The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)Frazer, James George
ReligionComparative
The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)
Frazer, James George
Magic; Mythology; Religion; Superstition
parrot is killed I must die. It is, however,’ he added, ‘impossible that
the parrot should sustain any injury, both on account of the
inaccessibility of the country, and because, by my appointment, many
thousand genii surround the palm-trees, and kill all who approach the
place.’ ” But the queen’s young son overcame all difficulties, and got
possession of the parrot. He brought it to the door of the magician’s
palace, and began playing with it. Punchkin, the magician, saw him, and,
coming out, tried to persuade the boy to give him the parrot. “ ‘Give me
my parrot!’ cried Punchkin. Then the boy took hold of the parrot and tore
off one of his wings; and as he did so the magician’s right arm fell off.
Punchkin then stretched out his left arm, crying, ‘Give me my parrot!’ The
prince pulled off the parrot’s second wing, and the magician’s left arm
tumbled off. ‘Give me my parrot!’ cried he, and fell on his knees. The
prince pulled off the parrot’s right leg, the magician’s right leg fell
off; the prince pulled off the parrot’s left leg, down fell the magician’s
left. Nothing remained of him except the lifeless body and the head; but
still he rolled his eyes, and cried, ‘Give me my parrot!’ ‘Take your
parrot, then,’ cried the boy; and with that he wrung the bird’s neck, and
threw it at the magician; and, as he did so, Punchkin’s head twisted
round, and, with a fearful groan, he died!”(797) In another Hindoo tale an
ogre is asked by his daughter, “ ‘Papa, where do you keep your soul?’
‘Sixteen miles away from this place,’ said he, ‘is a tree. Round the tree
are tigers, and bears, and scorpions, and snakes; on the top of the tree
is a very great fat snake; on his head is a little cage; in the cage is a
bird; and my soul is in that bird.’ ” The end of the ogre is like that of
the magician in the previous tale. As the bird’s wings and legs are torn
off, the ogre’s arms and legs drop off; and when its neck is wrung he
falls down dead.(798)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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