In a certain country there is a Gamarāla; the Gamarāla had no wives. While he was thus, at one time (eka pārama) he brought seven wives; all the seven had no children. Again he brought yet a woman; that woman also had no children.

After that, when the man was going in order to escort the woman [on returning her to her parents], they met with a Sannyāsi. The Sannyāsi asked, “What is it? Where are you going?”

The man said, “I brought seven wives; all seven had no children. After that, I brought this woman. Because the woman also had no children I am going in order to escort her [to her parents again].”

Then the Sannyāsi says, “I will perform a protective spell (ārakshāwa) for children to be born, if you will give me the lad who is born first of all.” The Gamarāla promised, “I will give him.”

Afterwards the Gamarāla having come back, when a little time had gone she bore a boy. After the boy became somewhat big he planted a flower tree. The Gamarāla having told the Sannyāsi to come gave him the boy; the Sannyāsi having taken him went away. The lad says to the Gamarāla, “Should I die the flowers on the flower tree will fade.” Younger than this lad [the Gamarāla’s wife] bore yet a boy.

When the Sannyāsi was taking the lad he met with a man. This man said to the lad, “Lad, the Sannyāsi will give you a thread. Tie it to a tree, and having got out of the way remain [there].”

The Sannyāsi having gone with the lad near a hidden treasure, gave a thread into the boy’s hand, saying, “Remain holding this.” The lad tied the thread to a tree; having hidden himself he remained [there].

The Sannyāsi put “life” into it.1 Then the Yakā [who guarded the treasure] having come, asked from the Sannyāsi, “Where is the demon offering (billa)?”

Thereupon the Sannyāsi said, “There (ān̥) he is, [at the end of the thread].” Then when the Yakā looked there was no one. Well then, the Yakā broke the Sannyāsi’s neck and drank his blood.

After the Yakā went away the hidden treasure burst open. That lad having come and taken the things of the hidden treasure (nin̆dānē kaḷamanā), again went to a Gamarāla’s2 house. Having gone, and taken lodgings at the house, while he is there they are preparing (tānawā) to give that Gamarāla’s girl in dīga (marriage). They will give her for the manner in which the Cinnamon-peeler’s cloth is worn, and to a person who wore the cloth [most correctly]. Well, anyone of those who were there was unable to do it. This youth wore it. After that, the Gamarāla gave the girl to the lad.

When the lad was bathing one day the girl saw the beauty of the lad’s figure. After that, the girl having said, “This man’s figure is too beautiful!3 I don’t want him,” prepared a contrivance to kill him. Having got a false illness she lay down.

Afterwards the lad said, “What is the difficulty for you?”

Then the girl [said], “You must bring and give me the milk of the wild Elephant that is in the jungle; if not, I shall die.”

After that, the lad having taken the coconut water-vessel,4 and having gone into the jungle, went near the Elephant calves. Then the Elephant calves [asked], “What have you come for?”

This lad said, “Anē! I came to take a little milk from the Elephant for medicine for me.”

The Elephant calves said, “If so, you remain hidden there; we will take and give it to you.”

The Elephant calves having gone near the female Elephant, one Elephant calf stayed near the Elephant’s trunk; the other one drinks a little milk, and puts a little into the coconut water-vessel. Having done thus, and collected milk for that coconut water-vessel, it brought and gave it to this lad. The lad having brought it,5 gave it to the woman, and told her to drink it. Afterwards the woman drank it.

In still a little time, again having said that she had an illness, she lay down. That lad asked, “What are you again lying down for?”

The girl says, “Bring the milk of the female Bear (walasdena) in the jungle. Should I drink it this illness of mine will be cured.”

Afterwards, this lad, having taken the coconut water-vessel, and gone to the jungle and gone near a Bear cub, said, “Anē! You must take and give to me a little Bear’s milk for medicine.”

Afterwards, the Bear cub having said, “If so, you remain hidden there until the time when I bring it,” took the coconut water-vessel, and having gone near the female Bear, drinks a little milk, and again pours a little into the coconut water-vessel. In that way having collected it, it brought and gave it to that lad. The lad brought the Bear’s milk home, and gave it to the woman to drink.

The girl having drunk it, in still a few days again lay down. The lad asked, “What are you again lying down for (budi)?”

Then the girl [said], “Having brought for me the milk of the Giju-lihinī6 which is in the jungle, should I drink it this illness will be cured.”

Afterwards the lad, having taken the coconut water-vessel and gone, went near the young ones of the Giju-lihinī, and said, “Anē! I must take a little milk of the Giju-lihinī for medicine.”

Afterwards, those Giju-lihinī young ones having told the lad to remain hidden, in the very same manner as before brought and gave the milk. The lad brought and gave it to the girl to drink. The girl having drunk it said that the illness was cured.

Well then, these two persons have a boy (son). Still having said that she had illness, this girl lay down. The lad asked her [about it] in the same manner as before.

The girl said, “Having wrestled7 with the Yaksanī who is in the jungle, should you come back after conquering, indeed, my illness will be cured.”

After the lad went into the jungle he met with the Yaksanī. Having met with her, the Yaksanī said, “We two must wrestle to-day; having wrestled, the fallen person (waeṭicci kenā) will lose.”

This lad said, “It is good,” and having wrestled the lad fell, and the Yaksanī killed the lad.

Then at that place [where he planted it] the flower also faded. Well then, the Gamarāla sent the other younger youth on horseback to look [for him]. When the youth was coming he met with the Yaksanī who killed that lad. Having met with her the youth said, “Give me (dila) my elder brother,” he asked.

The Yaksanī said, “I don’t know [about that].”

Then the youth [said], “Don’t say ‘No’; you must give him, quickly.”

The Yaksanī said, “Let you and me wrestle. Having wrestled, should you fall I shall not give him; should I fall I will give you your elder brother.” Both having agreed to it, they wrestled. Having wrestled, the Yaksanī lost.

After that, the Yaksanī having caused that killed lad to come to life,8 gave him to that youth. Well then, the elder brother and younger brother, both of them, having mounted on the back of the horse went to the very city where the elder brother stayed. The younger brother again came [home], having caused the elder brother to remain at that very place.

Well then, that elder brother’s boy having said, “Father, there is no stopping here for us; let us go to another country,” the two started, and at the time when they were going they met with a tank.

The boy asked, “Father, how far (koccara taen) can you swim in this tank?”

The boy’s father said “Let us see,” and having swum a little space (ṭikak taen) being unable [to swim further] came back.

The boy said, “Father, if you cannot swim, clasping my hand let us go,” he said. The man was held by the boy’s hand.

While swimming, the boy when he was going to the far bank caught a shark also. Having taken it also and gone to the far bank, he cut up the shark and divided it into three. Having divided it, and eaten two heaps of it, and taken the other heap,9 they go away to another country.

Having gone there they arrived (eli-baessā) at the palace (vimānē) of a Rākshasa. When they went two Rākshasa lads were [there]. The Rākshasa and Rākshasī went to eat human flesh. The two Rākshasa lads said, “Anē! What have you come to this place for? Should our mother and father come they will eat you up (kālā damayi).”

Then these two having said, “Anē! Don’t say so; to-day you must somehow or other (kohomawat) save us and send us away,” those two Rākshasa lads hid them.

The Rākshasa and Rākshasī came. Having come there, “What is this smell of dead bodies?” they asked.

The Rākshasa lads [said], “Having come after eating men’s flesh, what do you say ‘smell of dead bodies’ for?”

Well then, the Rākshasī and Rākshasa swore, “We will not eat; son, tell us.”

At that place these two Rākshasa lads showed those two, father and son, to these two. Although this Rākshasī and Rākshasa could not bear not to eat those two, because they had sworn that day they were forbearing.

On the next day the two persons went away to another country. Having gone there they arrived near a tank. Both having descended at the bank, swam. When they were going to the middle of the tank both of them being soaked with the water died.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

In a certain country there are a Gamarāla and a Gama-Mahagē (his wife), it is said. When they were there not much time (nom̆bō kālayak), for the Mahagē [there was] pregnancy longing; well then, she is not eating food.

The Gamarāla asked, “What is it, Bolan? You are not eating food,” he asked.

The woman said, “I have pregnancy longing.” The man asked, “What can you eat?” The woman said, “Seven days (haddawasak) having warmed water (paen) give it to me.” The Gamarāla having warmed water gave it [on] seven days; the Gama-Mahagē bathed seven days [with] the water. The Gamarāla asked, “Now then, is it well, the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “It is well.”

Well, ten months having been fulfilled she bore a boy. Until the time the boy becomes able to talk they reared him.

[Then] the Gamarāla said, “To look what this boy says, having taken him let us bury him.”1 The Gama-Mahagē also having said “Hā,” they took him to bury. Having cut the grave (lit., hole) and placed him in the grave, they covered [him with] earth (pas waehaewwā).

Then the boy said, “Anē! What did mother and father2 bury me for? If I remained with [them]—the smith does not beat the piece of iron [after] having placed it on the anvil—many will I beat (hammer) for them both.”3

The Gamarāla and the Mahagē having said, “That one to us [is] a smith’s boy,” and having well trampled still [more] earth [on him] came home.

When they were thus for no long time, for the Mahagē again [there was] pregnancy longing; well then, she is not eating food. The Gamarāla asked, “What is it, Bolan? You are not eating food.” The woman said, “I have pregnancy longing.” The Gamarāla said, “What can you eat for the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “[On] seven days from the Blue-lotus-flower pool having brought water, seven days having warmed it give me it (dilan) to drink.” The Gamarāla having brought the water, [on] seven days having warmed it gave it; the woman on the very seven days drank. The Gamarāla asked, “Now then, is it well, the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “It is well.”

Well then, ten months having been fulfilled (lit., filled) she bore a son. Until the time he became able to talk they reared him.

[Then] the Gamarāla said, “To look what this one says, let us bury him.” The woman having said “Hā,” they took him, and having cut the grave and placed him in the grave, they covered [him with] earth.

The boy said and said, “Anē! What did they bury me for? If I remained [with them]—the potter does not beat [the clay for] the pots—[for] many will I beat it.”

The two persons having said, “That one is not ours4—a potter’s boy,” and having put still [more] earth [on him] and trampled it, came home.

Having come there, when they were [there] no long time, for the woman [there was] pregnancy longing; she is without food. The Gamarāla asked, “What is it, Bolan? You are not eating food.” The woman said, “I have pregnancy longing.” The Gamarāla asked, “What can you eat?” The woman said, “Having cut a hollow well (puhu lin̆dak) and brought the water (diya), seven days having warmed it give me it for me to bathe.” The Gamarāla having cut a hollow well, [on] seven days having warmed the water gave it. The woman seven days bathed [with] the water. The Gamarāla said, “Now then even, is the pregnancy longing well?” The woman said, “It is well.”

When she was [there] not much time she bore a boy. Having reared him until the time when the boy became able to talk, the Gamarāla said, “Having taken this one let us bury him, to look what he says.” The Gama-Mahagē having said “Hā,” they took him, and having cut the grave and placed him in the grave, covered [him with] earth.

The boy said, “Anē! If I remained [with them]—the washerman does not wash cloth for them—many will I wash.”

The two persons having said, “That one [is] not ours—a washerman’s boy,” put still [more] earth [on him] and having trampled it came home.

(On the next occasion the woman stated, in reply to her husband’s inquiry as to what food she wanted, that she required nothing. When the son was buried he said, “What [did they bury] me for? For them5 I—the tom-tom beater does not beat the tom-tom—will beat many.”6 They said, “That one [is] not ours—a tom-tom beater’s boy,” and they finished the burial and returned home.

On the fifth occasion, when asked what she could eat, the woman said, “There is the mind to eat (sic) buffalo milk.” When the boy was placed in the grave he said, “Anē! What did our mother and father bury me for? If I remained [with them], having arrived near a King, [after I am] exercising the sovereignty won’t our mother and father, both of them, get subsistence for themselves?”7 The story continues:—)

Well then, the two persons having said, “This one himself [is] our child,” getting him to the surface8 they brought him home.

(On the sixth occasion the woman required cow’s milk. After she had “eaten” it (lit., them, the word for milk being a plural noun) the longing was allayed. Like the others, the boy who was born was buried when he could talk. He said, “Anē! What did our mother and father bury me for? If I remained [with them] won’t the two persons get a subsistence, I having even done cultivation and trading?”)

The rest of the story is as follows:—The two persons having said, “This one himself [is] our child,” getting him to the surface they brought him home. When they were rearing him not much time, the Gamarāla’s two eyes became blind. This boy having become big is continuing to give assistance to the two persons. Then the Gamarāla died.

The elder (lit., big) boy has taken the sovereignty. The elder brother and younger brother, both, [assisting her]—one having done cultivation (goyitan) and trading, one having exercised the sovereignty—that woman is obtaining a subsistence.

The woman having become old, one day (dawasakdā) that younger brother went to see that elder brother and return to the city. Having gone, as he was coming back Śakra having come, taking an old appearance, took away the Gama-Mahagē.

The boy having come and looked [for her], at his mother’s absence is weeping and weeping. Śakra, creating an old appearance, having come asked at the boy’s hand, “What are you weeping for?”

The boy said, “On account of our mother’s absence I am weeping.”

Śakra said, “Why? While your mother has become old you weep! Whatever time it should be, life goes.”

The boy said, “I must go to see our mother’s life.”

Śakra having taken him to the Śakra residence (bawana) showed him the boy’s mother. Having shown her, Śakra asked, “Can you stay here?”

Then the boy said, “I having asked at elder brother’s hand must come,” and came [back to earth]. Having gone to the elder brother’s city and said, “Elder brother, our mother having gone is in the Śakra residence; I also will go,” the elder brother replied, “If you can, go.” He having said it, he came away to go, [but] the boy not knowing the path simply stayed [at home].

Finished.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

In a certain country there are a Carpenter and a Heṭṭirāla, it is said. There are also the wives of the two persons; there are also the two sons of the two persons.

The Carpenter and the Heṭṭirāla spoke together: “Let us send our two children to school.” Having spoken thus, they sent the Carpenter’s son and the Heṭṭirāla’s son to school. At the time when the two had been going to school no long period, the Heṭṭirāla took and gave a cart and a bull to the Heṭṭirāla’s son. Well then, the Heṭṭirāla’s son goes to school in the cart; the Carpenter’s son goes on the ground. A day or two having gone by he does not go again.

Afterwards the Carpenter asked, “Why, Aḍē! dost thou not go to school?”

Then said the youngster, “The Heṭṭirāla’s son goes in the cart; I cannot go on the ground.”

After that, the Carpenter also took and gave (anna dunnā) a cart and a yoke of bulls to the Carpenter’s son. Now then, the Carpenter’s son also, tying [the bulls to] the cart, goes to school.

Then the Heṭṭirāla’s son, having sold the cart and bull, got a horse and horse carriage. The Heṭṭirāla’s son began to go in the horse carriage. Then the Carpenter’s son does not go to school.

Then the Carpenter asked, “What dost thou not go to school for?”

The Carpenter’s son said, “The Heṭṭirāla’s son goes in the horse carriage; I cannot go in an ordinary (nikan) cart.”

Afterwards, the Carpenter having said, “If the Heṭṭirāla’s son goes in the horse carriage, am I not a Carpenter? Having made a better one than that I will give you it,” constructed a wooden Peacock (dan̆ḍu mon̆ḍarā) and gave it to the Carpenter’s son. Afterwards the Carpenter’s son, rowing on the wooden Peacock [through the air], goes to school.

When they were thus for not a long time, the Carpenter died; the Carpenter’s wife also died. Afterwards this Carpenter’s son thought to himself that he must seek for a marriage for himself. Having thought it he went rowing the wooden Peacock to a city.

There is a Princess of that city. The Princess alone was at the palace when the Carpenter’s son was going. Afterwards the Carpenter’s son asked at the hand of the Princess, “Can you (puḷuhanida) go with me to our country?”

Then the Princess said, “I will not go; if you be here I can [marry you].” After that, the Carpenter’s son marrying1 the Princess, stays [there]. While he was there two Princes were born.

After that, the Carpenter’s son said to the Princess, “Taking these two Princes also, let us go to our country.”

The Princess said “Hā.”

Well then, while the Princess and the Carpenter’s son, and the two Princes of these two, were going [through the air] on the back of that wooden Peacock, that younger Prince said, “I am thirsty.”2 The Carpenter’s son having split his [own] palm gave him blood. The Prince said, “I cannot drink blood; I must drink water.”

Afterwards, having lowered the wooden Peacock to the ground, [the Carpenter’s son] went to seek water. [While he was absent] the younger Prince cut the cord of the wooden Peacock.

The Carpenter’s son having gone thus, [after] finding water came back and gave it to the Prince. Afterwards, after the Prince drank the water he tried to make the wooden Peacock row aloft; he could not, because [the young Prince] cut the wooden Peacock’s cord.

Afterwards, having left (damalā) the wooden Peacock there, [the Carpenter’s son] came to the river with the Princess and the two Princes; having come [there] they told the boatman to put them across (ekan-karawanḍa).

Afterwards, the boatman firstly having placed the Carpenter’s son on the high ground on the other bank (egoḍa goḍē), and having come back to this bank, placing the Princess in the boat took her below along the river, and handed over the Princess to the King of the boatman’s city.

The Carpenter’s son having stayed on the high ground on the other bank, became a beggar, and went away.3 Those two Princes having been weeping and weeping on this bank, jumped into the river. The two Princes went upwards and upwards in the river—there is a crocodile-house (burrow)—along the crocodile-house they went upward [and came to the surface of the ground].

Having gone there, while they were there weeping and weeping a widow woman having come for water (watura pārē) asked, “What are you weeping and weeping there for?” at the hand of the two Princes.

Then the two Princes say, “Anē! Being without our mother and father we are weeping and weeping.”

Then the widow woman said, “Come, if so, and go with me.” Afterwards, having said “Hā,” the two Princes went with the widow woman. Having thus gone, the widow woman gave food to the two Princes.

While they were growing big and large the King said at the hand of that Princess, “Now then, let us marry.”

Then the Princess said, “In our country, when a Princess has either been sent away (divorced, aericcahamawat) or has made mistakes (pāḍāwāri weccahamawat), she does not marry until the time when three years4 go by. When the three years have gone (gihāma) let us marry.” Afterwards the King, having placed a guard for the Princess, waited until the time when the three years go by.

These two Princes who jumped into the river one day went to be on guard. The Princess asked at the hand of the Princes, “Whence are you?”

Then the Princes said, “While we were young at a very distant city our mother and father were lost near the river. A widow woman having brought us away is now rearing us.”

Then the Princess said, “It is your (um̆balē) mother indeed who is I; your father is now walking about, continuing to beg and eat. I will perform a meritorious deed (pinkomak) and bring him; you, also, join yourselves to the beggars’ party.” Having said this, and given the two Princes silver and gold things, she sent them away.

That Princess at the hand of the King said, “I must perform a meritorious deed, to give money to those with crippled arms, lame persons, and beggars.”

Afterwards the King by the notification tom-toms gave public notice to those with crippled arms, and lame persons, and beggars, to come [for the alms-giving]. Afterwards they came; that Carpenter’s son, the beggar, also came.

To the whole of them5 she gave money; to that Carpenter’s son she gave much,—silver and gold. Having given it, the Princess said, “Having taken these and gone, not losing them, construct a city for us to stay in when we have come together again,” she said. “Our two Princes also are near such and such a widow woman; [after] joining them, go.”

Afterwards that Carpenter’s son, joining the two Princes also, went and built a city. Afterwards this Princess—having placed a guard over whom, the King had stopped—having bounded off, unknown to the King6 went to the city which the Carpenter’s son and the two Princes built.

Well then, the Princess, and the Carpenter’s son, and the two Princes stayed at the city.

Finished.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

At a certain city there are a King and a Queen. There are also two Princes.

During the time while they were living thus, while the Queen was lying down at noon, a hen-sparrow had built a house (nest) on the ridge-pole. The Queen remained looking at it. When the Queen was there on the following day [the bird] hatched young ones.

When they had been there many days, a young sparrow, having fallen to the ground, died. The Queen, taking the young sparrow in her hand, looked at it. Having opened its mouth, when she looked in it there was a fish spine in the mouth. The Queen threw the young one away.

After that, the hen-sparrow was not at the nest; another hen having come, stayed there. Afterwards, two young sparrows having fallen to the ground again and died, when the Queen taking them in her hand looked at them, two fish spines were in their mouths. The Queen threw them both away, too.

On account of what she saw the Queen thought, “[This] is not the hen which hatched these young ones. [The cock-sparrow] having called in another one [as his mate], she has been making them eat these spines to kill them.” Then from this the Queen got in her mind, “When I am not [here] it will indeed be like this for my children.” Well then, through that grief the Queen died.

After she died the King brought another Queen. This Queen beats and scolds the two Princes. Afterwards the Princes said to their father the King, “We must go even to our uncle’s1 house.”

“Why must you go?” asked the King.

The Princes said, “Our step-mother beats and scolds us.”

Afterwards the King said, “Go there, you.”

When the two Princes went to their uncle’s house, “What, Princes, have you come for?” the uncle asked.

“Our step-mother beats and scolds us; on that account we came.”

“If so, stay,” the uncle said.

Afterwards, when they had been there in that way not much time, as they were going playing and playing with oranges through the midst of the city, an orange fruit fell in the King’s palace.

Then the Princes asked for it at the hand of the Queen: “Step-mother, give us that orange fruit.”

The Queen said, “Am I a slave to drag about anybody’s orange?”

After that, the big Prince having gone to the palace, taking the orange fruit came away.

Afterwards, tearing the cloth that was on the Queen’s waist, and stabbing herself with a knife [the Queen] awaited the time when the King, who went to war, came back.

The King having come asked, “What is it?”

“Your two Princes having come and done [this] work went away.”

On account of it the King appointed to kill the two Princes. Having given information of it to the King’s younger brother also, the younger brother asked, “What is that for?”

The King said, “After I went to the war these two Princes went to the palace, and tore the Queen’s cloth also, and having stabbed and cut her with their knives, the blood was flowing down when I came.”

After that, the King’s younger brother asked at the hand of those Princes, “Why did you come and beat the Queen, and stab and cut her with the knife, and go away?”

The Princes said, “We did not do even one thing in that way. As we were coming playing and playing with oranges, our orange fruit having fallen in the palace, when we asked our step-mother for it she did not give it. ‘Am I a slave to drag about oranges?’ she said. Afterwards we went into the palace, and taking the orange fruit went away. We did not do a thing of that kind,” they said.

The King, however, did not take that to be true. “I must kill the two Princes,” he said. Their uncle took the word of the two Princes for the truth.

Afterwards the Princes’ uncle said, “Go to the river, and [after] washing your heads come back.”

As they were setting off the Princes took a bow and arrow; and having gone to the river, while they were there, when they were becoming ready to wash their heads, two hares, bounding and bounding along, came in front of the two Princes. Having seen the hares, the younger son said, “Elder brother, shoot those two hares.” He shot at them; at the stroke the two hares died.

The two Princes, washing their heads, took away the two hares also. Having gone to the city, and given them into the uncle’s hand, the uncle plucked out the four eye-balls of the hares, and gave them into the Queen’s hands:—“Here; they are the four eye-balls of the Princes,” he said.

Afterwards, having looked and looked at the eyes, she brought an In̆di (wild Date) spike, and saying and saying, “Having looked and looked with these eyes, did you torment me so much?” she went to the palace where the King was, and pierced [with the spike] the very four [eyes].

After that, having cooked the hares’ flesh, and cooked and given them a bundle of rice, the uncle told the two Princes to go where they wanted, and both of them went away.

(Apparently the story is incomplete, but the narrator knew of no continuation, and I did not meet with it elsewhere.)

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.