STORIES 443

ing again a moment later in a different position. Finally the smug saw
the youth’s reflection in the water and was deceived into diving after it.
When he came to the surface, after catching nothing, and again saw the
reflection, the stupid monster concluded that he must have been mis-
taken, and that the image which he saw could be no other than his own,
that he was more handsome than he dared to believe. What he especially
admired was a pair of abalone-shell earrings which the youth always
wore.*® The amused youth, sitting immediately above the creature, de-
termined to continue the game. When the svg moved his head side-
ways, the boy did the same; when he moved it up and down, so did the
boy; when he scratched his brow, the lad did likewise. The smug was
completely baffled. At last this became monotonous, so the youth called
_ outtothe monster. With a crash the animal’s dreams of his own charms
vanished and he was filled with grief and envy.

“Oh! I wish I were as beautiful as you are,” he called out. “If you
know what your mother did to make you so handsome, won’t you please
do the same for me?”

“Are you brave enough?” asked the boy.

“Yes, yes,” eagerly replied the swumig. “I would do anything to have
your beauty.”

“All right then,” replied the youth, ‘‘but remember my parents took
drastic steps to obtain me my beauty. You are sure you are brave
enough?”

“Yes,” said the monster, firmly.

“All right then,” continued the boy. “My father placed a heavy
stone on my forehead, let’s go and find one.”

They went up the stream together until they found a fine smooth
stone about three feet long. The boy told the smug to lie down on his
back, and, when the animal had done so, he placed the stone on his
forehead.

“Oh! oh!” cried szunug, “I am frightened, it is too heavy, please stop.”

“T did not cry like a baby when my father put such a stone on my
head to make me beautiful,” said the boy. “Keep quiet!”

“All right,” cried the troubled animal, who was thoroughly frightened,
yet at the same time desirous of obtaining beauty. “‘I want to be lovely,
go ahead! I’ll be brave.”

_ When the boy replaced the stone on the szug’s head the latter began
to wail more loudly than before. The youth grew angry.

“If you don’t lie still,” he said, ‘you will come to harm.”

In his fear the smug had risen to a sitting position, but when he again
lay down the youth decided it was time to act. Taking the stone in both

‘SWhy the smug did not realize that he was not the wearer of such is a point
the story does not elucidate.