Aino Folk-Tales — I.b. Tales Accounting for the Origin of All Phenomena (11-20)

xi.

--_The two Foxes, the Mole, and the Crows.

_ Two brother foxes consulted together thus: "It would be fun for us to go down among men, and assume human shape."

So they made treasures and they made garments out of the leaves of various trees, and they made various things to eat and cakes out of the gum which comes out of trees.

But the mole[-god] saw them making all these preparations.

So the mole made a place like a human village, and placed himself in it under the disguise of a very old man.

The foxes came to that village; they came to the very old man's house.

And the mole himself made beautiful treasures and made garments out of various herbs and leaves of trees; and, taking mulberries and grapes from the tops of the trees, he made good food.

On the arrival of the foxes, the mole invited all the crows in the place and all sorts of birds.

He gave them human shape, and placed them as owners in the houses of the village.

Then the mole, as chief of the village, was a very old man.

Then the foxes came, having assumed the shape of men.

They thought the place was a human village.

The old chief bought all the things which the foxes had brought on their backs, all their treasures and all their food.

Then the old man displayed to them his own beautiful treasures.

The old man displayed all his beautiful things, his garments.

The foxes were much pleased.

Then the old man spoke thus: "Oh you strangers!

as there is a dance in my village, it will be well for you to see it."

Then all the people in the village danced all sorts of dances.

But at last, owing to their being birds, they began to fly upwards, notwithstanding their human shape.

The foxes saw this, and were much amused.

The foxes ate both of the mulberries and of the grapes.

They tasted very good.

It was great fun, too, to see the dancing.

Afterwards they went home.

The foxes, thought thus: "What is nicer even than treasures is the delicious food which human beings have.

As we do not know what it is, let us go again and buy some more of it."

So they again made treasures out of herbs.

Then they again went down to that village.

The mole was in a golden house--a large house.

He was alone in it, having sent all the crows and the rest away.

As the foxes entered the house and looked about them, they saw a very venerable god.

The god spoke thus: "Oh!

you foxes;

because you had assumed human shape, you made all sorts of counterfeit treasures.

I saw all that you did.

It is by me, and because of this, that you are brought here.

You think this is a human village; but it is the village of me, your master the mole.

It seems you constantly do all sorts of bad things.

If you do so, it is very wrong; so do not assume human shape any more.

If you will cease to assume human shape, you may henceforth eat your fill of these mulberries and grapes.

You and your companions the crows may eat together of the mulberries and of all fruits at the top of the trees, which the crows cause to drop down.

This will be much more profitable for you than to assume human shape."

Thus spoke the mole.

Owing to this, the foxes left off assuming human shape, and, from that time forward, ate as they pleased of the mulberries and the grapes.

When the crows let any drop, they went underneath the trees and ate them.

They became very friendly together.

--(Translated literally.

Told by Ishanashte, 11th November, 1886. ) xii.

--_The Stolen Charm.

_ A very rich man kept a puppy and a fox-cub.

Besides these he possessed a tiny silver model of a ship,--a charm given to him by some god, what god I know not.

One day this charm was stolen, and could nowhere be found.

The rich man was so violently grieved at this, that he lay down and refused all food, and was like to die.

Meanwhile the puppy and the fox-cub played about in his room.

But when they saw, after some time, that the man was really going to die, the fox-cub said to the puppy: "If our master dies, we shall die of hunger too; so we had better search for the charm."

So they consulted as to the best way to search for it; and at last the fox-cub was struck by the idea that the ogre who lived at the top of the large mountain that stands at the end of the world might have stolen the charm and put it into his box.

The fox-cub seemed to see that this had really happened.

So the two little animals determined to go and rescue the charm from the ogre.

But they knew that they could not accomplish this alone, and resolved to add the rat[-god] to their number.

So they invited the rat, and the three went off, dancing merrily.

Now the ogre was always looking steadily in the direction of the sick rich man, hoping that he would die.

So he did not notice the approach of the fox-cub, the dog, and the rat.

So when they reached the ogre's house, the rat, with the help of the fox-cub, scooped out a passage under and into the house, by which all three made their way in.

They then decided that it must be left to the rat to get hold of the charm by nibbling a hole in the box in which it was kept.

Meanwhile the fox-cub assumed the shape of a little boy, and the puppy that of a little girl,--two beautiful little creatures who danced and went through all sorts of antics, much to the amusement of the ogre.

The ogre was, however, suspicious as to how they had come into the house, and whence they had come, for the doors were not open.

So he determined just to divert himself awhile by watching their frolics, and then to kill them.

Meanwhile the rat had nibbled a hole in the box.

Then getting into it, he rescued the charm, and went out again through the passage in the ground.

The little boy and girl disappeared too; how, the ogre could not tell.

He made to pursue them through the door, when he saw them fleeing.

But on second thoughts he came to the conclusion that, having once been taken in by a fox, there was no use in further endeavours.

So he did not follow the three animals as they fled away.

They returned to the village; the puppy and the fox-cub to their master's house, the rat to its own place.

The puppy and the fox-cub took home with them the charm, and placed it by their master's pillow, playing about near him, and pulling his clothes a little with their teeth.

At length he lifted his head and saw the charm.

Then he worshipped it with great joy and gratitude.

Afterwards the fox-cub and the puppy caused him to see in a dream how the charm had been recovered through the rat's assistance.

So he worshipped the rat also.

For this reason the Ainos do not think so very badly of the rat after all.

The fox, too, though often pursued by dogs, will sometimes make friends with them; and even when a dog is pursuing a fox, it will not bite the latter if it turns its face towards the pursuer.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, 21st November, 1886. ) xiii.

--_The Fox, the Otter, and the Monkey.

_ In very ancient days, at the beginning of the world, there were a fox, an otter, and a monkey, all three of whom lived on the most intimate terms of friendship.

One day the fox spoke to the other two as follows: "What do you say to our going off somewhere, and stealing food and treasures from the Japanese?"

His two companions having consented, they all went together to a distant place, and stole a bag of beans, a bag of salt, and a mat from the house of a very rich man.

When they had come home with their plunder, the fox said: "Otter!

you had better take the salt, for it will be useful to you in salting the fish which you catch in the water when you go fishing.

Monkey!

do you take the mat; it will be very useful for you to make your children dance upon.

As for myself, I will take the bag of beans."

After this, all three retired to their respective houses; and a little later the otter went to the river to fish.

But, as he took his bag of salt with him when he made the plunge, all the salt was melted in a moment, to his great disappointment.

The monkey was equally unlucky;

for, having taken his mat and spread it on the top of a tree, and made his children dance there, the children fell, and were dashed to pieces on the ground below.

The monkey and the otter, enraged by the misfortunes which the fox's wiles had brought upon them, now joined together in order to fight the fox.

So the latter took a lot of beans out of his bag, chewed them to a pulp, smeared all his body with the paste, and lay down pretending to be very ill.

And when the otter and the monkey came and made to kill him, he said: "See to what a pitiful plight I am reduced!

As a punishment for having deceived you, my whole body is now covered with boils, and I am on the point of death.

There is no need for you to kill me.

Go away!

I

am dying fast enough."

The monkey looked, and saw that the fox seemed to be speaking the truth.

So he went testily away, across the sea to Japan.

That is the reason why there are no monkeys in the land of the Ainos.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, 11th July, 1886. ) xiv.

--_The Fox and the Tiger.

_--(No. I.

) Said the tiger to the fox: "Let us run a race from the top of the world to the bottom of the world, and he who wins it shall be lord of the world!"

The fox agreed, and off the tiger bounded, but without noticing that the fox had caught hold of his tail so as to get pulled along by him.

Just as the tiger was about to reach the other end, he suddenly whisked round, in order to jeer at the fox, whom he believed to be far behind.

But this motion exactly threw the fox safely on to the far end, so that he was able to call out to the astonished tiger: "Here I am.

What are you so long about?"

For this reason there are no tigers in Aino-land.

(No. II.

) Said the tiger to the fox: "You are said to be the craftiest of all creatures.

Let us now enter into rivalry, and see which of us can roar the loudest; for to him shall belong the chieftainship of the world."

The fox consented, and the two stood up alongside of each other.

But as it was for the tiger to roar first, he remained standing up, and did not notice how the fox scraped a hole with his paws to hide his head in, so that his ears might not be stunned by the tiger's roaring.

Well, the tiger roared a roar which he thought must be heard from the top of the world to the bottom of the world, and must certainly stun the fox.

But the fox, as soon as he knew the tiger's roar to be at an end, jumped up out of the hole where he had been hiding his ears, and said: "Why!

I hardly heard you.

You can surely roar louder than that.

You had better try again."

The tiger was very angry at this; for he had expected that the fox would be stunned to death.

However he resolved to make another still more tremendous effort.

He did so, while the fox again hid his head in the hole; and the tiger burst his inside in the attempt.

For this reason there are no tigers in Aino-land.

For this reason, also, foxes are crafty and eloquent even at the present day.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, 27th November, 1886. ) xv.

--_The Punishment of Curiosity.

_ In very ancient days, when the world had just been made, everything was still unsettled and dangerous.

The crust of the earth was thin, and all was burning beneath.

For this reason the people did not dare to venture outside of their huts even to obtain food: for they would have scorched their feet.

So they were fed by the god Okikurumi, who used to fish for them, and then send round his wife Turesh with what he had caught.

But he commanded the people to ask no questions, and never to attempt to look at Turesh's face.

But one day an Aino in one of the huts was not content with being fed for nothing, and disobeyed Okikurumi's commands.

He wished to see who the woman was that came round every day with food.

So he waited till her hand was stretched in at the window, seized hold of it, and pulled her in by main force.

She screamed and struggled; and, when she was inside the hut, she turned into a wriggling, writhing dragon.

The sky darkened, the thunder crashed, the dragon vanished, and the hut was consumed by lightning.

Okikurumi was very angry at what the man had done.

So he left off feeding the people, and went away, none, knew whither.

That is why the Ainos have been poor and miserable ever since that time.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Kuteashguru, July, 1886. ) xvi.

--_How it was settled who should rule the World.

_ When the Creator had finished creating this world of men, the good and the bad gods were all mixed together promiscuously, and began disputing for the possession of the world.

They disputed,--the bad gods wanting to be at the head of the government of this world, and the good gods likewise wanting to be at the head.

So the following arrangement was agreed to: Whoever, at the time of sunrise, should be the first to see the luminary, should rule the world.

If the bad gods should be the first to see it rise, then they should rule; and if the good gods should be the first, then they should rule.

Thereupon both the bad Gods and the brilliant gods looked towards the place where the luminary was to rise.

But the fox[-god] alone stood looking towards the west.

After a little time, the fox cried out: "I see the sunrise."

On the gods, both bad and good, turning round and gazing, they saw in truth the refulgence of the luminary in the west.

This is the cause for which the brilliant gods rule the world.

--(Translated literally.

Told by Ishanashte, 10th July, 1886. ) xvii.

--_The Man who lost his Wife.

_ A man had lost his wife, and was searching for her everywhere, over hill and dale, forest and sea-shore.

At last he came to a wide plain, on which stood an oak-tree.

Going up to it he found it to be not so much an oak-tree as a house, in which dwelt a kind-looking old man.

Said the old man: "I am the god of the oak-tree.

I know of your loss, and have seen your faithful search.

Rest here awhile, and refresh yourself by eating and smoking.

After that, if you hope to find your wife again, you must obey my orders, which are as follows: Take this golden horse, get on his back, fly up on him to the sky, and, when you get there, ride about the streets, constantly singing."

So the man mounted the horse, which was of pure gold.

The saddle and all the trappings were of gold also.

As soon as he was in the saddle, the horse flew up to the sky.

There the man found a world like ours, but more beautiful.

There was an immense city in it; and up and down the streets of that city, day after day, he rode, singing all the while.

Every one in the sky stared at him, and all the people put their hands to their noses, saying: "How that creature from the lower world stinks!"

At last the stench became so intolerable to them that the chief god of the sky came and told him that he should be made to find his wife if only he would go away.

Thereupon the man flew back to earth on his golden horse.

Alighting at the foot of the oak-tree, he said to the oak-god: "Here am I. I did as you bade me.

But I did not find my wife."

"Wait a moment," said the oak-god; "you do not know what a tumult has been caused by your visit to the sky, neither have I yet told you that it was a demon who stole your wife.

This demon, looking up from hell below, was so much astonished to see and hear you riding up and down the streets of heaven singing, that his gaze is still fixed in that direction.

I will profit hereby to go round quietly, while his attention is absorbed, and let your wife out of the box in which he keeps her shut up."

The oak-god did as he had promised.

He brought back the woman, and handed over both her and the gold horse to the man, saying: "Do not use this horse to make any more journeys to the sky.

Stay on earth, and breed from it."

The couple obeyed his commands, and became very rich.

The gold horse gave birth to two horses, and these two bred likewise, till at last horses filled all the land of the Ainos.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, 21st July, 1886. ) xviii.

--_The First Appearance of the Horse in Aino-land.

_ A very beautiful woman had a husband.

He was a very skilful fellow.

Once he went to the mountains, and disappeared.

But at night he returned, bearing a deer on his back.

After feasting on the deer, they went to bed.

But in the middle of the night, the woman wept and screamed, saying: "This man is not my husband.

Though with shame, I will declare the fact as it is.

His penis is so big, so big, so big, that it will not get into my vagina; and if it did get in, I should die."

Alarmed by her cries, the neighbours ran out, and came into her house;

and one strong fellow took a stick, and beat the husband, saying: "You must be some sort of devil," whereupon the husband turned into a horse, and ran away neighing.

Afterwards he was beaten to death.

The truth was that the husband had been killed and supplanted by the horse.

That was the first the Ainos saw of horses.

In ancient days every sort of creature could thus assume human shape.

So it is said.

--(Translated literally.

Told by Penri, 12th July, 1886. ) xix.

--_Sunrise.

_ When the sun rises at the head of the world [_i.

e. _ in the east], a devil tries to swallow it.

But some one thrusts two or three crows or foxes into the devil's mouth.

Meanwhile the sun mounts on high.

The creatures, than which there are none more numerous in this world, are the crows and the foxes.

That is why things are thus.

In return for this service of theirs, the crows and foxes share in all man's eatables.

It is because of the above fact.

--(Translated literally.

Told by Penri, 13th July, 1886. ) xx.

--_The Sex of the Two Luminaries.

_ Formerly it was the female luminary that came out at night.

But she was so greatly shocked at the immoralities which she saw going on out of doors among the grass, that she exchanged with the male luminary, who, being a man, did not care so much.

So now the sun is a female deity, and the moon is a male deity.

But surely the sun must be often shocked at what she sees going on even in the day-time, when the young people are in the open among the grass.

--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, November, 1886. )