IN a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. The man cuts jungle at a chena clearing ; the woman is weaving a bag. After the man comes home, the woman asks, “Is the jungle cut yet ?” The man says, “A couple of bushes are cut; is the bag woven ?” The woman says, “A couple of rows are woven.” Continuing in that way, after the end of two or three days the man, while returning from cutting jungle, saw a Kaekiri creeper at a threshing-floor, and having come near, and seen that there was a fruit on it, plucked and ate it. A Kaekiri seed remained fixed in his beard. After he came home, the woman, seeing it, asked, “Where did you eat Kaekiri ?” The man said, “When I was coming home there was a Kaekiri creeper at a threshing-floor on the way; on it there was a fruit. I ate it.” Then the woman said, “There will be more on that creeper. After I have woven the bag let us go there.” Afterwards, having gone with him to the threshing-floor, she saw that the Kaekiri creeper had spread completely over the floor, and that there were as many fruits as leaves. While plucking them, she bore a girl there. Afterwards, the man having plucked Kaekiri, and filled and tied up the bag, said to the woman, “Shall I take the girl, or shall I take the bag ?” The woman told him to take the bag, leaving the girl there. So the girl was left at the threshing-floor, and the man and woman went home, taking the bag of fruit with them. [Page 121] While a Black Stork (Mānā) and a female Black Stork (Mānī) were going about seeking food, the female Stork saw that a girl was at the threshing-floor, and having gone near it, cried out, “Aḍē ! A thing for me ! Aḍē ! A thing for me!” When the male Stork heard this he came running to the spot. Having looked at the girl, the two Black Storks took her to'their house, and reared her there. After a time, the girl having become big, the female Black Stork and the male Black Stork said, “Daughter, we must go for golden bracelets and golden anklets for you.” At that house there were a Parrot, a Dog, and a Cat, which were reared there. The two Storks told the girl, “Daughter, after we have gone, do not reduce the food of either the Parrot, or the Dog, or the Cat. Until we return, be careful not to put out the fire on the hearth, and not to go anywhere whatever.” After saying this, they went to bring the golden bracelets and golden anklets. That girl having been careful for two or three days in the way the female Stork and male Stork told her, lessened the food of the Cat. That night the Cat extinguished the fire on the hearth. Next morning, the girl having gone to the hearth to cook, when she looked there was no fire on the hearth. So she said to the Parrot, “Younger brother, last night I reduced the food of the Cat a little. For that, the Cat has extinguished the fire on the hearth, and now there is no fire for cooking. You go and look from which house smoke is rising, and come back.” Then the Parrot having