--- title: The Story of the Boy With the Deformed Head. — Folk tales from Tibet · full text with trees description: The Story of the Boy With the Deformed Head., «Folk tales from Tibet» by William Frederick Travers, Sir O'Connor: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Once upon a time there lived a poor man and his wife who had only one child, and this Boy, as it hap --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/16/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/) / The Story of the Boy With the Deformed… # The Story of the Boy With the Deformed Head. The Story of the Boy With the Deformed Head. of «Folk tales from Tibet» by William Frederick Travers, Sir O'Connor: the whole text, 96 sentences and 2876 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/16/page/2/) Once upon a time there lived a poor man and his wife who had only one child, and this Boy, as it happened, was born with a deformed head, which projected in front and behind, and gave him a very ugly appearance.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The parents, although much grieved at their son’s deformity, were, nevertheless, very fond of him and brought him up very carefully.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Every day, when he grew big enough, he used to drive the cows out to pasture, and all day long he sat about on the hillsides watching the cattle graze.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") And so he passed his life very happily until, when he reached the age of fifteen, he began to think he should like to marry a wife as other young men did, but he feared that owing to his deformity no girl would ever look at him.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") One day it chanced that he drove his cows to graze on the rich pasture on the edge of a small lake, and as he was sitting near the shore of the lake all of a sudden he saw a large white Drake descend from the sky, and light upon the surface of the water.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as it was seated upon the water it swam round the lake three times to the right and then three times to the left, and having done so it flew away again and disappeared into the sky.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy watched the behaviour of this Drake with some interest.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") He had never before seen so large and beautiful a bird, nor one that behaved so strangely.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") So next day he again sat down in the same place, and kept a sharp look-out for the bird.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") At the same hour as on the previous day the Drake again appeared in the sky, and descending upon the lake, acted in precisely the same manner as before.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") And it continued to do so for several days, the Boy always watching its behaviour with increased interest.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he determined that he would try to catch this Drake for himself, so he wove himself a long rope of yaks’ hair, big enough to completely encircle the lake, and he laid this upon the shore in a loop extending right round the lake; and at short intervals along the rope he fastened loops made of the finest horse hair, the loose ends of which he left floating in the water.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day the Drake came as usual and began to swim round the lake to the right.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") It had not gone very far when it put its foot into one of the loops and was caught.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy at once ran down to the shore of the lake, and taking the Drake in his hands, he tied its wings and legs together, and set it down on the grass beside him.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” thought he to himself, “what shall I do with this fine white Drake?[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") I will take him home and kill him, and he will make a nice dinner for father and mother and me.”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Just as he was thinking this, to his intense surprise, the Drake spoke to him as follows:[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “I beg of you not to kill me, my good boy,” said he, “for you must know I am not in reality a Drake as I appear to be, but I am a fairy King just come from the region of the gods.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") It is my habit every day to descend to this lake in the form of a white Drake, and to amuse myself by swimming round and round.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") If you will now consent to let me go I will reward you liberally.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") You shall have gold and silver and jewels and coral, as much as you wish, and sumptuous food every day for the rest of your life.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") On hearing this the Boy laughed, and replied:[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") “You should not tell me such stories as these.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") How am I to know that you are really a fairy?[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") It seems to me that all you are in a position to give me is your feathers.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") “I hope you will not disbelieve my word,” replied the Drake very earnestly; “I assure you I can do all this, and even more, if you will release me.”[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” said the Boy, “if that is really so I will make a bargain with you.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") I do not care at all for your gold or your jewels, but what I really want is a wife.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") If you can promise to supply me with a wife I will let you go.”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” said the Drake, “that, too, can be arranged.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") I have three daughters living in my kingdom in the skies, and I will give you as wife any one of them whom you desire.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Would you prefer the eldest, or the youngest, or the middle one?”[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy was greatly pleased on hearing this offer of the Drake’s, and he thought to himself:[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will not take the eldest girl, for fear she should be too old, nor the youngest, for fear she should be too young.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") I will select the middle one.”[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") So he told the Drake that he would like his middle daughter.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well,” said the Drake, “I will arrange the matter accordingly, and I will meet you here to-morrow with my middle daughter.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") But there is one condition which always attaches to the marriage of a mortal with a fairy, and that is that she can only live with you for nine years.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") At the conclusion of that time she is bound to return to her home in the heavens.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy agreed to this condition, and when all the details had been satisfactorily arranged he cut the cords which bound the Drake and let him go.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The bird spread his wings and flew up into the sky; and after circling for a few minutes he flew straight upwards and disappeared from sight, whilst the Boy went home to his father and mother.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") The Drake flew far up into the blue sky until he arrived at the country of the gods, where he changed at once into the form and raiment of the King of the Fairies.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Seating himself upon his throne, he summoned his three daughters before him and informed them of what had occurred; and he gave orders to his middle daughter to prepare herself forthwith to go and marry a mortal.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The girl wept bitterly on hearing this, but nevertheless she prepared to carry out her father’s orders, and got ready a large stock of beautiful clothes and much gold and silver and jewels to take with her.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day, at the appointed hour, the Boy went down to the lake as usual, and seated himself in his usual place; and not long afterwards he saw the white Drake and a white Duck flying towards him from the sky.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") They descended swiftly until they touched the ground, where they were at once transformed into the Fairy King and his beautiful daughter.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The boy was overcome with joy when he saw the lovely wife that had been brought to him; but the girl was horrified at his ugly appearance, and begged her father to take her back to her abode in the skies.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") The Fairy King, however, insisted upon her carrying out her share of the bargain, so leaving his daughter with the Boy, he again turned himself into a Drake and, flying up into the sky, he disappeared from view.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy now led his bride home to his father and mother, and next day the marriage was duly completed.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") The Fairy wife, by means of her magic, was able to erect a magnificent palace, and to furnish it in the most luxurious manner with everything necessary for comfort; and she supplied, moreover, horses and servants, and everything else that a married couple could desire.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") So the two took up their abode in this fine house and, together with the old father and mother, they lived there happily for several years; and as time passed away the fairy wife became accustomed to her husband’s forbidding appearance, and year by year became more and more attached to him.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") So the time slipped by and at last the nine years of the Fairy wife’s abode upon earth came to an end.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") The young Man, however, had become so accustomed to her presence that he could hardly believe that the Fairy King’s words would come true and that he should really be deprived of his wife when the appointed time arrived.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") So on the last night of the ninth year he went to bed as usual in his magnificent chamber, clothed in rich silks, and surrounded by all the evidences of wealth and luxury.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/16/page/2/) - ← previous: [The Story of the Three Thieves.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/15/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/16/page/2/) - ↑ back to [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/)