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.