Then the people say, "In the time of such and such a King, having
constructed the Four-fold Trap he killed all the Tom-tom Beaters."
The King asked, "Because of what circumstance did he kill them in
that way?"
Well then, these people [said], "Previously one of them called
Mota-Tissa was a King. Well then, because of their arrogance, the King
who next obtained the sovereignty, having prepared a Four-fold Trap,
killed them all." They told the King all the matters that occurred.
After that, the King made public that he will give gold [amounting]
to a tusk elephant's load to a person who should find and give him
a Tom-tom Beater.
Then the Gamarala [and Washerman] having spoken to the King:--"We will
give a Tom-tom Beater," gave him that youth whom they had reared. Well
then, the King having caused the youth to dress well, having decorated
a tusk elephant, and placed the youth on the back of the tusk elephant,
caused the proclamation tom-tom to be beaten by means of the youth.
The youth does not know anything whatever of beating. The Gamarala and
the Washerman who reared the youth taught him, "Beat thou the tom-tom
(bere) thus: 'Thy mother [was] Tangi, thy father [was] Tongi; Tangi
and Tongi.'" [41] When the youth beat in that manner the proclamation
by beat of tom-toms (anda-bera) was published in the city.
Well then, because there was not much weaving (bo wimak) by him (owing
to his household work), the King says, "Out of this city, by any method
thou wantest, take any woman thou wantest," he said to the youth.
Subsequently, the Gamarala and that Washerman said to the youth,
"Because the Smiths who constructed the Four-fold Trap killed
thy family, on account of it go thou and bring a Smith (caste)
woman." After that, the youth, having brought a Smith (caste) woman,
married her.
The King having given many offices to the youth, he lived in happiness
at the city.
Washerman. North-western Province.
In A. von Schiefner's Tibetan Tales derived from Indian Sources
(Ralston), p. 129, the widow of a son of the King of Videha, who had a
son called Bahvannapana, was given in marriage by the King of Pañcala,
her father, to his Purohita or spiritual adviser. The Purohita one day
heard a Brahmana predict when he heard a cock crow near the house, that
the person who ate its flesh would become King. He therefore killed
the cock, told his wife to cook it at once, and went to the palace
on business. During his absence Bahvannapana returned hungry from
school, saw the bird in the pan, cut off its head, and ate it. When
the Purohita came back he heard of this, and ate up the rest of the
fowl. On consulting the Brahmana about it he was informed that he
who ate the head would become King, and that one who killed him and
ate his head in turn would also become King, so he determined to kill
the boy. His mother perceived this and sent the boy away to Videha,
and he lay down to sleep in a park there. The King had just died,
apparently without an heir, and the funeral ceremonies could not be
performed until a new King was chosen. The Ministers, officials,
Brahmanas, etc., went in search of a suitable heir, saw the boy,
aroused him, ascertained that he was the true heir to the throne,
and proclaimed him King.
Messrs. H. B. Andris and Co., of Kandy, have been good enough to
inform me that the Hatara-maha Lula is a large four-sided trap, made
for catching large animals, such as deer and wild pigs. It has four
entrances and four nooses. They state that the Habaka mentioned on
p. 49 is a similar but smaller trap, with one noose, used for catching
hares, mouse-deer, wild cats, etc.