At a certain village there was a Gamarala. While a woman contracting
(lit., tying) marriage with him was [there], a female child and a
male child were born. After they two were born the woman died.
After that, for the man they again brought a woman. Because the woman
[312] did not take notice of the children, the children think, "There
is no advantage to us in staying here; let us leave the country and
go." Having said [this] they began to go.
While they were thus going they entered a forest jungle, and at the
time when they were proceeding in it the flowers of a Kina tree [313]
having blossomed and faded, the elder sister picked up flowers that
had fallen, and took them and smelt them.
Having said, "These flowers are not good," the younger brother went
up the tree and plucked flowers. At the time when he was descending
the younger brother disappeared (naeti-wuna). The elder sister through
grief at it remained at the bottom of the tree.
While a King of the city was going hunting, having seen that the
woman is staying under the tree, the King came near and spoke [to
her]. Thereupon the woman did not speak; but the King, holding her
by the hand, [314] went summoning her to the city [and married her].
While staying at the city, the woman having become pregnant a child
was born. The King told her to fix a name for the child. Then also
(et) the woman did not speak.
While the two persons were staying thus for a little time, again a
child was born. The King told the woman to fix a name for that child
also. Then also this woman did not speak. "Why don't you speak?" the
King asked. Then also she did not speak.
On yet a day, the King went hunting with the Ministers, and having
gone walking and come near the city, told the Ministers to go. The
Ministers having gone there, say at the hand of that woman, "A bear
bit (lit., ate) the King to-day."
When they are saying it falsely, the Queen, taking the two children,
and having descended from the palace to the path, and fallen on the
ground, sitting down says to the two Princes, "Sun-rays Prince,
Moon-rays Prince, weep ye for your father; I am weeping for my
younger brother."
The King having secretly come again near the palace, remained
listening. Having seen it, the Queen, taking the two Princes, got
into (etul-wunaya) the palace. The King having come to the palace
and entered it, said, "Why did you not speak for so much time?"
Then the Queen says, "After our mother was summoned and came to our
father, after I and a younger brother were born our mother died. Then
they brought a step-mother. Because that mother disregards [315]
younger brother and me, younger brother and I left the country,
and having entered a forest jungle, when we were coming the flowers
of a Kina tree had blossomed and fallen. Taking the faded flowers I
smelt them. Thereupon younger brother said, 'Don't smell the faded
flowers; I will pluck and give [you] flowers.' Having said [this]
and gone up the tree, at the time when [after] plucking the flowers
he was descending, younger brother disappeared. Owing to grief at
that I remained unable to speak."
Afterwards the King, taking axe and saw and calling people, having
gone near the Kina tree, and cut and sawn the tree, when he looked
[inside it] the younger brother who was lost was [there]. Then the
King, calling the younger brother, came to the city, and showed him
to the elder sister. The elder sister arrived at happiness again.
North-western Province.
The story provides no explanation of the cause of the brother's
imprisonment inside the trunk of the tree. Apparently the
deity--presumably a Yaka--who resided in the tree punished him in
this manner for plucking the flowers, yet the King cut down the tree
with impunity. At the present day, the Sinhalese villagers would
not venture to injure or pluck flowers from a tree infested by a
Yaka. Many years ago all refused to fell a Kumbuk tree of this kind
which it was necessary to remove from an embankment I was restoring;
but some of my Tamil coolies had not the same scruples when encouraged
by extra pay, to counterbalance the risk. Probably they would have
been less venturesome in their own country.
The notion that a person may exist inside a tree trunk in a state of
suspended animation is found in other folk-tales. In No. 47, vol. i,
a Naga Princess became a tree; in an Indian variant on p. 269, the
tree was a girl imprisoned thus by Rakshasas. (See the notes after
No. 155, and also p. 245 of this volume.)