Himalayan Times (1955)

;

June 5, 1955 ^imolatinn Nine

chamber a great white ' On the first day, Belf in one of the rooms.

bird was seated. The dam the youngest of the three You will see your husband

eel asked him if he knew sisters was chosen as the shed his feathered cloak

anything of her lost cattle, most lovely lady, her and become a man Then,

and the bird replied.—"If cavalier being a handsome when he has gone, burn

you will promise to marry youth, who rode a beauti- this cloak ! '

me, I will tell you where ful grey pony. As they ' The next morning

they are, but. if you will rode around, their appea- everythig turned out as

not, then you will never ranee called forth the t|lt, wjtc|, |ia(j 8au^ an^

find them." The maiden enthusiastic plaudits of the maiden burned the

indignantly refused, and, the crowd. When she re- feathered cloak and sat

leaving the place, returned turned home, the bird down to await her hus-

to her home. The next asked her who had been band's return At sunset

day tha second girl went chosen as the hondsomest ]ie came back from the

out to search for the miss- cavalier. "A young man," fair, 'IDid you return

ing beasts, and exactly he replied, "who rode a early !" he asked his wife.

the same thing happened, beautifnl grey horse. The "What has happened ?"

she also refusing to marry Queen of Beauty was And when she nodded her

the bird. On the third myself !" head he demanded—"And

morning, the youngest and what has become of mv

°.____f*V. i °r Ihe same thine hap- wnai nas uccume oi my

most beautiful of the £ ^ hird c]oak p., n have

three sisters undertook Penea ^^.-^ ? 1 burned it'" sherenlied

♦ o«„™k 0„a i u„ fair nnti the ast day Durnea it i , sne repnea.

ShUThk »rrfv'J It \t but one. On this occasion, "Whatever for ?", he re-

h rH ? ' W P Sf « the damsel was return^ turned, "it is an ill thing

a Led her to m^i him home, she happened that you have done, for

she L eed and .o"n to re8t for a ^tle" while that cloak was my only

:sethegrmfS'si:gndcatt8le6ha0d in the house of an old protecfon agains, the

Mf„,„„jsf„ . f„ woman who was a witch. demons ! W hat shall

been returned to her fa- aged dame asked her we do now, then ?" asked

ther, she went to live i ne agea aame asKed her > <«ihere

with him i« rh« „„„j«,p all about the fair, and ma weeping wire. mere

I \nZ ™8 told of the hand- » very little that can be

nouse. some youfch <<If on\y-, done" her husband ans-

"It so happened that the maiden sighed, f'I wered. "Anyhow, you sit
shortly afterwards there could be married to'such afc this door, and, keeping
was a festival in a local a husband, instead of a on the alert for seven
temple, the occasion being bird, T should asked for days, turn this devil's
marked by a thirteen-day no greater bliss either in stick. If you stop revolv-
fair, to which all people this world or the next !" *ng A the demons will
for miles around flocked, "Nonsense ! 'answered the carry me away. I myself
dressed in their best. It witch, ''the handsome wil1 naVe to do battle
wa9 the costom at this young cavalier at the fair wifch them for that period."
fair to select the best- was none other than your 'So, having propped
dressed and handsomest husband, in his teal form ! ner eyelids open with
couple,and to parade them Listen ! To-morrow, tha little sticks, the wife re-
round the ground. The last day of the fair, do volved the devil-rod for
damsel attended this enter- you only pretend to leave seven days. At the end
tainment. the house, but hide your- (Continued on page 12)