In a certain country there is a King, and the King has three children,
males. On the second poya day (the full-moon day), at the time when
the moon has risen, having caused these three Princes to be brought,
he asked, "Son, what is this moon good for?"
The big son said, "This moon is good for [enabling] poor people to
go on journeys; it is good for trampling stacks (threshing by means
of buffaloes)." The King accepted this word.
He asked at the hand of the next (ekkama) son; that son replied in
that very manner.
He asked at the hand of the next son. That son said, "It is good for
[enabling] the Mi-flower [253] Princess, and the Na-flower [254]
Princess, and the Blue-Lotus-flower Princess to perambulate on the
carriage which they keep."
Thereupon anger went to the King. Having caused the executioner
to be brought, he started off the youngest Prince and the two elder
Princes and the executioner, these four persons. He told him to behead
the Prince.
At the time when these four were going in the midst of the jungle,
there was a Banyan-tree; the four persons sat down in the shade
under the Banyan-tree. The youngest Prince having collected a heap
of sand and having been [hidden] [255] in it, both the elder Princes
and the executioner, these three persons, [not seeing him], set out
to come away. Having come a considerable distance [the executioner],
killing a lizard (katussa) and smearing the blood on the sword, came
and told the King, "I beheaded him." The King took it for the fact.
The Prince having arisen, when he looked about, his two elder brothers
were not [there], and the executioner was not [there]. Because
there was not a place to go to he went to sleep again under that
very Banyan-tree.
Having arisen in the morning, when he looked there was no water, no
food. Having climbed up the tree, he saw that water was pouring down
at the margin of a rocky hill. He descended from the Banyan-tree, and
went along looking constantly at the hill. Taking a little water [at
it], and washing his face, at the time when he was going up the hill
a bee came, and turned (flew) round his head; then he struck at the
bee. A second time having come it turned round his head; a second time
he struck at it. Having come even the third time, when it was turning
round his head he thought, "I must look for [the hive of] this."
On the hill there were rocks. Having come [and found the hive],
sitting down at them he drew out the comb. Having drawn it out, when
he looked in the hive (miya) there was an ash-pumpkin [flower]. He
took out the ash-pumpkin [flower], and when he looked in it there
was a Princess. [256] Having gone away, taking the Princess also,
after sitting down under a Na-tree and looking and looking around,
eating and eating the honey he gave to the Princess also. This Princess
in a day or two became big.
Beneath that very Na-tree they stayed for three days. While one
day sitting below the same Na-tree, when he looked upward in the
Na-tree there was a large flower, a kind of ash-pumpkin [flower], in
the Na-tree. He went up the tree for that flower also, and plucking
the flower descended. After having thrown away the petals, when he
looked [inside] there was a Princess. He gave honey to the Princess,
and they remained under the same Na-tree.
After four days they set out from beneath the Na-tree. In a day or
two these two Princesses were [as big as though their age was] twelve
years. Having gone along in the jungle, they came out at a certain
country, and went to the house of a widow-Mahage (an old woman of good
connections), and stayed there. The widow-Mahage eats by pounding
paddy at the King's house and being given the rice-dust. She gave
[some] to these three persons also; the two Princesses and the Prince
were unable to eat it, they said.
At that time the widow-Mahage having gone near the King says, "O King,
Your Majesty, at the place where I live, two Princesses and a Prince
having come thus, are staying."
Thereupon the King says, "Widow-Mahage, wilt thou tell the Prince to
come to my palace?" he said. The Mahage having come, told him.
At the time when she is telling him, the Princesses say, "Should he
tell you any work, don't say, 'Ha' (yes), and don't say, 'I cannot,'
[257] and don't say, 'I can.' Having said, 'After having considered
I will tell you,' come back," the Princesses say.
To the Mi-flower Princess the chariot of the Gods is visible beyond
a kalpa; to the Na-flower Princess the chariot of the Gods is visible
beyond two kalpas.
[When he went to the palace], "Prince," the King says to the Prince,
"in the morning and in the evening I want seven handkerchiefs of
Blue-lotus flowers."
He did not say "Ha"; he did not say "I cannot." After having said,
"I will consider and tell you," he came back to the place where he
is living at the widow's house.
This Prince having come, says to the two Princesses, "The King says
to me, 'In the morning and in the evening I want seven and seven
handkerchiefs of [Blue-lotus] flowers. Can you [bring them]?' Thereupon
I said, 'After having considered I will tell you.'"
The Princesses say, "Prince, when you have gone to pluck the flowers
you would die while in the pool, [but we will save you]. In the pool
there is a great Crocodile. Because the King is not clever [enough]
to kill you and write (that is, contract) a marriage to us two,
it is good to do thus," they said.
Thereupon, the Prince having gone the second time near the King,
this Prince says, "I can."
After he came home taking seven handkerchiefs, both the Princesses,
having called the Prince and having combed and tied up his hair (lit.,
head), uttered spells on his right over a handful of sand, and after
giving it, say, "Having gone near the pool, throw down the handful
of sand on the right. At that time the human-flesh-eating Crocodile
having come will go ashore." Having given [the spells over] a handful
on the left also, they said, "Plucking seven handkerchiefs of flowers,
come out, and quickly on the left throw down this handful of sand,
[or] the Crocodile will come." [He acted accordingly.]
At the time when he was coming [after] plucking the flowers, a large
Blue-lotus flower having been there he plucked that flower, and having
come back, gave it [to the Princesses] at the house. Then having gone
to the royal palace, taking also the seven handkerchiefs of flowers,
[he gave them to the King].
Quickly having come back, taking the [Blue-lotus] flower at the house
into his hand, and having cast away the petals, when he looked there
was a Princess.
At that time the widow-Mahage having gone to the royal house, says,
"I don't know if this Prince is a magician; [258] I don't know if
he is a person possessed of supernatural powers; [259] I cannot find
out what he is. Now he is there, and three Princesses are there."
Then the King thinks, "How [am I] to take these very three beautiful
Princesses?" he thinks. Again he thinks, "Should I send this Prince
to the Naga world I can take them; without it, indeed, I cannot."
At that time the King says to the widow-Mahage, "Say thou to the
Prince that I say he is to come." She accepted that word; having come
she told the Prince.
At the time when she is saying it, the Blue-lotus-flower Princess
says to the Prince, "Prince, should he tell you any work, don't say,
'Ha'; don't say, 'I cannot'; don't say, 'I can.' Having gone to the
royal palace, when he has said it come back, saying, 'After I have
considered I will tell you.'"
Having gone and returned, he says to these three Princesses, "The King
says thus to me, 'How is it? Canst thou go to the Naga world?' he
says. Thereupon I said, 'Having considered I will tell you.' Having
said [this] I came back."
Then these three Princesses say, "Prince, when [he thinks] you
have died the King will come summoning us three to go [to become
his wives]." These Princesses say to the Prince, "You go [to the
King]. Having gone, say, 'I can.'"
He having gone, and having returned after saying it, they thereupon
summoned the Prince. Sitting near him, the Mi-flower Princess, taking
a palmful of oil, after having uttered spells over it rubbed it on
his head. The Na-flower Princess also having uttered spells over oil
rubbed [it on his head]. The Blue-lotus-flower Princess also having
uttered spells over oil rubbed [it on his head].
The Mi-flower Princess next having uttered spells over a handful
of sand, gave it into his hand. The Na-flower Princess also having
uttered spells [over sand] gave it into his hand, and told him to tie
it himself at his waist. The Blue-lotus-flower Princess also having
uttered spells over a handful of sand, said, "Having gone near the
tunnel [leading to the Naga world], when just going into the hole
throw down the sand of the Mi-flower Princess. At the time when you
are descending and going down the hole, when going to the middle of
the hole throw down the sand of the Na-flower Princess. When going to
the foot of the tunnel, throw down the sand of the Blue-lotus-flower
Princess."
Having stayed at the house of the widow-Mahage, they cut a tunnel
[which met the tunnel opened by the King, so that the Prince might
escape by it]. The Prince does not go; the widow-Mahage does not know
[about it]. Anyone you like [260] [sees it] not; they do not know
[about it].
[On the appointed day] having gone into the tunnel at the King's
midula (the open space in front of the palace), at the time when
he is coming to this tunnel, the King, having blocked up the King's
tunnel and having employed elephants and trampled [the earth down],
and having come, says to the three Princesses, "Princesses, go ye to
the royal palace."
At that time these three say, "When our Prince has gone three months,
and three poyas (at the quarters of the moon), and three days,
and three half days, should he not return we will come. You, Sir,
be good enough to go." Thereupon the King went back to the palace.
[While he was there, the Prince, who had escaped by the secret tunnel,
proceeded to the palace to see him.] Having [stated that he had]
gone to the Naga world and come back, the Prince says to the King,
"O King, Your Majesty's father, the [late] King, has arrived at old
age; he says to you that you also are to go."
At that time, [as he believed this], having removed the stones and
earth [that he had placed] in the tunnel down which the Prince went,
the King also began to go. Having handed over the sovereignty to the
Crown and the Sword [of State], and gone near the tunnel, and summoned
everybody (serotoma), he says, "Having handed over the sovereignty to
the Crown and the Sword, I am going. When I have gone for the space
(taena) of three months and three poyas, I shall come back. Until
the time when I come be careful."
At the very time when he is descending into the tunnel, they brought
elephants, and having put stones and earth in it, when they trampled
them down the King died.
Three poyas and three days and three months went by. He came not ever.
As the sovereignty was going to be lost, loading on the tusk
elephant's back the robes and the Crown and the Sword, and having
made notification by tom-toms, at the time when it is walking in
the street the Mi-flower Princess, and Na-flower Princess, and
Blue-lotus-flower Princess say to the Prince, "To-day you, Sir,
will obtain the sovereignty. Do not go anywhere."