In a certain country the son of a King having thought that he himself earning it he must obtain a living, asked permission for it from his father the King.

Then the King said, “Son, if the goods that there are of mine will do without your earning a living and [thus] obtaining it, you can live happily, enjoying the possession of this wealth which there is,” he said.

But the Prince, being dissatisfied with it, said to his father the King, “In order for me to do trading, having loaded goods in a ship please give me charge of it,” he said.

Because of the strong wish of the Prince in this matter, the King having caused three ships to be constructed, loaded goods in one and gave the Prince charge of it, and sent the other two ships for the purpose of his protection.

After these three ships had sailed a considerable distance, a strong wind struck them; and the two ships which went for his protection having sunk, the ship in which was the Prince drifted to a shore.

Thereupon the Prince having said, “At what country have we arrived?” when he began to walk there for the purpose of looking, he saw a city in which were houses without men, and an abandoned palace. At that time, in order to find a country in which are men, he caused a dependant of this Prince to climb up a very high tree; when he looked he saw at a place not far from there a city at which men are dwelling, and they went there.

When the Prince asked the men who were at the city the reason of there being a city with abandoned houses and an abandoned palace, the men said thus, that is, “Because the King who exercised the sovereignty over that city did much wrong, a deity having sent a fire-ball1 through the whole city once in three months, began to destroy it.”

Thereupon this Prince who owned the ship, asking for a very clever clerk from the Minister who ruled the city, arrived there on the day on which he sends the fire-ball to destroy the city. When he is sending the fire-ball the Prince asked the deity, “What is the reason for sending this fire-ball?”

The deity said, “The King who ruled here stole the goods of such and such men to these extents, put in prison falsely such and such men.” When he is saying a quantity of such-like matters, the clerk who went with the Prince wrote down the whole.

Thereupon the Prince said to the deity, “The goods which the King stole from the men I will apportion and give to them. I will assist the men who were put in prison without cause. Because of it, henceforward do not send the fire-ball and destroy the city.” When he said it the deity accepted it.

After that, the Prince having sold the goods that were in the ship and the ship also, and having assisted the families whom the wicked King had injured, together with the Minister governed the country.

One day this Prince having gone for hunting-sport, when he was going hunting, a deer, feeling the wound at the shooting and shooting, ran off in front. The Prince having run after the deer, became separated from his retinue. Having seen, when going along, that a very beautiful Princess is at a rock cave in the midst of the forest, when he asked her [regarding] the circumstance, she said, “A Yakā brought me and put me in this rock cave. Once in three months he comes to look [at me].” Thereupon the Prince, calling for his retinue, and when it came having gone away taking this Princess, gave her in marriage to the Minister.

After this, because neither this Princess nor the Minister, both of them, paid regard to this Prince who had assisted them, the Prince having become angry went away.

Having gone thus, becoming wearied he went to sleep near a pool in the midst of the forest. At this time, two robbers having come, placed [there] a very beautiful Princess on a golden bed, and being unable to divide them, [each] cried out, saying, “The bed for me; the Princess for me. Give me them.”

Thereupon the Prince, having opened his eyes and said, “Who are ye?” sprang near them, taking his sword, and said, “I am such and such a Prince. I will kill you. If I am not to kill you, give me the Princess, and if ye want the bed take ye it away.” The two robbers having become afraid, taking the bed went away.

This Prince went away, taking the Princess, and having arrived at a country, dwelt there in misery. At this time, her father the King made public that to the person who, having found, gave him this Princess, he will give a share from the kingdom, and marry and give her.

Well then, for the purpose of finding her, a young man from the Princess’s country having walked to all places, at last arrived by chance at the place where both of them are residing. Recognising the Princess, and during that day night getting a resting-place there and having stayed at it, he stole the Princess, and went near her father the King.

Thereupon the Princess said to her father the King, “Do not give me in marriage to this wicked one. There is a Prince who at the very first delivered me from robbers. While that Prince was there [after] finding me, this wicked one having gone [there], stealing me by force came away.” Thereupon the King commanded them to impale this man, and kill him.

Through grief at [her loss], that Prince who was [there] having come after seeking her for three months, [the King] gave him this Princess in marriage, and gave him the kingship of that country, also.

Western Province.

In a certain country a King had an only daughter, it is said. The Princess was a possessor of an extremely beautiful figure. The King taught her the sciences to the extent to which she was able to learn. This Princess having arrived at maturity, the King ordained that a Prince who having heaped up masuran [amounting] to five tusk elephants’ loads, should show [and give] him them, may marry her.

After that, although from several countries Princes came to marry her because this Princess’s figure is beautiful, having been unable to procure masuran [amounting] to five tusk elephants’ loads their minds became disheartened, and they went away.

At last, out of the seven sons of a certain Emperor-King, one person said to his father the King, “Father,1 should you not give me masuran [equal] to five tusk elephants’ loads, undoubtedly, cutting my throat (lit., neck) myself, I shall die.”

The King asked, “What is that for?”

“In such and such a country there is a very beautiful daughter of the King. To marry her, first it is necessary to give masuran [equal] to five tusk elephants’ loads.”

Thereupon the Emperor-King having loaded the masuran into a number of carts, handed them over to the Prince. Well then, this Prince, taking the masuran also, approached near the Princess’s father, the King. Having weighed his masuran, when he looked [into the account] still a few were short. Because of it having sold even the tusk elephant which the Prince brought, and having righted the five tusk elephants’ loads, after he showed them to the King, the father of the Princess, he gave the Princess in marriage to this Prince.

Because of this Prince’s act, the Princes who having come first to marry the Princess and having been unable went away, became angry, and formed the design to steal the Princess for themselves.

After the Prince lived in happiness for a little time at the palace of the King, the father of the Princess, he asked the King, the Princess’s father, for permission to go to his own country with the Princess. When he had asked permission even many a time because the father of the Princess was very unwilling, by very strong effort he set off to go, together with the Princess.

When going thus, the Princess’s father gave her ten masuran. As these two persons, taking the ten masuran, were going journeying they fell into a great forest wilderness. Leaving behind the forest wilderness, when they arrived at another country, because [only] two masuran remained over for them, getting a living became very difficult.

Thereupon the Princess said to the Prince, “I know the means to earn our living, therefore be not afraid. For [the value of] the remaining two masuran bring threads of such and such colours,” she said.

The Prince having brought them, the beautiful Princess knitted a scarf [like one] she was wearing, and having put flower work, etc., [in it], and finished, gave it to the Prince, and said, “Having gone taking this scarf and sold it to a shop, please bring and give me the money,” she said. Thereupon the Prince having taken it and gone, and having sold it for twenty masuran, thereafter bought at the price the requisite threads of several colours, and gave them to the Princess. Well then, while the Princess is making ready scarves, having obtained money and rented a house at the city, she dwelt with the Prince.

While [they were] dwelling thus, a Prince came to the shop at which she sold the scarves, and buying an invaluable scarf of these, and ascertaining that it was the scarf woven by such and such a Princess, asked the shopkeeper, “Who brought and sold the scarves?”

Then the shopkeeper said, “Such and such a handsome man sold them to me,” he said.

Having said, “When will the scarf trader come again to the shop?” and having ascertained it from the shopkeeper, he came on the day which the shopkeeper mentioned, in order to meet the Prince scarf trader.

Having come thus, and met with the very Prince who trades in the scarves, and conversed well, he asked, “Who knits the scarves?”

Then the Prince gave answer, “My wife knits them.”

Thereupon the other Prince said, “The scarves are extremely good. I want to get knitted and to take about ten or fifteen of them.”

Having said [this], and having come to the place where this Princess and Prince are living, and given a deposit of part of the money for the month, he got a resting-place there that day night.

In this manner getting a resting-place and having been there, in the middle of the night stealing the Princess, the Prince who got the resting-place took her to his palace. This Prince, for the Princess whom he stole and the Prince who was her lord to become unconscious, caused them to drink a poisonous drug while they were sleeping. This Prince who stole the Princess was a person who at first having gone to marry her, was not wealthy [enough] to procure the masuran [amounting] to five tusk elephants’ loads.

Well then, on the day on which he went stealing the Princess, he received a letter from his father the King, that he must go for a war. Because of it, having put the Princess whom he stole in the palace, and placed guards, and commanded that they should not allow her to go outside it, he went for the war.

While she was [there] in this manner, in the morning consciousness having come to the Prince who had married the Princess and become her lord, he opened his eyes, and having seen that the Princess was not there, as though with madness he began to walk to that and this hand. While going thus, he went to go by the street near the palace in which his Princess is put. When going there, after the Princess had looked in the direction of the street from the floor of the upper story, she saw that her Prince is going; and at that very time having written a letter she sent it to the Prince by the hand of a messenger.

In the letter was said, “At night, at such and such a time please come to such and such a place. Then I having arrived there, and both of us having joined together, let us go by stealth to another country.”

The Prince as soon as he received the letter went near a jungle, and thinking, “Here are no men,” read the letter somewhat loudly.

Then a man who, having gone into the jungle to draw out creepers and having become fatigued, was lying down near there, heard his reading of the letter. Because the man heard this matter, in the night time, at the time which was written in the Princess’s letter, taking a sword also, he went to the place which she mentioned. When the Princess, too, at the appointed time went to the said place, the man who went to cut creepers having waited there, seized her hand, and they quickly travelled away. While they were going, in order that the guards and city residents should not be able to recognise them, not doing much talking they journeyed quickly in the darkness, by the jungle, to the road.

The Prince who was appointed the husband of the Princess, having read without patience the letter which the Princess sent, arrived at the place mentioned before the appointed time; and having [sat down and] leaned against a tree until she comes, after the journey he made went to sleep. At this time the man who went to cut creepers came, bringing the sword. If he had met with the Prince, he would have even killed him, with the design to take away the Princess.

This Princess, together with that man, having arrived at a great forest wilderness, both persons went to sleep under a tree. After it became light, having opened her eyes, and when she looked having seen that she had come with a very ugly man, unpleasing to look at, becoming very distressed she began to weep.

Then the man said, “After you have now come so far with me, should you leave me you will appoint yourself to destruction. Because of it, are you willing that I should marry you?” he asked.

The Princess said, “I am willing; but in our country there is a custom. In that manner we must keep it,” she said.

The creeper cutter agreed to it, that is, the woman and man, both of them, who are to marry, having looked face to face, with two ropes of fine thread are to be tied at a post, and after they have proclaimed their willingness or unwillingness for their marrying, they must marry. “Well then, because in this forest wilderness there are not ropes of fine thread, let us tie ourselves with creepers,” she said.

Because there was not anyone to tie the two persons at once (eka pāraṭa), the other having tied one person, after this one proclaimed her or his willingness the other was to be tied. Firstly having tied the Princess with a turn of creeper, after she proclaimed her consent he unloosed her. After that, the Princess, having very thoroughly made tight and tied to the tree the creeper cutter, quickly went away backward to seek her lord.

While going in that way she met with two Vaeddās. Thereupon the two Vaeddās, with the design to take this Princess, began to make uproar.

Thereupon the Princess said, “Out of you two, I am willing to come with the skilful one in shooting furthest,” she said.

At that time the two Vaeddās, having exerted themselves as much as possible, shot the two arrows [so as] to go very far, and to fetch the arrows went running to the place where they fell. While they were in the midst of it the Princess went off very stealthily.

The two Vaeddās having come and having seen that the Princess had gone, began to seek her. When they were thus seeking her, that creeper cutter whom she had tied and placed there when she came away, somehow or other unfastening the tying, came seeking the Princess; and having joined with these Vaeddās began to seek [her with them].

While they were in the midst of it, the Princess having gone walking, met with a trader. The trader, taking her and having journeyed, at noon became wearied, and went to sleep in the shade under a tree. Then the Princess taking a part of the trader’s clothes and putting them on, went like a man, and arrived at a royal palace. The King having said to this one, “What can you do?” [after] ascertaining it, gave this one the charge to teach the King’s son and also the Minister’s son.

During the time while she is thus educating in the sciences these two Princes, one day the Minister’s son, because of an accidental necessary matter went into the room where this Princess who was made his teacher is sleeping. At the time when he went, the Princess’s outer robe having been aslant, the Minister-Prince saw her two breasts, and went seeking the King’s son to inform him that she was a woman.

The Princess, ascertaining this circumstance, stealing from the palace the clothes of a royal Prince and putting them on, went away very hastily. She went away thus in the disguise of a Prince, by a street near a palace of the chief city in another country.

Because a handsome husband, pleasing to the mind of the daughter of the King of that country, had not been obtained by her, she remained for much time without having married. Although many royal Princes came she was not pleased with them. But having been looking in the direction of the street from a window of the upper story floor, and having seen this Princess of extremely beautiful figure going in the disguise of a Prince, very hastily she sent to her father the King, and informed him, “Please give me the hand of that Prince who is travelling in the street, as my lord-husband.”

Then the King, having sent a messenger and caused this Prince to be brought near the King, and shown him the Princess, said, “You must marry this Princess. If not, I shall appoint you to death.” This Princess who was in the disguise of a Prince through fear of death consented to it.

After that, having appointed the wedding festival in a great ostentatious manner, they married these two persons. In that night the Princess who was in the disguise of a Prince, having told the other Princess all the dangers that occurred to her, and told her that she is a Princess, said to her, “Don’t inform any one about it.”

Remaining in this manner, the Princess who is in the Prince disguise began to seek her husband. It was thus:—This Princess having caused to be made ready a very spacious hall which causes the minds of the spectators who saw it to rejoice to the degree that from the outer districts men come to look at it, began to cause donations [of food] to be given to all who arrive there.

Having caused her own figure to be made from wax, and having put clothes on it, and established it at a place in front of this hall, she caused guards to be stationed around, and commanded them, “Any person having come near this wax figure, at the very time when he has touched it you are to bring that person near me.” She said [thus] to the guards.

While a few days were going, men came from many districts to look at this hall. Among them, having walked and walked seeking this Princess, were her Prince and the creeper cutter, the two Vaeddās and the trader, the royal Prince and the Minister-Prince. The whole of them having come and seen this wax figure, touched the hand of the wax figure. The guards who were stationed there, because the whole of these said persons touched the wax figure, arrested them and gave charge of them to the Princess.

Thereupon the Princess commanded them to kill the creeper cutter. Having censured the Vaeddās she told them to go. To the son of the King who caused her to teach, she gave in marriage the Princess whom, having come in the disguise of the Prince, she married. Taking charge of her own Lord she from that time lived in happiness.

Western Province.

In a certain country there was a King. There was one Princess, only, of the King’s. Except the King’s Queen and Princess, only, there was not any other child. At the time when the Princess was twelve years old the King died. After he died any person does not go to do the work at the royal house as in the time when the King was there. By reason of this, the Princess and Queen are doing the work in the palace without any one.

When not much time had gone, two men came to the royal house without [anything] to eat and to wear. At that time this royal Queen asked, “What have ye come for?”

Thereupon these men said that being without [anything] to eat and to wear they came seeking a means of subsistence.

Then the Queen said, “It is good. If so, remain ye here.” The men having said, “It is good,” stayed there. The work she gave them, indeed, was [this]: she told one person to cause the cattle to graze; she told one person to pour water [on the plants] at the flower garden.

After that, the man who looks after the cattle having taken the cattle to a garden of someone or other and left them, was lying down under a tree. At that time the owner of the garden having come, and having beaten him and the cattle, drove them away. After that, the man having put the cattle somewhere else, [after] causing them to graze there went to the palace.

The man to whom was given the charge to pour the water, from morning until evening comes having drawn water, became much fatigued. On the following day, with the thought of changing [the work of] both persons that day, he asked the man who went to cause the cattle to graze, “Friend, how is the work you went for? Is it easy or difficult?”

Thereupon the man who looks after the cattle said, “Anē! Friend, having taken the cattle and put them in a garden, I lie down. When it becomes evening I come driving them, and tie them up. Except that, there is not any difficulty for me,” he said. Having said thus, the man who looks after the cattle asked the man who pours the water, “How, friend, is your work?”

The man said, “What, friend, is my work? Having poured a bucket or two of water on the flower trees I simply amuse myself.”

Then the man who looks after the cattle said, “If so, friend, I will pour the water at the flower garden to-morrow; you take the cattle.” Thereupon the man, being thankful, said, “It is good.”

On the following day both persons did accordingly. That day, also, he beat the man who looks after the cattle, in an inordinate manner. The man who remained at home, having poured water until it became night, was wearied.

Having seen that these two works were difficult, both these men in the evening spoke together very softly. The Queen and Princess having become frightened at it, put all the money into an iron box, and having shut it and taken care of it, put it away.

These men having heard that noise, and having waited until the time when the Princess and the Queen were sleeping, these two, lifting up that box, came away with it. There was a waterless well. Having said they would hide it in the well, one told [the other] to descend into the well. What did the other do? Taking a large round stone, he dropped it into the well, so that the man who was in the well should die. Having dropped it, the man, taking the cash-box, went somewhere else. That stone not having struck the man who descended into the well, with much exertion he came to the surface of the ground, and when he looked the man was not [there].

On the following day, the Queen having arisen, at the time when she looked she perceived that the cash-box was not [there]. Having perceived it, she asked the man who remained [regarding it]. The man said, “Anē! I don’t know.”

When the Queen asked, “Where is the other man?” this man said, “That man himself will have taken it. The man is not here.”

The Queen having said, “Well, what can I do?” remained without doing anything.

The man who stayed at the palace having inquired on the following day, when he looked about met with the cash-box, [the other man] having placed it in the chena jungle. Having taken it, he came back and gave it to the Queen.

Thereupon, the Queen being very thankful, and having married and given that Princess to the man, he remained [there] exercising the kingship virtuously, as [was done] before.

Western Province.

In a certain country there was a royal Prince, it is said. This Prince one day having gone for garden sport, and while on his return journey having seen a beautiful woman belonging to a nobleman’s family, his mind was attracted towards her, it is said. When the Prince with his mind thus greatly attracted towards the woman is feeling keen sorrow, not obtaining sleep, dwelling foodless, for several days in succession not having eaten, his body grew extremely emaciated.

At the time when his father the King inquired what were the reasons of it, he informed him that he wanted to take in marriage a nobleman’s daughter, it is said. The King having heard his word, asked the assemblage of Ministers whether the transaction was suitable or unsuitable. And the assemblage of Ministers having said that should he take [a wife] in marriage in that manner a disgrace will go to the royal race, he rejected it. But having seen that because of the young Prince’s grief from day to day his body becomes [more] emaciated, his father the King took and gave him a [bride in] marriage from another royal family. Yet except that he contracted this marriage because of the urgent request of his father the King, for himself, indeed, he did not desire even to look in the direction of the Princess whom he married.

At the time when he is thus, having concealed from the King that he does not pay regard to his married wife, since thereafter the Prince attempted the obtaining of the nobleman’s daughter for himself [the King] ordered the Prince to go out of the country.

The Prince, upon the word of his father the King having mounted on a ship and become ready to go to the foreign country, put the Princess whom he took in marriage into a rock house (cave), and having placed guards around, and made them give her food once in four days, said thus to the Princess, “When, having gone to a foreign country, I come again to this country, having borne a Prince like me do thou keep and rear him virtuously. Should it not be so I will speedily cause thee to be killed and cut into bits,” he said. The Prince said thus with the intention of indeed killing the Princess. Why was that? Because from the day when he contracted the marriage there had not been a [conjugal] association of these two.

Well then, she ascertained that she cannot perform even one of the orders that were told to the Princess. Well, this Princess’s father had presented and given to her two tunnelling rats.1 By the help of these rats having made a tunnel [by which] to go outside from the rock house, she came out by the tunnel, and making even the guards her friends, went near a woman who knows extremely clever dances; and having given money, [after] learning up to the other shore itself2 her art of dancing, she went to the neighbourhood [of the place] from which on the first occasion the Prince was to mount into the ship, putting on a dress that was attracting the wonder of each of the persons who saw it, in such a manner that anyone should be unable to recognise her. Having shown dances in front of the Prince, and caused his mind to long for her, and that day night having slept with him, on the following day she went to the house of the King her father.

The Prince having gone to foreign countries, the Princess was living in happiness at the house of her father until learning news of his coming again to his own country. Having heard news that the Prince descended from the ship, and having gone to the rock house together with the guards of whom at first she was making friends, she remained [there] in the manner which the Prince ordered on going. Because the Prince came after a number of years had passed away, she had a fine infant Prince.

Well then, the Prince, having descended from the ship and having come with the intention [after] having killed his wife to take in marriage the nobleman’s Princess, opened the door of the rock house, and at the time when he looked saw that the Princess is [there] with an infant Prince in the very manner he said. While he was in extreme anger, the Princess, while in the midst between the Royal Council and her husband, related the method by which she obtained her child.

After that, when in a very public manner the Prince completely abandoned his wife her parents did not take charge of her. Because of it, having gone near an indigent woman she dwelt with her child. Because the Prince had extreme affection for the child he thought to take the child [after] having given poison to the Princess and killed her.

At this time, because the Siṭu Princess whom the Prince was intending to take in marriage had been taken and given and settled for another person, he contracted marriage with another Princess. On the day of the festival at which he contracts3 this marriage, on his sending to his indigent former wife a sort of cakes in which poison was mixed, when she was partaking of them she performed the act of Yama.4

After she died, a Nāga maiden began to give milk to the infant. The Prince having gone on horseback to bring the infant, at the time when he brought it to the royal house the Nāga maiden also went behind [in her snake form]. The Prince having seen the Nāga maiden while the head part of the Nāgayā was inside the doorway and the tail part outside the doorway, when he cut it in two with his sword the Nāgayā vanished, and the Princess who was the mother of the infant remained in front [of him].5 The Prince ascertaining [thereby] that he was unable to kill her, established her in the post of Chief Queen.

Western Province.

In a certain country there was a King, it is said. Belonging to that King there was only a single son-Prince. He handed over this Prince to a Royal Preceptor for teaching him the arts and sciences. Although until this Prince became big to a [considerable] degree he was learning near the Royal Preceptor, he did not properly get to know even a single letter.

While he was staying thus, a King of another country sent a letter to his father the King. Thereupon he gave this letter to the Prince to read. The Prince, bringing the letter near his forehead, looked at it, rubbing his eye he looked, (after) running round the house he looked; but he was unable to read it. The royal retinue who saw this laughed.

At that time anger having arisen in the King concerning this, he very quickly caused the Royal Preceptor to be brought. He spoke to him angrily. The Royal Preceptor, becoming afraid [said], “Your Majesty, your son is unable to learn. Let this [other] child who learnt at the same time with that Prince, and this child who came to learn after that, read, if you please;” and he presented two children before him. Thereupon the two children read the letter with ease. After that, the King being angry with his Prince, settled to kill him on the following day.

His mother the Queen having arrived at much grief concerning this, on the following day, at the point of its becoming light, having tied up a packet of masuran and given it to him, ordered him to set off and go away from the country. And the Prince, in the manner his mother said, taking the packet of masuran set off and went away from the country.

While he was thus going he saw a place where an astrologer, assembling children (lamō) together, is teaching. The Prince having halted at that place and spoken to the teacher about learning [under him], remained there. And although, having stayed there much time, he endeavoured to learn, while he was there also he was unable to learn.

During this time the astrologer-teacher having become afflicted with disease, dismissed and started off the whole of the scholars. He told the Prince to go away. At the time when the Prince was going, he approached to take permission from the teacher. Thereupon the teacher, having spoken to the Prince, said, “Learning even the advice which I now give to yourself, take it and establish it in your mind as long as there is life.” The Prince answered, “It is good.”

The advice indeed was this:—“Having gone to a place to which you did not go [before], should they give any seat for sitting down, without sitting there at once you must draw out and shake the seat, and [then] sit down. While you are at any place, should they give to eat, not eating the food at once, [but] taking a very little from the food, after having given it to an animal and looked at it a little time you must eat. Having come to an evil place to take sleep, not lying down at once you must lie down at the time of being sleepy. Not believing anything that any person has only said, should you hear it with the ear and see it with the eye [even], not believing it on that account only, [but] having inquired still further, you must act.”

[After] hearing this advice the Prince having set out from there, went away. At the time when he had gone a considerable distance, the Prince became hungry; and the Prince having halted at a place, said to the house man, “Anē! Friend, I am very hungry. I will give you the expenses; give me to eat for one meal.”

Having said [this], the Prince unfastened the packet of masuran that was in his hand, and from it gave him a single masurama. The man after having seen these told his wife about the packet of masuran that the Prince had.1 The wife also having become desirous to take the packet of masuran, told her husband the stratagem to kill the Prince and take them. Talking in this way, they dug a secret (boru) hole and covered it, and having fixed a seat upon it made him sit there to eat food.

The Prince having established in his mind the advice which the astrologer-teacher gave, drew away and shook the seat; at the time when he endeavoured to look [at the place] all the things that were there fell into the secret hole. Having seen this and arrived at fear, the Prince set off from there and began to go away.

Having thus gone a considerable distance, and having halted at a place because of hunger, the Prince said to a man, “On my giving the expenses give me to eat for one meal.” Thereupon the man said, “It is good.”

Then the Prince, having unfastened the packet of masuran, bringing a masurama gave it to the man. The man having told his wife also about the matter of the masuran, they arranged a means to kill the Prince and take the masuran. Having thought of giving poison to the Prince to kill him while here, they put poison into the food, and having set a seat and brought a kettle of water for washing himself, gave it to him.

The Prince, after washing his [right] hand and mouth, having gone and sat down, according to the advice of the astrologer-teacher taking from all the food a very little gave it to the dog and cat that were near the Prince, and remained looking [at them] a little time. While he was [waiting] thus, in a little time the dog and cat died and fell down. Having seen this and become afraid, the Prince set off from there and began to go away.

Having gone on and on in this way, near the palace of another King through hunger-weakness he fell, and struck the ground. The men who saw this having gone running, said to the King [that] a man like a royal Prince had fallen down, and was not far from the palace. The King gave orders, “Very speedily bring him here.” Thereupon the men having lifted him up, took him to the royal house.

While he was there, when he asked him [regarding] the circumstances, “I am very weak through hunger;2 for many days I have not obtained any food,” he said.

“At first having made rice gruel, give ye him a little,” the King said.

Thereupon the servants having said, “It is good” (Yahapataeyi), prepared and gave it. After his weakness was removed in this way, he asked him [about] the circumstances. Commencing at the beginning, from the time (taen) when he went near the Royal Preceptor, he told the story before the King (raju).

Then the King spoke, “Wast thou unable to learn letters? Not thus should a royal Prince understand. Wast thou unable to learn the art of swords, the art of bows, etc.?” he asked.

Thereupon, when answering he said he knew the whole of those arts; only letters he did not know.

At that time the King thought thus, “Because of his not knowing only letters, ordering them to kill him was wrong, the first-born son. Remain thou near me,” he commanded.

Belonging to the King there was a single daughter only. As there were no sons he regarded this Prince like a son. When not much time had gone thus, the King thought of giving [a Princess] in marriage to him. The King having spoken to him, said thus, “Tell me which place is good for bringing [a Princess from], to marry to thee.” Many a time he told him [this].

And the Prince when replying on all the occasions said, “I am not willing to leave His Majesty the King and go away.”

Thereupon ascertaining that he says thus through willingness that he should marry the King’s daughter to him, he said, “I am not willing to give my daughter to thee. Shouldst thou say, ‘Why is that?’ seven times now, seven Princes married (baen̆dēya) that person. They having died, on the following day after the Princes married her it befel that I must bury them. Because death will occur to thee in the very same way, I am not willing to give my daughter to thee,” he said.

Thereupon the Prince said thus, “To a person for whom death is not ordained death does not come; death having been ordained that person will die. Because of that, I am wishful to marry (ban̆dinṭa) that very Princess,” he said. Then the King fulfilled his wish. Thus they two having married, according to the custom he sent them away [into a separate dwelling].

While he was with that very Princess, having remembered the warning given on that day by the astrologer-teacher, being heavy with sleepiness while eating betel, he woke up many times. At this time the Princess had gone to sleep.

[At last] he hears a sound in the house. The Prince having heard it and become afraid, at the time when he was looking about [after] taking his sword in his hand, he saw a cobra of a size equal to a Palmira trunk descending from the roof. This cobra, indeed, was a young man who had tied his affection to this Princess, a person who having died through his love [for her] was [re-]born a cobra. Through anger towards all who marry the Princess he killed them.

The royal Prince having gone aside, in a little time it descended until it was near the ground. [Then] the Prince by one stroke of the sword cut the cobra into three pieces. Thus the danger which there had been for much time that day was destroyed.

On the following day, according to custom with fear the servants arrived in front of the Princess’s house. But the Prince having come out, placed the three pieces of the cobra upon a post. Thereupon having been amazed, the royal servants very speedily ran off and told the King (rajuhaṭa) about this. The King, also, having arrived there was astonished, and commanded them to take the trunk of the cobra to the cemetery, and burn it.

During these very days, another King having asked the Great King for assistance for a war, sent letters. And the King sent this Prince to the war, with the army. When he had thus gone, in a few days the Princess bore a son.

The war lasted twelve years. After twelve years, having conquered in the war he was ready to come to his own country. By this time the Princess’s son had become big. But the people of the country, not knowing whose son [he was], thought him a person who had married the Princess. And this news had become spread through the country.

The royal Prince having arrived near his own country, the Prince got to hear the news; but having remembered the warning of the astrologer-teacher, he thought that to believe it in the future he must make inquiry.

Coming close to the royal palace by degrees, he addressed the army; and thereafter, after he had beaten on the notification tom-tom, “Assemble ye,” having allowed them to go, when it became night he arrived inside the palace by an outer window. Thus he arrived in the house called after the Princess.

Having come in that way and seen that a youth was living with the Princess, he became angry, and said, “I will cut down the two persons,” taking the sword in his hand. [But] having remembered the warning of the astrologer-teacher, he said, “Without being hasty I will still test them,” and again he put the sword into the sheath.

At the sound, the [young] Prince who was with his mother opened his eyes, and having seen his father and become afraid, saying, “Mother, mother,” crept under the bed. The mother, too, having opened her eyes at this time and when she looked having seen her lord, spoke [to him]. Thereupon he told the Princess the whole circumstances, and for the Princess there was great sorrow [at the report spread regarding her].

On the morning of the following day, the Prince having seen the Great King told him about the war, and the manner in which he got the victory in it. And the King, being much pleased, appointed great festivals at the city; and having decorated the Prince with the Crown and given him the kingship, the King began to perform acts in view of the other world.

Western Province.