In a certain country a hen bird laid eggs on a rock; when she was there
a considerable time young ones were hatched from the eggs. While the
young ones are on the rock, the bird having come [after] seeking food,
gives it to the young ones.
One day, when the bird was going seeking and seeking food, there
was a Mi tree [9] in the jungle. The Mi flowers of that Mi tree had
fallen on the ground. The bird, gathering the flowers, and having
come and spread them out on the rock on which were the young ones,
said to the young ones, "Children, until the time when I come [after]
seeking food for you, look after these."
Afterwards the young ones, having said "Ha," stayed looking in the
very direction of the Mi flowers. The bird went to seek food.
The sun's heat having fallen on them, [through their] drying and
drying up the Mi flowers became extremely less; when one looked the
Mi flowers were not even to be seen.
The bird seeking food and having come, when she looked there were no
Mi flowers. Having said, "The young birds ate them, indeed," she asked
the young ones about it. The young birds said, "We did not eat them."
The bird having become angry and said, "If ye did not eat them,
who ate them?" struck all the young birds on the rock and killed them.
Then the white lotus throne of Sakra, the Divine King, having become
hot, he rained a rain. When it was thus raining it soaked those Mi
flowers that had dried up, and [as they expanded again] the rock was
filled with them in the same manner as before.
The bird having been looking on, said, "Ane! My foolishness in killing
my children!" and called her children. She called them in the manner
of verse:--
They dried and dried until they shrank; my children on the rock
I've slain.
King Sakra's eyes divine beheld; he rainèd down a flowery rain.
Then in the very form they had, a rock was filled with flowers again;
But crying, "Son! My callow ones!" your mother called to you in vain.
That indeed. Now also, those birds saying "Kuturun, Son, Son!" [10]
call them.
North-western Province.