🧚 How He Found the Lost Turquoise.

There was once an old woman living in Tibet whose husband had died and left her alone with her only son.1

As the Boy grew up, his Mother grew more and more fond of him, and disliked parting from him even for a moment.2 She was afraid that if he left her house and began wandering about by himself some accident might happen to him, and she would be left desolate in her old age.3 So the older he grew the more careful she became, until at last she saw that it was impossible to restrain the Boy any longer, and it would be necessary for him to go out into the world to seek his fortune, just as other young men of his age had to do.4 So when he had reached the age of fifteen she waited till the fifteenth day of the sixth month, which is a very auspicious date, and calling the Boy to her, she presented him with a new suit of clothes, a horse, a dog, a gun and a sword; and she told him that he was now at liberty to leave his home and to go out into the world to seek his fortune.5

The Boy was greatly delighted at receiving these gifts and with the prospect of meeting with some adventures, so after saying farewell to his Mother, he mounted his horse, and with the dog trotting at his heels he started away down the road.6 All day he rode quietly along by himself without meeting with any adventures, and towards evening he reached a high plateau near the top of a range of mountains.7 As he was crossing the plateau a fox jumped up in front of him and ran off towards the mountains.8 The dog, on seeing the fox, started to chase it; while the young Man, thinking he was to have some fun at last, galloped after the dog as fast as he could.9

After running for some distance the fox suddenly disappeared into his earth, and the Boy, riding up, dismounted at the mouth of the hole, and began to scheme how he was to catch the fox when he came out.10 So he took off his cloak [10] and fastened it to the saddle with his sword and his gun, and then placed his horse a little to one side of the fox’s earth, whilst his dog stood ready at the other side; and he himself took off his hat and put it over the mouth of the hole, and taking a large stone in his hand, he crouched down ready to slay the fox when it came out.11

After sitting waiting for some time the fox all of a sudden darted out of its earth, and ran off towards the hills, with the Boy’s hat sticking over its head.12 It came so suddenly that he had no time to hit it with his stone, or to interrupt its flight.13 The dog, on seeing the fox go off, at once started in full pursuit; and the horse, excited by the dog’s cries, galloped off after the pair, and in a few moments all three were lost to sight in the gathering darkness.14 The poor Boy found himself in a moment bereft of all his possessions—his horse, his dog, his gun, his sword, his hat, and even his outer robe, which he had strapped on his saddle, had all disappeared.15 After running after his horse for some distance he gave it up in despair, and lay down to pass the night as best he could under a big poplar-tree.16

He woke towards dawn, and, looking up into the branches of the tree, he saw a large Raven’s nest, on which an old Raven was sitting hatching her eggs, whilst Father Raven perched on a branch near by.17 When day broke the two Ravens began talking to one another.18

“Good-morning, Father Raven,” said the old bird on the nest, “who is this sleeping under our tree?”19

“That,” replied Father Raven, “is a foolish home-bred Boy who has no experience of the world.20 In trying to catch a fox last night he lost his horse, his gun, his sword, his dog, and even his clothes, and now he has not the least idea where to find them.”21

“Yes, so I see,” replied Mother Raven, “but it is clear, nevertheless, that all he has to do is to go towards the villages which lie towards the east from here—there he will meet with good fortune.”22

On hearing this the Boy at once started off towards the east, and proceeding for some little distance, he met an old Beggar Man, to whom he related the whole of his story, and asked him if by any chance he had seen the missing property.23 The old Man, seeing before him only a poor Boy, without even a hat or a cloak, did not believe a word of this story, so he only laughed at him and mocked him; and finally, when the Boy grew angry, gave him a sound beating, and left him to go on his way disconsolate.24

Wandering on a little further, he came to a big house where a wedding feast was being celebrated.25 Coming timidly up to the door of the house, he peeped in at the guests, and presently one of the servants happening to pass by, he related his sad story.26 But just then the Bridegroom caught sight of him, and called out in a rough voice:27

“Who are you who come crying here at my wedding feast?28 We want no woebegone faces here to-day to bring us bad luck.29 Go away, you ill-omened creature.”30

So the poor Boy slank away sadly, and after wandering about till nightfall he reached another large house further towards the east.31 After the reception he had received from the wedding party he was afraid to go in or to knock at the door, so creeping into the backyard he dug himself a nest in the manure heap, and crouched down in this for warmth, all hidden except his head.32 Thus he spent the night comfortably enough.33

Early next morning the pigs belonging to the place began to poke about the yard and the manure heap, and several of them, as they passed, rooted at his head with their snouts to see if he was anything good to eat.34

He could not stand this very long, so finally, screwing up his courage, he went to the back door of the house, and asked one of the servants to lend him a knife, saying that he wanted it to cut up the dry meat which formed his breakfast.35 The servant lent him a knife, and as soon as he had got it he enticed one of the pigs away to a quiet corner, where he killed it and cut off its head; and taking with him some strips of its flesh, he returned to his nest in the manure, and hid himself there again, together with the pig’s head, waiting to see what would turn up.36

Towards noon the Lady of the house came out into the yard, and as she was moving about superintending the various farming operations, it happened that a large and valuable turquoise fell out of her headdress without her noticing it.37 When, after a few minutes, she went back into the house, leaving the turquoise lying in the middle of the yard, the Boy thought that this would be a good opportunity of getting the turquoise for himself, but he was afraid to leave his nest for fear of being noticed; so picking up a piece of rag from amongst the manure he threw it over the turquoise, concealing it from sight.38

Shortly after, one of the maid-servants came out of the house, and seeing a piece of rag lying in the middle of the yard, she picked it up, and the turquoise with it, and thrust them both into a crevice in the wall.39

Just then a great uproar arose from the house, where the Lady had discovered the loss of her turquoise.40 The whole household was summoned, and set to work to search for the missing jewel.41 For some time great bustle prevailed, everyone searching hither and thither, and ransacking every hole and corner; but no one thought of examining the piece of dirty rag thrust carelessly into a crevice of the farmyard wall.42

Finding that all their efforts were of no avail, the Lady of the house sent off in hot haste to summon all the most famous diviners, magicians, and lamas of the neighbourhood, and these, when they arrived, began practising all kinds of spells and casting auguries in the hope of discovering what had become of the turquoise; but all in vain, and when nightfall arrived, they were no better off than they were before.43

Towards evening they packed up their various magical instruments and spells, and went away very downhearted; and as soon as they were gone the Boy emerged from his hiding-place, and going boldly to the house, he said that he was a famous magician and could find the turquoise for them; and he asked that on the following morning all the diviners and lamas should again be summoned, as well as the inhabitants of all the neighbouring houses.44 The Lady of the house was at first inclined to ridicule the idea of this disreputable-looking beggar being able to accomplish what none of these famous sorcerers could do; but thinking it worth while to give the Boy a chance, she decided to do what he suggested, and meanwhile ordered her servants to let him have a good supper, of which he stood badly in need.45

Next morning, about ten o’clock, a large crowd of people assembled in the courtyard of the house.46 In addition to the magicians and lamas of the day before, a great many of the neighbours had obeyed the summons, and amongst them were the people who had treated the poor Boy so badly during their wedding feast, and the Beggar who had reviled and beaten him.47 As soon as they were all seated in rows ready to see what was going to happen, the Boy, holding the pig’s head under his arm, presented himself before them all, and addressed them as follows:48

“Now,” said he, “I hope in a few minutes to be able to discover the missing turquoise, for I am possessed of magic qualities of unusual power.49 In my search I shall be assisted by this enchanted pig’s head which I hold under my arm.50 Owing to the spell I have cast upon it, it is able at once to detect a thief or a dishonest person, and also to discover stolen property.”51

So saying he took the pig’s head in both hands, and holding its snout towards the company, he went round from person to person, halting for a moment in front of each.52 Presently he arrived in front of the Bridegroom, who had been so rude to him some days before, and the pig’s head at once became violently agitated, and kept poking itself towards this man.53

“Ah!” said the Boy, “here is evidently a dishonest man; it is no good our proceeding any further in our search until he has been beaten and turned out of here.”54

The other people at once seized upon the wretched man, and after giving him a severe thrashing, they turned him out of the place.55 Next to him was sitting the Beggar who had so insulted the Boy, and who had disbelieved his story.56 Here, again, the pig’s head became violently agitated, and the Beggar, too, was well beaten and turned out.57 Having got rid of these two persons, the Boy now began to walk round the yard, the pig’s snout apparently sniffing carefully at every part of the wall in the farm buildings.58 Presently, coming to the crevice into which the rag had been thrust by the servant-maid, he moved the pig’s head violently to and fro.59

“Ah!” cried he, “the missing turquoise must be somewhere near here.”60

On hearing this everyone began to search about in that neighbourhood, and in a few minutes the turquoise was found inside the rag thrust into the crevice of the wall.61

The Mistress of the house on recovering her turquoise was greatly elated.62 She took the Boy into the house, and having presented him with a new suit of clothes, and given him all he wanted to eat and drink, she handed him a large sum of money, and he went on his way in a far better plight than when he had first arrived there.63