The Great Boaster

: Stories Gone Astray
: Laos Folk-lore Of Farther India

There lived in the south a man who so continually boasted of his

strength and endurance that all the people called him, "Kee-oo-yai"--the

great boaster. Never entered into his ear a tale of danger, but his

mouth opened to speak of a greater one which had been his; never a feat

of strength but he could tell of one requiring greater strength which he

had done, so, when the men of the village talked together and saw him

d
awing near, they would derisively say, "There is the great boaster

coming. We must flee from his face for, is not he as strong and brave as

the elephant? And we, compared to him are but as the dogs, or as the

pigs." And the company would separate, so when the boaster reached the

place no one would be there.



Once, a young boy came from a distant province, and, hearing of the

boaster, said, "Verily, I can bring him to have a face of shame before

his neighbors, for, in one thing I can excel any man almost. I can run

for a short distance and my heart does not beat faster, neither can any

man say that my heart is quicker than when I am but seated, doing no

labor. I will challenge the boaster to run up a hill with me, breathing

but four times until the top is reached."



The next day, the boy met and challenged the boaster to run to the top

of a small hill, drawing breath but four times on the way. "If you can

run and draw breath but four times, I can run the same distance and draw

breath but twice," the boaster said.



When the race was run, many men ran along to see that neither of the

runners deceived the other. The boaster ran but a short distance, when

he shouted in pain and shame, "Had we been running down-hill, I am sure

that I could have done more than you."



Then all the men mocked the boaster, saying, "Your words are truly

large, but your works are but small. Never again will we listen to you,

for a young lad has overcome one who says that he is stronger than the

strongest." From that time never were they troubled, for,

"Kee-oo-yai,"--the great boaster, was never heard to boast again.



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