the goldsmith, the carpenter, the tailor, and the hermit who quarrelled about a wooden woman.

a goldsmith, a carpenter, a tailor, and a hermit, travelling together, come to a desert place where they must spend the night. they decide that each shall take a watch during the night as guard. the carpenter’s turn is first: to prevent sleep he carves out a wooden figure. when his turn comes, the goldsmith shows his skill by preparing jewels and adorning the puppet. the tailor’s turn is next: he sees the beautiful wooden woman [130]decked with exquisite jewels, but naked; consequently he makes neat clothes becoming a bride, and dresses her. when the hermit’s turn to watch comes, he prays to god that the figure may have life; and it begins to speak like a human being.

in the morning all four fall desperately in love with the woman, and each claims her as his. finally they come to a fifth person, and refer the matter to him. he claims her to be his wife, who has been seduced from his house, and hails the four travellers before the cutwal. but the cutwal falls in love with the woman, says that she is his brother’s wife, accuses the five of his brother’s murder, and carries them before the cazi. the cazi, no less enamoured, says that the woman is his bondmaid, who had absconded with much money. after the seven have disputed and wrangled a long time, an old man in the crowd that has meantime gathered suggests that the case be laid before the tree of decision, which can be found in a certain town. when they have all come before the tree with the woman, the tree divides, the woman runs into the cleft, the tree unites, and she has disappeared forever. a voice from the tree then says, “everything returns to its first principles.” the seven suitors are overwhelmed with shame.

a mongolian form, to be found in the ardschi-bordschi saga (see busk, 298–304), seems to furnish the link of connection between the “t?t?-namah” version and “vetalapancavi??ati,” nos. 22 and 2:—