At a certain city two noblemen [101] stay in two houses. When they are
there, for the two noblemen there are two Queens. One Queen bore seven
female children; the other Queen bore six male children and a Turtle.
Then the same two noblemen spoke: "Cousin, not contracting the
marriages of your children and my children outside, let us ourselves
do giving and taking," they said.
Having said, "If so, let us marry the eldest children," they married
them. The second two children they also married. The third two children
they also married. The fourth two children they also married. The
fifth two children they also married. The sixth two children they
also married. There was no way to marry the seventh two children.
The matter of their not [marrying] indeed [was this:--the father of
the girls] said, "Cousin, my daughter is a daughter possessing much
beauty. Because of it, your young child indeed is not good. Should you
say, 'What of the matter of his not being good, indeed!' Your child
is the Turtle; because it is so I cannot [marry my daughter to him],"
he said.
Then the other cousin says, "Cousin, you cannot say so. The Turtle
who is my young child says, 'I, father, if there be not that marriage
for me, I will jump into the well, and make various quarrels,' the
Turtle says. Because it is so you must marry your very child [to him],
he says. If you cannot [do] so, let us cancel the marriages of the
whole of the several persons," says the Turtle's father.
Then he says, "If so, cousin, no matter about cancelling the marriages;
I will give my daughter to the Turtle," he said. Having thus given her,
they contracted the marriage.
Having married them, when they were [there] there was notified by
the King of the same city, "Can anyone, having brought it, give me
the Fire Cock [102] that is at the house of the Rakshasa?" [103]
he notified. The same King published by beat of tom-toms that to the
persons who brought and gave it he will give many offices. Secondly,
"I will give my kingdom also," he notified.
That word the Turtle having ascertained, he said, "Mother, you
go, and seeing the King, 'The Turtle who is my son is able,' say,
'to bring and give the Fire Cock.'" [She went accordingly.]
Then the King said, "Tell your son to come to-morrow morning," he said.
The following day morning the same Turtle having gone says, "I can
bring and give the Fire Cock in seven days."
Then the King said, "Not to mention [104] the Turtle, should anyone
[whatever] bring and give it, I will give him offices and my kingdom
also."
The Turtle having come home said to the Turtle's wife, "Bolan, having
cooked for me a packet [105] of rice, bring it," he said.
Then the Turtle's wife asked, "What is the packet of cooked rice for
you for?" she asked.
"It is arranged by the King for me to bring and give him the Fire Cock
that is at the Rakshasa's house. Because it is so, cook the lump of
rice," he said.
"Having cooked the lump of rice I can give it, indeed. How will you
take it and go?" she said.
Then the Turtle said, "Having put the cooked rice in a bag, place it
on my back and tie it. I am able to take it and go," he said.
After having placed it on his back and tied it, the same Turtle,
having gone on the journey, while on the road went to a screen formed
by Mahamidi [trees]. [106] Having gone there and unfastened the
packet of cooked rice, and removed and put aside the turtle jacket,
he ate the lump of cooked rice. Having eaten and finished, he hid
the turtle jacket, and went on the journey [in the form of a Prince].
When he was going on the journey, it having become night while he
was on the road he went to the house of a widow-mother. Having gone
[there], "Mother, you must give me a resting-place," he said.
Then the widow-mother said, "A resting-place indeed I can give,"
she said; "to give to eat [there is] not a thing."
"If so, no matter for the food; should you give me only the
resting-place it will do," he said.
Then the widow-mother asked, "Where are you, son, going?" she asked.
Then he said, "I am going for the Jewelled Cock at the Rakshasa's
house," he said.
The widow-mother then said, "Son, go you to [your] village without
speaking [about it]. People, many multitudes in number, having stayed
in the resting-place here, went for the Fire Cock. Except that they
went, they did not bring the Fire Cock. Because it is so don't you go."
Then he said, "However much you, mother, should say it, I indeed must
really go."
"Since you are going, not paying heed to my saying, eat this little
rice dust that I cooked, and go."
Then he said, "Except that to-day you cooked rice dust [for me],
I shall not be able to cook [even] rice dust again for you," he
said. ["Raw-rice, be created."] With the same speed [as his saying it]
raw-rice [107] was created, [and he gave her power to do the same].
"Son, like the power which you gave, I will give you a power. You
having gone to the Rakshasa's house, at the time when you are coming
back the Rakshasa will come [for the purpose of] stopping you. Then on
account of it having taken this piece of stone and said, 'Ci! Mountain,
be created,' cast it down; the mountain will be created. The Rakshasa
having gone up the mountain, while he is descending below you will
be able then to go a considerable distance."
Taking that [stone and] power from there when he was going away,
while he was on the road it became night. After it became night,
again he went to the house of a widow woman. The widow woman asked,
"Where, son, are you going in this way when it has become night?"
Then he said, "I am going for the Fire Cock at the Rakshasa's house,"
he said.
"Don't you go on that journey; the people who go for that Fire Cock,
except that they go, do not return."
"Don't at any rate tell that fact to me indeed; I indeed must
really go for the Fire Cock. I came here at the time when I wanted
a resting-place."
"A resting-place indeed I can give. To give to eat [there is] not a
thing," the widow-mother said.
"No matter for the food; should you give me a resting-place it will
do," he said.
While the person of the resting-place was staying looking on, because
he could not eat, from what she had cooked of rice dust she gave him
a little to eat.
"Mother, being unable to cook again for you, although to-day you cooked
rice dust, I will give you a power," he said. "Raw-rice, be created,"
[and he gave her power to do the same].
"If so, son, I will give you a power. Here (Menna). Having taken away
this bamboo stick, for the Rakshasa's stopping you on the path when
you are coming away, say, 'Ci! Bamboo, be created,' and throw down
the bamboo stick. Then the bamboo fence will be created. The Rakshasa
having gone up it, while he is coming down [on the other side] you
will be able to come a considerable distance."
When he was going away from there on the following day, while he was on
the road it became night. It having become night, again he went to the
house of a widow woman. Having gone there he asked for a resting-place.
"In this way when night has come, where are you going?" she asked.
Then he said, "I am going to bring the Fire Cock at the Rakshasa's
house," he said.
"Except that thousands of robbers, thousands of archers [108] go,
except that the persons who went there went, they did not come
back. Because it is so don't you go."
"I indeed must really go for the Fire Cock. For me to stay here
[to-night] you must give the resting-place."
Then she said, "I can indeed give it. To give you to eat [there is]
not a thing to give."
"No matter for food for me; should you give me a resting-place it
will do."
The widow-mother having cooked a little rice dust gave him to eat.
"Mother, I shall not again be able to cook [even] rice dust for you. I
will give you a good power." He gave her a power to create raw-rice.
"Better than the power you gave me I will give you a power. Having
gone to the Rakshasa's house, when you are coming, taking the Fire
Cock also, the Rakshasa will come running to eat you. When he is
thus coming, here, having taken away this piece of charcoal and
said, 'Ci! Fire, be created,' throw it down; the fire fence will be
created. Then the Rakshasa having come will jump into the fire. Without
speaking, slowly come home."
[The Prince went, stole the Fire Cock, and escaped from the pursuit
of the Rakshasa by means of the three gifts. [109] The Rakshasa was
burnt at the fire fence.]
[The Prince] having come there [again], and gone to the place where
the turtle jacket is, putting on his body the turtle jacket [and
resuming his turtle shape], came to his village. Having come there
he handed over the Fire Cock to the King. When he was giving it the
King said, "From to-day my country, together with the goods, is in
charge for thee."
"There are goods [belonging] to me which are better than that;
I don't want it," he said.
The same King, in order to make a [religious] offering of those goods,
commanded a Bana (recitation of the Buddhist scriptures).
When the Turtle's wife and yet [other] women are going to hear
the Bana, the other women who are coming to hear the Bana, say,
"O Turtle's wife, come, to go to hear the Bana." Having gone there,
while they are hearing the Bana the Turtle, having taken off the
turtle jacket [and become a Prince again], went to hear the Bana.
Then the Turtle's wife thought, "It is my very husband, [110]
this." Having thought it and come home, at the time when she looked
she saw that the turtle jacket was there, and taking out the goods
that were in it she put the same jacket on the [fire on the] hearth,
and went [back] to hear the Bana.
The Turtle's wife's husband having come home, when he looked the turtle
jacket was not [there]. Having got into the house he remained silent.
The Turtle's wife came home gaily. Other women asked, "What is [the
reason of] so much sportiveness of the Turtle's wife which there
is to-day?"
"You will perceive [the reason of] my playfulness when you have gone
to the house."
The other women, to look at [the meaning of] those words, came to
the house of the Turtle's wife with the Turtle's wife. Having come,
when they looked the husband of the Turtle's wife is like a King.
This story is the two noblemen's.
Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.