"We are of Brahmana race," they said.
Thereupon the Sun, the Divine King, having become angry, scolded them
and drove them away.
Then, having turned back and come to their own house, they say
falsely in this way to the others, that is, "There is indeed a
marriage. Because [our] country is far away he says he cannot give it,"
they said.
After that, Big-Fool says, "No one of you is able to bring a [bride
in] marriage. I must go."
Tying up a package of cooked rice, and having gone quite alone to
Totagamu City, and seen the King of the city, he got hid; and firstly
having gone near the Fish-Owls of that city, he inquired, "How many
daughters of the King are there?" Having looked, he ascertained that
there are seven.
Thereafter having gone near their palace, he cried out for the King
to hear, "Will you give the youngest of the seven, Princess Sunumalli?"
Princess Sunumalli having heard the voice, came outside and
looked. Thereupon desire for the Fish-Owl having stirred her mind,
secretly calling him near her they conversed; and he having been
there many days, and thereafter having got hid, these two went to
Bakarawata City.
While there, this Princess was [the wife] in common for the whole
seven; but because they were of the lower animals no children were
born to her. To get medical treatment for it one of them went away, and
when he asked the Vedarala (doctor) of Kukkapitiya, the Vedarala said,
"Taking Black Cummin seed and White Cummin seed at the rate of four
lahas (one-tenth of an amuna, of about six bushels), and having ground
it, [you are] to give it to her to drink with human urine," he said.
He having come home, in that manner the whole seven together made
the medicine in the very way the Veda said, and gave it to her to
drink. Thereupon, through the [quantity of the] four lahas, she burst
open and died.
After that, these seven having become very sorrowful, Long-Bones being
unconscious, and Rawana-Face splitting his head, and Great-Fisher
having jumped into the well, and Noisy-Drummer having jumped into
the sea, and Dumb-One having cut his throat (neck), and Big-Fool
having fallen from the top of a tree, [all these] died, Trap-Setter
alone being left over. He, taking afresh a female Fish-Owl [as his
wife], lived.
North-western Province.
This story is an evident satire, making fun of people who go about
endeavouring to contract unsuitable marriages with the members of
families much higher than their own in descent or position. The
village medical practitioner is also parodied.