“He’s off hunting as always,” answered Shaja. “He will not be back until dinnertime this evening.”

“Then let us three go mushroom hunting in the forest,” said the aunt. “Wouldn’t they taste wonderful with dinner this evening?”

Shaja put her child in his cradle and went off with her aunt and cousin. Soon her aunt told Shaja that she was very thirsty, and Shaja went to a nearby well to fetch water.  The aunt pushed Shaja into the spring and ran back to the house with her daughter.  She took Shaja’s child from her cradle and put it in Bobu’s arms and ran to meet the returning Bulto.  As Bulto drew near he thought that Bobu was Shaja, but he soon recognized that something was wrong.

The aunt ran to him and explained that Shaja had fallen into the well and was dead.  Bulto raced his horse to the well, and when they arrived, the horse strained to stretch his tail to three times its normal length.  Bulto lowered the horse’s tail into the well, and the half-drowned Shaja was able to hold on as the horse drew her up.  She soon recovered, and the two rushed home.

As the aunt saw Shaja and Bulto running toward the house, she and her daughter jumped out the back window.  They ran into the forest and were eaten by two hungry wolves that were waiting there.

Pack Carnes is professor of Japanese studies and folklore at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois. He is the author of numerous books and articles on language studies and folklore. Part one, which appeared in last month’s issue, told stories of the origins of the Manchu people.