head of the government of this world, and the good gods
likewise wanting to be at the head. So the following arrangement was
agreed to: Whoever, at the time of sunrise, should be the first to see
the luminary, should rule the world. If the bad gods should be the first
to see it rise, then they should rule; and if the good gods should be
the first, then they should rule. Thereupon both the bad Gods and the
brilliant gods looked towards the place where the luminary was to rise.
But the fox[-god] alone stood looking towards the west. After a little
time, the fox cried out: "I see the sunrise." On the gods, both bad and
good, turning round and gazing, they saw in truth the refulgence of the
luminary in the west. This is the cause for which the brilliant gods
rule the world.--(Translated literally. Told by Ishanashte, 10th July,
1886.)

xvii.--_The Man who lost his Wife._

A man had lost his wife, and was searching for her everywhere, over hill
and dale, forest and sea-shore. At last he came to a wide plain, on
which stood an oak-tree. Going up to it he found it to be not so much an
oak-tree as a house, in which dwelt a kind-looking old man. Said the old
man: "I am the god of the oak-tree. I know of your loss, and have seen
your faithful search. Rest here awhile, and refresh yourself by eating
and smoking. After that, if you hope to find your wife again, you must
obey my orders, which are as follows: Take this golden horse, get on his
back, fly up on him to the sky, and, when you get there, ride about the
streets, constantly singing."

So the man mounted the horse, which was of pure gold. The saddle and all
the trappings were of gold also. As soon as he was in the saddle, the
horse flew up to the sky. There the man found a world like ours, but
more beautiful. There was an immense city in it; and up and down the
streets of that city, day after day, he rode, singing all the while.
Every one in the sky stared at him, and all the people put their hands
to their noses, saying: "How that creature from the lower world stinks!"
At last the stench became so intolerable to them that the chief god of
the sky came and told him that he should be made to find his wife if
only he would go away. Thereupon the man flew back to earth on his
golden horse. Alighting at the foot of the oak-tree, he said to the
oak-god: "Here am I. I did as you bade me. But I did not find my wife."
"Wait a moment," said the oak-god; "you do not know what a t