Shans at home . the stream;there they make mud pies, in the shape of miniaturepagodas—in a long row—which sometimes cross avillage street, with gaps between them to allowpeople to pass. No grown-up person would dreamof touching them, or even stepping over them. Itwould show a want of education and politeness tostep over any one who may be lying on the ground,or over any kind of food, so it would show a lack ofreligious training to step over a heap of sand if itrepresents a pagoda, even though its builder hasonly been a little child. It is true that these smallbuildings do not last a day, pigs
Shans at home . the stream;there they make mud pies, in the shape of miniaturepagodas—in a long row—which sometimes cross avillage street, with gaps between them to allowpeople to pass. No grown-up person would dreamof touching them, or even stepping over them. Itwould show a want of education and politeness tostep over any one who may be lying on the ground,or over any kind of food, so it would show a lack ofreligious training to step over a heap of sand if itrepresents a pagoda, even though its builder hasonly been a little child. It is true that these smallbuildings do not last a day, pigs knock them over,chickens scratch in their ruin, but the children have While I was living in Namkham, a butcher was accused of killingone of these monastic pigs, and was officially fined 300 rupees theShan ? price for a human life.—W. W. C. -5 V^. -—M«< fi^m^m. ::i:..^.. J::..:. ^ ? A ^-r^T ,., M ^^^ ^ ,_^..;,.^ nr- .-JiS ,^; jW^^pHrfl^^nV nfiJ^l^^B Ji m^^Hv^HL HkvB i BOYS MAKING SAND A HONK FOLLOWED BY SCHOOLBOYS. p. 56] MONASTIC HOSPITALITY 57 gained some merit by trying to make holy they carry sand and stones from the streamand build a larger pagoda, two or three feet high : manyhands pile it up, and pat it into shape, and they crownit with sweet jessamine, ornamenting it with goldand silver paper pennons, which flutter in the breeze. In the early mornings Shan boys go from themonastery, through the village, to collect food for themonks. In country districts so much food is givenby the people that the monks generally remain in themonastery, and boys alone do the food-collecting.^They carry large baskets, slung from a pole; twoboys carry one basket. Begging-bowls are not oftenseen, as they are much too small for the very liberalsupply of food. There is always a greater quantity ofrice, vegetables, and fruit than can be consumed bythe monks and boys, so no traveller or visitor leavesthe monastery empty-handed. I knew a Mohammedanpolice
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