At a certain period, at the time when a King and a Minister are passing
the time with great trust [in each other], the King and the Minister
had a talk in this manner. The talk, indeed, was thus: To the Minister
the King says, "Minister, let us two at one time contract marriage;
having contracted it, and your Queen (Devi) having borne a daughter,
should my Queen bear a son let us accomplish the wedding festival of
the two children who are born first." [This] was his speech.
Thereupon the Minister said thus, "It is good, O King; your Queen
having borne a Princess, should my Queen bear a Prince, [or]
my Queen having borne a Princess should your Queen bear a Prince,
let us accomplish the wedding festival," he said. At that the King
having been much pleased, the two persons contracted marriage and
remained passing the time in friendship.
During the time when they are [thus], the royal Queen bore a Princess
endowed with much beauty. On that very day [287] the Minister's Queen
also bore a Turtle. Concerning the circumstance that the Minister's
Queen bore the Turtle, the King and the Minister also remained in
much grief. During the time when they were thus, the royal Queen bore
yet six Princesses. At the time when she had borne [the last of them]
ten years were fulfilled for the Princess whom she bore first.
Thereupon this Minister asked the King thus, "O Lord, Your Majesty,
for your Princess and my Turtle, for both of them, the age has now
become equal. Because of it, now then, let us accomplish the wedding
festival;" [thus] he spoke.
At that time, getting into his mind the notion (lit., word) that,
breaking the word the King has said at first, should he subsequently
say a word otherwise he will go into hostility, the King unwillingly
said thus: "You go and ask my Princess about it," he said.
Thereupon the Minister having gone near the Princess asked her.
The Princess said thus, "Ane! Appa! I cannot accomplish the festival
of the marriage to that Turtle," she said.
Thereupon the Minister, not even speaking anything about it, came
out of the palace. Having come, while still a long time is going he
remained without coming back.
Having so remained, after no long time went by they were ready to
accomplish the wedding festival for the other six Princesses of the
King's, also. At that time the Minister having gone still [another]
time, asked the King; the King told him in the very manner he said
before that. Thereupon the Minister having gone asked the Princess.
Thereupon the Princess said thus: "If I am to marry the Turtle, tell
the Turtle to bring a Suriya-kanta flower; should he bring it I will
marry him," she said.
The Minister having returned [home], it having come [to him] he told
it to the Turtle. "Father, I can bring and give it," the Turtle said.
Then the Minister would say a word thus [doubtingly] to the Turtle,
"Turtle, when would you bring it indeed?"
Thereupon the Turtle, feeling (lit., bringing) shame at it in its
mind, having descended into a river, went away; and having gone to the
place where the Sun [God, Suriya], having risen, his chariot comes,
and presented its head to [be crushed by] the chariot wheel, remained
[there].
At that time the Sun asks thus, "O Turtle, why didst thou place thy
head at this chariot wheel?" he asked.
The Turtle says thus, "Ane! O Sun [God], you, Sir, must give me a fifth
part from your rays (that is, one-fifth of their brilliancy). If not,
unless I die here I will not go," it said.
Thereupon the Sun having given power to the Turtle for the manner of
its coming out into the light from its turtle shell, told it to come
outside. Then by the authority of the Sun, the Turtle, abandoning the
turtle shell, came into the light. After it came out it was created
a man. Thereupon he gave him a fifth part from the Sun's rays. After
he gave it, "What do you want still?" he asked. He said he wanted a
Suriya-kanta flower also.
Then the Sun, having shown the path to the house of the Devatawa
who sleeps three months [at a time], and having said, "Thou having
gone, when he arises while thou art displaying games then ask thou
[regarding it]," the Sun rose on this side.
Thereupon the Prince who was fettered by the disguise of the turtle,
having gone near the Devatawa who sleeps three months, when he was
displaying games the Devatawa awoke, and asked, "Because of what came
you here?"
The Prince said, "We came regarding the want of a Suriya-kanta flower
for me."
At that time the Devatawa showed him the path [leading] near the
Devatawa who sleeps two months. Having gone there also, he awoke
him. Having awakened, he asked the Prince thus, "Regarding what
matter did you awake me?" he asked. There, also, the Prince said he
came about the want of a Suriya-kanta flower.
Thereupon the Devatawa showed him the path to the house of the
Devatawa who sleeps one month. [288] Having gone there also, when he
was displaying games that Devatawa also awoke. At that time he too
asked regarding what want [he had come]. Thereupon he told him in
the very manner he formerly said.
After that, the Devatawa said thus, "Look there. When you have gone
along that path there will be a pool in which the Virgin Women
(Kanniya-Striyo [289]) bathe. Having gone there and been hidden,
as soon as the Virgin Women have descended into the pool to bathe
take even those persons' wearing apparel. There will be a dewalaya
(temple) just there; having gone into the dewale shut the door
yourself. Then the Virgin Women having come and told you to open
the door, will make games, a disturbance, and the like. Do you,
without opening the door through their saying those things, say thus:
'Except that should you bring and give me a Suri-kanta flower I will
open the door and give you these ornaments, I will not otherwise give
them.' Say [this]." While saying it he showed the Prince the path.
The Prince having gone in that very manner, and got hid, while he
was there, in the very way the Devatawa said, the Virgin Women came
and descended into the pool to bathe.
Thereupon this Prince, taking the wearing apparel of the Virgin
Women, went into the dewalaya which was near there, and shut the
door himself. At that time the Virgin Women having come played games
[outside]. This Prince, not having looked in their direction even, in
the very manner the Devatawa told him before asked for a Suriya-kanta
flower.
The Virgin Women said, "We will give a Suri-kanta flower; [be pleased]
to give us our clothes."
Thereupon the Prince while giving only [some] clothes for them to put
on until the time when they give the Suriya-kanta flower, kept back
the other wearing apparel. After that, the Virgin Women, having given
oaths, begged for and got the other wearing apparel, too. [After]
begging for them, they brought and gave him a Suriya-kanta flower.
After they gave it, the Prince came near the Devatawa who told him the
path. As soon as he came the Devatawa asked, "What else do you want?"
"You must give me a power to beat men, even millions in number,"
he said.
Thereupon the Devatawa having given him a cudgel, said, "However many
[there may be], even to [the extent of] an army, place this cudgel
in the road, and tell it [after] beating them to come back. [After]
beating however many persons [there may be] it will come."
Taking that also, the Prince went near the other Devatawa. When he
went, that Devatawa also asked, "What else do you want?"
Thereupon the Prince said, "You must still give me a [magic] lute
(venawa), and a power to display the hidden things thought of."
After that, having given him a bag called Kokka, [290] he said thus,
"Having placed this bag called Kokka [hanging from your shoulder],
think that anything you want is to make its appearance; anything you
want will appear." Having said this he gave him it. He gave him a lute:
"Being at any place you like, play (lit., rub) it; any person He
[291] wants will hear and come," he said.
Taking these and having come here from there, because the Virgin Women
are possessors of the power of flight through the air, in order for
them to come from the sky he remembered the party, and played the lute.
Thereupon, the party came with the speed with which he played it. After
they came, he gave that cudgel and the bag called Kokka, both of them,
into the hand of the Virgin Women, saying, "When I want these, as soon
as I play the lute you must very speedily bring and give me them;"
and taking also the lute he crept into the turtle shell again, and
came to his own city. What of his coming! Because he is inside the
turtle shell he is still the Turtle.
Well then, having given food and drink to the Turtle, "Did you bring
a Suriya-kanta flower?" his father the Minister joked.