f the feasting there
was a flash of brilliant light and two wonderful beings alighted. They
were clothed in dazzling white, and flew swifter than when a kingfisher
darts from a tree toward its prey in the water.

Every one came crowding around as near as they dared, and upon their
knees offered presents of food to the wonderful beings.

First and foremost came the princesses, who bowed till their foreheads
touched the dust; they lifted their clasped hands over their heads and
turned away their faces while they offered the sweetest and most savory
food to the visitors. But it was noticed that although the spirits ate
the food offered by the _amats_ and common people, they would not eat
that given by the princesses, but wrapped it up and placed it on one
side.

The next day the princesses came to their sister's house and derided
her. "O wife of an animal," they cried, "you would not come to the
feast, and so you lost the chance of seeing the mighty Lord Sa Kyah
descend from the _hpea_ country," and then they told of the wonderful
sight, and again made fun of their unfortunate sister.

Khit's wife smiled at them and then she said: "It is you who are
unfortunate, not I. My husband is not the ugly animal you think him to
be, but is a great and powerful _hpea_. It was not the Lord Sa Kyah who
descended yesterday, but his son, my husband, and myself, and to prove
my words, whose are these?" and she produced the very bundles of food
that her sisters had offered the day before to the supposed ruler of all
spirits.

The sisters were surprised to see that she had the food there, but they
laughed her to scorn when she told them of her husband.

In order that his son should become mighty and famous, the Lord Sa Kyah
sent one of his attendants to the king, and caused him to give an order
to his children that they should have a boat race. The one who reached
the winning post first and carried away the flag on its rattan pole was
to be king in his room, and the one who came in last was to be slave to
the fortunate one.

There were great preparations among the servants of the six princesses,
and many wagers were made as to who would be successful, but none wished
to wager as to who would come in last, as all knew it would be the
youngest sister.

"She has no boat," said they, "and has no servants to make one, or money
to buy one. Even if she had, what could she do? Her husband has no
hands, how could he row against and defeat