STORIES 495

and had almost caught his wife when she dropped the bladder which
became a lake around the edge of which her pursuer had to make his way.
Again he almost overtook her, but she eluded him by throwing the whet-
stone, which grew to a precipitous mountain without trees. For a long
time Stump was unable to scale this, but at last he succeeded. A fourth
time he drew near his wife, but she hurled down the comb which became
a forest consisting of sparse, large trees with dense undergrowth between.
Stump’s hair became entangled in the branches so that he could make
little progress.

This version briefly describes how the woman reached Adguntim’s
home, though unaware that she had been climbing, how he made her his
wife, and how he set fire to the pursuing Stump.

THE GIRLS WHO VISITED Nusmd@t-a

Not long after the earth was first populated, there was living in
Kimsquit a man who had four daughters, the eldest about sixteen years
old. Some four years before the story opens, this girl had reached
puberty, when, according to custom, she was secluded in a corner of the
house for one year. Whether on account of poverty, or for some other
reason, when this period had elapsed the father did not make the necessary
arrangements for her marriage, but continued to keep her in confinement.
As the second and third daughter in turn reached adolescence, each was
shut up with the eldest, who had been virtually a prisoner for four years.
Whenever they left the house their harsh mother went with them to see
that they spoke to no one; they were most unhappy. At length they
decided to flee from home, not caring whither they went. On confiding
their intention to the youngest sister, who had not yet reached woman-
hood, she insisted on joining them.

The four watched for an opportunity to slip away from the village
unobserved. Not heeding where they were going, they followed a track
up the river bank; it led to Sonx”‘, though they knew it not. At length
they came to a house, and, peering within, saw a man who invited them
to enter, saying that he knew about them. They went in and sat down,
realizing for the first time that the house was rather peculiar, bigger than
any they had ever seen, and that the people, too, were different. It was
Nusmét-a, and the man was A7zguntim himself; he had willed the little
girls to come that way, though they were unaware of it at the time. Their
host’s slave brought them a meal consisting of four bearberries which he
served on a tiny thimble-like dish. The hungry little girls thought there
would not be enough for all, but, though they said nothing, A/juntdm’s
wife knew their thoughts and told them that they would be unable to