In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. The man
has worked in a rice field; in it he also built a watch-hut. The man
is in the watch-hut every day.
At the time when he is thus, a beggar came to the man's
house. Afterwards the man having heaped up a great many coconut husks
in the watch-hut [for making fires at night], told the beggar to go
to the watch-hut. The beggar went to the watch-hut.
Afterwards this man having gone to the watch-hut and set fire to the
watch-hut, came back, and said at the hand of his wife, "You say, 'Our
man, having been burnt at the watch-hut, died.'" [148] Furthermore he
said, "Every day when I say 'Hu,' near the stile of the rice field,
put a leaf-cup of cooked rice for me"; having said it the man went
into the jungle.
After it became night, the man having come to the rice field cried "Hu"
near the stile. Then the woman brought the cooked rice and placed it
there; having placed it there the woman went home. The man ate the
cooked rice, and went again into the jungle.
On the following day, also, the man, after it became night, came to
the rice field and cried "Hu." Then the woman brought cooked rice
and placed it there. While she was there, the man having come said,
"Don't you bring cooked rice again; I am going to the Akaragane
jungle." Afterwards the woman came home.
That man, having eaten the cooked rice, went to the Akaragane jungle,
and having rolled himself in a mud hole, [149] came to the path and
remained [there].
Then, when a man was coming bringing cakes and plantains along the
path, this man, breaking a bundle of branches, sprang in front of
that man who was coming. Thereupon, the man having thrown down the
cakes and plantains at that very spot, bounded off and went away.
When this man, [after] taking and putting away the pingo
(carrying-stick) load, was there, a potter comes along bringing a pingo
load of pots. Then this man, again breaking a bundle of branches,
sprang in front of that man who was coming. Thereupon the potter,
having thrown down the pingo load of pots at that very spot, bounded
off and went away. After that, the man, taking and putting away the
pingo load of pots, remains [there].
(He frightened other men in the same manner, and secured pingo loads
of coconuts, turmeric, chillies, salt, onions, rice, vegetables,
and a bundle of clothes. Thus he had the materials that he required
for making curries. The narrator gave the account of each capture in
the same words as before.)
Afterwards, this man having taken and put away there the pingo load
of rice and vegetables,--near that forest there is a city,--having
gone to the city and brought fire, [after] cooking ate. While he was
[there], when a man who had gone to a devil-dance (kankariyakata)
was coming, this man, breaking a bundle of branches, sprang in front
of that man who was coming. Then that tom-tom beater, having thrown
down there the box of decorations, and jingling bangles, and all,
bounded off and went away.
Afterwards, when this man was there [after] tying them on, while
certain men who had gone to a [wedding] feast were coming calling
the bride, again this man, breaking a bundle of branches, sprang in
front of those men who were coming; and taking the bride and placing
her in the chena jungle he sprang into a rock house (cave). Those
men through fear bounded off and went away.