In a certain country a Lord (monk) having been a monk is without clothes [to put on, in order] to abandon his monk’s robes (siwru). Asking at the hand of a novice for a cloth and a handkerchief, he abandoned his robes (thus becoming a layman again).

Having thus come away, when he was bathing in a river an elder sister and a younger sister were bathing lower down the river. Then, having seen that man who, having abandoned his robes and come [there], is bathing, the elder sister said, “That heap of wood which is coming is for me.”

Then the younger sister said, “The things that are in that heap of wood are for me.”

Then the elder sister went home for a cloth, to give to the man to wear. Afterwards the younger sister, having torn a piece from the cloth she was wearing, and having given it, goes away to her house with the man. Then the elder sister brings the cloth, too; having seen that these two are going the elder sister went back home. The younger sister and the Siwrāla went home [and he remained there as her husband]. The man, continuing to eat without doing work, is quite unemployed.

Afterwards the younger sister’s mother, having told the younger sister and the Siwrāla to eat separately, gave her a gill of rice, a small water-pot (koraha), a small cooking-pot (muṭṭiya), a large cooking-pot (appallē), a rice-cleaning bowl (nāem̆biliya), and a spoon.

The man having gone into the village2 and been [there], when he is coming the younger sister is weeping and weeping. So the man asked, “What are you crying for?”

Then the woman says, “Having said that you do not work, mother told us to eat separately.” Having said, “The things she gave (dīpuwā), there they are,” she showed him them.

Afterwards the man having gone asked the Gamarāla (his wife’s father), “How [are we to do], then? There is not a thing for us to eat. I came here to ask to cut even a pāela (quarter of an amuṇa) of your paddy on shares.”

The Gamarāla said, “Andō! Thou indeed wilt not cut the paddy, having been sitting doing nothing.”

Then the man said, “No. I will cut a pāela or two of paddy and come back.” Having gone to the rice field, and that very day having cut the paddy [plants] for two pāelas of paddy (when threshed), and collected them, and heaped them at the corners of the encircling [ridges], and carried them to the threshing floor, and trampled them [by means of buffaloes] that very day, he went to the Gamarāla and said, “The paddy equal to two pāelas has been cut and trampled (threshed). Let us go at once to measure it.”

Afterwards the Gamarāla having gone there, [said], “I don’t want this paddy; thou take it.”

The man having brought the paddy home, said [to his wife], “You present this as a religious act.”3 The woman having pounded the paddy and cooked it, gave away [the cooked rice] as a religious act.

The man went [to a river near] the sea, to help men to cross to the other side.4 When he helped them to cross, the man does not take the money which the men [offer to] give.

When he was helping men to cross in that way, one day an old man came. He helped the man to cross. The man’s betel bag, and walking stick, and oil bottle were forgotten5 on that bank. Afterwards the old man says, “Anē! My betel bag was forgotten.” That Siwrāla, having gone to that bank, brought and gave him the betel bag.

Then that old man said, “Anē! My walking-stick was forgotten.” The Siwrāla brought and gave that also. Then that old man said, “Anē! My oil bottle was forgotten.” The Siwrāla brought and gave that also.

Well then, that old man tried to give money to this man; the Siwrāla did not take it. The old man went away.

This Siwrāla came home. Having gone there, the Siwrāla, having got fever, lay down. Well then, the Siwrāla says, “I shall be still a little delayed.”

The woman asked, “What are you saying? Am I not becoming afraid [when you talk in that way]?”

Then the man says, “Nay, I will say nothing. They are telling me to mount on that carriage, and telling me to mount on this carriage.”

The woman said, “That is false you are saying.”

Then the man said, “To look if it is false, string a flower garland and give me it.”

Afterwards the woman having strung a flower garland, gave it. The man, taking the flower garland, threw it on the [celestial] carriage [in the air]. Then the flower garland was arranged on the carriage. Having seen it, that woman, covering her face, died.

Having died there, the woman having been [re]-born in the divine world, when she was coming again to the house the man had not yet died. On account of it the woman said, “Why have you not died yet? I, having died, and gone, and been [re]-born in the divine world,—is it not so?—came here. Come, and go with me,” she said.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. During the time while they are there, there is an infant [son] of the two persons. After the infant became big they were stricken by a very great scarcity of food.

Having given all and eaten, being without anything, at the time when, doing work at cities and having brought rice dust, they were continuing to eat, a King came, and calling that boy went away [with him].

The King having come again to this boy’s house, said at the hand of the boy’s mother and father, “How is the manner in which you get a living now?”

The two persons said, “Having worked in these cities and brought rice dust [we cook and eat it].”

The King said, “Can you go with me to my city?”

The two persons having said “Hā,” the two went with the King to the King’s city. The King built and gave the two persons a house also (gēkut), to be in, and the two, doing work at the city, [after] cooking continue to eat.

All the city spoke of giving a dānaya (religious feast) to the Gods and the host who come with the Gods. These two also spoke, “Let us also give (demu) a dānaya.” Having been there without eating for two or three days, they got together the things for the dāna.

When they will give the dāna on the morrow, to seek a fish for the dāna this man went to the sea quarter. As he is going, the sea fishermen, having drawn their nets ashore, are stringing the fishes together. Then the fishermen asked, “Where are you going?”

This man said, “I am to give a dānaya to the Gods to-morrow. For it I am going to seek a fish.”

The fishermen said, “We will give it. String these fishes.”

The man having said “Hā,” until it became evening strung the fishes. Afterwards the fishermen gave that man a fish. Taking it, as he was coming a considerable distance he met a widow woman. The woman said, “Where did you go?”

Then the man said, “I went to this sea quarter. I am giving a dānaya to the Gods; I went to seek a fish for it.”

The woman said, “I also will go,” and came with the man.

At dawn the widow woman, asking [permission] from those two, cooked the dānē for the Gods. One cannot stay in the city on account of the sweet [smell] of that fish having entered it.

Those Gods and their host having come at the time of the dāna, all at the city apportioned the whole of the food.1 Near these three persons there was no one. So Śakra, [observing it], creating an old man’s appearance, came.

This man called to Śakra, “Come here, you; there is not a person here for the dānē.”

Having spread a single-fold (tani-poṭa) mat, he gave the dānē to Śakra. Śakra having eaten the dānē went away. Those Gods and their host then also went.2

As this man was folding the mat which he gave to that Śakra to sit upon, under it silver and golden things had been heaped up.

The man with that silver and gold caused a city to be well built. That King’s sovereignty having been changed, this man’s son obtained the sovereignty. When he had been [there] not much time a very great scarcity of food struck the [former] King of the city, and the people. Doing work at the city of this [formerly] poor man, and having eaten, they remained there.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

At a certain city there is a person, Mādampē-rāla. For that Mādampē-rāla he brought a [bride in] marriage, it is said. That bride (man̆gula) was sent away (aerunā). Still he brought a bride, it is said; that bride also was sent away. In that manner, he brought seven persons. The youngest one of the whole seven having prospered, remained. The whole of those very seven persons were sisters. Those six persons were sent away, having said they would not grind millet.

While the above-mentioned youngest woman is prospering, one day the man says, “Bolan, cook for me to-morrow morning while it is still night, and give me it. It is [necessary] to go to cut jungle (wal),” he said.

The woman during the night itself cooked seven [millet] cakes, and cooked the flesh of a deer, and packed them in a box; and having cooked still seven cakes and the flesh of a deer, and given [these last to him] to eat, he finished. That Mādampē-rāla ate the seven cakes and the flesh of the deer, and went to cut jungle, taking the other seven cakes and the flesh of the deer.

Having gone, and having placed the things he took at the bottom of a tree, he began to cut jungle. Having cut three and a half chenas,1 and come [to the tree] and eaten the seven cakes and the flesh of the deer which he took, and drunk a gourd (labbak) of water, he cut another three and a half chenas, and went home.

A little time having halted and been at home, he came back to the chena, and having set fire to it he began to work [again]. Having sown it and finished, bringing his wife and bags after the millet (kurahan) ripened they went to the chena, and she began to cut the millet. In the whole seven chenas she cut the millet in just one day. Having cut it and collected it at one place, together with the man she dragged2 (carried) it home. That she cut the millet in the whole seven chenas the man was much pleased.

Having finished with the millet work, there having been a little paddy of his he cut that little, and collected it together.

Having said that he must go to his father-in-law’s village, while he is going away [after] tying five pingo (carrying-stick) loads, when going along through the middle of the King’s rice field the men who are in the field seized him.

Thereupon he says, “Don’t seize me. There being no paddy for me to cut, a little paddy of my father-in-law’s has ripened; to cut that little and return, I am going [after] tying also five pingo loads [of presents for my father-in-law]. I am unable3 to stay to cut paddy [for you],” he said.

Thereupon, the men while giving answer asked, “Bola, any person who goes through the middle of this field goes [after] having cut paddy.4 If thou cut [some] and went, would it be bad?”

Thereupon, the man began to cut the paddy. Having cut the seven amuṇas (about sixteen acres), and finished, he descended to the unripe paddy5 and began to cut it. Having cut the unripe paddy and finished, he began to cut the young paddy.6 That he cuts with an elephant’s-rib pin.

When he is cutting the young paddy, the men having gone running to the royal palace, say, “We called and got a man who was going on the path. That man having cut down all the [ripe] paddy is cutting the young paddy,” they said.

Thereupon the King having come to the rice field and called the man, when he asked, “What are you cutting the unripe paddy for?” the man says, “When I was going to father-in-law’s village [after] tying five pingo-loads, they told me to cut paddy,” he said.

The King calling the man and having gone with him [to the palace], tied ten pingo-loads more, and sent him away with men [carrying them], it is said.

Having gone to his father-in-law’s house, while he is there, when the man is preparing to go to the watch hut [in the rice field] his father-in-law says, “Son-in-law, you cannot go. A malignant (wasa) boar comes to the rice field. It has eaten three or four men,” he said.

Having said, “No matter to me for that; I am not afraid of it,” he went off, taking a large rice pestle. Having gone, when he was [there] the boar came; it having come there he shouted. Through fear at that it descended to rip open the man. When it was coming, the boar came and sprang to eat him. The man having given it blows with the rice pestle, killed it; having killed it he began to cut the paddy. In that paddy field he cut all the paddy before light falls. Having cut it and come away, he entered the watch hut and went to sleep.

After light fell, his father-in-law who stayed at home was expecting that he would come; because [he did] not, with much grief he went to the rice field to look if the boar had eaten him. Having gone [there], when he looked he had gone to sleep.

When his father-in-law spoke to him he turned and got up. When he said, “Boy, we were afraid that the boar would have eaten you,” he replied, “The boar indeed came; I beat it. Look there; it is dead, look.” Having looked at it, both of them went home, taking it. Thereafter he was much pleased with the son-in-law. Afterwards [the man] came home.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

The first part of this story is a repetition, with little variation, of the incidents in No. 58, vol. i, and the first part of No. 10. After eating the fruit in the plantain garden the youth was set afloat in the river, and had a similar experience at a Kaekiri garden, where he said his name was Ena-ena-gaeṭa Kannā, Wael Peralannā,—Eater of the young fruits which keep coming, Turner-over of creepers. The present story continues:—

Then the ship (raft) went to the place where the washerman-uncle was washing clothes. “Anē! Washerman-uncle, take me out,” the boy said. He got him ashore, and after taking him asked, “What is your name?” “Hū­kiyannā” (He who calls “Hū”), he said. Well then, calling him they went home. The woman who was in the house asked, “What is your name?” “Āsiyā,”1 he said.

After that, the boy went with the washerman-uncle to a house, to tie cloths for decoration [on the walls and ceiling].2 While tying them the cloths became insufficient, so the washerman-uncle said, “Go home; take cloths from the box at the foot of the bed,3 and bring them.”

The boy having gone home and opened the box, took cloths from it, and as he was coming back decorated with the cloths a Jambu tree4 that was near the path. Having decorated it (that is, hung them from the branches), while he was there Heṭṭirālas who were going trading in cloth [came up and] asked the boy, “What is that?”

“This Jambu tree produces cloth as fruit,” he said.

When he said this, the Heṭṭirālas said, “Give the cloth tree to us for money.”

Afterwards the boy having given them the cloth tree for money, said, “I have no cloth to wear. Give me those two cloths; the tree will bear other cloths for you.” The men gave him the two cloths.

After that, while he was taking the cloths he met with a Banyan tree, and decorated that tree also with the two cloths. While he was there [after] decorating it, a man was taking an elephant [along the path]. When he came near the tree he asked, “What is that?”

“This Banyan tree produces cloth as fruit,” the boy replied.

After he said this [the man] said, “Taking this elephant give me that cloth tree.”

Then the boy, having given that man the cloth tree, took the elephant to a house.

After he went there, having tied up the elephant he made the elephant eat (swallow) the gold [coins] which he had [got from the cloth traders]. Next morning it had voided them.

Afterwards, taking [the elephant’s dung], while he was washing it [and picking out the gold coins] the house man, [learning from him that the elephant always dropped gold coins in that way], said, “Give that elephant to me for money.” He gave the elephant.

After that, the boy, taking the money, went to his father’s house.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

In a certain country there are seven Queens, it is said. For the whole seven Queens there are no children.

In the King’s garden one Jak fruit grew1; after the Jak fruit ripened he cut it; in it there was one section containing a seed (madula). Afterwards the King said, “Can a Queen eat this Jak section and bear a child?” Six Queens said they cannot; one Queen ate it.

She having eaten it, ten months were fulfilled (lit., filled) for bearing a child. Then the King happened to go for a war. Afterwards pains seized that Queen; she bore a Chank shell. Then when the six Queens made an Asura figure,2 having taken that Chank shell they buried it in the dunghill. Well then, having waited until the time when the King came, the six persons showed him the Asura figure. Afterwards the King having struck blows at the Queen who was confined, drove her away.

A bull having come to the place where that Chank shell was buried, and dug it with its horns, saw the Chank shell and swallowed it. The bull having gone to the sea evacuated the Chank shell; there also the shark having seen it swallowed it. From there, having killed the shark, fishermen (kewulō) took it to the city; when taking it along the street to sell, the Queen who bore that Chank shell met with them. Having seen the shark the Queen asked, “For how much are you selling this shark?”

The fishermen said, “We are selling it for four tuṭṭu (three half-pence).”

Afterwards the Queen having given four tuṭṭu, took the shark. Having brought it to her lodgings and cut it, when she looked there was a Chank shell in its stomach. Having put the Chank shell away, [after] cooking the shark meat she ate.

When she was [there after] putting away the Chank shell, one day she looked at it. Then having seen that inside the Chank shell a Prince is drinking milk that is in his hand,3 she took the Prince out. At that time (ē pāra) the Queen got to know that it was the Chank shell that she bore. She gave the Prince a jacket. At the time when she put it on4 there was a cutaneous eruption (hori) on his body. Afterwards the Queen said he was Horikaḍayā (the one with the bit of hori).

After the Prince became big he went to the smithy; having gone and brought a bow, and an arrow-stem, and an arrow-head,5 he went to shoot animals, and shot a deer. Having come [after] shooting it, he gave it to his nearest uncle.6 Thus, in that manner, shooting and shooting deer he eats.

When he was thus, one day when going to shoot he met with an Egret (kokkā); when he caught it alive (amuwen), taking it [home] he reared it. [After] rearing it, the Egret and Horikaḍayā every day go to the chena jungle for hunting-meat,7 to shoot deer for themselves.

One day when they were going thus they saw that there were a horse, and a Prince, and a Minister; afterwards the two went there. Having gone, at that Prince’s hand, “What [are you doing here]?” Horikaḍayā asked.

“Because our father the King tried to kill us, on account of it we came and sprang into the chena jungle,” the Prince said. Afterwards the five live in one place.

While there, Horikaḍayā said to the Prince, “Let us go to seek a marriage.”

Afterwards the whole five having gone very near a city to seek the marriage, the Prince and the Minister having gone inside the city, and having tied the horse in the open space (midula) of the city, Horikaḍayā and the Egret remained among the branches [in the jungle].

The Prince asked the city Princess [in marriage]. The Princess said, “To the Prince I cannot go; I will go indeed to Horikaḍayā.” Afterwards Horikaḍayā and the Princess contracted (lit., tied) the marriage.

When the whole six having collected together are coming to the village, the horse and the Prince and the Minister say, “We can’t give that Princess to that Horikaḍayā; owing to it let us kill Horikaḍayā.”

Afterwards, when the three, summoning Horikaḍayā, were going to the forest they met with a well. They made Horikaḍayā descend into the well; having made him descend and thrown down stones, they trampled [them down]. There Horikaḍayā died.

Afterwards the three, calling the Princess, came away (enḍa āwā) to the village. The Egret being without Horikaḍayā went away (giyā yanḍa).

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

In a certain city a woman had become dexterous at dancing. It became public everywhere that there was not a single person in the whole of Great Dam̆badiva (India) to dance with (i.e., equal to) the woman.

At the same time, there was also a boy called Bahu-Bhūtayā, a boy of a widow woman. While he is [there], one day the aforesaid woman went for dancing to the village called Balaellāewa.1 Having danced that day, she obtained a thousand masuran.

Thereafter, she went to dance at the house of the Dippiṭiyās2, at the village called Koṭikāpola, which was near the same village. On the same day the aforesaid Bahu-Bhūtayā also went in order to look at the woman’s dances. Bahu-Bhūtayā before this had learnt dances from the Danḍapola Kōrāla (headman).

While Bahu-Bhūtayā, having gone, and looked and looked, was there, she began to dance, having sung and sung poetical songs, and beaten and beaten cymbals. The woman says,

When, in singing it, she had made it about Lan̥kāwa (Ceylon), when she [thought she] had made no opportunity (iḍak) for any other dancing person who might be present [to surpass her], having sung the poetical song she danced.

At that time Bahu-Bhūtayā, after having decorated himself with [dancer’s] dress, taking the uḍakkiya (the small hand tom-tom), and asking permission from all (according to the usual custom), sang a song (a parody of the other). The very song indeed [was]:—

Having sung the song, Bahu-Bhūtayā descended to dance.

Because the Danḍapola Kōrāla previously taught Bahu-Bhūtayā that same song, and because the same teacher had given his sworn word [not to teach it to another person], the woman was unable to dance the same song. After having made obeisance to Bahu-Bhūtayā, she says, “You, Sir, must give me teaching,” the woman said to Bahu-Bhūtayā.

After that, Bahu-Bhūtayā, marrying that very woman, began to teach her. After he had taught her, one day the woman thinks, “I must kill this Bahu-Bhūtayā,” she thought. “What of my being married to this Bahu-Bhūtayā! From dancing I have no advantage; he himself receives the things. Because of it I will kill him,” she thought.

One day, lying down in the house, saying, “I have a very severe (lit., difficult) illness,” the woman remained lying down. Bahu-Bhūtayā having gone for a work, when he came back saw that she is lying down. Having seen it, he says, “What is it? What illness have you?” he asked.

The woman, in order to kill the man, says, “Now then, I shall not recover; I have much illness,” she said.

Thereupon Bahu-Bhūtayā, because the woman was good-[looking], thinks, “What medical treatment shall I give for this?” he thought.

After that, the woman says, “If you are to cure my illness, having brought a little water which is at the bottom of the Great Sea beyond the Seventh Ocean, should I drink it (bunnot) my illness will be cured,” she said.

After that, Bahu-Bhūtayā began to go. Having gone on and on he went on the Great Ocean. Through affection for his wife, because she was very handsome, he jumped [into it] to get the water from the bottom of the ocean. After he jumped [into it], the fishes having bitten him and the water having soaked him, he died.

Beginning from that time, this woman, having associated with another husband also, when dancing brought back presents. After a long time, that very woman also, through the crime committed respecting her first husband, fell into the water and died.

From that time, the persons who saw these [things said] they are in the form of a folk-tale.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.