In a certain country there were three Princes, [the sons] of a
nobleman. Having called the eldest Prince of the same three Princes
he asks from the same Prince, "Son, what is the work thou canst
do?" he asked.
Thereupon the big Prince says, "Father, having gone to a
threshing-floor on the [full moon] poya day, on the fifteenth of
the light half [of the lunar month], it would be good to spread
[and thresh] the stacks, if the moon be shining and shining," he
said. Thereupon he told the same Prince to go aside.
Having called the next Prince he asked, "Son, on the second poya day,
on the fifteenth of this bright half [of the lunar month], what is
the best work to do? What the best journey to go on?"
The Prince says, "Father, according to me, on the second poya day,
on the fifteenth of the bright half, when they have put packs on
seven or eight pairs of bulls, if they drive them [on a trading
journey] when the moon is shining and shining, it would be good,"
he said. Thereupon the father told the Prince to go aside.
Having called the young Prince he asked, "Son, on this second poya
day, on the fifteenth of the bright half [of the lunar month], what
is the best work to do? What are the best journeys to go on?"
Thereupon the young Prince says, "Father, according to me, if I should
have placed the head on the Goat Queen's waist pocket, my shoulder
on the Blue-Lotus Queen's waist pocket, my two feet on the Mi-flower
Queen's waist pocket, it would be good," he said.
Thereupon the father says to the above-mentioned two Princes, "Cut
down this wicked Prince with the sword," he said.
At that time, because they could not kill the young Prince, the
above-mentioned two Princes did not speak. Then their mother, having
called the above-mentioned two Princes, says, "Having fulfilled the
hopes of seven kalpas, [276] [after] being hidden in the womb of one
mother you [three] were born. Because of it, do not cut down your
younger brother at your father's word," she said.
Having said [to their father], "We are going away to cut him down,"
they abandoned him in the midst of a very great forest; and having
killed a lizard (katussa) and said they killed the Prince, smearing
the blood on the sword they came back, and said, "Father, we killed
the Prince," and gave him the sword. Thereupon he became [filled]
with happiness or great satisfaction.
At the time when the Prince who was left in the midst of the forest
was going along in the forest wilderness for seven days, as he was
going along eating and eating sugar-canes, pine-apples, sweet oranges,
various ripe fruits, he saw a great mountain. Having seen an aerial
root of a Banyan which swung there, seizing the aerial root he went
[climbing up it] to the rock, and when he looked about he saw a rock
cave, and not a country furnished with villages (gama ratak).
Thereupon, holding the aerial root of the Banyan he descended to
the ground at the rock, and went away in the direction of the rock
cave. Having seen a house near the rock the Prince went to the house.
A woman, called the Mal-kara Amma (garland-making mother), who takes
messages to the King of that country, saw that the Prince was going. At
the time when she asked, "Where are you going?" a flock of goats
which were there saw him, and a large female goat coughed. Thereupon
a piece of mucus fell down. Taking the piece of mucus, he tied it up
in his waist-pocket.
Thereafter, to the garland-making mother he says, "I am going to a
place where they give food and clothing."
Then the garland-making mother says, "I have no child; come, for me
to rear you," she said. The Prince said, "It is good," [and went to
live with her].
Thereupon, having put [for him] outside [her room] cooked rice and
curry, the flower mother went to inform the King. She having thus gone,
the things that were in the waist-pocket of the above-mentioned Prince
who came to the house, came to their time. [277]
After three days, the Prince having arisen, on seeing the
garland-making mother says, "Mother, I will take these flowers and
give them to the King," he said.
Thereupon the garland-making mother said, "Don't go." Thereafter,
the garland-making mother went to the city [to present the
flower-garlands], and came back.
On the following day, when the above-mentioned Prince said that he must
go to another place, the garland-making mother says, "Son, beginning
from your young age, I reared you until the time when you are becoming
as big as this. Now, to what place are you to go?" she said.
"It is so, indeed. Give me the thing that I gave you that day to put
away," he said.
Thereupon, the garland-making mother, having gone to take the thing
which she had put in the lowest earthen pot that was at the bottom
of three or four earthen pots, when she looked saw that a Princess
was in it, and being pleased took her out. Then the garland-making
mother says, "This Princess is good for my son," and she gave her in
marriage to him.
Not much time afterwards, at the time when he was sleeping in that
manner [which he mentioned to his father], placing his head on the
waist-pocket of the above-mentioned Princess, the Ministers of the
King of that country having seen it, told the tale to the King.
On the following day, on seeing the garland-making mother he said,
"Your son is a very great clever person. In the midst of the Great Sea
there will be a great Blue-Lotus flower. Because of [his cleverness]
tell him to bring and give me it," he said.
The garland-making mother having come away weeping and weeping,
came home. Thereupon, the Goat Queen asks, "What, mother, (maeniyan
wahansa), are you crying for?" she asked.
The mother says, "He said that he is to bring the Blue-Lotus flower
that is in the midst of the Great Sea."
"Without fear on that account, eat cooked rice," she said. Having
waited a little time, she asked, "Can you bring and give [me] three
handfuls of sand from a place they are not trampling on?"
Having said "I can," she brought and gave them.
The daughter-in-law, taking the three handfuls of sand, and having
given them into the hand of her husband, says, "Having gone, taking
those three handfuls of sand, throw down a handful; white sand will
open out. Having gone upon that white sand, throw down the next
handful; [the sand will then be extended]. Having thrown down the
other handful of sand [the sand-bank will extend to the flower]; then
taking the Queen of the Blue-Lotus flower, and plucking the flower,
come back," she said.
Having gone in the manner stated by his Queen, taking the Queen and
the Blue-Lotus flower he came back. Marrying the Queen, he gave the
Blue-Lotus flower into the mother's hand. The garland-making mother
having gone to the royal house, and given the Blue-Lotus flower to
the King, came back.
Thereupon, the Ministers having come, for the above-mentioned Prince
there was one Queen before; at the time when they looked now there
are two. "Now then, indeed, the King will not succeed in exercising
the sovereignty," they said.
On the following day, the garland-making mother having waited [at
the palace] until the time for going, [the King] says, "Your son is
a great clever person. Because of it, tell him to break [into] the
Royal Bee-hive [278] (Raja-miya) that is in the jungle, and come back
[with the honey-combs]," he said.
The garland-making mother having come back, when she was weeping and
weeping, the above-mentioned Blue-Lotus-flower Queen asked, "What,
mother, are you weeping and weeping for?"
Thereupon the garland-making mother says, "Having brought [the
honey-combs of] the Royal Bee-hive that is in the jungle, [the
Prince] is to give him them, the King said. Because of it, indeed,
I am weeping," she said.
"Without fear on that account, come and eat cooked rice," she
said. Then when the garland-making mother is eating cooked rice, the
Blue-Lotus Queen says, "Can you bring and give me three handfuls of
stones from a place they are not trampling on?" she said.
Having said "I can," she brought and gave them.
Thereupon the Blue-Lotus Queen, having given the three handfuls of
stones into the hand of her husband, says, "From these three handfuls
of stones taking one handful, go and throw it into the jungle. The
bees will stop while you go three gawuwas (twelve miles). Having gone
there, throw down the other handful; [they will then not attack you
until you go to the bee-hive]. Having gone to the bee-hive they will
assemble [to attack you]. Throw the other handful at the bee-hive,
the head part of the bee-hive; the bees will go to the head part (the
upper part). Then, breaking [into] the bee-hive, come back [with the
honey-combs], calling the Queen who is in the bee-hive," she said.
Thereupon, the Prince went, and breaking [into] the bee-hive and
calling the Queen, came back, and gave [the honey-combs] into the
hand of the garland-making mother. Then the garland-making mother,
taking the honey and having gone to the city, gave it to the King.
At that time the King says, "Because your son is a very great clever
person he does the things I am saying and saying. Because of it,
tell your son to come to the city to-morrow," he said.
Thereupon, the garland-making mother having come weeping and weeping
says, "To-morrow, indeed, he is really to kill my son. He says he is
to go to the city."
Then the Queen who was in the Royal Bee-hive says, "Without fear on
that account, come and eat cooked rice." Thereafter she says [to the
Prince], "The King's message indeed I know. Having told them to cut a
well, and caused you to descend into the well, it is indeed to kill
you he told you to go. For it, I will inform you of a stratagem,"
she said. When he asked "What is the stratagem?" she said, "Having
gone near the well, without crookedness drawing a line from it, go
a considerable distance. From there having gone cutting a tunnel,
do thou cut it to the well, and come back," she said.
He did in the manner his wife said. Having done the work, and gone
to the city, he saw the King, and remained there.
Then the King says, "The well has been [partly] filled up. Because
of it, let us go to draw out the small quantity of earth." Having
said this, that man and yet more people went.
Having gone there, and put [a ladder of] bamboos into the well,
he caused that man to descend. Having waited until the time when
he descended to the foot of the well, he [drew up the ladder, and]
began to throw down earth. Thereupon the man, ascertaining that he is
throwing down earth, breaking down that little that remained at the
tunnel that had been cut [by him], went into the tunnel, and having
come along it, came to his house.
Well then, the King, having filled the well, and said, "This one will
be killed," with pleasure came to the city.
This above-mentioned man having thought, "This King I must kill," made
a stratagem. What was that stratagem, indeed? Cooking a box of cakes,
and having gone to the city and given them to the King, he says,
"Your Majesty (Devayan wahanse), having remained there at the time
when you were putting me into the well, when you were closing it with
earth I went to that [other] world. Having been there, I brought a
box as a present (penum pettiyak) for Your Majesty."
Thereupon the King says, "We also must go to that world. Because of
it, put me down a well," he said. Then having put the King into the
well they closed it with earth.
In not many days, perceiving that the King was lost, and ascertaining
that there was no one for the sovereignty, they decorated the
tusk elephant, and went seeking a person for the sovereignty. The
tusk elephant went and kneeled to the man whom they put in the
well. Thereupon, they having come [to the palace] with that man and
with those three Queens, he exercised the sovereignty.
Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.
In the tale numbered 243, in vol. iii, a Prince was induced to go
for a lotus flower which grew in a pool guarded by a great crocodile.
In The Story of Madana Kama Raja (Natesa Sastri), p. 73, when a Prince
was going to fetch a Golden Lotus flower that was on the far side
of the Seven Seas, his wife, who understood magical arts, gave him
seven pebbles, and told him that when he threw one into each ocean
in turn, and said, "May the sea dry before and swell behind," a dry
path would appear, along which he could proceed in safety. When he
had crossed the Seven Seas in this manner, a Rakshasa in charge of a
sacred pool beyond them sent on a note which the Prince had brought,
to the Crocodile King, who forwarded the lotus to the Prince and
ordered a crocodile to carry him back to his own country.
In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. iii, p. 227, a
King of Sravasti, who wished to get possession of the beautiful wife
of an upasaka, sent him, by the advice of his Ministers, to bring lotus
flowers of five colours from a distant pool. All who were sent on this
errand were killed by venomous snakes or demons or savage animals,
but a demon whom he encountered saved the upasaka on learning of his
piety, and fetched the flowers for him. When the King heard of this
he begged his forgiveness.