He raised his ice-axe to strike the woman clown, but just then a peal oI thunder shook the mountain

and threw him

to the ground.
And there in Iront oI him stood no hag, but the mountain goddess herselI, tall and straight, with skin oI darkest
gleaming gold, and eyes yellow and Iar-seeing as a snow-leopard. She wore a cloak oI swans Ieathers, and blue
lightning-Iire danced at her Iinger ends.
'You wanted your daughter to get to the top oI the mountain,* said the goddess, 'and I have given you your hearts
desire. You named your daughter aIter me, to be strong and light as the gods, and Ieel no human pain, and weep no
human tears. And 1 have given you your heart's desire/
Then Pangma-Las Iather saw that his daughter had given her liIe away just to please him, and he cursed himselI
and his heart's desire, and ran to the edge oI the mountain to cast himselI oII.
But the goddess barred his way easily with a bolt oI blue lightning.
'Not so hasty to make an end oI it, brave hero/ she said. She brought Pangma-La's heavy sack and heavy clothes
Irom under her cloak and gave them to him. 'First you must Ieel the weight oI your heavy, heavy burden/ she said.
Then she brought out Pangma-Las heart, and gave it to him. 'And now you must Ieel the weight oI your heavy,
heavy heart/ she said.
At this Pangma-Las Iather Iell on his knees and Ior the Iirst time wept hot tears like any human.
The mountain goddess, seeing this, was satisIied.
'You have learned your lesson/ she said, and was gone in a swirl oI swans Ieathers.
Pangma-La's Iather looked down to see his daughter alive and heavy and human in his arms.
Feeling the wet drops on her Iace, Pangma-La opened her eyes. When she saw that her Iather the hero was crying
she was no longer ashamed, and a great weight liIted Irom her. She jumped up and pulled him strongly to his Ieet.
Then, skidding and sliding, Pangma-La and her Iather ran all the way to the bottom oI the Shining Mountain,
while the snow Ilew up behind them like sherbet or swan's Ieathers, and never again was Pangma-La aIraid that
her Iather would be disappointed in her.