Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/325

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FOLK-LORE IN MONGOLIA.
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son Djabag, Djabag a son Kogedai, Kogedai a son Adjē Sultan. The Kuirkuiz were of the race of Kuirkuiz, who were infidels (Kapuirui).[1] Therefore the batuir (partisan) of the nation of Kazaks (Kirghis), by name Khodja-Bergen, went to war with them. On the spot of a certain battle there was found a boy-child of the enemy who had been deserted, him Khodja Bergen took, fed him, and made him khan of the nation of Kazak (Kirghis). That is why Uraltai Mamuir Khan, as a descendant of Kapuir (infidels), was enraged with Êseken-batuir when he called him a child of Kērgēz (Kuirkuiz?)—(The same as above.)


The Kirghis nobility descends from Kizzie-gurt (red worm), but Edzen Khan (Emperor of China) from stone.—(The same as above.)

Van, that is the Prince of the Bulugunsk Turgouths, gave a riddle to the Kirghis Sultan Adjē: " What is like three black things, and what is like three red things?" Adjē Sultan replied, "To a woman to be master is hard; to have no food when one desires to eat, no horses when one wants to ride is to the poor man hard. A large camel foal to the camel is hard. These are like three black things. The khan's eye is beauteous to the dog, the face of the bride is beautiful, the face of the khan's boy is beautiful. These are like three red things." Adjē had guessed and received from the Van a stone that is a ball for the cap.[2]—(Diurbiut tribe.)

The Diurbiuts say that the Tangnu-uryankhaits[3] descend from stone, because they have not noma books and call themselves Khara (black) uryankhai and also "kokchelutun."—(The same as above.)

In ancient times, in the time of Khal Khulu Khan, a part of the Mongol nation dwelt far to the west: this was a people of lofty race,

  1. Probably Arabic Kaffarini, infidels.
  2. Compare China mandarin button on cap.
  3. A Mongol tribe. The Tung nu is a name given by the Chinese to the Huns.