ushing's "Shan-English Dictionary"). They are universally worshiped by
the inhabitants of Burma. If a man has fever, the best thing to do is
to "_ling hpea_," that is, to feed the spirits, and the sufferer
therefore offers rice, betel-nut, painted sticks, etc. Some kinds of
_hpeas_ live in the sacred banyan trees, and frequently have I seen men,
after a long day's march in the jungle, sit shivering on the ground when
within an arm's length lay good dry fire-wood. It had fallen, however,
from a tree in which lived a _hpea_, and not a man would dare touch it.
Big combs of honey may be in the nests of the wild bees, but it is safe
from the hungry traveler if it is sheltered by such a tree. Some watch
over wells, tanks, and lakes, and it is notorious throughout the
Southern Shan States, that a promising young American missionary, who
was drowned while shooting, met his death by being dragged to the bottom
of the lake by the guardian spirit, who had become incensed at him for
killing a water-fowl on his domains.

In Shan folk-lore the hero does not "marry and live happy ever after,"
but he becomes the king of the country.

AMERICAN BAPTIST SHAN MISSION HOUSE,
BHAMO, BURMA, 1902.

CONTENTS

A LAUNG KHIT 9

HOW BOH HAN ME GOT HIS TITLE 19

THE TWO CHINAMEN 32

THE STORY OF THE PRINCESS NANG KAM UNG 45

HOW THE HARE DECEIVED THE TIGER 57

THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE 66

THE SPARROW'S WONDERFUL BROOD 78

HOW THE WORLD WAS CREATED 85

HOW THE KING OF PAGAN CAUGHT THE THIEF 92

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"_Each year at the Feast of Lights ... she prayed_" 10

"_The man standing at the top of the tree was the long-lost
brother_" 37

"_Again the cunning hare deceived the tiger_" 63

"'_I am nothing but a tortoise swimming in the lake_'" 68

"_On his way he saw what seemed to be a bed of flowers_" 79

FOLK LORE STORIES

"A LAUNG KHIT."[1]

Once upon a time there was a woman who lived in the State of Lai Hka.
She was a very pious woman and always gave the best rice and _puc_ to
the priests as they walked, rice _chattie_ in hand, through th