List of Illustrations.

[A Group of Laos Girls] [Frontispiece]
[Types of the Laos People] Facing page [15]
[A Laos Forest-stream] “ “ [28]
[The Laos Governor’s Wife at her Embroidery Frame] “ “ [57]
[A Group of Buddhist Priests] “ “ [66]
[The Interior of a Buddhist Temple]
[Monastery Grounds at Chieng Tung, Laos] “ “ [72]
[At Work in the Rice Fields] “ “ [86]
[The ”Chow” and his Palace] “ “ [96]
[A Laos Feast] “ “ [136]
[A Street in a Laos Town]

I
Tales of the Jungle

A Child of The Woods

Deep in the forest of the North there is a large village of jungle people, and, among them is one old woman, who is held in reverence by all. The stranger who asks why she is honored as a princess is thus answered by her:

“Verily, I have much boon,[1] for I am but a child of nature. When I was a young maiden, it fell upon a day that my heart grew hot with anger. For many days the anger grew until it filled my whole heart, also were my eyes so red that I could see but dimly, and no longer could I live in the village or among my own people, for I hated all men and I felt that the beasts of the forest were more to me than my kindred. Therefore, I fled from the face of man into the jungle where no human foot had ever gone. All day I journeyed, running as though my feet would never weary and feeling no pangs of hunger. When the darkness closed about me, I was not afraid, but lay down under the shelter of a tree, and, for a time, slept peacefully, as peacefully as though in my own home. At length, I [16 ] was awakened by the breath of an animal, and, in the clear light of the moon, I saw a large tiger before me. It smelled of my face, my hands and my feet, then seated itself by my head and watched me through the night, and I lay there unafraid. In the early morning, the tiger departed and I continued my journey. Quieter was my heart. Still, I disliked my own people but had no fear of the beasts or the reptiles of the forest.

During the day I ate of the fruit which grew wild in abundance, and at night I slept ’neath a tree, protected and guarded by fierce, wild beasts which molested not my sleep. For many days I wandered thus, and the nights were secure; for the wild beasts watched over and protected me. Thus my heart grew cool in my bosom, and I no longer hated my people; and, after one moon had gone, I found myself near a village. The people wondered to see me approach from the jungle, dreaded as being the jungle of the man-eating tiger. When I related my story, the people were filled with wonder and brought rich gifts to me. For a year and a day I abode there, and no more the wild beasts molested their cattle.

But my heart yearned to see the face of my [17 ] kindred again, so, laden with silver, gold and rich garments and seated in the howdah[2] of an elephant, the people escorted me to my own village, and here have I abode in content these one hundred years.

[1]: Merit.