At a certain village there were a Gamarala and a Tom-tom Beater. For
the Tom-tom Beater there was nothing to eat. Because of it, having gone
to the Gamarala's house he got a large basket of paddy on loan. While
he was eating it the two persons having joined together worked the
Gamarala's two rice fields.
Out of them, the [rice in the] Gamarala's field being of very good
quality was well developed; [that in] the Tom-tom Beater's field was
undeveloped. Because of it, the arrangement which the Tom-tom Beater
made was thus: "Because I am to give a debt to you, you take my rice
field, please, and give me your rice field, please," the Tom-tom
Beater said to the Gamarala. So the Gamarala having told him to take
it, the Gamarala took the Tom-tom Beater's field.
The Tom-tom Beater having cut the growing rice in the field and
trampled it [with buffaloes], got the paddy. The Gamarala obtained
hardly anything (tikapitika). So not much time was occupied in
eating it.
After that, a daughter of the Gamarala's was taken away by a
Rakshasa. Then the Gamarala having come near the Tom-tom Beater,
and said, "Let us go on a search for my daughter," both persons
went together.
At that time the Gamarala took a bag of money. The Tom-tom Beater,
not showing it to the Gamarala, took a bag of fragments of broken
plates. The Gamarala tied up a bag of cooked rice; the Tom-tom Beater
tied up a bag of rice-dust porridge.
At the time when they were going, being hungry they stopped at the
bottom of a tree and made ready to eat the cooked rice. Having made
ready, the Tom-tom Beater, taking a small quantity of rice from the
Gamarala's leaf [plate] of cooked rice, ate it.
Having eaten it, the Tom-tom Beater says, "Don't you eat the cooked
rice which I have polluted by eating; be good enough to eat my bag
of cooked rice." Having said it, he gave him the bag of rice-dust
porridge. Then when the Gamarala unfastened the bag there was only
porridge.
Having said, "Well then, what [else] shall I do?" the Gamarala ate the
rice-dust porridge. The Tom-tom Beater ate the package of good cooked
rice which the Gamarala brought. Thereupon the Gamarala said at the
hand of the Tom-tom Beater, "I ate the rice-dust porridge; don't tell
anyone whatever," he said. The Tom-tom Beater said, "It is good."
At the time when they were going away, yet [another] Tom-tom Beater,
taking a drum to sell, came up. So this Tom-tom Beater, thinking of
taking the drum, spoke to the Gamarala [about it]. Then the Gamarala
said, "If there is money in thy hand give it, and take it."
The Tom-tom Beater, having shaken the package of plate fragments said,
"There is money by me; I cannot unfasten it. If you have money be
good enough to give it." The Gamarala said, "I will not." [219]
Then the Tom-tom Beater said, "If so, I will say that you ate the
rice-dust porridge." Then the Gamarala said, "Here is money," and
gave it. So the Tom-tom Beater got the drum.
Taking it, at the time when they were going along the path again,
a man came taking a deer-hide rope. That, also, the Tom-tom Beater
having thought of taking, in the very same way as at first he asked
the Gamarala for money. The Gamarala said, "I will not give it."
So the Tom-tom Beater said, "I will say that you ate the rice-dust
porridge." Then having said, "Don't say it," the Gamarala gave
the money.
After that, the Tom-tom Beater taking the deer-hide rope, at the time
when they were going along the road, a man came bringing a pair of
elephant tusks.
Then the Tom-tom Beater in the very same way as at first asked the
Gamarala for money. The Gamarala said, "I will not [give it]."
So the Tom-tom Beater said, "If so, I will say that you ate the
rice-dust porridge." Then the Gamarala, having said, "Don't say it,"
gave the money.
The Tom-tom Beater taking the pair of elephant tusks, they went to
the Rakshasa's house. When they went, the Rakshasa having gone for
human flesh food, only the Gamarala's daughter was [there]. The girl
quickly having given food to the two persons, the Gamarala's daughter
told them to go to the upper story floor. [220] Afterwards the Gamarala
and the Tom-tom Beater went to the upper story floor.
In the evening, the Rakshasa having come said, "Smell of fresh
human flesh!"
Then the Gamarala's daughter said, "Having come [after] eating fresh
human flesh, what smell of human flesh!" After that the Rakshasa
without speaking lay down.
Then at the time of dawn the Tom-tom Beater was minded to chant
verses, so he spoke to the Gamarala [about it]. The Gamarala said,
"Don't speak." Without listening to it he chanted verses softly,
softly (hemin hemin).