the golden bough-第257章

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ll　the　ogres　dwell　in　Ceylon；　and　that　all　their　lives　are　in　a　single　lemon。　A　boy　cuts　the　lemon　in　pieces；　and　all　the　ogres　die。

In　a　Siamese　or　Cambodian　story；　probably　derived　from　India；　we　are　told　that　Thossakan　or　Ravana；　the　King　of　Ceylon；　was　able　by　magic　art　to　take　his　soul　out　of　his　body　and　leave　it　in　a　box　at　home；　while　he　went　to　the　wars。　Thus　he　was　invulnerable　in　battle。　When　he　was　about　to　give　battle　to　Rama；　he　deposited　his　soul　with　a　hermit　called　Fire…eye；　who　was　to　keep　it　safe　for　him。　So　in　the　fight　Rama　was　astounded　to　see　that　his　arrows　struck　the　king　without　wounding　him。　But　one　of　Rama's　allies；　knowing　the　secret　of　the　king's　invulnerability；　transformed　himself　by　magic　into　the　likeness　of　the　king；　and　going　to　the　hermit　asked　back　his　soul。　On　receiving　it　he　soared　up　into　the　air　and　flew　to　Rama；　brandishing　the　box　and　squeezing　it　so　hard　that　all　the　breath　left　the　King　of　Ceylon's　body；　and　he　died。　In　a　Bengalee　story　a　prince　going　into　a　far　country　planted　with　his　own　hands　a　tree　in　the　courtyard　of　his　father's　palace；　and　said　to　his　parents；　This　tree　is　my　life。　When　you　see　the　tree　green　and　fresh；　then　know　that　it　is　well　with　me；　when　you　see　the　tree　fade　in　some　parts；　then　know　that　I　am　in　an　ill　case；　and　when　you　see　the　whole　tree　fade；　then　know　that　I　am　dead　and　gone。　In　another　Indian　tale　a　prince；　setting　forth　on　his　travels；　left　behind　him　a　barley　plant；　with　instructions　that　it　should　be　carefully　tended　and　watched；　for　if　it　flourished；　he　would　be　alive　and　well；　but　if　it　drooped；　then　some　mischance　was　about　to　happen　to　him。　And　so　it　fell　out。　For　the　prince　was　beheaded；　and　as　his　head　rolled　off；　the　barley　plant　snapped　in　two　and　the　ear　of　barley　fell　to　the　ground。

In　Greek　tales；　ancient　and　modern；　the　idea　of　an　external　soul　is　not　uncommon。　When　Meleager　was　seven　days　old；　the　Fates　appeared　to　his　mother　and　told　her　that　Meleager　would　die　when　the　brand　which　was　blazing　on　the　hearth　had　burnt　down。　So　his　mother　snatched　the　brand　from　the　fire　and　kept　it　in　a　box。　But　in　after…years；　being　enraged　at　her　son　for　slaying　her　brothers；　she　burnt　the　brand　in　the　fire　and　Meleager　expired　in　agonies；　as　if　flames　were　preying　on　his　vitals。　Again；　Nisus　King　of　Megara　had　a　purple　or　golden　hair　on　the　middle　of　his　head；　and　it　was　fated　that　whenever　the　hair　was　pulled　out　the　king　should　die。　When　Megara　was　besieged　by　the　Cretans；　the　king's　daughter　Scylla　fell　in　love　with　Minos；　their　king；　and　pulled　out　the　fatal　hair　from　her　father's　head。　So　he　died。　In　a　modern　Greek　folk…tale　a　man's　strength　lies　in　three　golden　hairs　on　his　head。　When　his　mother　pulls　them　out；　he　grows　weak　and　timid　and　is　slain　by　his　enemies。　In　another　modern　Greek　story　the　life　of　an　enchanter　is　bound　up　with　three　doves　which　are　in　the　belly　of　a　wild　boar。　When　the　first　dove　is　killed；　the　magician　grows　sick；　when　the　second　is　killed；　he　grows　very　sick；　and　when　the　third　is　killed；　he　dies。　In　another　Greek　story　of　the　same　sort　an　ogre's　strength　is　in　three　singing　birds　which　are　in　a　wild　boar。　The　hero　kills　two　of　the　birds；　and　then　coming　to　the　ogre's　house　finds　him　lying　on　the　ground　in　great　pain。　He　shows　the　third　bird　to　the　ogre；　who　begs　that　the　hero　will　either　let　it　fly　away　or　give　it　to　him　to　eat。　But　the　hero　wrings　the　bird's　neck；　and　the　ogre　dies　on　the　spot。

In　a　modern　Roman　version　of　Aladdin　and　the　Wonderful　Lamp；　the　magician　tells　the　princess；　whom　he　holds　captive　in　a　floating　rock　in　mid…ocean；　that　he　will　never　die。　The　princess　reports　this　to　the　prince　her　husband；　who　has　come　to　rescue　her。　The　prince　replies；　It　is　impossible　but　that　there　should　be　some　one　thing　or　other　that　is　fatal　to　him；　ask　him　what　that　one　fatal　thing　is。　So　the　princess　asked　the　magician；　and　he　told　her　that　in　the　wood　was　a　hydra　with　seven　heads；　in　the　middle　head　of　the　hydra　was　a　leveret；　in　the　head　of　the　leveret　was　a　bird；　in　the　bird's　head　was　a　precious　stone；　and　if　this　stone　were　put　under　his　pillow　he　would　die。　The　prince　procured　the　stone；　and　the　princess　laid　it　under　the　magician's　pillow。　No　sooner　did　the　enchanter　lay　his　head　on　the　pillow　than　he　gave　three　terrible　yells；　turned　himself　round　and　round　three　times；　and　died。

Stories　of　the　same　sort　are　current　among　Slavonic　peoples。　Thus　a　Russian　story　tells　how　a　warlock　called　Koshchei　the　Deathless　carried　off　a　princess　and　kept　her　prisoner　in　his　golden　castle。　However；　a　prince　made　up　to　her　one　day　as　she　was　walking　alone　and　disconsolate　in　the　castle　garden；　and　cheered　by　the　prospect　of　escaping　with　him　she　went　to　the　warlock　and　coaxed　him　with　false　and　flattering　words；　saying；　My　dearest　friend；　tell　me；　I　pray　you；　will　you　never　die？　Certainly　not；　says　he。　Well；　says　she；　and　where　is　your　death？　is　it　in　your　dwelling？　To　be　sure　it　is；　says　he；　it　is　in　the　broom　under　the　threshold。　Thereupon　the　princess　seized　the　broom　and　threw　it　on　the　fire；　but　although　the　broom　burned；　the　deathless　Koshchei　remained　alive；　indeed　not　so　much　as　a　hair　of　him　was　singed。　Balked　in　her　first　attempt；　the　artful　hussy　pouted　and　said；　You　do　not　love　me　true；　for　you　have　not　told　me　where　your　death　is；　yet　I　am　not　angry；　but　love　you　with　all　my　heart。　With　these　fawning　words　she　besought　the　warlock　to　tell　her　truly　where　his　death　was。　So　he　laughed　and　said；　Why　do　you　wish　to　know？　Well　then；　out　of　love　I　will　tell　you　where　it　lies。　In　a　certain　field　there　stand　three　green　oaks；　and　under　the　roots　of　the　largest　oak　is　a　worm；　and　if　ever　this　worm　is　found　and　crushed；　that　instant　I　shall　die。　When　the　princess　heard　these　words；　she　went　straight　to　her　lover　and　told　him　all；　and　he　searched　till　he　found　the　oaks　and　dug　up　the　worm　and　crushed　it。　Then　he　hurried　to　the　warlock's　castle；　but　only　to　learn　from　the　princess　that　the　warlock　was　still　alive。　Then　she　fell　to　wheedling　and　coaxing　Koshchei　once　more；　and　this　time；　overcome　by　her　wiles；　he　opened　his　heart　to　her　and　told　her　the　truth。　My　death；　said　he；　is　far　from　here　and　hard　to　find；　on　the　wide　ocean。　In　that　sea　is　an　island；　and　on　the　island　there　grows　a　green　oak；　and　beneath　the　oak　is　an　iron　chest；　and　in　the　chest　is　a　small　basket；　and　in　the　basket　is　a　hare；　and　in　the　hare　is　a　duck；　and　in　the　duck　is　an　egg；　and　he　who　finds　the　egg　and　breaks　it；　kills　me　at　the　same　time。　The　prince　naturally　procured　the　fateful　egg　and　with　it　in　his　hands　he　confronted　the　deathless　warlock。　The　monster　would　have　killed　him；　but　the　prince　began　to　squeeze　the　egg。　At　that　the　warlock　shrieked　with　pain；　and　turning　to　the　false　princess；　who　stood　by　smirking　and　smiling；　Was　it　not　out　of　love　for　you；　said　he；　that　I　told　you　where　my　death　was？　And　is　this　the　return　you　make　to　me？　With　that　he　grabbed　at　his　sword；　which　hung　from　a　peg　on　the　wall；　but　before　he　could　reach　it；　the　prince　had　crushed　the　egg；　and　sure　enough　the　deathless　warlock　found　his　death　at　the　same　moment。　In　one　of　the　descriptions　of　Koshchei's　death；　he　is　said　to　be　killed　by　a　blow　on　the　forehead　inflicted　by　the　mysterious　eggthat　last　link　in　the　magic　chain　by　which　his　life　is　darkly　bound。　In　another　version　of　the　same　story；　but　told　of　a　snake；　the　fatal　blow　is　struck　by　a　small　stone　found　in　the　yolk　of　an　egg；　which　is　inside　a　duck；　which　is　inside　a　hare；　which　is　inside　a　stone；　which　is　on　an　island。

Amongst　peoples　of　the　Teutonic　stock　stories　of　the　external　soul　are　not　wanting。　In　a　tale　told　by　the　Saxons　of　Transylvania　it　is　said　that　a　young　man　shot　at　a　witch　again　and　again。　The　bullets　went　clean　through　her　but　did　her　no　harm；　and　she　only　laughed　and　mocked　at　him。　Silly　earthworm；　she　cried；　shoot　as　much　as　you　like。　It　does　me　no　harm。　For　know　that　my　life　resides　not　in　me　but　far；　far　away。　In　a　mountain　is　a　pond；　on　the　pond　swims　a　duck；　in　the　duck　is　an　egg；　in　the　egg　burns　a　light；　that　light　is　my　life。　If　you　could　put　out　that　light；　my　life　would　be　at　an　end。　But　that　can　never；　never　be。　However；　the　young　man　got　hold　of　the　egg；　smashe