As Sis Loob grew into a young man, whatever he sought to learn, he mastered. He learned the wedding songs and the funeral chants completely. He was exceptionally skilled at playing the qeej.
Far away in the upper regions of China (Ntuj Sua Teb Tom Peg) lived a young maiden named Muam Nkauj See. Meanwhile, Sis Loob lived in the lower regions of China (Ntuj Sua Teb Tom Taug). Up in the upper lands, a family came to ask for Muam Nkauj See’s hand in marriage. Her parents and brothers were deeply pleased and completed the marriage arrangements.
Then, Ntxawm Nkauj See said to them:
"Oh! No matter what, you are already giving me away to them. Therefore, go and call Nuj Sis Loob from the lower regions to come play the qeej and perform the sending-off songs for my wedding. Only then will I go and live my life. If you cannot go and secure Nuj Sis Loob to play the qeej for my wedding send-off, even if I go, I will absolutely not live out my life!"
So, Muam Nkauj See’s parents and brothers sent messengers to seek news of Sis Loob's whereabouts. Traveling on and on, they arrived in the lower regions of China and finally found him! At that time, Sis Loob already had a wife. The two of them had a little boy who was old enough to sit up on his own. When they tracked Sis Loob down, he agreed to go with them. Sis Loob told them:
"Oh! Go on back ahead of me. When the fifteenth day of the lunar month arrives, I will surely come."
The messengers returned home. They went back to prepare the water and the wine, making everything ready. When the fifteenth day of the lunar month arrived, Sis Loob finished his morning meal and prepared to truly set out. However, there were no clear paths; the wild forest was deep and dense.
Seeing this, Sis Loob’s wife said to him:
"Sis Loob, why will you not listen to my words? No matter what, you insist on going. That land is so far away, and the distance is vast. The old forest is wild and treacherous like this. When you travel, you must not carelessly or thoughtlessly drink any water you find! Whenever you absolutely must drink water, you must first scoop it up three times with your hands and throw it behind you, then scoop it three times and throw it before you, and only then may you drink it!"
Sis Loob turned back to stroke the head of his little son, and then he truly departed! After traveling for a day and two nights, by the second day, Sis Loob became intensely, desperately thirsty. Yet every valley he crossed was utterly dry and parched. Sis Loob sighed and lamented to himself:
"Oh! Why am I so terribly thirsty? If only there were a stream somewhere so that I could try to drink a mouthful?"
Now, a Poj Ntxoog (a mythical spirit/witch/demon) who had been deeply infatuated with Sis Loob for a long time, happened to overhear his cries. She ran swiftly ahead of him and urinated right into a dry valley located along the very path Sis Loob was bound to walk. As she urinated, it sounded like a small creek bubbling and flowing loudly.
Sis Loob heard it and wondered, why is there the sound of rushing water? He thought to himself:
"Oh! I am too thirsty, I must go and drink!"
When Sis Loob reached the edge of the water, he completely forgot his wife’s warnings! He swiftly scooped up two handfuls of water and drank it all down. Then he scooped another handful to quickly rinse out his qeej, spitting it away. Sis Loob had barely walked a few paces further when the Poj Ntxoog burst into loud, mocking laughter from the upper side of the path, crying:
"Oh my! Sis Loob thinks he is so mighty! Yet he drank my old urine!"
Sis Loob cursed her angrily:
"You crooked-footed creature! Do not dare say another word!"
The Poj Ntxoog instantly vanished into thin air.
Sis Loob continued on his journey. He walked and walked until he entered a deep, wild jungle filled with jagged rocks and dense thickets. The path completely ended at that old mountain pass. Sis Loob crawled through it and managed to emerge on the other side safely without harm.
Finally, Sis Loob reached the upper regions of China. There, the people were cooking and feasting, with smoke rising in dense clouds! They were eating and drinking abundantly, waiting only for Sis Loob's arrival!
Sis Loob played his qeej continuously to perform the sending-off songs for the maiden Ntxawm Nkauj See. He played all through the night. The next morning as dawn approached, he was to play again to send Nkauj See off to the groom's house. But on that day, Sis Loob felt deeply unsettled and restless; whatever he tried, his heart was troubled. He could not even play a complete melody on his qeej.
Sis Loob then turned to his companion who was playing the qeej alongside him for the wedding and said:
"Oh! My brother, my friend! For now, stay here and take over our qeej playing, and enjoy our share of the meat! I have come all this way, leaving behind my little boy who has only recently learned to laugh, with no one but my wife at home to watch over him. There is no one else to guard the house. My heart is far too anxious and distressed. I do not know what to do. You must stay behind. Put your whole heart into carrying on our qeej playing, my friend."
However, it was actually the Poj Ntxoog who was magically unsettling Sis Loob's heart. Though the people begged and pleaded with him ten times over, they could not hold Sis Loob back at all! No matter what, Sis Loob insisted on returning home. Seeing that they could not restrain him, Sis Loob departed.
Sis Loob returned to the dense, wild forest at the narrow mountain pass where the paths of humans and spirits meet and end. Suddenly, Sis Loob encountered the Poj Ntxoog lying curled up across the path, blockading his way. Reaching her, he said:
"Oh! Young sister, why are you lying there like that?"
The old Poj Ntxoog replied:
"Dear brother-in-law, I am just very tired, so I am simply resting here, that is all."
Sis Loob said:
"Oh! Young sister, stand up! Let me pass by first. Lest I accidentally step over you, sister."
The old Poj Ntxoog answered:
"Oh! Dear brother-in-law, just go ahead and walk across me! I am so very tired, I will not get up."
Sis Loob urged:
"Oh! Do not be this way. I am in a great hurry along my path, sister."
Poj Ntxoog retorted:
"Oh! If you are in a hurry, then just step right over me, brother."
No matter what, the Poj Ntxoog refused to stand up! Sis Loob argued back and forth with her for a long time, but she still would not budge. No matter what he said, she remained still. Sis Loob finally declared:
"Oh! Sister, if no matter what you will truly not get up, I shall step over you. Do not be offended or heartbroken, sister!"
The Poj Ntxoog replied:
"I won't be heartbroken at all, brother-in-law. You are in a hurry, so just cross over!"
The moment Sis Loob stepped directly over her, the Poj Ntxoog cast her leg out and tripped him violently. Sis Loob crashed heavily to the ground right there! He could neither move forward nor turn back. He could not even stand up anymore! In that desperate state, Sis Loob lamented aloud:
"Oh! Whoever has arms wide enough to lift me up, I will become their groom. Whoever has arms long enough to raise me up, I will become their mate!"
Hearing this, the Poj Ntxoog sprang up instantly! She cried:
"Is that true, Sis Loob? If I can lift you up, then I will have you as my husband! If you do not marry me, I will never be satisfied!"
Sis Loob replied:
"Oh! It is true, sister. If you can lift me, I will truly marry you."
The old Poj Ntxoog reached out her hand, grabbed Sis Loob firmly, and pulled him right up. Amazingly, his strength returned just as before, and he was able to walk wherever he wished!
The Poj Ntxoog then led Sis Loob away! She walked in front, and Sis Loob followed closely behind her. At that point, the two of them abandoned the regular paths and traveled deep into the untamed wilderness! They journeyed for a whole day until they reached the top of a mountain. Sis Loob's stomach grew terribly hungry. Walking a little further, they looked down at the plains below and saw a small Hmong village. Near that place was a mountain where the two of them stayed for three days. Sis Loob sighed longingly:
"Oh! Why do I crave bean curd (taum paj) so intensely? Had I stayed at home, surely my beloved wife Nkauj Ntsum would have ground soybeans to make bean curd for me to eat by now!"
The Poj Ntxoog asked:
"Is that true, Sis Loob?"
Sis Loob answered:
"It is true! I crave bean curd desperately!"
The Poj Ntxoog told him:
"Oh! If that is so, stay right here quietly, and I will go find some for you to eat so that you will no longer crave it!"
The old Poj Ntxoog handed Sis Loob a branch of leaves to hold. She slipped away quickly and stole a steaming platter of bean curd and a wooden basket of cooked rice from the Hmong villagers to bring to Sis Loob to eat.
Sis Loob stayed there for another day. Once again, he lamented aloud:
"Oh! How worthless I am, not staying with my wife and child, but instead coming to live in an old place like this? If I were at home, surely my beloved wife Nkauj Ntsum would have slaughtered a mature chicken from the coop for me to eat! Why must I live like a wandering stranger here?"
The old Poj Ntxoog asked:
"Is that true, Sis Loob?"
Sis Loob replied:
"It is absolutely true!"
The Poj Ntxoog said:
"If that is so, Sis Loob, stay right here quietly, and I will go find some for you to eat!"
Sis Loob answered:
"Yes! Go and see if you can find some!"
The Poj Ntxoog again handed a branch of leaves to Sis Loob to hold. But just as she reached the edge of the village, a pair of flies landed directly on Sis Loob's eyes. Unaware of the consequences, Sis Loob took the branch of leaves and struck at the flies to shoo them away. Instantly, the village dogs began barking fiercely and continuously! The Hmong villagers rushed out of their houses, and the people shouted out altogether:
"Oh my! The dogs are biting a Poj Ntxoog!"
Sis Loob did not realize what he had done. He kept focusing on striking the flies with the leaves. The Hmong villagers urged their dogs on until they bit the Poj Ntxoog to death! Sis Loob thought it over and realized: "Oh! Perhaps because I did not know, I used the branch of leaves to strike the flies, and thus stripped away the Poj Ntxoog’s protective cover! Oh! How could I have been so ignorant? Now that the Poj Ntxoog is dead, there will be no one left to forage food for me to eat! Oh! I suppose I must take up my old path and try to return home!"
So, Sis Loob journeyed back until he reached the very spot where the old Poj Ntxoog had previously lain across his path. There, Sis Loob lay himself down across the path at that exceedingly narrow rocky pass. He lay completely across the trail.
After just a short moment, Ntxawm Nkauj See arrived at that exact spot, beautifully adorned and carrying her parasol. Seeing Sis Loob lying there, Ntxawm Nkauj See asked:
"Brother, why are you lying here in this place?"
Sis Loob replied:
"Oh! I am just very tired, so I came to lie down here."
Nkauj See said:
"Stand up, so that I may pass through to return to my mother and father. Lest in a moment I walk over you!"
Sis Loob answered:
"Oh! Sister, if you are in a hurry, just go ahead and step over me."
The two of them talked back and forth for a very long time, but Sis Loob absolutely refused to stand up. Ntxawm Nkauj See finally said:
"Oh! Brother-in-law, if that is the case, I shall step over you. Do not be upset!"
Sis Loob replied:
"Oh! I am just lying here on my own, so I will not be upset at all!"
Ntxawm Nkauj See took a long stride to cross over him. But Sis Loob extended his leg just slightly, and Ntxawm Nkauj See tripped and crashed heavily to the ground right there too!
Now, Ntxawm Nkauj See was the very maiden for whom Sis Loob had traveled to play the wedding songs. However, because Sis Loob had left without finishing the sacred chants, Ntxawm Nkauj See could not find happiness or peace to live out her married life. As they sat together, they began to converse. Sis Loob asked:
"Oh! Tell me, who are you, sister?"
Ntxawm Nkauj See explained:
"Oh! I am the maiden whom they gave away to be a bride. I had insisted that they must call Sis Loob from the lower regions of China to come play the qeej to send me off. They did go and call him. But when he arrived, he failed to finish playing the sending songs for me. Because of this, as I went along, my heart could find happiness to live out my life. So I fled, and I am on my way back to my mother and father."
Nuj Sis Loob then revealed:
"Sis Loob—why, that is me! When I came to play the qeej, I only played halfway because my heart grew intensely homesick. I could bear it no longer, so I fled. As I returned, I encountered spirits and demons, and I have been trapped and blocked here until now, never able to reach home."
Ntxawm Nkauj See cried out:
"Oh, Sis Loob! If that is so, it was because of you that my heart could find no peace to live my life. I explicitly told my elders that if we did not get Sis Loob to play the qeej, I would never be happy to live out my life. But you did not finish playing for me. Therefore, I am now heading back to my mother's house to return all their livestock and wealth, filling their barns and baskets to clear the debt, so that I may return to being my parents' daughter once more. Sis Loob! It must be that our destiny was written in heaven for us to be together! Let us go to my mother's house together, return their livestock and silver completely, and then you shall marry me and I shall marry you. We shall build our life together!"
So Sis Loob went along with Ntxawm Nkauj See to her parents' home. When they arrived, the parents successfully returned all the groom's family's livestock and wealth, completely dissolving the previous marriage.
Then, Sis Loob married Ntxawm Nkauj See! They lived with her parents for three years. Every day, Ntxawm Nkauj See and Nuj Sis Loob went out to clear the cornfields. But Sis Loob deeply missed his first wife and his child back in the lower regions of China. Day after day, he would climb to the highest mountain peaks, longing and mourning for his wife and child. He would weep, shout, play music on leaves, and blow the raj instrument!
While Ntxawm Nkauj See worked the fields for three days, Sis Loob spent those three days mourning. Finally, Sis Loob said to his wife Ntxawm Nkauj See:
"Oh, Ntxawm Nkauj See! I left my beloved wife Muam Nkauj Ntsum behind in the lower regions of China, along with my little son who was just learning to laugh and smile. I miss them terribly! Go and speak to your mother and father; if they agree, let them gather your brothers, uncles, and aunts to accompany you, and let us go meet her to compare your beauty. If my first wife is more beautiful, then I will return three silver bracelets and three gold bracelets to you, send you back, and I will stay with my beloved Muam Nkauj Ntsum. But if we bring you to compare and you prove to be more beautiful, then I will dedicate my heart to living my life with you, and we will send my first wife back to live with her parents and brothers!"
Muam Nkauj See went and told this to her parents. Her father said:
"Oh! If that is the case, it must be that our son-in-law already has his first wife at home, which is why his heart has never been at peace to live his life here. Whether we must separate or stay, let us send my daughter Ntxawm Nkauj See to compare their beauty and see. Speak to the aunts and uncles. Tomorrow, cook an early breakfast so you can depart!"
They called the aunts and uncles together. After explaining everything to them, they cooked an early breakfast the next morning. The aunts and uncles then escorted Muam Nkauj See on the journey! They traveled for a whole day and two nights until they finally arrived!
When they arrived, they found Nuj Sis Loob’s first wife, Muam Nkauj Ntsum, weeping bitterly. The dirt path around the courtyard was worn smooth from her pacing back and forth as she carried a herding stick daily to guard Nuj Sis Loob’s herd of pigs.
As Sis Loob approached the house, he ran on ahead of the group. Reaching the doorstep, Muam Nkauj Ntsum cried out:
"Oh, Sis Loob! I feared that you had long been eaten by tigers or turned to dust, yet only now do you return to this place, Sis Loob?"
The two of them embraced each other tightly and wept bitterly. After weeping, Sis Loob quickly explained the situation to his wife:
"Muam Nkauj Ntsum, hurry and tidy up the house, sweep the rooms and yard quickly. They are bringing Ntxawm Nkauj See here to compare her beauty against yours!"
Muam Nkauj Ntsum was filled with joy and quickly swept the house and yard, preparing the evening meal to welcome them. Just as darkness was about to fall, the aunts and uncles arrived, escorting Muam Nkauj See into the home!
Upon their arrival, Muam Nkauj Ntsum addressed them:
"Oh! My elders, it is wonderful that you have arrived safely. However, since Sis Loob is the husband, he has taken both of us, so both of us shall stay. Even if the comparison shows I am more beautiful, both of us shall stay. If Ntxawm Nkauj See is more beautiful, both of us shall stay as well! Both of us will have Sis Loob as our husband, and we shall all live together!"
Hearing this, the aunts and uncles said:
"Oh! If you, the first wife, are as content and willing as you say, then there is no need for a beauty comparison. As long as you all live your lives loving one another."
But Muam Nkauj See’s eldest brother objected:
"Absolutely not! My father explicitly instructed us to perform the beauty comparison. Only by seeing who is more beautiful will we know how to explain things to my father when we return. If we skip it, how can we report back to him?"
Muam Nkauj Ntsum replied:
"Very well! If a comparison must be done, then let us do it."
That night they prepared, dressing in their finest traditional clothes, and by mid-morning the next day, the comparison took place! The first wife, Muam Nkauj Ntsum, wore garments completely adorned with blooming silver and gold embroidery, radiant and shimmering! Meanwhile, Muam Nkauj See wore only plain, dull brass ornaments. She could not match Muam Nkauj Ntsum’s beauty in the slightest!
Seeing this, the accompanying aunts and uncles declared altogether:
"Oh! The first wife is far more beautiful, so let us take Ntxawm Nkauj See back home with us."
But Muam Nkauj Ntsum protested:
"No! I already stated that whether the first wife is more beautiful, both shall stay; and if the second wife is more beautiful, both shall stay. Sis Loob is the husband, and since he managed to do this, both of us will live with him!"
The visiting elders replied:
"Oh! Since you are the first wife and you speak this way, the comparison is finished, and we now know how to explain it to Ntxawm Nkauj See's father. May you all remain here in peace! We are returning home."
From that moment on, the first wife and the second wife lived their lives together! They lived onward, and one day, the two wives went out together carrying water buckets past the main door to fetch water. Suddenly, they saw two butterflies descending from the middle of the sky down to the back courtyard, tethered to two glowing green threads. Following them emerged two young men carrying a jar of wine.
The first and second wives whispered to each other:
"Look! Surely the Hmong people are coming to beg Sis Loob to go play the qeej again! Let us run quickly to fetch our water and return, so we can prevent Sis Loob from going!"
The two wives ran swiftly to fetch water and rushed back to the house, but the two Hmong youth were already gone. They asked:
"Sis Loob, why are the two Hmong men nowhere to be seen?"
Sis Loob replied:
"Oh! The daughter of Ntxwg Nyoog (the Lord of the Otherworld) up in heaven is getting married, and she sent them to summon me to play the qeej, that is all. They have already departed."
The two women asked anxiously:
"What, did you already accept their wine and drink it?"
Sis Loob admitted:
"I have already given them my word and drank their wine completely."
The two wives scolded him angrily:
"Oh, Sis Loob! You are so reckless and foolish! Why would you agree to go do such a thing?"
Sis Loob scolded them back:
"Oh my! What kind of wives nag so excessively? When people go, they eventually return, do they not? One goes and one always returns, so why must you scold me so fiercely?"
Sis Loob had told the messengers that he would depart on the fifteenth day of the lunar month.
When the fifteenth day of the lunar month arrived, Sis Loob spread a woven mat across the floor. He hung up his qeej and hung up his ncas (jew's harp) by his side. Then, Sis Loob lay down right there and died! His body decayed completely into a dark, black pool.
The two wives watched over his body faithfully for a full span of thirteen days. Suddenly, the ncas began to vibrate and chime beautifully on its own, and the qeej began to resonate loudly! Sis Loob began to stretch and move, completely coming back to life, and he stood up once more.
Having revived, Sis Loob spoke to his two wives:
"My first wife and second wife! Up in heaven, the maidens are incredibly numerous! They gather in vast, beautiful swarms like butterflies and moths. I did not want to return here at all. But because I love the two of you so deeply, I forced myself to come back."
Sis Loob stayed and lived with them for another year. Both the first wife and the second wife each gave birth to a son. Once again, the two wives took their buckets to fetch water. As they stepped out to the back courtyard, they saw two butterflies descending from the highest heavens on two green threads. They landed right in the back garden, and out stepped two exceptionally handsome Hmong youths.
The two wives said:
"Oh! Let us run quickly to fetch water and return! Surely they are coming to beg Sis Loob to go play the qeej somewhere again! Let us carry our water back as fast as possible so we can forbid Sis Loob from going!"
The two wives ran swiftly to fetch water and rushed into the house, but the two Hmong youths had already departed. Sis Loob had already accepted their wine and drank it. He had promised that when the appointed day arrived, he would surely come.
The two wives scolded Sis Loob bitterly. When the fifteenth day of the waxing moon arrived, Sis Loob quickly swept and prepared a place on the floor. He hung his qeej on one side, hung his ncas on the other side, and placed a single pot of water right at his feet. Then, Sis Loob lay down there. Sis Loob died, his face turning pale and yellow!
The two wives watched over him constantly. This time, though Sis Loob was dead, his body did not decay. He remained dead for a full span of thirteen days. Suddenly, Sis Loob’s pot of water at his feet tipped over and spilled completely! The iron tongue of his qeej snapped cleanly, and his ncas broke into pieces!
The two wives wept bitterly, pacing all around the courtyard, but Sis Loob truly never returned again! Left with no choice, the two wives searched for master qeej players and drummers to conduct Sis Loob’s funeral. After the funeral ritual was completed, they took Sis Loob away and buried him.
Some time later, an old maidservant from heaven came down to earth. She came to gather ashes. She approached the two grieving wives and begged:
"My two young daughters-in-law, I have come to gather your kitchen ashes; would you be willing to let me have them?"
The two wives replied:
"Oh! We are afraid we cannot give them to you! We no longer have a husband to chop firewood for us to burn. We fear we cannot give them away, old mother."
The maidservant asked:
"You have no husband? Pray, where did your husband go?"
The two wives explained:
"Our husband was Sis Loob. He went to play the qeej up in heaven and never returned."
The maidservant cried out:
"Oh! So it is Sis Loob! Why, Sis Loob lives right next door to my house!"
The two women asked in astonishment:
"Is that true, old mother? If so, can we go along with you?"
The servant replied:
"Oh! If you truly wish to go, it is entirely possible. But will you really come?"
The two wives insisted:
"We will absolutely go! Old mother, whatever ashes you need, gather them quickly so you can take us with you."
The maidservant quickly gathered the ashes. Sis Loob’s two wives left behind their two little boys, who were just old enough to sit up on their own. They abandoned everything and followed the maidservant away!
The maidservant warned them:
"My two daughters-in-law! Wherever I step, you must step exactly there. Do not step off the path. Otherwise, you will not be able to make the journey!"
Wherever the servant stepped, the two wives stepped. They traveled onward and upward until they emerged directly into the highest heavens!
The maidservant told them:
"My two daughters-in-law, the house of Sis Loob and Ntxwg Nyoog is that one over there. Stay and sleep here with me tonight. Tomorrow morning, you will surely see Sis Loob."
So they stayed and slept with the servant for the night. The next morning at dawn, the great Ntxwg Nyoog led the way on a horse, and Sis Loob followed right behind, his qeej resonating powerfully! Surrounding them was a vast swarm of butterflies, fluttering in dense clouds from side to side.
The two wives positioned themselves, one on the lower side of the path and one on the upper side, each holding a whip. They lashed out repeatedly at the swarm of butterflies, killing many and tearing the wings and tails off others. Sis Loob lifted his eyes to look and cried out in shock:
"Oh! My first wife and second wife, what are you doing here?"
The two wives declared:
"Sis Loob! If you live, we shall live with you; if you die, we shall die with you. Because of you, we have been left stranded and wandering. We are absolutely not afraid!"
Sis Loob asked:
"Are you truly not afraid of anything?"
Sis Loob magically shook and rumbled the hills above them, asking:
"Are you afraid now?"
They scoffed:
"Hmph! A minor thing like that could never scare us."
Sis Loob smiled gently. He then shook and rumbled the valleys below them, asking:
"Are you afraid?"
The two wives replied:
"Hmph! A little thing like that, why should we ever fear it?"
Sis Loob smiled gently once more. The two wives stayed on. Day after day, Sis Loob urged his two wives to return to earth! No matter how much he begged, the two wives absolutely refused to go back. Sis Loob finally said:
"Oh! If it is true that no matter what, you will never return home, then let us go back to earth one last time to dissolve your earthly marital cords (tu neb hlab chaub), and then we can dedicate our minds to living together permanently up in heaven!"
So Sis Loob led his two wives to the edge of a rocky cliff to look down through a stone portal to peer at the earth below. How beautiful it was! At Sis Loob's old house, the chickens and pigs were crying out in abundance. But the two sons of the first and second wives were left sitting miserably in the hearth ashes by the edge of the stove.
Seeing this, the two wives felt a deep, overwhelming ache of longing for their two sons! Yet they also longed for Sis Loob. The two women each wept bitterly for a long time. Finally, Sis Loob untied and severed the earthly marital cords of the first and second wives. From that moment on, the two wives remained to live out their lives in eternal union with Sis Loob up in heaven.
- Oral Narration: Vaj Mas
- RPA Transcription & Editing: Yaj Vam Thaiv, Hawj Nyiaj Nkaub, and Hawj Tsav Xyooj
- Project Director: Txiv Plig Nyiaj Pov (Father Yves Bertrais) / Koom Haum Txoos Hmoob Guyane
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