At a certain city there is a King, it is said. There are four Princes
(sons) of the King, it is said. At the time when he told the four
persons to learn the sciences that are [known] in that country,
they were unable to learn the sciences.
After that, the King, bringing a sword, told them to [go elsewhere and]
learn the sciences [or he would kill them].
So all the four Princes, tying up a bundle of cooked rice, went
away, and having gone to yet a city and sat down at a halting-place
(ruppayak), the eldest Prince said, "At the time when we are coming
back we must assemble together at this very halting-place."
After that, the eldest Prince arrived (baehunaya) at a city. At the
time when he asked, "What is the science that is [known] in this
city?" they said, "In this city there is sooth."
"You must go and send me to the house where they say sooth," he
said. Then they went and sent him. The Prince learnt sooth.
The next (etanama) Prince arrived (baessa) at a city. He asked,
"What is the science that is [known] in this city?" "In this city
there is theft," they said.
"Please go and conduct me to the house where theft is [known],"
he said. That one learnt theft.
The next Prince went and arrived at a city. "What is the science that
is [known] in this city?" he asked. "Archery is [known] in this city,"
they said.
"Please go and send me to the house where there is archery," he
said. They went and sent him. That one learnt archery.
The next Prince went and arrived at a city. "What is the science that
is [known] in this city?" he asked. "In this city there is carpenter's
work," they said.
"Please go and send me to the house where there is carpenter's work,"
he said. That one learnt carpenter's work.
After that, the soothsayer [Prince] looked into the sooth, [to
ascertain] on what day the other three persons would come. When he
looked, it appeared that on the very day when the eldest Prince comes
back the other three persons also will come.
The eldest Prince having set off and come, returned to the
halting-place (ruppe) at which they stayed that day. Having come,
while he was there the other three also came and arrived at that
halting-place.
"What is the science you learnt?" they asked from the eldest Prince. "I
learnt sooth," he said.
They asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I
learnt theft," he said.
They asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I
learnt archery," he said.
They asked the young Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I
learnt carpenter's work," said the young Prince.
The three persons asked the eldest Prince, "What is there at our
house?" Then he said, "On the Palmira-tree a female crow (kawadi),
having laid three eggs, is sitting on them," he said.
"What is missing from our house?" they asked. "The Rakshasa having
taken the King's Queen to that [far] shore of the sea, [after]
putting her in the middle room (lit., house) in the midst of seven,
[24] has put the seven keys in his mouth," he said.
After that, the whole seven came to the city. The King having come
rubbing (whetting) a sword, asked the eldest Prince, "What is the
science you learnt?" "I learnt sooth," he said.
He asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt
theft." He asked the next Prince; "I learnt archery." He asked
the youngest Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt
carpenter's work," he said.
Having said, "It is good," the King asked, "What is there at my
house?" "On the Palmira-tree a female crow is sitting on three eggs,"
[the eldest Prince] said.
"What is lost from my house?" he asked, to look [if he knew]. "The
Rakshasa having gone away, and put the King's Queen in the middle house
(room) in the midst of seven, has placed the seven keys in his mouth,"
he said.
"Doer of theft, without the female crow's flying away, while it
is [sitting there] in that manner, take an egg, and come back,"
he said. Without the crow's flying away, while it was [sitting]
in that manner he took an egg, and came back.
Having caused the egg to be buried under the rice winnowing tray,
he said, "Archer, without swerving to that side or this side, shoot
[for the arrow] to go cutting it quite across." He shot so as to go
quite across.
"Doer of carpenter's work, fasten this [egg] in the very manner in
which it was [at first]," he said. He fastened it in the very way in
which it was.
"Robber, without the crow's flying (padinne), go and place [the egg
in the nest], and come back," he said. He went and placed it [in the
nest], and came back.
"Can you bring back this Queen?" he asked. "We can," they said.
The whole four persons having gone, the thief went into the
[Rakshasa's] house, and brought out the Queen successfully. When he was
bringing her the Rakshasa was asleep. Taking the Queen, they came away.
When they were coming, they told [the soothsaying Prince] to look by
[means of] sooth [what the Rakshasa was doing]. Still he slept. Having
come very far in that way, they told him to look [again]. "He is now
coming on the path," he said.
When they were returning thus, [the Rakshasa], having come quite near,
sprang at them. At that very time the archer shot [at him; the arrow]
having gone cutting his neck, he fell.
The ship in which they had gone was damaged (tuwala wuna). The
carpenter made [the damage good]. Then, [after crossing the sea]
they brought the Rakshasa's head and the Queen, and gave them to the
King. Thereupon the King gave them the sovereignty.
Then the soothsayer says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to
me]. Through my looking at the sooth, indeed, ye will get the country,
[if ye receive it]," he said.
Then the thief says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. It
was necessary that I should go and take [the Queen] successfully from
the Rakshasa. [If ye get it], it is owing to me that ye will get the
country," he said.
Then the archer says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. When
the Rakshasa came in order to go [after] eating you, through my having
shot him and killed him ye will get the country [if ye receive it]."
Then the Carpenter says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. Your
ship having broken, by my fastening it [together] at the time when
it was becoming rotten, ye will get the country [if ye receive it]."
Afterwards they gave the sovereignty to the eldest Prince.
Bintaenna, Uva Province.