At a village a woman was married to a man. The woman has much fondness for food consisting of fowls’ flesh. The woman having stolen the fowls, without the man’s knowing it eats [them] in the night when the man has gone to sleep. When she was eating every day in this manner, the man perceived it one day.

After that, the man through the necessity for catching this theft, one day said to the woman at night, “Bolan, I cannot [bear] in the cold. Go to the place where the bundles of firewood are, and bring a little firewood.” Then the woman says, “Ane! Appa! In this darkness I cannot go through fear.” After that, the man, not saying it again, remained without doing anything.

On the following day, also, the man told her in the very same manner. On that day, also, this woman said, “Ane! Appa! I cannot go alone.” On both these days he was unable to catch the woman’s theft.

In the night of the following day the man lay down, and in the manner as though asleep the man began to snore. On that day, too, having said [to herself], “The man has gone to sleep,” the woman arose and went for fowl stealing. The man having allowed the woman to go, and having arisen also, began to go behind her.

On that day a man of the village having died had been cremated also. The woman went to a village near the heap of fire-charcoal (the remains of the funeral pyre), and stealing a fowl from a house, came near that charcoal fire at the place of cremation (sohon), and having put the fowl upon the charcoal, roasted it. When she was eating the meat that man, having been hidden, threw a stone [at her]. When it struck her the woman says, “What are you throwing stones for?”1 Having said, “Here. The demon-offering for ye; take that,” she throws down a fowl bone.

The man gathers the bone which she throws. The man again throws a stone. Having spoken in that very manner she throws away a bone; that also the man gathers. The man again throws a stone. In this very manner, the man having thrown stones, collected seven or eight bones. [After] collecting them he came home before the woman, and lay down.

The woman having eaten the flesh and having finished, came back, and prepared to sleep. Then the man having gone to sleep [apparently], and as through arising having broken up his bodily reluctance [to get up], arose, and said, “Bolan, I cannot [bear] in the cold; bring a bundle of firewood from the place where the bundles of firewood are.”

That day, also, the woman said, “Ane! Appa! I cannot go alone.”

Then the man scolds her: “Bola, strumpet! During the whole night thou canst go to steal fowls; why canst thou not go to bring a bundle of firewood?”

Well then, the woman having said, “It is not so,” began to swear [to it]. Then the man having said, “What are these, Bola?” showed her the fowl bones. Then the woman’s breath was drawn upward2; in that very way the woman’s life departed.

North-western Province.