Of forest leaves an unbound bale
Oh! brothers dear, I weeping sing
While business you far hence hath lured.
As she was sitting in the forest weeping a Horhorang serpent drew near and said, “Wherefore daughter do you grieve?” She replied, “My sisters-in-law hate me and have ordered me to bring leaves without tying them into a bundle. I cannot do this, and I fear their resentment, so I cannot help weeping.” The Horhorang said, “Vex not yourself. Go and pluck your leaves and bring them here.” She did so, and the Horhorang twined himself round them binding them into a sheaf, which the girl placed upon her head, and carried home.
When her sisters-in-law saw the leaves, and had looked to see that none had fallen by the way they were greatly chagrined. They had expected an opportunity to reproach her with disobedience, and a reason for punishing her.
Although her sisters-in-law had imposed so many impossibilities upon her, yet they had been unable to defeat her. Just at the proper time some one had appeared to help her.
They had seen a bunch of flowers on the top of a high tree, and one day when their husbands were away, they said to her, “Climb up into the tree and pluck the flowers, we wish to dress our hair with them on the occasion of your marriage.” No sooner had she clambered up into the tree than her sisters-in-law placed thorny bushes all round in such a manner as to prevent her coming down again. They then went home.
A few days afterwards, the brothers, when returning from a distant market to which they had gone rested for a little under this tree. A tear drop fell on the hand of one of them. Looking at it he said, “Look brothers, this tear drop resembles those of the daughter.” Then they looked and saw her high up in the tree. They quickly brought her down, and she related how in time past she had been persecuted by her sisters-in-law whenever they were absent. The brothers were wroth with their wives for having used her so cruelly.
The brothers put their sister into a bag, and carried her home on a bullock’s back. When the wives came out to welcome them, they asked, “Where is the daughter?” They gave no reply.
Afterwards the brothers dug a deep well, and on the pretence of propitiating the water spirit induced their wives to stand round the well with offerings of rice, &c., in their hands. At a given signal each hurled his wife head foremost into the well. They then placed a cart over the opening.