Himalayan Times (1955)

1955

Seven

excuse made was that
men on yaks had come
and stolen the meal,
and, to lend colour to the
story, Born-in-the-Grass
drove some yaka about
in front of the house,
cutting up the ground.

"Again, when Born-
in-a-Glass House remained
behind, the food was once
more misaing, a still di-
fferent reason being assig-
ned by the delinquent

"Ah length, however,
it came to the turn of
Yakro Kharto to prepare
the food. As in the case
of his companions, the
woman arrived in the
middle of the preparations.
' 0 wonderful youth !"
she said, ''What kind of
a man do I find here
to-day ? I beg cf you,
show me the food you
are getting ready." Now
Yakro Kharto took coun-
sel with himself and came
to the conclusion that a
similar occurance had
happened to his friends
but that lying stories had
been told "by them He
thought that, if he sho-
wed' her the food, some-
thing might happen to it.
fl0 sister !", he replied,
"before I show you the
cooking pots. will you
please bring some water
in this vessel." He ban-
ded her an earthenware
Pot, in the bottom of which
he made a small hole.
The woman went to fill
the pot, but as fast as

she poured the water in,
it ran out through the
bottom. While she was
absent, Yakro Kharto
quickly opened a bundle
she had brought with her
and took from it a rope
fashioned from human
tendons an iron chiseJ,
and an iron hammer. In
their places he substituted
a rope of grass, and a
hammer and chisel of
light flimsy wood At
length the woman, who,
it must be mentioned,
was a witch, returned,
saying that she could not
bring the water in the
vessel supplied her. "How-
ever," she continued, ''let
us play a game ! I will
tie you up with my rope,
and thf-n you tie me up
with one of yours."

"She bound Yakro
Kharto with the rope he
had substituted for her
own, and he was soon
able to break this and
free himself, but when he
tied the witch up with
the rope of human ten-
dons, she could not even
move her limbs. "Well,"
she said, "'in this you
have the advantage! Let
m try another test S"
Taking the lath chisel,
she tried to drive it into
the youth's chest, but the
wood snapped. Then
Yakro Kharto seizing the
iron chisel, succeeded in
inflicting a severs wound.
The witch, remarking on
his strength, suggested

that they went outside to
see who could hit the
hardest blow with a ham-
mer. When she struck
Yakro Kharto, her ham-
mer flew in pieces, but,
when he struck her, she
fell dead into a deep,
empty well, at the edge
of which the contest took
place.

"When his friends re-
turned from the hunt, be
taxed them with lying
and cowardice, and invi-
ted them to see the witch's
corpse. Looking down
into the welL, they saw
the body, and around it
wonderful treasures, gold,
silver, and turquoise.
''Now ! ", said Yakro
Kharto, "Will you go
down," and send up these
treasurer, or must I ?" "you
go down, ' replied his fri-
ends, "we dare not, for we
are frightened of the body
of the witch !" So Yakro
Kharto was lowered by a
rope, by which . he sent
up the gold and other
precious things, but, while
he was below, hia three
companions plotted to
share the spoil and leave
him down there'to starve.
So, when the last load
had been drawn up, they
withdrew the rope5 and
decamped with the wealth.

"Poor Yakro Kharto,
realising that they had
deserted him, looked round
the well for something
to eat, but found only a
peach stone. He planted