There was once an old woman living in Tibet whose husband had died and
left her alone with her only son.
As the Boy grew up, his Mother grew more and more fond of him, and
disliked parting from him even for a moment. She was afraid that if he
left her house and began wandering about by himself some accident might
happen to him, and she would be left desolate in her old age. So the
older he grew the more careful she became, until at last she saw that
it was impossible to restrain the Boy any longer, and it would be
necessary for him to go out into the world to seek his fortune, just as
other young men of his age had to do. So when he had reached the age of
fifteen she waited till the fifteenth day of the sixth month, which is
a very auspicious date, and calling the Boy to her, she presented him
with a new suit of clothes, a horse, a dog, a gun and a sword; and she
told him that he was now at liberty to leave his home and to go out
into the world to seek his fortune.
The Boy was greatly delighted at receiving these gifts and with the
prospect of meeting with some adventures, so after saying farewell to
his Mother, he mounted his horse, and with the dog trotting at his
heels he started away down the road. All day he rode quietly along by
himself without meeting with any adventures, and towards evening he
reached a high plateau near the top of a range of mountains. As he was
crossing the plateau a fox jumped up in front of him and ran off
towards the mountains. The dog, on seeing the fox, started to chase it;
while the young Man, thinking he was to have some fun at last, galloped
after the dog as fast as he could.
After running for some distance the fox suddenly disappeared into his
earth, and the Boy, riding up, dismounted at the mouth of the hole, and
began to scheme how he was to catch the fox when he came out. So he
took off his cloak [10] and fastened it to the saddle with his sword
and his gun, and then placed his horse a little to one side of the
fox’s earth, whilst his dog stood ready at the other side; and he
himself took off his hat and put it over the mouth of the hole, and
taking a large stone in his hand, he crouched down ready to slay the
fox when it came out.
After sitting waiting for some time the fox all of a sudden darted out
of its earth, and ran off towards the hills, with the Boy’s hat
sticking over its head. It came so suddenly that he had no time to hit
it with his stone, or to interrupt its flight. The dog, on seeing the
fox go off, at once started in full pursuit; and the horse, excited by
the dog’s cries, galloped off after the pair, and in a few moments all
three were lost to sight in the gathering darkness. The poor Boy found
himself in a moment bereft of all his possessions—his horse, his dog,
his gun, his sword, his hat, and even his outer robe, which he had
strapped on his saddle, had all disappeared. After running after his
horse for some distance he gave it up in despair, and lay down to pass
the night as best he could under a big poplar-tree.
He woke towards dawn, and, looking up into the branches of the tree, he
saw a large Raven’s nest, on which an old Raven was sitting hatching
her eggs, whilst Father Raven perched on a branch near by. When day
broke the two Ravens began talking to one another.
“Good-morning, Father Raven,” said the old bird on the nest, “who is
this sleeping under our tree?”
“That,” replied Father Raven, “is a foolish home-bred Boy who has no
experience of the world. In trying to catch a fox last night he lost
his horse, his gun, his sword, his dog, and even his clothes, and now
he has not the least idea where to find them.”
“Yes, so I see,” replied Mother Raven, “but it is clear, nevertheless,
that all he has to do is to go towards the villages which lie towards
the east from here—there he will meet with good fortune.”
On hearing this the Boy at once started off towards the east, and
proceeding for some little distance, he met an old Beggar Man, to whom
he related the whole of his story, and asked him if by any chance he
had seen the missing property. The old Man, seeing before him only a
poor Boy, without even a hat or a cloak, did not believe a word of this
story, so he only laughed at him and mocked him; and finally, when the
Boy grew angry, gave him a sound beating, and left him to go on his way
disconsolate.
Wandering on a little further, he came to a big house where a wedding
feast was being celebrated. Coming timidly up to the door of the house,
he peeped in at the guests, and presently one of the servants happening
to pass by, he related his sad story. But just then the Bridegroom
caught sight of him, and called out in a rough voice:
“Who are you who come crying here at my wedding feast? We want no
woebegone faces here to-day to bring us bad luck. Go away, you
ill-omened creature.”
So the poor Boy slank away sadly, and after wandering about till
nightfall he reached another large house further towards the east.
After the reception he had received from the wedding party he was
afraid to go in or to knock at the door, so creeping into the backyard
he dug himself a nest in the manure heap, and crouched down in this for
warmth, all hidden except his head. Thus he spent the night comfortably
enough.
Early next morning the pigs belonging to the place began to poke about
the yard and the manure heap, and several of them, as they passed,
rooted at his head with their snouts to see if he was anything good to
eat.
He could not stand this very long, so finally, screwing up his courage,
he went to the back door of the house, and asked one of the servants to
lend him a knife, saying that he wanted it to cut up the dry meat which
formed his breakfast. The servant lent him a knife, and as soon as he
had got it he enticed one of the pigs away to a quiet corner, where he
killed it and cut off its head; and taking with him some strips of its
flesh, he returned to his nest in the manure, and hid himself there
again, together with the pig’s head, waiting to see what would turn up.
Towards noon the Lady of the house came out into the yard, and as she
was moving about superintending the various farming operations, it
happened that a large and valuable turquoise fell out of her headdress
without her noticing it. When, after a few minutes, she went back into
the house, leaving the turquoise lying in the middle of the yard, the
Boy thought that this would be a good opportunity of getting the
turquoise for himself, but he was afraid to leave his nest for fear of
being noticed; so picking up a piece of rag from amongst the manure he
threw it over the turquoise, concealing it from sight.
Shortly after, one of the maid-servants came out of the house, and
seeing a piece of rag lying in the middle of the yard, she picked it
up, and the turquoise with it, and thrust them both into a crevice in
the wall.
Just then a great uproar arose from the house, where the Lady had
discovered the loss of her turquoise. The whole household was summoned,
and set to work to search for the missing jewel. For some time great
bustle prevailed, everyone searching hither and thither, and ransacking
every hole and corner; but no one thought of examining the piece of
dirty rag thrust carelessly into a crevice of the farmyard wall.
Finding that all their efforts were of no avail, the Lady of the house
sent off in hot haste to summon all the most famous diviners,
magicians, and lamas of the neighbourhood, and these, when they
arrived, began practising all kinds of spells and casting auguries in
the hope of discovering what had become of the turquoise; but all in
vain, and when nightfall arrived, they were no better off than they
were before.
Towards evening they packed up their various magical instruments and
spells, and went away very downhearted; and as soon as they were gone
the Boy emerged from his hiding-place, and going boldly to the house,
he said that he was a famous magician and could find the turquoise for
them; and he asked that on the following morning all the diviners and
lamas should again be summoned, as well as the inhabitants of all the
neighbouring houses. The Lady of the house was at first inclined to
ridicule the idea of this disreputable-looking beggar being able to
accomplish what none of these famous sorcerers could do; but thinking
it worth while to give the Boy a chance, she decided to do what he
suggested, and meanwhile ordered her servants to let him have a good
supper, of which he stood badly in need.
Next morning, about ten o’clock, a large crowd of people assembled in
the courtyard of the house. In addition to the magicians and lamas of
the day before, a great many of the neighbours had obeyed the summons,
and amongst them were the people who had treated the poor Boy so badly
during their wedding feast, and the Beggar who had reviled and beaten
him. As soon as they were all seated in rows ready to see what was
going to happen, the Boy, holding the pig’s head under his arm,
presented himself before them all, and addressed them as follows:
“Now,” said he, “I hope in a few minutes to be able to discover the
missing turquoise, for I am possessed of magic qualities of unusual
power. In my search I shall be assisted by this enchanted pig’s head
which I hold under my arm. Owing to the spell I have cast upon it, it
is able at once to detect a thief or a dishonest person, and also to
discover stolen property.”
So saying he took the pig’s head in both hands, and holding its snout
towards the company, he went round from person to person, halting for a
moment in front of each. Presently he arrived in front of the
Bridegroom, who had been so rude to him some days before, and the pig’s
head at once became violently agitated, and kept poking itself towards
this man.
“Ah!” said the Boy, “here is evidently a dishonest man; it is no good
our proceeding any further in our search until he has been beaten and
turned out of here.”
The other people at once seized upon the wretched man, and after giving
him a severe thrashing, they turned him out of the place. Next to him
was sitting the Beggar who had so insulted the Boy, and who had
disbelieved his story. Here, again, the pig’s head became violently
agitated, and the Beggar, too, was well beaten and turned out. Having
got rid of these two persons, the Boy now began to walk round the yard,
the pig’s snout apparently sniffing carefully at every part of the wall
in the farm buildings. Presently, coming to the crevice into which the
rag had been thrust by the servant-maid, he moved the pig’s head
violently to and fro.
“Ah!” cried he, “the missing turquoise must be somewhere near here.”
On hearing this everyone began to search about in that neighbourhood,
and in a few minutes the turquoise was found inside the rag thrust into
the crevice of the wall.
The Mistress of the house on recovering her turquoise was greatly
elated. She took the Boy into the house, and having presented him with
a new suit of clothes, and given him all he wanted to eat and drink,
she handed him a large sum of money, and he went on his way in a far
better plight than when he had first arrived there.