In a certain city a woman had become dexterous at dancing. It became
public everywhere that there was not a single person in the whole of
Great Dambadiva (India) to dance with (i.e., equal to) the woman.
At the same time, there was also a boy called Bahu-Bhutaya, a boy of
a widow woman. While he is [there], one day the aforesaid woman went
for dancing to the village called Balaellaewa. [140] Having danced
that day, she obtained a thousand masuran.
Thereafter, she went to dance at the house of the Dippitiyas [141],
at the village called Kotikapola, which was near the same village. On
the same day the aforesaid Bahu-Bhutaya also went in order to look
at the woman's dances. Bahu-Bhutaya before this had learnt dances
from the Dandapola Korala (headman).
While Bahu-Bhutaya, having gone, and looked and looked, was there,
she began to dance, having sung and sung poetical songs, and beaten
and beaten cymbals. The woman says,
"The savages that are to Lanka bound!
Alas! the savages upon my Lanka bound!" [142]
When, in singing it, she had made it about Lankawa (Ceylon), when she
[thought she] had made no opportunity (idak) for any other dancing
person who might be present [to surpass her], having sung the poetical
song she danced.
At that time Bahu-Bhutaya, after having decorated himself with
[dancer's] dress, taking the udakkiya (the small hand tom-tom),
and asking permission from all (according to the usual custom),
sang a song (a parody of the other). The very song indeed [was]:--
"Alas! Alas! Daub oil my head around;
Or, if you won't,
Athwart my chest observe how hairs abound." [143]
(Ane! Ane! Mage isa wata tel gapan
Baeri nan bada [144] wata kehuru balan.)
Having sung the song, Bahu-Bhutaya descended to dance.
Because the Dandapola Korala previously taught Bahu-Bhutaya that
same song, and because the same teacher had given his sworn word
[not to teach it to another person], the woman was unable to dance
the same song. After having made obeisance to Bahu-Bhutaya, she says,
"You, Sir, must give me teaching," the woman said to Bahu-Bhutaya.
After that, Bahu-Bhutaya, marrying that very woman, began to teach
her. After he had taught her, one day the woman thinks, "I must kill
this Bahu-Bhutaya," she thought. "What of my being married to this
Bahu-Bhutaya! From dancing I have no advantage; he himself receives
the things. Because of it I will kill him," she thought.
One day, lying down in the house, saying, "I have a very severe (lit.,
difficult) illness," the woman remained lying down. Bahu-Bhutaya having
gone for a work, when he came back saw that she is lying down. Having
seen it, he says, "What is it? What illness have you?" he asked.
The woman, in order to kill the man, says, "Now then, I shall not
recover; I have much illness," she said.
Thereupon Bahu-Bhutaya, because the woman was good-[looking], thinks,
"What medical treatment shall I give for this?" he thought.
After that, the woman says, "If you are to cure my illness, having
brought a little water which is at the bottom of the Great Sea beyond
the Seventh Ocean, should I drink it (bunnot) my illness will be
cured," she said.
After that, Bahu-Bhutaya began to go. Having gone on and on he went
on the Great Ocean. Through affection for his wife, because she was
very handsome, he jumped [into it] to get the water from the bottom
of the ocean. After he jumped [into it], the fishes having bitten
him and the water having soaked him, he died.
Beginning from that time, this woman, having associated with another
husband also, when dancing brought back presents. After a long time,
that very woman also, through the crime committed respecting her
first husband, fell into the water and died.
From that time, the persons who saw these [things said] they are in
the form of a folk-tale.
Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.