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little ladder into the basket； where it is naturally held fast by the hooks； the thorn； and the cord； and having thus captured and imprisoned the soul she conveys it into the rice…granary。 Sometimes a bamboo box and a net are used for the same purpose。 And in order to ensure a good harvest for the following year it is necessary not only to detain the soul of all the grains of rice which are safely stored in the granary； but also to attract and recover the soul of all the rice that has been lost through falling to the earth or being eaten by deer； apes； and pigs。 For this purpose instruments of various sorts have been invented by the priests。 One； for example； is a bamboo vessel provided with four hooks made from the wood of a fruit…tree； by means of which the absent rice…soul may be hooked and drawn back into the vessel； which is then hung up in the house。 Sometimes two hands carved out of the wood of a fruit…tree are used for the same purpose。 And every time that a Kayan housewife fetches rice from the granary for the use of her household； she must propitiate the souls of the rice in the granary； lest they should be angry at being robbed of their substance。
The same need of securing the soul of the rice； if the crop is to thrive； is keenly felt by the Karens of Burma。 When a rice…field does not flourish； they suppose that the soul （kelah） of the rice is in some way detained from the rice。 If the soul cannot be called back； the crop will fail。 The following formula is used in recalling the kelah （soul） of the rice： O come； rice…kelah； come！ Come to the field。 Come to the rice。 With seed of each gender； come。 Come from the river Kho； come from the river Kaw； from the place where they meet； come。 Come from the West； come from the East。 From the throat of the bird； from the maw of the ape； from the throat of the elephant。 Come from the sources of rivers and their mouths。 Come from the country of the Shan and Burman。 From the distant kingdoms come。 From all granaries come。 O rice…kelah； come to the rice。
The Corn…mother of our European peasants has her match in the Rice…mother of the Minangkabauers of Sumatra。 The Minangkabauers definitely attribute a soul to rice； and will sometimes assert that rice pounded in the usual way tastes better than rice ground in a mill； because in the mill the body of the rice was so bruised and battered that the soul has fled from it。 Like the Javanese they think that the rice is under the special guardianship of a female spirit called Saning Sari； who is conceived as so closely knit up with the plant that the rice often goes by her name； as with the Romans the corn might be called Ceres。 In particular Saning Sari is represented by certain stalks or grains called indoea padi； that is； literally； Mother of Rice； a name that is often given to the guardian spirit herself。 This so…called Mother of Rice is the occasion of a number of ceremonies observed at the planting and harvesting of the rice as well as during its preservation in the barn。 When the seed of the rice is about to be sown in the nursery or bedding…out ground； where under the wet system of cultivation it is regularly allowed to sprout before being transplanted to the fields； the best grains are picked out to form the Rice…mother。 These are then sown in the middle of the bed； and the common seed is planted round about them。 The state of the Rice…mother is supposed to exert the greatest influence on the growth of the rice； if she droops or pines away； the harvest will be bad in consequence。 The woman who sows the Rice…mother in the nursery lets her hair hang loose and afterwards bathes； as a means of ensuring an abundant harvest。 When the time comes to transplant the rice from the nursery to the field； the Rice…mother receives a special place either in the middle or in a corner of the field； and a prayer or charm is uttered as follows： Saning Sari； may a measure of rice come from a stalk of rice and a basketful from a root； may you be frightened neither by lightning nor by passers…by！ Sunshine make you glad； with the storm may you be at peace； and may rain serve to wash your face！ While the rice is growing； the particular plant which was thus treated as the Rice…mother is lost sight of； but before harvest another Rice…mother is found。 When the crop is ripe for cutting； the oldest woman of the family or a sorcerer goes out to look for her。 The first stalks seen to bend under a passing breeze are the Rice…mother； and they are tied together but not cut until the first…fruits of the field have been carried home to serve as a festal meal for the family and their friends； nay even for the domestic animals； since it is Saning Sari's pleasure that the beasts also should partake of her good gifts。 After the meal has been eaten； the Rice…mother is fetched home by persons in gay attire； who carry her very carefully under an umbrella in a neatly worked bag to the barn； where a place in the middle is assigned to her。 Every one believes that she takes care of the rice in the barn and even multiplies it not uncommonly。
When the Tomori of Central Celebes are about to plant the rice； they bury in the field some betel as an offering to the spirits who cause the rice to grow。 The rice that is planted round this spot is the last to be reaped at harvest。 At the commencement of the reaping the stalks of this patch of rice are tied together into a sheaf； which is called the Mother of the Rice （ineno pae）； and offerings in the shape of rice； fowl's liver； eggs； and other things are laid down before it。 When all the rest of the rice in the field has been reaped； the Mother of the Rice is cut down and carried with due honour to the rice…barn； where it is laid on the floor； and all the other sheaves are piled upon it。 The Tomori； we are told； regard the Mother of the Rice as a special offering made to the rice…spirit Omonga； who dwells in the moon。 If that spirit is not treated with proper respect； for example if the people who fetch rice from the barn are not decently clad； he is angry and punishes the offenders by eating up twice as much rice in the barn as they have taken out of it； some people have heard him smacking his lips in the barn； as he devoured the rice。 On the other hand the Toradjas of Central Celebes； who also practice the custom of the Rice…mother at harvest； regard her as the actual mother of the whole harvest； and therefore keep her carefully； lest in her absence the garnered store of rice should all melt away and disappear。
Again； just as in Scotland the old and the young spirit of the corn are represented as an Old Wife （Cailleach） and a Maiden respectively； so in the Malay Peninsula we find both the Rice…mother and her child represented by different sheaves or bundles of ears on the harvest…field。 The ceremony of cutting and bringing home the Soul of the Rice was witnessed by Mr。 W。 W。 Skeat at Chodoi in Selangor on the twenty…eighth of January 1897。 The particular bunch or sheaf which was to serve as the Mother of the Rice…soul had previously been sought and identified by means of the markings or shape of the ears。 From this sheaf an aged sorceress； with much solemnity； cut a little bundle of seven ears； anointed them with oil； tied them round with parti…coloured thread； fumigated them with incense； and having wrapt them in a white cloth deposited them in a little oval…shaped basket。 These seven ears were the infant Soul of the Rice and the little basket was its cradle。 It was carried home to the farmer's house by another woman； who held up an umbrella to screen the tender infant from the hot rays of the sun。 Arrived at the house the Rice…child was welcomed by the women of the family； and laid； cradle and all； on a new sleepingmat with pillows at the head。 After that the farmer's wife was instructed to observe certain rules of taboo for three days； the rules being in many respects identical with those which have to be observed for three days after the birth of a real child。 Something of the same tender care which is thus bestowed on the newly…born Rice…child is naturally extended also to its parent； the sheaf from whose body it was taken。 This sheaf； which remains standing in the field after the Rice…soul has been carried home and put to bed； is treated as a newly…made mother； that is to say； young shoots of trees are pounded together and scattered broadcast every evening for three successive days； and when the three days are up you take the pulp of a coco…nut and what are called goat…flowers； mix them up； eat them with a little sugar； and spit some of the mixture out among the rice。 So after a real birth the young shoots of the jack…fruit； the rose…apple； certain kinds of banana； and the thin pulp of young coco…nuts are mixed with dried fish； salt； acid； prawn…condiment； and the like dainties to form a sort of salad； which is administered to mother and child for three successive days。 The last sheaf is reaped by the farmer's wife； who carries it back to the house； where it is threshed and mixed with the Rice…soul。 The farmer then takes the Rice…soul and its basket and deposits it； together with the product of the last sheaf； in the big circular rice…bin used by the Malays。 Some grains from the Rice…soul are mixed with the seed which is to be so