In a former time, in a certain country there was a certain Heṭṭi family possessing a great quantity of goods, it is said. There were seven sons of the Heṭṭiyā. For the purpose of learning he sent the seven sons to school. Out of the Heṭṭi children who go to school, as the youngest son was a mischievous rough fellow, having set out from the house in order to go to school, while on the road he got hid, not going to the school. At the time when, the school having been dismissed, the other children are coming back, this child also, like a person who went to school, comes to the house with his brothers, and dwells [there].

That this one did not go (non̆giyā) to school no one tells either the father or mother. Because of what thing? Because of the harshness that there is of his, should they give information to his parents that he did not go to school they are afraid he will cause great annoyance to the people who give the information.

In that manner going to the school and coming according to his will, and making disturbance with the other children (lamō), and walking to several places at the time when he is dwelling [there], he one day in the eventide having descended to the city street goes to walk.

While going, a certain horse-keeper taking a horse brought it for sale. He having stopped the horse-keeper, asks, “To which district are you taking this horse?”

To that the horse-keeper gives answer, “I am taking this horse for sale.”

Thereupon he said, “It is good. For how much money will you give this horse?”

Then the horse-keeper says, “You a man who takes horses, indeed! There is not any profit in telling you the amount. The value of this horse is much,” he said.

Thereupon, having much scolded the horse-keeper, and having arrived at his house calling [the man to bring] the horse, he speaks to his father and says, “Take and give me this horse.”

At that time his father the Heṭṭiyā having rebuked him, drove him away. As this one was a vile rough fellow, taking the saying heavily, he began to make disturbance with his father. Thereupon anger having gone to the father, seizing him and having beaten him, he drove him away.

Having done thus, this one came into the house, and taking a gun speaks to his father and says, “Should you not take and give me this horse, shooting myself I will die.” Thereupon his father having become afraid, took the horse and gave [him it].

From the day when he took and gave the horse, he did not even go to the school. Having gone away according to his own notion, he joined the war army of that country. During the time when he was thus, also, he began to work there, so as to be a great dexterous person. The Chief of the war army there showed him much favour.

When a little time had gone thus, having been ordered to a war they came [for it]. Thereupon this one also having gone with the war force, and having been halted on the battle-ground, during the time while they are [there] the Chief of the Army spoke to this force (pirisa). When he said that in order to fight, a person who is able is to go to the enemy-King, and give the leaf missive (pattraya) which the Counsellor had prepared for the purpose, having seen that everyone remained without speaking, this one came forward, and having said, “I am able to go and give it,” asked for the letter.

When he thus asked, the Commander of the Army, having arrived at great sorrow, says, “By this fight to whom will occur victory, defeat, or any other thing I am unable to say. But should you stay on the battle-ground, harm not befalling you at any time, you may escape. The messenger who goes in order to give notice to this enemy-King does not escape at any time. When, having said the message, he is dismissed, the guards strike him down. I know that you are a person of a great wealthy family. I know that the advantage that is obtained from another twelve soldiers I am receiving from you. [But] because at the time when I spoke to any person who was willing to despatch and make known this message, you came forward, it is not justice to cause another person to go.” Having said [this], the General arrived at great sorrow.

Thereupon this one says, “Don’t be afraid. Having gone and given the letter I shall come back. But I cannot go thus; I don’t want these clothes. Please make afresh and give me clothes in the manner I say.” When he said [this], the General, in the manner he said, made and gave him the clothes.

Thereupon, putting on the clothes and having mounted on the back of the horse which his father took and gave him, taking the leaf that was written for the purpose of giving the notice to the enemy-King, he went off.

At the time when he was going there, the guards of the King’s house thought that a trader gentleman was coming in order to give assistance connected with the war. Without any fear whatever he went on horse-back to the royal palace; and having given the leaf and turned back, driving the horse a little slowly to the place where the guards are, and, having come there, driving the horse with the speed possible, he arrived at the place where his force is.

When he arrived thus, the General, having become much attached to him, established this one as the third person for that force. After that, having fought he obtained victory in the fight also. After he obtained victory in the fight, he appointed him to the chiefship of the army. During the time while he was dwelling thus, he went and in still many battles he obtained victory.

After that, having appointed him to the kingship,1 he sent him to improve the out-districts. Having dwelt in that manner for much time, and having reached old age, he performed the act of death (kālakkiriyā).

Western Province.

At a certain city there was a poor family, it is said. Of that family, the father having died, the mother and also a son remained, it is said. The mother, by [reason of] her destitute state without food, was supported by pounding [rice into] flour for hire at the shops, it is said.

While getting a living thus, having sent the son to school he began to learn letters. While he was staying in that way for learning them, one day [his mother] having sent him to school, at the time when he was coming home he was looking on nearby while a great rich man was getting a ship prepared on the sea shore. While he was thus looking, at the time when this boy having gone near looked, the work at the ship was becoming finished, it is said.

Owing to it, the boy, speaking to the rich man, says, “Will you sell this ship?” He asked [thus], it is said.

[In reply] to it, the rich man having looked in the boy’s direction, said in fun, “Yes, I will sell it.”

The boy asked, “For how much will you sell it?”

“For five hundred pounds for the ship on which pounds, thousands in number, have been spent I will give it,” he said.

On account of it the boy, having placed in pawn his books and slates at a shop near by, and having [thus got and] brought twenty-five cents,2 and given them as earnest money for the ship, says, “To-morrow morning at nine, having secured the money I will take the ship,” he said. The rich man through inability to say two words remained without speaking, it is said.

The boy having gone home, at the time when he was there, when his mother asked, “Why, Bola, where are thy books and slates?” the boy says, “Having asked the price for a new ship of such and such a rich man, and agreed to take it, I placed the slates and books in pawn, and bringing twenty-five cents I gave them as earnest money,” he said.

His mother having become angry at it, and having beaten the boy, scolding him drove him away without giving him food, it is said.

At the time when she drove him away, having gone near a Heṭṭiyā of that city he says, “Anē! Heṭṭirāla, I having agreed to take such and such a rich man’s ship, and having gone to school, at the time when I was coming I placed my books and slates in pledge at a shop; and bringing twenty-five cents and having given them as earnest money, and agreed to secure the remaining money to-morrow morning at nine, I was going home meanwhile. When I told my mother these matters, she bringing anger into her (undae) mind, beat me, and drove me from the house without having given me food. Because it is so, you having paid this price for this ship keep it in your name,” he said.

The Heṭṭiyā becoming pleased at it, on the following day morning having made ready the money and gone with the boy, the Heṭṭiyā says, “I will stay here. You having gone with this money and given it to him, take the ship. As soon as you take it (ē aragana wahāma) speak to me; then I will come,” he said.

Then the boy, having gone in the manner he said, at the agreed time, and having spoken to the rich man, says, “According to the agreed manner, here (menna), I brought the price for you. Taking charge of it and having written the deeds, give me the ship,” he said.

The rich man, as soon as he was out of a great astonishment,3 having gone and written the deeds, and having handed over the ship, says, “Aḍē! Bola, boy, is thy filth (kunu) a religious merit? Where, indeed, if this had not broken and fallen [on me], for a price of that manner was I to give the ship on which I incurred expenses to the amount of thousands of pounds! Thy birth having been consistent with it, it will be a debt [of a previous existence] which I was to give to thee. Because it is so, I will launch on the great sea this ship on which these five hundred pounds are spent, and will give [thee it there],” he said.

On account of it, the boy having summoned the Heṭṭiyā, says, “There (Onna)! I got the ship! Although I got it, the price I gave for the ship was not mine; it was yours. Because of that, load into this ship the goods you want [to send], and having placed hired workmen [on board] for it, give charge of it to me. I having gone to some country or other [after] doing trading shall come back in happiness,” he said.

Then that man who sold the ship, having collected together people and incurred great expenses, and caused the ship to be launched on the sea, gave him it, it is said. Having acted in that manner and given it, out of that price not bringing a cent home, he spent it over that; and having related the circumstance to his family, not feeling (ne-gena) any grief, in good happiness he dispatched the time (kal aeriyā), it is said. If you said, “What is [the reason of] that?” “There is no need for us to take [to heart] sorrow. From the debt that we were to give him [in a previous existence] we are released,” he said.

After that, the Heṭṭiyā having loaded into the ship bags of rice, thousands in number, and placed [over it] a hired captain, made the boy the principal (palamuweniyā), and having given him charge sent it off, it is said.

While the ship was going, time went by, many days in number, it is said; but while they were going on as a land (goḍak) was not yet to be perceived, the ship drifted to a great never-seen country, it is said. When they investigated in the country, and looked at the auspicious character of the kind of men who are [there], their faces were of the manner of dogs’ faces, the body like these bodies of ours,4 but the food was human-flesh food, it is said.

On account of it, the persons who were in the ship being afraid, say, “Anē! This is indeed a cause for both ourselves and our ship to be lost!”

While they are staying [there] the boy says anew, “I think of an expedient for this, that is, let us cook a great rice [feast] on the ship. Having cooked it, I will go to this village, and having spoken to the men and come [after] assembling them, and having eaten this food of ours, we will tell them to look [round the ship].”

Having caused the rice to be made ready the boy went to the village, and having come [after] assembling the men, while giving them the food to eat, these men, perceiving that it was a food possessing great flavour that they had not eaten and not seen (no-kā nu-duṭu) say, “This sort you call ‘rice’ we [first] saw to-day indeed. For what things will you give this?”5 they asked.

To that the sailors say, “Except that we give for money, for another thing we do not give,” they said, it is said.

Meanwhile the men (minisun) say, “In our country there is not a kind called ‘money’; in our country there are pieces of silver and gold. If you will give it for them, give it,” they said, it is said.

After that, the sailors having spoken [together] and caused them to bring those things, began to measure and measure and give the rice, it is said. Should you say, “In what manner was that?” that kind of men, putting the pieces of silver and gold into sacks and having brought them, began to take away rice to the extent they give, it is said.

During the time while they are doing taking and giving (ganu denu) in that way, because the sailors had great fear of staying, at night, at about the time when both heaps were equal (hari) by stealth they began to navigate the ship, it is said. At that very time, at the time when they looked at the accounts of that rice they gave, the cost had been not more than a hundred bags in number, it is said. For the rice that was of that cost there had been collected sacks of gold and silver,—about twelve were assembled, it is said.

Having gone to yet [another] country, and sold those things, and made them into money (mudal kara), taking for the money yet nine ships, and together with this ship having loaded goods into the whole ten ships, he began to come to his own city.

While coming there, at the time when [the citizens] looked at this it was like the mode of coming for a great fight. Meanwhile, not allowing them to approach their own country, the King asked, “Of what country are these ships? Are they coming for some fight, or what?”

At that, having raised the flag of the ship they say, “No; we have not come for a fight. In these ships are trading-goods. In any other way but that we have not come,” they said.

Yet still the King asked, through the excess of his fear, saying and saying, “Whose ships? Who is the owner?”

To that the boy, having caused them to raise the ship’s flag, says, “Such and such a Heṭṭirāla’s indeed are these ships,” he said.

Then speedily having caused the Heṭṭiyā to be brought, when he asked him, the Heṭṭiyā says, “These ships are not for me. I bought such and such a rich man’s ship for such and such a boy, and loaded rice in it; since I sent it (aeriya haeṭiyē) there is not even news yet,” the Heṭṭiyā said.

After that, having sent a boat, and caused the principal person of the ships to be brought, when he asked, indeed, thereafter the Heṭṭiyā gets to know [the facts]. As soon as he ascertained he caused the ships to be brought, and when the Heṭṭiyā asked the boy about these matters the boy gave account of (kiyā-dunnā) the wonderful things that occurred, it is said.

At the time when he reported them the Heṭṭiyā says, “I will not take charge of these ships. Should you ask, ‘What is [the reason of] that?’ because your merit (pina) is great, when I have taken the things you obtained they will not flourish for me,” he said. On account of it, the Heṭṭiyā took only the five hundred pounds that the Heṭṭiyā gave the boy, and the price of the rice, it is said.

Thereupon the boy, having caused a great palace to be built, and having decorated his mother with great beauty, causing her to ascend a great horse-carriage, published it by beat of tom-toms; and obtaining the office of Treasurer (siṭu tanataera) he dwelt in that palace. Having established hired persons for the ships, he began to send them to various countries (raṭa raṭawala), it is said.

Western Province.

In a certain city there was a nobleman.1 There had been a great quantity of the nobleman’s goods, but the goods in time having become destroyed, he arrived at a very indigent condition. During the time while he was [thus], existing by his son and daughter’s continuing to strongly exert themselves as much as possible, at last this nobleman died.

After that, at the time when his son arrived at full age, his mother began to say to the son, “Son, because I am now a person who is approaching old age, you are unable quite alone to provide for me. Because it is so, thou must take in marriage a woman from a suitable family,” she said.

Well then, after he had married, the woman does not exert herself for his mother. Her husband having succeeded in ascertaining that she does not exert herself in this manner, and having thought that for [counteracting] this he must make a means of success, collected a quantity of fragments of plates that were at the whole of the places in the village; and taking a large skin, and having caused a purse to be made from the skin, and put in the skin purse the quantity of fragments of plate that he collected, he says to his mother, “Mother, when you have come near that woman, open the box so as to be visible from afar, and having behaved as though there were great wealth in it, and shaken this skin bag, place it in the box [again], and put it away.”

When he said thus, his mother, taking [to heart] her son’s saying, having made a sound with the skin bag in the manner he said, so as to be noticed by her son’s wife, and having treated it carefully, placed it in the box.

From the day on which the son’s wife saw it, she began to exert herself for her mother-in-law. During the time when she is exerting herself thus, a leprosy disease attacked her mother-in-law. Thereupon the son spoke to his mother, and said, “Mother, taking that skin bag, and placing it at the spot where you sleep, say in this manner to your relatives and my wife, that is, ‘Beginning on the day when I was little (poḍi dawasē paṭan) until this [time] I gathered together these articles. For not any other reason but in order to give them at the time of my being near death, to a person who has exerted herself for me, I gathered these together. Should any person out of you exert [herself] for me, to that person I will give these.’ You say [this],” he said secretly to his mother.

After that, his mother having gathered together her relatives, and having called her daughter-in-law near, while in front of the whole of them she said in the mode which her son taught her, that to the person who exerted herself for her she will give the skin bag of masuran.

Thereupon each one, competing according to the measure of her power, attended on this female leper. That son’s mind arrived at [a state of] much delight. [After] in this manner enjoying pleasure, when a little time had gone this female leper died. Thereupon, anybody among the relatives not having hidden it, the son’s wife, stealing the masuran bag, concealed it.

Having buried the corpse, after the disturbance was done with the son’s wife unfastened the bag of masuran. When she looked [in it], having seen that it had been filled with only the fragments of the plates that were in the village, she arrived at extreme grief.

That woman’s mother also having come at this time, very noisily asked, “Did my daughter receive the bag of masuran?”

Thereupon her daughter having told her that she was cheated, when she had shown her the bag of fragments of plates both of them wept; and that woman having become angry with her husband separated from him, and went to her own house.

Western Province.

A certain Beggar having gone from village to village was earning a subsistence by making a Monkey1 dance and dance. By it those two collected a very little money. Having changed the small coins they got a pound in gold, and a rupee. During that time the Monkey was well accustomed to [visit] the royal house.

For marrying and giving the Princess of the King of the country, the King began to seek Princes. At that time royal Princes not being anywhere in those countries, he stayed without doing anything (nikan).

At that time the Monkey called Appusiññō asked Babāsiññō the Beggar, “Am I to arrange and give you an opportunity [for a marriage]?”

Then Babāsiññō said, “What is this you are saying, Appusiññō? For you and for us what [wedding] feast!”

Then Appusiññō said, “It doesn’t matter to you. I will arrange and give it from somewhere or other.”

Having said thus, Appusiññō went to the royal house. At that time the King having seen Appusiññō, asked, “What have you come for?”

Then Appusiññō said, “The Mudaliyār2 Babāsiññō told me to go and ask for the bushel for measuring golden pounds. On that account I came.”

Then the King thinking, “Who is it, Bola, who is a rich man to that degree?” told him to ask a servant for it, and go. So Appusiññō, asking a servant for it, went back [with it].

[Afterwards] taking the golden pound which, having changed [their small coins for it], they were hiding, and having glued it in the bushel so as not to be noticed, he handed over the bushel, with the golden pound also, at the royal house. Thereupon the King, having looked at the bushel, said, “Look here. A golden pound has been overlooked3 in this. Appusiññō, take it away.”

Thereupon Appusiññō said, “Golden pounds like that are swept up into the various corners of the house of our Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō. Because of it, what of that one!”

The King thought, “Maybe this person is a richer man than I!”

The Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō and Appusiññō stay in a hut enclosed with leaves.4 There are deficiencies of goods for those persons, for cooking and eating; there are only the small cooking pot (muṭṭiya) and the large cooking pot (appalla) [as their goods].

On yet a day Appusiññō went running to the royal house. Having said that the Lord Mudaliyār told him to go and ask for the bushel for measuring rupees, he asked for it.

At that time the King asked Appusiññō, “Whence comes this money?”

Appusiññō said, “All is indeed the revenue which he receives from gardens, and grass fields, and rice fields.”

After that, he took away the vessel. At that time taking the rupee which was hidden, having brought it again, he gave it [with the rupee inside].

That day also the King said, “Look here. A rupee has been overlooked; take it away.”

Thereupon he says, “If one gather up rupees at home in that way there are many [there]. What of that one!”

Appusiññō having gone, and having walked to the shops in the villages, [after] finding about a hundred old keys, returned. Having brought the keys, and having thoroughly cleaned them, and made them into a bunch of keys, he tied them at his waist. [After] tying them at his waist he went in the direction of the royal house. The King, having seen this bunch of keys, asked, “Whence, Appusiññō, keys to this extent?”

“They are the keys of the cash-boxes in the wardrobes of the Lord Mudaliyār,” he said. Having said it, Appusiññō said, “O Lord King, Your Majesty, will you, Sir, be angry at my speaking?”

The King replied, “I am not angry at your speaking, or at your saying anything you want.”

Thereupon Appusiññō says, “Our Lord Mudaliyār having walked to every place in this country, there was not an opportunity (iḍak) [for a marriage] to be found.” The Monkey informed the King that although during the little time that had passed he was poor, at present he was a great rich man, and that he was a person born formerly of an extremely important lineage. “Because of it I am speaking,” he said.

At that time the King said, “That there are signs of his wealth, I know. His caste and birth5 I do not know. Hereafter (dewenu) having inquired [about them], I will say.”

Thereupon Appusiññō having gone into a multitude of villages, told the men, “The King having sent messages and told you to come, will ask, ‘Is Babāsiññō a very wealthy person? Is he a person of good lineage?’ Then say, ‘He is of a very good caste.’ ”

After that, the King having summoned the Talipat fan men6 who were in that country, made inquiry, “Is Babāsiññō’s house (i.e., lineage) good or bad?”

The whole of them began to say, “He is a monied man, an overlord of lineage,”7 they said.

After that, Appusiññō came once to the royal palace. At that time the King said to Appusiññō that he must see the bridegroom.

Thereupon Appusiññō having gone home, and again having gone to the bazaar and bought a piece of soap, caused the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō to bathe.

Again, the Monkey known as Appusiññō, splitting his head with a stone, went running to the royal house.

Thereupon the King asked Appusiññō, “What has split your head?”

Appusiññō says, “The Lord Mudaliyār sought for the keys to get clothes to go somewhere or other. Out of my hand the keys were lost. On account of it having beaten me with a club and my head having been split, I came running here,” he said.

Thereupon the King says, “You can find the keys some time. Until then, there are the needful clothes. Go and give him any cloth you want out of them,” he said.

So having taken a good cloth in which gold work was put, he dressed him, and he having come to the royal house, the King became pleased with the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō; and having caused the naekat (planetary prognostics) to be looked at, settled to marry [him to his daughter]. Thereupon, having told the men who were in that country, and having decorated the city, he observed the [wedding] festival, having also been surrounded by much sound of the five instruments of music in an extremely agreeable manner.

Well then, while they were going summoning the Princess to Babāsiññō’s own country, the Monkey through extreme delight ran jumping and jumping in front. While the Monkey was going thus, a party of boys who were causing certain goats to graze, having heard the noise of the five instruments of music, became afraid. At the time when they asked, “What is this?” “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to save these goats, say they are the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s,” the Monkey said.

When they are going a little further, certain herdsmen who are looking after cattle having become afraid, at the time when they asked [what the noise was], “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to escape say, ‘We are causing the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s cattle to graze,’ ” the Monkey said.

When they are going a little further, certain men who are doing rice-field work having become afraid, at the time when they asked, “What is this noise?” he said, “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to escape say, ‘We are doing work in the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s rice fields.’ ”

At the whole of the aforesaid places the men observed the method which the Monkey said.

The Monkey saw during the time he was staying in the midst of the forest, a house in which is a Yaksanī. As in that house there are riches, silver and gold, like a palace, and because there was nothing in Babāsiññō’s house, he thought of going there. Having thought it, and having left the bride and bridegroom and the whole of them to come in carts, and having said, “Come on this path,” Appusiññō got in front, and having gone to the place where the Yaksanī is, said, “Isn’t there even news that they are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country? The King is coming to behead you. Because of it, go to that stone well and get hid.”

Thereupon, the Yaksanī having gone to the stone well, got hid. While she was hiding [in it], this Appusiññō having thrown stones [into it], and having killed the Yaksanī, swept the Yaksanī’s house, and when the party were coming was there.

The King and the rest having come, when they looked much wealth and corn were there. Having said, “This one is a great rich person, indeed,” while the servants and the Princess remained there the King came back to the city.

But however much assistance the Monkey gave, Babāsiññō having forgotten the whole of it did not even look whether they gave the Monkey to eat.

Well then, while the party are staying there, one day, to look, “Does the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō regard me?” Appusiññō was getting false illness.

At that time Babāsiññō said, “What a vile remnant8 is this! Take it and throw it away into the jungle.”

Thereupon the Monkey made visible and showed the absence (naetikama) of Babāsiññō’s good qualities (guna), bringing forward many circumstances [in proof of it. He said], “Putting [out of consideration] that I was of so much assistance, you said thus!” Having said, “Because of it, staying here is not proper,” he went into the midst of the forest.

Western Province.

In a certain country there was a King who having gambled gets the victory. At that time, in that country there was a Beggar.

One day, Senasurā,1 having come near the Beggar, said, “Taking the money that thou hast begged and got, go near the King, and say thou, ‘Let us gamble.’ Then the King will say, ‘I will not.’ Then say thou, ‘Somehow or other, to the degree in which you, Sir, hold [a wager], I will hold wagers. Because of that you ought to play.’ Then the King will say, ‘Hā.’ ”

At that time the Beggar by begging had obtained about a thousand pounds. Having taken that little money he spoke to the King about the gambling. Then the King scolded him: “What gambling with thee, Beggar!”

Then the Beggar says, “Should I hold the wager that you, Sir, hold, that is as much [as matters] to you, isn’t it? Why are you saying so? Let us gamble.” Then anger having come to the King, and having said “Hā, it is good,” he became ready to gamble.

Having made ready the two gambled. While gambling the King began to lose at the wagers they were laying and laying. Having thus lost, he staked (lit., placed) the palace, also, and played. By that [throw] also, he lost. Then having staked Lan̥kāwa (Ceylon) also, he played. By that [throw] also, he lost.

After that, going from the palace the King and Queen made an outer palace, and the Beggar stayed in the palace. This King and Queen [afterwards] went away. Being unable to go on, they sat down at a place. While they were sitting the Queen lay down, and placed her head on the foot of the King. During the time while the Queen was asleep, the King taking a ball of straw placed it for the Queen’s head; and while the Queen was sleeping there the King went away.

At that time some men came there, bringing laden oxen. Then having heard the noise of the caravan (tavalama), the Queen awoke. When she looked about the King was not there. Then the Queen also having joined the caravan people, went away [with them].

Having gone, while she was lying down at a place, Senasurā, having come taking the disguise of a leopard, sprang at the party of caravan cattle. Then all the cattle which were tied up, breaking [loose] bounded off. Having bounded off, while they were running all these men sprang off on that road. This Queen sprang off to one hand (a different direction).

Having bounded off she entered a city. The mother who makes garlands for the royal house, being without a person [as an assistant], having sought one and walked there, met with this Queen. At the time when she asked at the hand of the Queen [if she would help her], she said, “I can work.” Well then, the Queen stayed [there], doing and doing garland-making work.

That King having abandoned the Queen, while he was going away, Senasurā, taking the disguise of a polan̆gā2 (snake), stayed on the path. When the King was going from there the polan̆gā said, “Having swallowed a prey I am here, unable to go. Because of it take hold of my tail, and having drawn me aside and left me, go away.”

Thereupon the King having taken hold of the tail of the polan̆gā, while he was drawing it aside it bit him on the hand. Then leprosy having struck the King, the King’s eye became foul.

At that time a horse belonging to the King of yet [another] city was born. [The King went there, and was appointed as a horse-keeper under the King who owned the horse.]

That garland-making mother (the ex-Queen) one day having gone taking flowers, placed them on the couches at the palace. When she was coming out, a trader who sold clothes when at that gambling city, having brought clothes to this city and having seen her as that garland-making mother was coming out, this trader made obeisance to this garland-making mother.

Thereupon the Queen of the King of the city having seen it summoned the trader, and asked him, “Why didst thou make an obeisance to our garland-making mother?”

The trader says, “What of that Queen’s doing garland-making work! [She is] the Queen of the King of such and such a city. Having seen her before, through being accustomed to it I made obeisance.” When she asked the garland-making mother about the circumstances, all was correct.

After that having told the King, when the King, having heard of it, went looking at her she was the King’s elder sister. Thereupon he caused the garland-making mother to bathe in sandal-wood water, and robed her.

Having heard the circumstances, in order to find the King (her husband) he made use of an expedient in this manner. Settling to eat a feast, he sent letters to the royal personages of cities successively, to come to this city. Then on the day the whole of the Kings came. Before that, he had told that Queen that should that King come she was to ascertain it.

All these royal parties and their horse-keepers having come, and the royal party having arrived at the palace, that horse-keeper (the former King) went to another quarter, and placed a gill of rice on the hearth [to boil]. Cooking it and having eaten, because he was a King before that he set off to look at this royal party when eating food, and having come, peeped a little and looked. When he looked he saw that that Queen was there.

Thereupon both these persons having seen each other began to weep. Then the whole of the Kings, having hit upon a little about it, inquired, “What is it?” Then the [royal] party said, “It is thus and thus.”

Then the King summoned the horse-keeper, and having made him bathe in sandal-wood water, kept the Queen and the King in the palace. Having much thanked that royal party [of guests] and said, “It was for the sake of finding this one, indeed, that I laid this feast,” he sent the party [of guests] to those cities. This party (the King and Queen) remained at this royal house.

Western Province.