located at the base of the mountain and the other, the lower tribe, was closer to the river in the valley. Each tribe owned the same amount of land and the same number of homes in their villages. Their herds were equal in size and their men had similar skills and powers. The tribes were exactly the same in every way. For many centuries, generation after generation, just as the juniper grows quietly on the rocks, all had been peaceful between the two tribes. One day, the chief of the upper tribe became restless. He began to wonder how he could get all the riches belonging to the lower tribe. Every day this greedy idea was on his mind, following him around like his own shadow. His thoughts about. the lower tribe grew like rough grass on the dark side of the valley. Sometimes, when he was bored, the chief of the upper tribe would go visit the other tribe. All night long he would drink chang, chatting, yelling, and talking a lot of nonsense. 195

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One night the upper tribe's chief got very drunk with the chief of the lower tribe. The upper tribe's chief was acting like a zombie, barely able to sit up straight, boasting about just how rich he was, when he decided to ask the chief a question. "Tell me, just how many yaks and horses does your tribe have? Talking together like this helps us get to know each other better. Isn't that right?" The chief of the lower tribe, his face flushed from too much drink and pride, eagerly told the other, "Our tribe doesn't have any more animals than yours. We do have something very special, though. In my tribe there is a horse that was a gift from the gods, a brown horse with clear, round eyes like a garuda. This fine horse is the grandson of the serpent king. He gallops with the force of a raging river and can run faster than an arrow shot by the strongest archer. The young man who takes care of this amazing horse is very honest. He has never told a lie. We are also very proud of this horse keeper." "Ah ho! That you have an amazing horse, maybe this is true," said the upper tribe's chief, "but who would believe your horse keeper always tells the truth?" The lower tribe's chief gave many examples of the boy's honesty, but the two chiefs continued to argue back and forth for some time. Finally, since neither of them could prove or disprove the boy's honesty, the upper tribe's chief announced, "Let's do this: Let's make a bet and put it in writing. We will give the horse keeper a test. If the horse keeper tells the truth, I will give you half my territory and my animals. If the young man tells even one part of a lie, you will give me half of all your territory and animals. What do you think?" The chiefs agreed that this test would settle their argument once and for all. So the members of the tribal councils gathered around to sign the agreement.

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The horse keeper lived on the grassland at the edge of the valley and cared for all the horses and yaks. Every day, he made sure the special brown horse with the garuda eyes had enough water to drink and grass to eat. One day, just as the sun was setting, a beautiful woman appeared among the herd of horses. She told the horse keeper she had taken the wrong road and needed a place to stay for the night. The horse keeper agreed to let her stay-but even after three or four nights, she never again mentioned where she was going. Just after she arrived, she helped the horse keeper put up a big yak-hair tent. Every morning after that, she helped lead the horses to the grassland in the morning and at night she helped him tie the animals close to the tent. In the afternoons she cooked the daily meal. The horse keeper had never had a life as good as this, so he didn't complain about the woman staying with him in the grassland. From that time on a great happiness filled their yak-hair tent. Many days passed very comfortably, until one day the horse keeper returned to the tent to find the woman writhing and groaning in pain. Her body was covered with sweat. Frightened, he asked the woman again and again what kind of medicine he could get for her. She didn't reply at first, but then she finally spoke. "There is something that can you can do to help me, but it's something I know you wouldn't dare do," said the woman. "If there is anything I can do, I'll do it. Even if it means I must cut the flesh of my own body," pleaded the horse keeper. ''All right, I'll tell you. There is a brown horse with big round eyes like a garuda who is the grandson of the serpent king. The only way I can be cured is if I eat the horse's heart and liver. Without this, I will die," cried the woman.

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The horse keeper didn't know what to do. "The brown horse with the garuda eyes is the pride of our tribe," he thought to himself. "Not only that, in this whole world it is very rare to find such a horse as this. How can I kill it?" But when the horse keeper looked over at the woman, he could see with his own eyes that she was surely going to die. His mind boiled over with worry. That night the horse keeper couldn't sleep. Putting on his sheepskin chuba, he went outside to be near the horse with the garuda eyes. Tears rolled down his face as he stood, gently stroking the horse's long neck. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "My dear keeper, don't be sad. Kill me and save the woman. I heard everything that she said. Don't mourn for me. Tomorrow you can take me to the herd of mares and let me sow the seeds of a new generation. After I have done this, kill me and give my heart and liver to the woman. As soon as she has them, her illness will be cured." Even though the horse had spoken to him clearly in human language, he couldn't help but think that this was all very strange. The horse keeper grew even more afraid and just stood there, not daring to do anything. But the horse pawed at the ground anxiously, encouraging the young man to do as he was told. So he decided to follow the horse's advice. The very next morning, the horse keeper led the horse with the garuda eyes to a herd of mares to make a new generation of horses as fine as he was. Afterward, the horse keeper killed the horse and returned to his tent, where the woman lay, still writhing in pain. The moment she took the heart and liver from the horse keeper, her illness disappeared. The following morning, the horse keeper left to care for the horses on the grassland. Once he was gone, the woman stole away and never returned. Actually,

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the woman had never been confused about which road to take: She had been sent to test the honesty of the horse keeper by her husband, the chief of the upper tribe. Now that she had the heart and liver from the most wonderful horse, she was eager to show them to her husband. Moments after his wife arrived home with the precious" possessions, the chief rushed down to tell the lower tribe's chie£ "Oh! Your horse keeper has killed the wonderful horse with the garuda eyes. You must summon him so we can see if he tells the truth about what he has done," said the upper tribe's chie£ When the lower tribe's chief saw the heart and the liver from the horse with the garuda eyes, he knew there was nothing for him to do but send a messenger to call the horse keeper to the village immediately. The horse keeper received the message from his chief within hours and was sure that this summons must be about what had happened to the horse. He knew he had committed a serious crime, for which he felt great remorse and sadness, and that now it was time for him to be punished. He knew he must unburden himself of this terrible secret. Having decided what to do, each step toward the chief's tent became lighter and lighter. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the chie£ Many members of both tribes had already gathered in and around the tent. The chief of the upper tribe stood smiling and proud, sure that he would win the bet. "Whey! Horse keeper! You have come. Welcome," said the chief of the lower tribe. "How has it been lately, taking care of the wonderful horse with the garuda eyes?" The horse keeper slowly sank to his knees and crawled closer to his chie£ With his head hanging low, he began to speak. "My dear chief, you ask about the

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wonderful horse with the garuda eyes? I killed that horse to cure a woman's terrible illness. What I did is terrible. Unforgivable. Please give me my punishment." A gentle smile slowly spread across the face of the chieffrom the lower tribe. Turning toward the crowd he said, "Now, look. I told you this horse keeper is a person who never tells lies. Isn't this true?" There is a saying in this world, If you hold bad thoughts of others, it's sure something bad will return to you. This is exactly what happened to the chief of the upper tribe. The next day, he handed over half his territory and animals to the chief of the lower tribe. The story had just arrived at this point when Daychodsangbo asked, "How many mares received the seed from that wonderfUl horse with the garuda eyes?" Pha laa... Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew away, returning to the cemetery.

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aychodsangbo looked on as Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew from the bag into the sky. "Oh, I am so easily fooled. Those amazing stories tricked me again!" Full ofregret, he turned around and went back to the cemetery. This time Daychodsangbo swore he would remember the Master's advice and keep his mouth shut. Arriving at the cemetery, Daychodsangbo went directly to the foot of the mango tree and pretended to chop the tree with the ax called Dawa Carpo. There was nothing else for Ro Ngoedrup Chen to do but climb down from the treetop and crawl inside the bag called Tongshongthramo, the bag ofa thousand things. Daychodsangbo tied the bag tight and hoisted it onto his back. They hadn't gone far before Ro Ngoedrup Chen began to tell this story. In Tibet long ago lived a woman called Yobel Lhamo and her son, Lodree Gyaltsen. The mother and son spent their days interpreting dreams and making astrological predictions for the villagers. The villagers said that these two had a special kind of knowledge, and even the king respected their skills. Whenever the king felt concerned about something, he would ask the mother and son to come visit him. One day Lodree Gyaltsen was summoned to the palace to interpret the king's dream. The young man sat patiently before the king, carefully listening to all the details and symbols of his dream. The king wanted 201

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to know what the dream meant, but Lodree Gyaltsen couldn't say anything; he was too busy laughing. Again and again, the king asked about his dream, but the boy was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. The king was furious. "You, Lodree Gyaltsen," said the king, "must go to the land of the devil and bring me a lock of hair from the devil king's head. If you don't do this, I will chop off your head!" The young man went home and told his mother everything that the king had said. Of course, she was very upset. She knew her son could not go to the land of the devil king, for anyone who dared to go there would surely be eaten. But she also knew that ,her son had angered the king, and he would have to do as the king ordered. The next day, as the young man set off alone toward the land of the devil, his mother prostrated several times to him, bid him farewell, and prayed for his safe return. Several days later, the boy arrived at a village and asked an old woman he met for a place to stay. "My dear child, do not stay here. You shouldn't stay here. Leave quickly. You mustn't stay!" insisted the old woman. The boy wondered why she looked so worried and afraid. "Why shouldn't I stay here? Why are you so upset?" he asked. "You are not from this village, so you wouldn't know," explained the old woman. "Tonight we must sacrifice a child to the devil who comes to this village. The child's family will suffer greatly." "Dear old woman, don't be afraid. Tonight I will not let any harm come to this village. I have absolutely no fear of the devil," said the young man. That night the old woman let the boy stay in her

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The brave boy lands a blow to the beast!

home and fed him a wonderful meal. He ate and drank until he was completely satisfied. Then, the young man went outside to wait for the devil. Suddenly, out of a big gust of wind came a huge black creature with two eyes shining like flames in the dark. The boy threw a rock and struck the beast right on its forehead, popping out one of its eyes. Howling in pain, it disappeared into the darkness again. The next day, when the old woman heard of the boy's special power, she said to him, "Oh, my child, thank you so much! Are you a reincarnation of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion? Can you spend the rest of your life here in this village? If not, we invite you to stay for at least three months." "My dear old woman, thank you very much. But it is not possible for me to stay here forever or even for three months. I must find the devil king and cut off a

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lock of his hair. This is very important. So with your permission, I will stay for three nights only." And this is what he did. The old woman offered the young man many gifts, but he refused them all. Three days later, the boy prepared to leave, with the devil's eye in his pocket. The old woman said, "You are a very brave young man. I will pray for your success. When you pass our village on the way home, you may marry my daughter." The boy agreed to this arrangement and set off on his journey again. The young man travelled west for many more days until he arrived in another village and asked an old woman living there for a place to stay. This old woman also said, "Stay somewhere else. The devil comes to this village to eat people!" But the boy wasn't afraid of the devil. He told the old woman he could conquer the devil, but that he needed a place to stay for the night. Later that night, just as the old woman had warned, a fierce creature with clumps of hair sticking out of its head appeared out of the darkness. The boy drew his knife and, with one quick slice, cut off the beast's tail. A terrible scream rang out as the beast scurried off into the night. The next day the old woman was overjoyed to hear the boy had the power to conquer the devil. She too invited the boy to say with her for many days. The boy thanked her, but explained that he still had to travel further west to get a lock of the devil king's hair. The old woman promised that when he passed the village again, he could marry her only daughter, and he agreed. Early the next morning he set off, carrying the tail of the creature he had met the night before. After travelling many days and nights, the boy finally came to a hill where he could watch the devils come and go in the valley below. He wasn't able to see

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the devils' horns clearly in the distance, and he still didn't know where the devil king lived. So he sneaked down the hill to join a group of devil children playing in the field_ One of the devil children was especially big and cruel; he was hitting and kicking the others, making them cry. "This cruel one acts like the children's leader," the boy thought to himself as he watched from a hiding place with tears in his eyes. "Who is the father of that cruel child?" he asked one of the devil children_ "That one is the devil king's son, or so the others say," replied one devil child. The boy followed the big, cruel devil child carefully until they reached the devil king's palace. The boy hid himself in a dark corner of the kitchen before the devil king himself appeared at the kitchen door. "I smell the smell of a human. Where is this coming from? Why has a human entered my palace?" said the devil king in a thunderous voice. The devil king yelled so loudly that dust floated down from the shaking rafters as he ordered the one-eyed palace bird to search for the human hiding in the palace immediately. The bird flew into the kitchen and, just as he was about to find the boy, the boy quickly took out the eye he had been carrying and flung it at the bird. Of course, the bird became so frightened it flew away, never daring to return. After that, the king sent a tailless dog to look for the intruder. Just as the dog was about to discover the boy's hiding place, the boy threw the beast's tail at the dog. Barking madly, terrified at the sight of a tail flying through the air, the dog scurried off. Actually, that bird and dog were two of the most powerful members of the devil king's inner court. But recognizing the young man's powers, neither dared return to harm him.

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Later that night, when the devil king went to sleep, the young man slipped into the king's bedroom. In one quick leap, the young man grabbed the devil king's neck. Just as the boy raised his knife over the king's head, the devil king woke and cried out, begging for his life. The devil king promised that if the boy didn't kill him he could marry his daughter. Then the devil king pulled two strands of hair from his head and handed them to the boy. With the devil king's beautiful daughter by his side and the devil king's hair in his pocket, the boy started off toward home. The boy and his new wife arrived at the village where he had cut off the beast's tail. The old woman was very happy the boy had gotten the two strands of hair he'd sought. True to her promise, the boy married her only daughter. Then the boy and his two wives continued on their way. Next, they came to the village where the boy had hit the devil between the eyes. When the old woman was told the young man had the two strands of the devil king's hair, she too let him marry her only daughter. Then the boy, along with his three lovely wives, continued back to his home. After waiting many weeks, his mother saw her son coming down the path toward home. This sight made her happier than she had ever imagined she could be. She was especially pleased to see her son with his three lovely wives. "Our home is not large," explained the mother to the wives, "and the food and drink are nothing special, but I hope you will be comfortable here." Now, the three wives were not ordinary women. One was the devil king's daughter. Another was a goddess, and the third was the daughter of the serpent

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king. One word from any of them could make any dream come true. Within moments of their arrival, the small home became a magnificent castle filled with priceless treasures. The three wives, the mother, and her son looked forward to spending many happy days in the splendid castle. Early the next morning, the boy went to the palace to offer the king the two strands of the devil king's hair. "These two strands ·of hair are from the head of the devil king, you say? We must check to make sure this is true," said the king. "If these two strands of hair are really from the head of the devil, you should be able to wrap them end to end all around the bottom of the mountain." The boy did as the king said; easily enough, he wrapped the two strands of hair all the way around the bottom of the mountain. Seeing how effortlessly the boy had accomplished this task, the king began to worry. "If this boy is so capable, might he not try to take over my kingdom? I must find a way to make this boy disappear!" "Yes," said the king. "These two strands of hair are from the devil king, but this is not good enough. By the end of the day, I want you to build a huge building that will serve as my sleeping quarters next to the palace. If you are not able to do this, I will punish you severely." The boy returned home and told the devil king's daughter everything the king had ordered him to do. "This is not a problem," the devil king's daughter comforted the boy. "Tonight you must take one handful of the gold dust we brought to your home. Scatter this gold dust all around the king's palace. In this way everything the king has asked for will be accomplished." The boy did as his wife advised, and wonderfully large, exquisitely furnished sleeping quarters for the king appeared. Of course, when the king saw this he became

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even more frightened. The king muttered to himself, "I must make this boy disappear." "Oh, this building is splendid, but I still need something more," said the king. "You have until tomorrow morning to meet my demands. When I wake from my bed in the morning, I want to hear birds, both large and small, singing sweetly from a forest of many different trees. When I walk down the path to the front gate, I want to peer into a pond where I may see many schools of goldfish swimming playfully here and there. If it is not possible for you to do this, you can be sure that your punishment will be severe." Again, the boy returned to his home and told the goddess and the serpent king's daughter everything the king had ordered him t<;> do. "There is no need to be afraid," said the serpent king's daughter and the goddess. "We brought some magical seeds and feathers and a lotus flower. Take these things and scatter them around the king's palace and all the king's demands will be met." The next morning the boy went to the palace and carefully followed his wives' instructions. Suddenly, all around the palace, a hundred different kinds of trees sprung from the earth. A large and beautiful pond of clear water surrounded the palace, and many schools of golden fish raced along its bottom. Birds of all sizes called sweetly to each other in the treetops of the forest. Later that morning the king led his ministers on a tour of the new gardens to see if all his demands had been met. As they passed the pond, something silvery flickering in the water caught their attention. The whole group rushed to the edge of the pond. Greedily pushing and shoving, each tried to grab what they thought might be precious jewels. Soon enough, one by one the ministers, along with the king, toppled into the water

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and sank to the bottom of the pond. Not one of them was ever seen agam. After that, the king's subjects chose Lodree Gyalrsen as their king and invited him to live in the palace. On the first day, the boy sat on his throne with the goddess on one side and the daughters of the serpent king and the devil king on the other, and he burst out laughing. Looking from side to side at his wives, he said, "Everything in the king's dream came true! If I had told the king I was the young boy in his dream who took over the kingdom, wouldn't I have been killed long ago?"

By the time the story had arrived at this point, Daychodsangbo was standing in front of the door to the Master's cave. Daychodsangbo was so happy to be there he quickly forgot all the suffering of his many long journeys before. Overcome with excitement, Daychodsangbo said, "Oh, that young boy was very brave!" And Ro Ngoedrup Chen flew back to the cemetery called Selwa Tsal. But fortunately, the Master had already seen Daychodsangbo arrive at his cave carrying Ro Ngoedrup Chen. Not only that, butjust before the old corpse flew away, he handed the boy two strands ofhair, one gold and the other silver. And this gift is known throughout the world to be the origin ofsilver and gold. Master Lodrup looked down at the young man before him and said, "My boy, my mind is filled with peace now that I see you have returned safely. " The Master sighed happily and continued, "You are a very brave young man. Now that you have completed such a difficult task as this, there is nothing in this world you can't accomplish. Return home. You have been redeemed, but always remember, keeping in mind the desire to help others, you can accomplish anything."

Commentary The First Story The "Master" m the collection's first story is Nagarjuna, the famous Buddhist philosopher who lived during the second century CE. Nagarjuna, meaning "noble serpent" (in Tibetan, Lopon Lodrup), was the founder of the Madhyamika, or "Middle Way," tradition. His skillful meditations earned him an invitation to the bottom of the ocean, to the kingdom of the nagas (water serpents), where he was given "wisdom literature" of the Buddhist tradition, known as the Prajnaparamita Sutras. In some versions of the collection he is said to be the author of the tales, but in all versions he is the Master who gives the boy his mission in this first story. The sacred mantra chanted by the Master, Om mani padme hum, sometimes translated as "Blessed be the jewel in the lotus," is said to contain all the teachings of the Buddha. Tibetan Buddhists believe that repeatedly reciting this mantra, out loud or silently, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the deity who embodies compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra, which is often carved into stones, printed onto prayer cloths and ·texts, or imprinted on jewelry, is said to have the same effect. Chenrezig is among the most popular of all Buddhist deities. He is known by different names: Avalokiteshvara in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, Kuan-yin in China, and Kannon in Japan. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet's religious and secular leader, is recognized as a living incarnation of Chenrezig by Tibetan Buddhists. 211

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The Carpenter Kunga The Carpenter Kunga's father in this story is a Rinpoche, a title of respect meaning "Precious One" that is given to all incarnate lamas, who are highly realized Buddhist masters and have actively chosen their rebirth. Rinpoches are often recognized after rebirth by attendants of their former incarnation. Some Rinpoches, when encountering the Buddhist teachings again, are said to recall the lessons learned in past lifetimes.

The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter The poor man is challenged by the king to cover the mountainside with a katak, a ceremonial silk scarf that is offered to Rinpoches or lamas as a sign of respect or when bidding farewell to friends and family. Kataks range from two to five feet in length and are folded in half lengthwise, then rolled or folded up like an accordion. Kataks are also used to offer good wishes to a wedding couple. In this case, the well-wishers drape the kataks around their necks. Soon the happy newlyweds are close to being buried under mounds of silk scarves. The kataks, generally white, are often decorated with woven patterns of the eight auspicious symbols in Buddhism. They are also commonly wrapped around Tibetan sacred paintings, thankgas, or statues.

The Travelling Spirit The minister's son learns to recite secret mantras that could turn his body into that of another being. Mantras are the sacred words or verses that evoke the qualities of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas when recited out loud or internally. The particular mantra that the minister's son learns is part of the meditation practice called powa, a highly disciplined meditation used to

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achieve a state of acute clarity and transfer of consciousness at the moment of death. The practice of powa helps ensure that the practitioner will arrive at a higher state in the next life.

The Quiet Woman The kind young man in this story recounts the many lives he had with the young woman. Buddhists believe that one must accumulate many lifetimes filled with positive deeds in order to achieve a lifetime in which one can engage in spiritual practices. According to the laws of karma, each one of us is responsible for creating the positive intentions and actions that can result in a rebirth in the higher realms. Similarly, unfortunate experiences in this life are the result of negative actions .in prior lifetimes. From the Buddhist perspective, we have all been caught in this life cycle for countless eons, and we have actually been related to enemies as well as to friends, family, and even our: pets. We should therefore treat people, animals, birds, bugs, and all sentient beings with kindness, as if they were our mother or father. The Daughter Serdrun The parents of the poor daughter Serdrun believe they are being advised by Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. A Bodhisattva is one who possesses the altruistic aspiration to achieve enlightenment in order to enlighten all beings. Statues of Chenrezig, who is regarded by Tibetans as the guardian of their country, are found on family shrines and in Tibetan Buddhist temples. They may appear as a sitting white or red man with either two arms-representing skillful means and wisdom-or four arms, representing the four boundless

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qualities of a Bodhisattva: equanimity, love, compassion, and joy. The thousand-armed form is depicted standing; the arms represent the appearance of 1,000 Buddhas, whose compassion will guide us into the light of Great Awakening. The eyes on each of his 1,000 hands symbolize the all-seeing compassionate gaze upon every being in existence throughout the past, present, and future.

The Young Man Saved by a Black-and-White Dree In Tibet there are many wild and domestic animals, the most famous being the long-haired, large-horned yaks. Tibetan nomads depend on the hearty yaks for their transportation, shelter, and food. Within the domestic population are the dzo, a male cross between a cow and yak, and the dree, the female offspring of a cow and yak. The hair of the dzo and dree, often black and white, sometimes brown or red, hangs almost to the ground and is spun to make woolen clothes, tents, and ropes. The Six Brothers The brothers in this story build a magical garuda, a mythological bird found in ancient India. The creature has a sharp beak and large, powerful wings of golden or rainbow colors, and is often depicted holding a snake. Known as a fierce protector of the Buddhist teachings and other treasures, it is also thought to be able to tame serpents. The Shepherd Boy While tending the animals in the grasslands, the shepherd boy in this story may have also seen other animals native to Tibet, including wild yaks, bharal

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(blue) sheep, musk deer, antelope, gazelles, wild asses, and picas, small rodents much like prairie dogs. The young shepherd receives instructions on how to cure illness from his friends, a cat, a dog, and a parrot. Illness in Tibet is treated with a sophisticated system of medicine known as one of the oldest and most effective in the world. It uses a wide variety of plants, minerals, metals, and animal species in its formulas. One of the key .figures in its development was the renowned eighth-century Tibetan physician Yutok Yonten Gonpo, who produced the Four Medical Tantras, integrating material from the medical traditions of Persia, India, China, and Greece. The medical tantras contain 156 chapters in the form of sacred Tibetan paintings with commentaries that describe the detailed system ofTibetan medicine.

The Farmer and the Tyrant King The farmer in this story is able to defend himself against an angry king with a kor yegh. A kor yegh comes in many shapes and sizes and is still used in many areas of Tibet. One end of the kor yegh is a rectangular weight, sometimes made of finely carved wood but more commonly of rough steel. The carvings on the metal or wood can include designs of flowers, Buddhist symbols, or geometrical patterns. The weight is attached to a section of rope or leather between six and ten feet long. A great deal of practice is needed to swing this instrument correctly before one can use it to keep wild dogs and wolves away from one's horse. Dransel, the Poor Man In this story, Dransel coaxes the cold and tired palace guards into buying many bowls of chang, a fermented

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barley grain popular in Tibetan communities. Chang is traditionally made over a period of several days, allowing the barley to ferment to the right potency. This drink is often used as a ceremonial offering and is consumed in copious amounts during Losar (the New Year holiday), at weddings, and at other celebrations.

The Princess and the Frog The frog in this tale makes several attempts to destroy the kirig's palace after he refuses to let the frog marry one of his daughters. Many palaces were built in Tibet from the seventh to the eleventh centuries, when a series of kings ruled the vast empire of Tibet that reached as far as Mongolia, China, India, and Afghanistan. From the arrival of Buddhism until the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese, over 6,000 monasteries-large palace-like structures-had been built as educational centers for many thousands of monks. The largest of these structures is the Potala Palace located in Lhasa, the capital ofTibet. Formerly the residence of the Dalai Lama, it contains over a thousand rooms within thirteen stories and houses ·portraits of the past Dalai Lamas as well as many statues and images of the Buddha.

Sennotso and Gnulmotso In this tale, Sermotso and Gnulmotso are tricked by the evil witch Shingtamo into tossing their precious bowls into the lake. In almost every home, offering bowls,' usually of silver or copper, are filled with water in the morning and set on the mantel or shrine to honor the Buddha and local deities. Another type ofTibetan bowl is used for eating tsampa, a high protein barley meal. Nomads commonly carry their own wooden bowl in the folds of their chuba (a knee-length or longer robe with

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long sleeves, often made of woven wool, lined with sheepskin in the colder areas of Tibet). Tibetan ceremonial singing bowls, now common in the West, are crafted out of brass and when rubbed lightly around the top edge with a mallet make a ringing sound. When the mallet strikes the bowl, the rich sound lingers for a long time and is thought to aid the meditation process by calming and focusing the mind.

Fountains of Turquoise and Gold The two boys in this tale encounter water devils who magically, when swallowed, cause the boys to cough up pieces of silver and gold. In Tibet, there is a legend about a small mongoose called a gnoolie, who, if you are lucky, will visit you and leave droppings that turn into nuggets of gold and silver. The Rich Thief In "The Rich Thief," the mother and son trick the thief into thinking they are very wealthy. Long ago, Tibetan money was printed on paper approximately four by six inches wide, with colorful inked designs on both sidesalthough between nomads and farmers money was rarely used. A brick of tea might have served as currency for goods; some form of bartering was used for most transactions. In the fall, nomads would bring meat and wool to the farmers in exchange for vegetables and winter supplies. These trades would often occur with the same families year after year without requiring a written agreement. The Feathered Prince In this story the prince and his wife attend a festival with horse racing and archery contests. These kinds of

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grand celebrations have occurred throughout Tibet over the centuries and still take place in some regions. Festivals may be particular to the locale but typically celebrate the change of seasons, the New Year, and special Buddhist anniversaries. Some festivals last for over fifteen days and may feature day-long Tibetan operas, brightly costumed and masked dances performed by either monks or villagers, and storytelling competitions.

The Two Brothers In ·the mountain village where this tale takes place, boys born in the year of the tiger were to be sacrificed to the evil water serpent. Tibetan astrology and astronomy are one part of the five main sciences studied by monks and laypeople in Tibet. The calendars are calculated into sixty-year cycles, made up of twelve-year cycles represented by twelve animals coupled with each of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. As with all astrological systems, conflicts in human relationships may be identified by the interaction of the elements and planets in the birth years. Traditionally, Tibetans request a reading by an astrologer to learn auspicious dates for formal ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, as well as to determine the best partners for marriage or other endeavors. The Brave Young Woman Saka Dawa is the night on which the young woman in this story sets out to steal the heart from the evil hearteating sorcerers. The Saka Dawa Festival is one of the holiest occasions in the Buddhist calendar. The fifteenth day of the fourth lunar month is the

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anniversary of the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as the date when he attained full enlightenment and passed into parinirvana. Monks as well as laypeople engage in spiritual practices throughout the month. The Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born over 2,500 years ago, and as a young man he sought to discover the end to all suffering. After attaining enlightenment, he became known as the Buddha. At every monastery during Saka Dawa, the monks recite thousands of mantras and perform numerous cham (ritual dances). It is said that merit accumulated from good deeds performed in the month of Saka Dawa is increased a millionfold. The Pig-Head Seer The lazy man in this tale is able to fool a few villagers into believing the pig's head he carries gives him the power to see the future. Tibet has seen an amazing array of divination systems develop over the centuries. Some of the methods used to make divinations are throwing dice or the ankle bones of sheep, tying knots, counting prayer beads with both hands at the same time, or interpreting dreams. Usually there are people in the community, lamas or skillful lay-practitioners, who have proven their aptitude for divination with their high degree of accuracy. Divinations are requested whenever major decisions are at hand: marriage partners, travel, crop harvest, or planting dates.

Masang Yharu Khadra In this story we find the bull called Masang following a maiden up a ladder of roses to heaven, where the king of the white gods greets him. This image inay be drawn from an ancient Tibetan legend in which the first seven

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generations of kings arrived and departed from the mountaintops of their kingdoms on a rope that reached all the way to the heavens. There is also an old Tibetan tale that says in the beginning of time Tibet was ruled by "Nine Masang Brothers," extraordinarily powerful, semi-divine beings who were the first to deliver weapons and tools to men. The Masang could also, when befriended, help ensure safe travel and increase a gambler's luck.

The Stone Lion The poor man in this story greatly benefits by making what small offering he has to the lion statue in the forest. Making offerings in temples or on the family shrine is a daily practice in Tibet. Statues of various deities are lovingly adorned with a colorful assortment of gifts that may include candles or small lamps filled with yak butter, bowls of water, flowers, kataks, incense, coins, paper money, precious gems, photos, ·specially shaped breads, prayer beads, and candy. One may also make an offering by setting an extra place at the dinner table or dipping the middle finger into a drink and flicking off drops of the liquid three times before taking the first sip. Offerings are seen as gestures of gratitude for the blessings bestowed by the deity, a wish for the happiness of all beings, and as a method of increasing the quality of generosity.

Debt of Gratitude The mouse, the bear, and the monkey all work together in this story to retrieve some precious gems for the farmer. Many precious gems are found in Tibet and are often used to adorn .statues, prayer wheels, and temples. The most common is turquoise, which is worn by both women and men as earrings, rings, belt

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buckles, headdresses and pendants, frequently set in gold. or silver with coral. It is also used in ritual and medicinal practices for its powerful protective forces. Dzi, an etched agate in brown or black with natural designs in white that look much like an eye, is a much prized stone that is thought to be of divine origin and able to bring luck, ':Yard off evil, and protect the wearer from physical harm. For a Buddhist, the phrase "the Three Jewels" (in Tibetan, konchog sum) refers to the Buddha, the Dharma (the Buddha's teachings), and the Sanga (the Buddhist community).

The Three Evil Brothers In this story, the evil brothers have a difficult time identifying the name of the young woman. In many of the stories, the characters have two names. Unlike in the West however, these names are not usually related to the family or father's name. While many Tibetans share the same name, nicknames or abbreviations or even code names are used to distinguish one Tenzin or Tashi from another. It is not uncommon for Tibetans to be named for the day they are born, or to take on an auspicious name after consulting a local lama. The Honest Horse Keeper This story describes two groups of people living in tribes that are very similar to one another. In some regions ofTibet, small villages belong to larger groups of villages, the area of which is recognized as a tribe. The tribal elders work together to mediate disputes and organize major festivals throughout the year. Many villages in Tibet are renowned for their expertise in a particular art, such as dancing, singing, thangka painting, shoemaking, horse racing, or medicine.

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The Three Hard-working "WOmen

The young boy in the story cleverly manages to destroy three bird-like devils. This image of destroying these devils may have been drawn from the Tibetan legend of Gesar of Ling, the famous warrior king. There is an oral epic collection of prose, ballads, and poetry about Gesar of Ling, which is thought to be the longest epic in the world and is still sung by bards in Tibet today. Not far from a temple dedicated to Gesar of Ling is a stone that holds the imprint of part of Gesar's body, commemorating the moment when three-year-old "Gesar of Ling" magically conquered three demon birds.

Glossary bardo-A Tibetan term for the "place in-between" that usually refers to the time spent between death and rebirth into the next incarnation.

Bodhisattva-A Buddhist practitioner of the Mahayana tradition who possesses the altruistic intent to achieve enlightenment in order to enlighten all beings. Also can refer to an emanation of a fully enlightened being, a Buddha.

Buddha-The historical Buddha was born about 2,500 years ago as Siddhartha Gautama, a prince and son of the Indian king Suddhodana and queen Mayadevi. As a young adult he left his privileged life and began a spiritual search. After six years of fasting and meditation, Gautama attained enlightenment and became known as Buddha Shakyamuni (the Sage of the Shakya Clan) and founded Buddhism. His teachings have spread throughout Asia, inspiring various traditions including Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Zen/Chan Buddhism in Japan and China, and Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet.

chang-A traditional Tibetan beer that is made from fermented barley and is mildly intoxicating. Chang is frothy and white with a sweet yet pungent taste, a bit like spiked lemonade. Chenrezig--The Bodhisattva of Compassion

IS

the

protector deity ofTibet. 223

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chuba-Traditional Tibetan robe usually made from sheepskin, wool, or cotton. Men's robes reach below the knee, and women's robes are floor length, with long sleeves reaching several inches past the end of the arm. Chubas worn by nomads are lined with sheep's wool and are worn with one arm exposed. Chubas worn at ceremonies and festivals may be made from silk brocade and trimmed with animal fur. Married women wear a colorfully striped apron over their chuba.

deity--A Buddha represented in various forms, either peaceful or wrathful.

dree-The female offspring of a cow and a yak.

dzi-An etched brown or black agate with natural designs in white that look much like an eye. This prized, uniquely Tibetan stone is still worn on necklaces at ceremonial occasions as a single bead (mainly for its auspicious or medicinal value), or in a traditional necklace interspersed with coral, pearls, amber, or turquoise. If the owner is fortunate to have a collection of dzi, a whole necklace is made from the stones. dzo--The male domesticated yak. garuda (in Tibetan, khyung nag po)-The legend of the garuda comes from classical Indian mythology; it is known as the king of birds. The garuda, which is thought to serve as a powerful protector of the Buddhist teachings, is often pictured as a large black bird with rainbow-colored wings and a sharp, golden beak. The garuda is said to be able to transmute the various poisons of worldly existence, specifically the harm caused by nagas, the water spirits.

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katak-Tradirional white silk ceremonial scarf used as an offering to a reacher or respected person. Lhasa-Capital city and largest urban area in Tiber.

Losar-Since the thirteenth century, Tibetan New Year has taken place on rhe first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, usually falling in February or March. Special spiritual rituals rake place the night before to ward off evil spirits from the old year. Some of the many preparations made for Losar include whitewashing and a thorough house cleaning, making new clothes, brewing beer, making fried breads, and setting out sweets for the children. mala-Tibetan prayer beads used to count mantras, prayers, and prostrations. Traditionally, it consists of 108 beads made from a variety of seeds, wood, and semiprecious stones, threaded into a loop that can be worn around the neck or the wrist. The large bead (usually with a tassel) is called the "guru bead" and symbolizes the teacher. A mala may be inherited, received as a gift, or purchased.

mantra-A syllable, word, or group of Sanskrit words that are commonly associated with a particular deity; used as a formula of praise with an intent to invoke the qualities of the deity. mandala-A Sanskrit term for the symbolic residence of a deity, or a way to describe esoteric cosmologies. Mandalas are visualized in many meditation practices and are created for initiation ceremonies in two- and three-dimensional forms, usually painted on a thangka or drawn with colored sand.

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naga-Serpents of ancient Indian mythology who create rain and guard bodies of water; often compared with dragons in other mythologies. They traditionally carry a jewel in their foreheads signifying the treasure of wisdom. While nagas can be generous, they also have the ability to let loose diseases and epidemics. They are propitiated with offerings such as milk and honey. powa-A highly disciplined meditation used to achieve a state of acute clarity and transfer of consciousness at the moment of death; the practice of powa is meant to ensure that the practitioner will arrive at a higher state in the next life. prostration-A common form of obeisance in Tibetan Buddhism (in Tibetan, chag tsal, meaning to clean and purify), thought to bring great merit to the practitioner. To perform a full prostration, stand with hands pressed together and lower the hands to the mouth and heart; this represents the blessings for the mind, speech, and body. Then bend down, placing hands on the ground, and slide forward until the body is lying flat, stretched out on the ground. This is repeated three times when meeting high lamas or facing shrine altars. The abbreviated practice requires touching the forehead to the ground instead of stretching full length. Devout Tibetans, both laypeople and monks, circumambulate sacred places, such as temples and sacred mountains, performing full-body prostrations. thangkas-These sacred paintings, which appeared in Tibet around the tenth century, usually depict traditional religious motifs, such as deities or famous historical figures, and mandalas representing the abode

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of Buddhas. To ensure that the image will not fade, paints made with organic and mineral pigments are used and the image is generally drawn on stretched cotton, linen, or silk and framed in colorful silk brocade.

tsampa-A high-protein meal made of roasted barley that serves as the main staple of the Tibetan diet. Ground with a hand mill into very fine flour, tsampa is traditionally mixed with a little buttered tea, rolled in a bowl into fist-sized lumps, and then eaten with fingers. tonnas-Offering cakes made from roasted barley flour mixed with butter and formed into small cones or various symbolic shapes. The manifestations of specific deities are represented by two or three small, flat discs applied to the tormas, usually in the form of flowers. Each torma has specific characteristics and ritual uses determined by the deity to whom it is offered.

yak-A blackish-brown ox-like animal from the bovine family, with long hair almost reaching the ground and continuing down the tail, giving it a bushy appearance. Yaks are heavily built, with a drooping head, humped shoulders, a straight back, and shon sturdy limbs. Their thick coat, great lung capacity, and ability to clamber nimbly over rough terrain make them perfectly suited for the harsh highlands. The large black horns curve upward and forward in males. Yaks provide milk, meat, hair, wool, and hides. They are also used as draft animals and for riding. Yak dung is an imponant source of fuel in areas where firewood is not available.

Recommended Reading Fiction David-Nee!, Alexandra. Magic and Mystery in Tibet. New York: Dover Publications, 1971. Das, Surya. The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane: Wisdom Tales from Tibet. San Francisco, California: Harper San Francisco, 1992. Dorje, Rinjing. Tales of Uncle Tompa. New York: Station Hills Arts/Barrytown, Ltd., 1997. Hyde-Chambers, Frederick, and Audrey HydeChambers. Tibetan Folk Tales. Boulder, Colorado: Shambhala, 1981. Shelton, A. L. Tibetan Folktales. New York: AMS Press, 1983.

Bon and Buddhism The Dalai Lama. An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2001. Norbu, Namkhai. Drung, Deu and Bon: Narrations, Symbolic Languages and the Bon Tradition in Ancient Tibet. Dharamsala, India: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1995. Levenson, Claude B. Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. Translated by Nissin Marshall. New York: Assouline Publishing, 1999. Lhalungpa, Lobsang, trans. The Life ofMilarepa. New York: Penguin, 1992. Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Harper San Francisco, 1992.

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Biography and History Avedon, John F. In Exile from the Land ofSnows. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. The Dalai Lama. My Tibet. Photography by Galen Rowell. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1990. Gold, Peter. Navajo and Tibetan Sacred Wisdom: The Circle ofSpirit. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1994. Johnson, Sandy. The Book of Tibetan Elders. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. Norbu, Thubten Jigme. Tibet is My Country: The Auto-

biography ofThubten ]igme Norbu, Brother of the Dalai Lama. Boston, Massachusetts: Wisdom Publications, 1986. Perna, Jetsun. Tibet, My Story. Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1997. Shakya, Tsering. The Dragon in the Land ofSnows: A History of Modern Tibet Since 1947. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.