Part 4

After he stayed there many days, this Princess asks this nobleman's son, "What do you know of the sciences?" Then he says, "I don't know a single one." Having said, "If so, you cannot stay near me; go you away," she drove him away.

This nobleman's son came home. The nobleman asks his son, "What have you come for?"

"The Princess asked me, 'What do you know of the sciences?' I said, 'I don't know anything.' 'If so, you cannot stay near me,' she said. Because of that I came," he said.

Immediately, this nobleman says to all his five sons, "Unless you five learn five sciences, without [doing so] don't come to my house." Having said it he drove them away. Thereupon, these five persons went to five cities, and learning five sciences, after much time came home. [One was a soothsayer, the second was a marksman, the third a thief, the fourth made very rapid journeys, and the fifth could bring the dead to life.]

This nobleman, after that having summoned the eldest son, asked, "What is the science that thou knowest?"

"I know [how] to tell sooth," he said.

To look at this one's knowledge, the nobleman, having seen that a female crow had laid eggs in a tree, said, "Should you tell me the sooth that I ask, you are [really] an astrologer." Having given his son betel he asked it [mentally].

After he asked it, this one says, "Father, you have asked me if a female crow has laid eggs in a tree. Is it not so?" he asked.

Thereupon, the nobleman said to the one who was able to shoot, "Come here. Without the female crow's knowing it, and without breaking the egg, shoot thou so that it may become marked [only],--an egg out of the eggs that are in that nest," he said. The nobleman's son having said, "It is good," shot in the manner he told him.

Then this nobleman, having summoned the thief, says, "Go thou, and without the crow's knowing, bring thou only the egg which this one shot." Having said, "It is good," he brought that very egg.

Then the nobleman said, "Go again, and place thou it [back in the nest]." He said, "It is good," and went and put it [back].

Thereupon, [having called the eldest son again], what sooth did the nobleman ask? Thinking it in his mind [only], he asked, "How are now the happiness and health of the Princess whom you at first summoned [in marriage]?"

After he asked, this one having looked at the sooth, says, "The Princess having now died, they have taken her to bury," he said.

Thereupon, the nobleman said to the one who is able to go on rapid journeys, "Go, and do not allow them to bury her"; he went accordingly.

Then this nobleman said to the one who causes life to be restored, [26] "Go and restore the life of the Princess, and come thou back to my city." Having said, "It is good," this one went, and, causing her life to be restored, the person who made rapid journeys, and the one who caused life to be restored, and the Princess, all three persons, came to the nobleman's city.

Thereupon the Prince who caused her life to be restored, says, "I shall take the Princess whose life I caused to be restored."

Then the person who went on rapid journeys says, "Unless I had gone quickly, and had not allowed them to bury her, and if they had buried her, how would you take her? Because it is so, I shall take her."

Then the soothsayer says, "If I had not looked at the sooth, and told [you about her death], how would you two take her? Because it is so, I shall take her."

Then the nobleman says, "Unless I caused the sooth to be looked at, [27] how would you three otherwise take her? Because it is so, I shall take her." Owing to that, these four persons were quarrelling.

Now then, out of these four persons, to whom does she belong? According to our thinking, indeed, she belongs to the nobleman.

North-western Province.

THE SEVEN PRINCES. (Variant b.)

At a certain city there are a King and a Queen. There are seven Princes of the King. The King every day [goes] to fish (lit., to lower bait).

One day, the Princes having said, "Let us also go to look at the fishing," the King and the seven Princes went to the river to fish. The King having fished three Lullu, [28] gave them into the hand of the seven Princes to bring.

The youngest Prince said, "Elder brother, let us put these into the water to look if they go down (sink)."

Afterwards they put the three fishes in the water. Two went down; one remained over. Taking that fish, the seven Princes came to the city. Having come, and given it into the hand of the Queen, they said, "Our father the King gave us three Lullu. [29] When we were bringing them younger brother said to us, 'Let us place the three Lullu in the water to look if they go down.' Afterwards we placed them [in it]. Then two Lullu went down; this Lula remained over. Having cooked this one for our father the King, cook for us and give us a packet of rice," they said. The Queen having cooked and placed [ready] the Lula for the King, cooked a packet of rice for the seven Princes, and gave it.

After that, the seven Princes, taking the packet of cooked rice, went away. [30] Having thus gone, the whole seven ate the packet of cooked rice near a piece of garden. When the whole seven were going away again, they met with a soothsayer. Then the eldest Prince said, "I must stay near this soothsayer," and having said it he stopped near the soothsayer.

When the other six persons were going away, they met with a man who knows the crows' language. After that, the next Prince stayed near the man who knows the crows' language. When the other five were going away they met with a shooter [31]; near the shooter stayed the next Prince. When the other four were going away they met with a plough carpenter; near the carpenter stayed the next Prince. When the other three were going away they met with a ball-playing man; near the ball-playing man stayed the next Prince. When the other two were going away they met with a gang of thieves; both of them stayed near the gang of thieves.

A long time the two persons in the gang of thieves remained breaking and breaking into houses. Having been thus and thus, the two persons spoke together: "Seeking articles [to take back with us] let us go to look at our elder brothers." Having said [this, after] getting the articles they came near the Prince who stayed near the man who is striking balls. When they looked he was learning to play at balls better than the ball-playing man.

That Prince said, "Let us go to see the other [next] elder brother of ours." Having said [this], the three Princes came near the Prince who remained near the plough-carpenter; when they looked the Prince also was learning to bore (widinda) ploughs better than the plough-carpenter.

That Prince said, "Let us go to the place where elder brother is." They came to look at the Prince who remained near the shooter. Having come there, when they looked he, also, was learning to shoot better than the shooter.

After that, the Prince said, "Let us go to look at that other elder brother of ours." They came near the Prince who remained near the man who knows the crows' language. Having come there, when they looked he, also, was learning the crows' language better than the man who knows the crows' language.

After that, the Prince said, "Let us go near that other elder brother of ours, near the Prince who remained near the soothsayer." The whole of the six Princes having come, when they looked he, also, was learning to say sooth better than the soothsayer.

After that, the whole of the seven Princes having [thus] met together, came to the Princes' city. Thereupon, the King and the seven Princes went to the river to bathe. When they were bathing a crow cawed; then the King said, "Who can explain the language of that crow?"

Then the Prince who knows the crows' language said, "I can. That cawed, having been at the place where it is roosting on the eggs."

Then the King said, "Who can take the eggs by stealth [without disturbing the crow]?" The two who stayed in the gang of thieves having said, "We can," the two Princes taking the crow-eggs gave them to the King.

After that the King and the seven Princes having come to the city, the King asked, "Who can say sooth?" The eldest Prince said, "I can," he said.

The King said, "Look and find by sooth seven Princesses for you seven persons," he said.

Afterwards the Prince having looked by sooth, said, "At such and such a city there is a Princess; at such and such a city there is a Princess." Saying and saying [this], he mentioned separately seven Princesses who are at seven cities.

Then the King said, "Who can, [after] stealing them, come with those seven Princesses?" The two who remained in the gang of thieves having said, "We can," that day night having gone and having stolen two and come back, he gave the two Princesses to the eldest elder brother and the next elder brother.

On the following day night having gone and having come back [after] stealing a Princess, he gave the Princess to the next elder brother.

On the following day they went, and [after] stealing two Princesses for the [next] two persons, thereafter they went back to the very gang of thieves.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

This story is probably defective in parts, and some incidents in the last portion appear to have been omitted,--regarding the ball player, the shooter, and the plough maker.

THE ATTEMPT OF FOUR BRAHMANA PRINCES TO MARRY. (Variant c.)

A certain Brahmana had a daughter named Candrapati. She was a person endowed with beauty. Four Brahmana Princes having heard of the excellence of her figure, came to try to marry her. The Brahmana her father having inquired what sciences they knew, each one said that he did not know [any]. He said that he could not marry and give the Princess-daughter to them.

Thereupon, they four having arrived at shame, came near a travellers' rest-house, and conversing [said], "We four persons having gone separately to districts for learning sciences, [after] three months in succession again let us arrive at this very place." Promising [this], and having looked in the four directions, they departed. In this manner the four of them having arrived each in a different district, and having [become] conversant with the sciences,--looking at omens, going in the sky, abating poison, giving life [anew,--after] three months in succession arrived at the aforesaid travellers' rest-house.

Thereafter, they four again departed for taking in marriage the Princess. At that time a Huna (House Lizard) cried. Then the person who was clever at omens told the remaining three persons that a cobra having bitten the Princess, they are taking her to the grave at that time.

Thereupon the person who possessed the power of flight through the air, having gone by the power of flight through the air, together with the other three, halted at the grave of the dead body. Then the poison discharger reduced the poison; the other gave her life.

Afterwards, while the four of them are one by one boasting of the gain due to themselves, they quarrelled over it. For that reason, not obtaining the Princess, they again went away.

North-western Province.

In the Katha Sarit Sagara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 349, four Brahmana brothers decided to "search through the earth and acquire some magic power." So they separated and went east, west, north, and south, after fixing upon a meeting-place. The rest of the story differs from the Sinhalese one; they met together, found a piece of bone, gave it flesh, hide, limbs, and life, so that it became a lion which killed them.

In the same work, vol. i, p. 499, four men wanted to marry a Princess; one was a clever weaver, one a Vaisya who knew the language of beasts and birds, the third a Kshatriya who was an expert swordsman, the fourth a Brahmana who could raise the dead to life. She refused all four, and died after three months, and the Brahmana was unable to restore life to her corpse as she was only human owing to a curse which had come to an end. See also vol. ii, p. 276.

In the same work, vol. ii, pp. 242, 258, there are variants in the series of Trivikramasena and the Vetala, the second one being like the Sinhalese tales in several respects. The father promised a girl to a man who had magic power, the mother promised her to one who had knowledge, her brother promised her to a hero. When they all came on the appointed day, she had disappeared. The learned man ascertained that she had been abducted by a Rakshasa, the magician prepared a magic chariot in which all three went to rescue her, and the hero killed the Rakshasa. Each one claimed her in a similar form of words to that employed by the learned man, who said, "If I had not known where this maiden was, how would she have been discovered when concealed?" The King decided that the hero ought to marry her.

In the Tota Kahani (Small), p. 51, a carpenter, goldsmith, tailor, and hermit, halting in a forest one night and each working in turn, carved the figure of a beautiful woman, robed it, adorned it, and caused it to be endowed with life. In the morning they quarrelled regarding the ownership of the woman, and all those to whom the matter was referred also claimed her. When the decision was left to a large old tree, "the tree of decision," it burst open, and the woman entering it became wood once more.

In the same work, p. 139, three young men saved a merchant's daughter from a fairy who had abducted her. One discovered where she was, the second made a flying wooden horse, on which the third rode and brought her back after killing the fairy. They then quarrelled regarding their claims to marry her. The parrot which related the story considered that she belonged to the last one because he risked his life for her.

At p. 157 also, a girl's husband who had vowed to offer his own head to a deity in case he married her, decapitated himself at the temple. A Brahmana who entered feared he would be charged with murdering him, and cut off his head also. The girl came, and was about to follow their example when a voice from the shrine informed her that if she joined the heads to the trunks the two persons would be restored to life. In doing this she misplaced the heads, and both persons then claimed her. The parrot was of opinion that she belonged to the man with her husband's head. There is a variant in the Katha Sarit Sagara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 261, the second man being the girl's brother.

In Sagas from the Far East, p. 109, five companions went in search of the sixth, whose life-index tree had withered. One found him buried under a rock; the second, a smith's son, broke it and took out the body; the third, a doctor's son, made a potion which caused it to revive. The five then helped the man to recover his wife, who had been abducted by a Khan, and each one claimed her as his reward. In their struggle for her she was torn in pieces.

In the same work, p. 299, four youths, working in turn, made a girl out of wood and gave her a soul; each one claimed her. The decision was that she belonged to the fourth, who gave the figure life.

In this work, p. 277, it is stated that Prince Vikramaditya learnt from robber bands the art of robbery, and from fraudulent dealers to lie.

In A. von Schiefner's Tibetan Tales (Ralston), p. 93, Prince Abhaya, son of Bimbisara, King of Magadha, is stated to have learnt coach-making; another son, Jivaka, became a celebrated doctor. A full account of him is given in Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. iii, p. 331ff. Sir R. Burton stated that, according to ancient Mohammedan practice, all rulers should learn a handicraft. (Arabian Nights, Lady Burton's ed., vol. i, p. 339, note).

In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 110, a Prince who had been trained by an expert robber stole the egg from under a hawk while it sat on its nest, without disturbing the bird.

There are West African variants of the Sinhalese tale. One from the coast provinces on the north side of the Congo is given in Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (Dennett), p. 33. A hunter who had three wives was killed while hunting. The first wife dreamt of this, the second guided the others to the spot, the third collected simples and revived him. When they quarrelled regarding the one to whom his life was due, and it was settled that the one whose food he ate first should be considered his preserver, he ate the food of the third wife, and the majority of the people approved of his decision.

In the same work, p. 74, the beautiful daughter of Nzambi, the Earth Goddess, could only be won by an earthly being who could bring down the heavenly fire. The spider went to fetch it, assisted by the tortoise, rat, woodpecker, and sandfly. Each of the animals afterwards claimed the girl, and in the end, Nzambi, as she could not give her to all, paid each one her value, and the girl remained unwed.

A variant of the Sierra Leone district is given in Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider, and the Other Beef (Cronise and Ward), p. 200. A man who had four young sons was killed while hunting. The sons heard the story from their mother when they were full grown, and went in search of him. The eldest found his gun and bones, the second collected and joined them, the third re-made the body with mud, the youngest blew up the nose through a charmed horn, and he became alive. The narrator stated that it has been impossible to decide to whom of the three his restoration to life was due.

NO. 83

THE STORY OF KALUNDAWA

In a certain country there were a Gamarala and Gama-mahage (his wife). There were seven daughters of the Gamarala's; there was no male child. Taking another male child, they reared him for themselves. This child was very thoroughly doing the work at the Gamarala's house.

Thereafter, after he became big, they asked at the hand of the Gamarala's daughters, "Who is willing to marry this child?"

All [the elder ones] said, "We don't want that scabby filthy one," but there was willingness [on the part] of the last young one. The two persons having married, the other six began to treat this young one harshly, but she did not take to heart (lit., mind) the things they are saying.

While they are thus, the Gamarala's son-in-law went to a smithy to get a digging hoe made. He said to the smith, "Ane! Make and give me a digging hoe." Although the smith took no notice of it, yet for many days he went again and again. He did not make and give the digging hoe.

One day, at the time when the smith was eating cooked rice, having put into the heat a piece of iron refuse which this person had thrown away, he began to blow the skins (bellows).

Then the figure of a great lion having come to the smith, he came running, leaving the cooked rice and food, and when he looked, having seen that very valuable iron is becoming hot, in an instant he made the digging hoe and gave it. Thereafter, the smith said to the Gamarala, "This child is a very virtuous royal Prince. To this one, without delay a kingdom is about to descend."

This boy again one day went to another man to ask for (borrow) a yoke of oxen. When he went there the man said, "I cannot to-day; come to-morrow." [32] The man brought him there many days. He did not give the yoke of oxen: "There are no oxen with me to give," [he said]. Well then, this one in sorrow came to his house.

Although two [semi]-wild male buffaloes of the Gamarala's are staying on two hills, no one is able to catch them. Thereafter, this one, taking a yoke and having gone to the rice field, performed an Act of Truth. [33] Having set up the yoke in the grass, he said, "The sovereignty will fall to me indeed. The wild one on that hill and the wild one on this hill, to-morrow morning must have presented [themselves] neck by neck to this yoke."

Thereafter, on the following day morning, he said to this one's wife, "Taking a little food, come to the rice field; I am going to plough."

Then the woman said, "Where have you cattle to plough?" Having said it, she laughed.

This one said, "There will be a yoke of cattle for me in the rice field."

Having gone to the field, when he looked, both the wild buffaloes had come, presenting their necks to the yoke. Well then, this one having tied the yoke began to plough. His wife having come to the rice field taking the food, when she looked, saw that this one is ploughing. Afterwards, having gone near the yoke, she said, "There will be much weariness; be good enough to eat a little food."

Thereafter, having stopped the yoke of cattle, and gone to a shade [after] washing off the mud, and having eaten the food, through weariness he placed his head on the waist pocket of his wife a little time, and went to sleep.

While he was sleeping there a little time a dream appeared: on the yoke a hive of Bambara bees has been fastened. Then having awoke, he said to the woman, "Ane! Bolan, in a dream a hive of Bambaras was fastened on the yoke; look."

Then the woman laughed and said, "If so, a kingdom will fall to you now."

When he had been [sleeping] there again a little time, [he said], "Ane! Bolan, maggots [34] fell on the great toe of my foot; look."

At that, also, this woman laughed, and said, "If so, you will receive the sovereignty now."

When he was there [asleep] a little time again, the clods (hi kaeta) which this one ploughed up appear to be of silver colour. Again he said to the woman, "The plough clods are silver colour; look."

At that, also, this woman laughed, and said, "If so, you will receive the sovereignty immediately."

Again, when he had been sleeping, he said, "Ane! Bolan, I hear a great noise; look."

At that, also, this woman having laughed, says, "Fetching you to go, they are coming to appoint you to the sovereignty."

Again, when he had been sleeping, he said, "Ane! Bolan, I hear the noise very near this; look."

This woman says, "Ane! There is nothing to be seen. On account of the three worlds [35] that you ploughed your head is made crazy. Be good enough to sleep a little time without speaking."

When a little time had gone again, she awoke him: "The sound of the five kinds of tom-toms, [36] and the decorated tusk elephant are coming. Be pleased to arise quickly."

Just as this one was awaking, the tusk elephant having come, kneeled down.

Thereafter, having caused this one to bathe in scented sandal-wood water, having put on him the royal ornaments, and having put in that very manner the ornaments on his wife also, they placed both of them on the back of the tusk elephant.

As they were going, he caused the smith to be brought, and impaled him. Having caused the person who did not give the yoke of buffaloes to be brought, he heated cow-dung, and having held both his lips to both sides, he poured it down his throat.

As he was going near the house of the Gamarala, the King said, for the Gamarala's daughters to hear:--

Kalundawa pinma kale. Kalundawa performed very meritorious acts. Kalu undae pin no-kale. The agreeable ones performed not meritorious acts.

North-western Province.

NO. 84

HOW THE POOR PRINCE BECAME KING

In a certain country there was a Prince, [the son] of a poor King, it is said. The Prince went to another country to learn letters. Having gone there, and in no time learning his letters, he said to the teacher, "I must go to my village." Afterwards the teacher gave him permission.

After that, while the Prince was coming to the city, the Prince having become hungry, remained sleeping near a tree. A man having come there said, "What, Prince, art thou sleeping there for? It is not good to sleep there; [be pleased] to get up," he said.

Then the Prince said, "I cannot even get up. I am hungry; because of it, indeed, I have fallen down here."