The rice broke into thousands of pieces and said, “From this time forth, we will wait in the fields until we are wanted,” and, from that time the rice has been of small grain, and the people of the earth must gather it into the granary from the fields.
VII
Parables and Proverbs
“One Woman in Deceit and Craft is More Than a Match for Eight Men”
Chum Paw was a maiden of the south country. Many suitors had she, but, by her craft and devices, each suitor thought himself the only one. Constantly did each seek her in marriage, and, upon a day as one pressed her to name the time of their nuptials, she said, “Build me a house, and I’ll marry you when all is in readiness.” To the others, did she speak the same words.
Each man sought the jungle for bamboo for a house, and, it happened, while they were in the jungle that they all met.
“What seekest thou?” they asked one another. “What seekest thou?” The one answer was, “I have come to fell wood for my house.”
And, as they ate their midday meal together, each had a bamboo stick, filled with chicken and rice. Now, it happened that Chum Paw had given the bamboo sticks to the men, and, lo, on investigation, they found the pieces in their various sticks were the parts of one chicken, and with one accord, they cried, “Chum Paw has deceived us. Come, let us kill her. Each has she promised to marry; each has she deceived.”
All were exceedingly angry and vowed they would kill the deceitful woman.