In a certain country there was the son of a King. He gave charge of him
to a teacher, and told him to teach the son. On the day on which he
was handed over he was not there. On the following day, only, having
gone to the school, after that having said he was going to school he
went to the high road, and during the whole day-time [95] having been
eating and eating kaju [nuts] in the evening he comes home and says
that he went to school. A single person does not know of this deceit.
In this manner, while two or three years are going he did thus. The
teacher also did not give information to the King about this matter.
He not giving it, one day the King to look into this Prince's learning
wrote a letter and placed it on the table. After that lying Prince
came, having said that he went to school, [the King], with the view
that "If he was learning it is good for me to ascertain easily by
[means of] letters," said, "Son, on that table there is a letter. I
omitted (baeri-wuna) to look at it. Break it [open] and look what
the letter is."
Thereupon the Prince, having broken [open] the letter and looked at it,
said, "Ane! Father, except that in this there are a sort of strokes
and strokes, and a sort of drops, I indeed cannot perceive anything."
Then the King having become angry at the teacher sent him a letter. The
teacher having looked at the King's letter, sent a letter thus:
"Ane! O King, except that you, Sir, handed over your son, I have not
even yet seen the Prince after that."
Thereupon the King having said, "We do not want the disobedient son,"
caused the executioners to be brought, and having said, "Having taken
him and gone into the midst of the forest, you must behead him,"
gave him [to them].
At that time the Prince's Mother-Queen said to the executioners,
"Don't kill him"; and having spoken to them and given a hundred
thousand masuran to the Prince, and said, "Without having come
bounding into this country again, go you to another country and get
your livelihood," sent him away.
As the Prince was going away to another country, he saw that four
persons, holding a man who is dead, are dragging him to the four sides,
and he asked, "Ane! You are tormenting that dead man! Why?"
Then the men [said], "We four men are to get four hundred masuran
from this man. [For us] to let him go, will you give the four hundred
masuran?" they asked.
Thereupon this Prince, having seen the torment they were causing to the
dead body, said, "It is good"; and having given four hundred masuran
to the four men, and further having given five hundred masuran, and
caused the corpse to be buried, the Prince went away. That dead man
having gone, was [re]born, and became a fish in the sea.
When this Prince went from that city to another city, he saw that
on account of a want of money the King was selling a Princess and
two Princes of the King of the city; and this Prince having become
inclined to take that Princess asked the price for the Princess. The
King said, "It is a thousand masuran." Then when the Prince looked
at the account of the masuran which he had, except that there were a
thousand masuran by account, there was not even one in excess. [96]
After that, having been considering and considering it, he gave the
thousand masuran, and taking the Princess, went away. That this Prince
is a royal Prince no one knows.
Then this Prince, calling the Princess also, went to a house at which
washermen stayed. The washermen asked, "Where are ye going?"
Thereupon the Princess and Prince said, "We are going to a place
where they give to eat and to wear."
Then the washermen, in order to take [them for] work for them, said,
"It is good. If so, remain ye here." Thereupon the two persons
stayed there.
When they were [there] not much time, the washermen, thinking,
"What are we giving to eat to these two for?" said, "Go ye to any
quarter ye want."
At that time, the young Prince and Princess [97] having gone to yet
[another] garden, building a stick house [there], this Prince having
told that Princess to be in the house went and plucked coconuts
during the whole day-time (dawal tisse). Taking the coconuts given
as his hire (baelagedi), and having given them at the shop, in the
evening procuring two gills of rice and the requisite things for it
he comes back.
When he brought them, what does that Princess do? Each day she put
away at the rate of half a gill from the rice, and cooked the other
things; and having given to the Prince also, and the Princess also
having eaten, in this manner, when three or four days had gone, the
rice that she put away was collected [sufficient] for eating at still
a meal or two.
Then the Princess said to the Prince, "Elder brother, [in exchange]
for the things you obtain to-day not getting anything [else], bring a
cubit of cloth, and thread, and a needle." Thereupon, having given the
coconuts obtained that day he brought a cubit of cloth, and thread,
and a needle.
After he brought them, having eaten and drunk in the evening, and
spread and given the mat for the Prince to sleep on, what does this
Princess do? Having cut the cubit of cloth, and put sewing on it worth
millions (koti ganan) of masuran, she sewed a handkerchief. Having
sewn it, and finished as it became light, she said to that Prince,
"Elder brother, give this, and not stating a price, asking for only
what the shopkeeper gave [for such an article] bring that."
Thereupon the Prince, taking the handkerchief, went to three or four
shops. The shopkeepers said, "We have no words [to say] regarding
taking that handkerchief."
At that time there was still a great shop; to it he took it. The
shopkeepers, taking the handkerchief, having seen the marvel of it,
asked, "For this handkerchief how much?"
Then this Prince said, "I cannot state a price for that. Please give
the price that you give."
Thereupon the shopkeepers having said, "Take as much rice and
vegetables as you can," after he got them gave also a hundred thousand
masuran.
This Prince taking them and having returned, those two persons remained
eating and drinking.
In those days the King who sold the Princess made a proclamation by
beat of tom-toms, [98] that is, "If there should be a person who came
[after] finding my Princess, having married the Princess to him I
will decorate him with the royal crown."
Thereupon the King's Minister having said, "I can come [after]
finding her; I want time for three months, and a handkerchief that
the Princess sewed," asked for [the handkerchief]. The King gave it.
Then the Minister also having come by sea, landed at the city at
which this Princess and Prince stay. Having come there, he showed
and showed that handkerchief at the shops, while asking, "Are there
handkerchiefs of this kind?"
The shopkeepers who got that handkerchief said, "Here; we have one,"
and showed it.
Thereupon the Minister asked at the hand of the shopkeepers, "Who
gave this handkerchief?"
The shopkeepers said, "Behold. The man who stays at the house in the
lower part of that garden brought and gave it."
So having gone near the house, when he looked only the Princess was
[there], not the Prince. Having said at the hand of the Princess,
"Your father the King said to you [that you are] to go with me,"
he showed the handkerchief.
Thereupon the Princess said, "No. It is not father who provided
subsistence for me for so much time. There is a person who provided
my livelihood. Because of it, unless I ask from him and go, without
[doing so] I will not go." At that time the Prince came.
After he came this Princess said to the Prince, "Elder brother,
my father the King having said that I am to go, has sent this
Minister. What do you say about it?" she asked.
The Prince said, "If you will go, go; if you will be [here], stay. It
is [according to] any wish of yours."
Then the Princess spoke, "Don't say so, elder brother. Except that
if you told me to stay I will stay, and if you told me to go I will
go, for the word of my father the King I will not go. Because of it,
let the whole three of us go."
Thereupon the Prince also having said, "It is good," the whole three
having embarked began to go. While going thus, except that the Princess
and Prince remain on one side, and that Minister on one side, they do
not allow him to approach them. The Minister is much annoyed about it.
They went six days on the sea. On the whole six days, having said that
the Minister will put into peril and kill the Prince, the Princess
without sleeping remains simply looking on when the Prince has gone
to sleep. In that way, on the seventh day after they embarked, the
Princess being sleepy could not bear up, and said to the Prince,
"Elder brother, during the time while I sleep a little you remain
awake." Having said [this], the Princess went to sleep.
The Prince having been awake a little time, through the manner of
his reclining went to sleep. Thereupon this Minister having awoke,
when he looked having perceived that both were asleep, quickly rolled
the Prince into the sea.
Just as he was thus rolling him over, that dead man having become
a fish and having been [there], came and seized him behind. Having
thus seized him, placing him on its back the fish asked at the hand
of the Prince, "What will you give me to put you ashore?"
Then the Prince said, "I have not a thing to give now. From the [first]
things that I obtain afterwards I will give you a half part." Thereupon
the fish brought him and put him ashore. Afterwards the Prince went
to the Princess's city.
[Having landed], that Minister said to the Princess, "Let us go to
the palace."
Thereupon the Princess said, "I will not go with thee. Tell thou my
father to come." So the Minister having gone, told the King to come.
Thereupon the King came. At that time that Prince also stayed near,
so that he should be visible to the Princess.
The Princess, having seen the Prince, asked, "Father, in this country
how are the laws now regarding journeys?"
The King said, "What, daughter, are you saying that for? They are
just like [they were] when you were [here]."
Thereupon the Princess said, "At the time when you were sending
letters to me, my elder brother who gave me food and clothing, and
I, and the Minister, having embarked came away. My elder brother who
provided subsistence for me was lost. You must make inquiry about it
in a thorough manner."
Then the King having made inquiry and looked [into the matter], getting
to know that the Minister threw him into the sea, [found that] unless
he beheads the Minister there was nothing else [to do]. Because of it,
he commanded them to behead the Minister. After that they beheaded him.
Then, this Princess first marrying the Prince himself, he appointed
the Prince to the sovereignty.
Well then, when they are there no long time, the two persons went
to the sea to bathe. At that time that fish having come, seizing
the Prince's leg asked, "Where is the charge you undertook for me
that day?"