At a certain time there were three years without rain. Because there
was no rain, water everywhere was wanting. In the wilderness in the
midst of the forest there was water at a single rock-hole. There a
Deer drank water.
At the time when the Deer, having eaten and eaten food in the
jungle, was going, he met with a Crow. The Crow said, "Friend, you
are in health, as though without any want of food or water. For us
there is not a drop of water for bathing or drinking. Ane! Merit
will be attained. [3] Please tell me also the place where you drink
water." Thereupon he told the Crow the path to the rock-hole in which
there is water.
At the time when the two are coming thus and drinking the water,
the Woodpecker met them. "Friends, where do you drink water? Merit
will be attained; tell me also," the Woodpecker said. Afterwards they
told the Woodpecker the path.
At the time when the three were drinking the water, a Turtle met
them. The Turtle also asked, "Friend, where do you drink water? We
indeed are going (lit. making) to die. Merit will be attained. Tell
us, too, the place where you drink water." They showed the path to
the Turtle also.
Well then, at the time when the four were drinking the water, a Jackal
met them. The Jackal says, "Friend, where do you drink water? There is
no want of food and water for you, indeed. Ane! Merit will be attained;
tell me also."
[The animals] having shown the path to the Jackal also, while the
five were drinking the water there, a Vaedda having gone hunting
also saw the water-hole. He saw that a Deer had drunk water at the
water-hole. Having seen it, the Vaedda thought, "I must catch this
Deer." He set a deer-hide noose there to catch the Deer. Well then,
when the Deer was going [there] to drink water, the Deer was caught
in that Vaedda's deer-hide noose.
The Turtle, and the Crow, and the Woodpecker, and the Jackal, these
four friends, having come to drink water, when they looked the Deer
had been caught.
Well then, the four having said, "Ane! Our friend who showed us the
road to drink water to-day has been caught for killing," the other
three said to the Jackal, "Ane! Friend, you indeed are able to bite
this fold of deer-hide."
The Jackal, thinking, "To-day a good eating has been hung up for me,"
said, "Ane! Friend, I am indeed unable to bite the deer-hide fold. My
teeth are shaking about."
Then those three said, "Ane! Friend, don't tell those lies; you can
indeed somehow or other bite it."
Having said, "Ane! I cannot," the Jackal lay down at the edge of
the jungle. In [every] possible way the three told the Jackal. The
Jackal did not bite it at all. Having said [to himself], "I shall
obtain the stomach," he remained silent.
The Turtle was biting and biting [the cord] as much as he could,
during that day night-time. On the following day, as it became light,
the Crow said to the Woodpecker, "Friend, you go, and when the Vaedda
is preparing to come, make an evil omen (bada)."
At dawn, the Vaedda having arisen says to the Vaedi woman (his wife),
"Cook a packet of rice, and give me it. I have set a noose. In order
to go to look at it."
At that time the Woodpecker cried out. Then the Vaedda says, "Bolan,
there is a bad omen. Having waited a little time, cook." [4]
Afterwards, having waited a little time the woman arose. At that time,
also, the Woodpecker cried out. When she was taking the rice also,
the Woodpecker cried out, yet the woman having cooked the packet of
rice gave it to the Vaedda.
The Vaedda taking the axe and taking the packet of cooked rice,
at the time when the Vaedda is going, the Woodpecker having come
flying above tells the other friends, "Ane! Friend, now then indeed,
we cannot save him. I made evil omens as much as possible; without
hearkening to them the Vaedda is coming."
Afterwards, the three beseeched the Jackal, and told it [to bite
the cord]. Yet the Jackal did not bite it. Having said [to himself],
"I shall obtain the stomach," without speaking he remained lying down.
Then the Vaedda having come, and seen that the Deer has been caught,
hung the packet of cooked rice on a tree, and taking the axe came near
the Deer. As he was coming, the Crow tore open the packet of cooked
rice. Then when the Vaedda is coming near the packet of cooked rice,
the Crow goes away.
When the Vaedda is going back near the Deer, again the Crow tears the
packet of cooked rice. The Vaedda, having become angry at it, threw the
axe to strike the Crow. The Crow flew away. The axe having struck the
Jackal, the Jackal died. Then the Deer, breaking the deer-hide cord,
bounded off. Well then, the friends having joined together went away.
The Vaedda saying and saying, "Ane! Was it the Deer that I got,
or the packet of cooked rice I got?" [5] went away.
P. B. Madahapola, Ratemahatmaya, North-western Province.