umult has
been caused by your visit to the sky, neither have I yet told you that
it was a demon who stole your wife. This demon, looking up from hell
below, was so much astonished to see and hear you riding up and down the
streets of heaven singing, that his gaze is still fixed in that
direction. I will profit hereby to go round quietly, while his attention
is absorbed, and let your wife out of the box in which he keeps her shut
up."

The oak-god did as he had promised. He brought back the woman, and
handed over both her and the gold horse to the man, saying: "Do not use
this horse to make any more journeys to the sky. Stay on earth, and
breed from it." The couple obeyed his commands, and became very rich.
The gold horse gave birth to two horses, and these two bred likewise,
till at last horses filled all the land of the Ainos.--(Written down
from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 21st July, 1886.)

xviii.--_The First Appearance of the Horse in Aino-land._

A very beautiful woman had a husband. He was a very skilful fellow. Once
he went to the mountains, and disappeared. But at night he returned,
bearing a deer on his back. After feasting on the deer, they went to
bed. But in the middle of the night, the woman wept and screamed,
saying: "This man is not my husband. Though with shame, I will declare
the fact as it is. His penis is so big, so big, so big, that it will not
get into my vagina; and if it did get in, I should die."

Alarmed by her cries, the neighbours ran out, and came into her house;
and one strong fellow took a stick, and beat the husband, saying: "You
must be some sort of devil," whereupon the husband turned into a horse,
and ran away neighing. Afterwards he was beaten to death.

The truth was that the husband had been killed and supplanted by the
horse. That was the first the Ainos saw of horses. In ancient days every
sort of creature could thus assume human shape. So it is
said.--(Translated literally. Told by Penri, 12th July, 1886.)

xix.--_Sunrise._

When the sun rises at the head of the world [_i.e._ in the east], a
devil tries to swallow it. But some one thrusts two or three crows or
foxes into the devil's mouth. Meanwhile the sun mounts on high. The
creatures, than which there are none more numerous in this world, are
the crows and the foxes. That is why things are thus. In return for this
service of theirs, the crows and foxes share in all man's eatables. It
is because of the above fact.--(