In a certain country a widow woman lived with her only son, it
is said. At the time when her son arrived at a young man's age,
this woman for the purpose of bringing and giving him a [bride in]
marriage, having descended to the road, set off to go to a village
not distant from it. While this woman was going thus, in order to
quench her weariness she went to a travellers' shed that was at the
side of the path.
After a little time, yet [another] woman having arrived at this very
travellers' shed, when these two were conversing one of those persons
asked [the other] on account of what circumstances she went along by
that road. At that time the woman who had come first to the travellers'
shed gave answer thus, that is, "My husband having died I have only
one son. Because of it, in order to seek a marriage for that son I
set out and came in this manner," she said.
Thereupon the other woman says, "My husband also having died, I have
only one daughter. I came on the search for a suitable husband for
that daughter," she said.
After that, these two persons ascertaining that they were people
belonging to the [good] castes, agreed to marry the son and daughter of
these two persons. [After] promising in this manner, having given in
marriage the other woman's daughter to the son of the first-mentioned
woman, because the daughter's mother is living alone they summoned
the whole four persons to one house, and resided there.
When they are coming and dwelling in that manner a very little time,
the young man said to his mother that his wife was not good. A very
little time having gone thus, the young woman says to her husband,
"I cannot reside here with your mother. Because of it [please] kill
her. If it be not so, having gone away with my mother we shall live
alone," she said.
Although even many times he did not give heed to the word of his wife,
because the young man was unwilling to kill his mother, in the end,
at the time when his wife set off to go away, he said, "It is good;
I will kill mother. You must tell me the way to kill her."
Thereupon his wife said thus, "In the night time, when thy mother is
sleeping, taking completely [199] the bed and having gone [with it],
let us throw it in the river," she said.
In the night time, at the time when all are sleeping, the young woman
having tied a cord to the leg of the bed on which her mother-in-law
is sleeping, went to sleep, placing an end of the cord in her hand.
The young man having seen this circumstance, after his wife went to
sleep unfastened the end of the cord that was tied to the leg of
his mother's bed, and tied it to the leg of the bed of his wife's
mother. While it was thus, suddenly this young woman arose, and spoke
to her husband: "Now the time is good," she said.
When he asked, "Because there is darkness how shall we find our
mother's bed?" "I have been placing a mark," the woman said. Well then,
because the end of the cord was tied to the leg of this woman's bed,
both together lifting up the bed went and threw it in the river.
After it became light, when she looked, perceiving that the young
woman's mother was thrown into the river, and coming to grief, and
having wept, she said thus to her husband, "For committing some fault
[200] we have thrown my mother into the river. Well, let us kill your
mother, too," she said again.
The husband being not satisfied with this, because the request of
his wife was stronger than that [disinclination], said, "It is good;
let us kill her."
When her husband further asked, "By what method shall we kill
mother?" she said, "When thy mother is asleep, lifting up the bed
completely and having gone [with it], and having placed a pile of
sticks at a new grave, let us burn her." The husband approved of
her word.
On the following day, subsequently to its becoming light, when the
woman whom the two persons were lifting up was asleep, having gone
[after] lifting up the bed completely, they placed this woman together
with the bed on the middle of the pile of firewood which they had
gathered together previously. But to set fire to the heap of firewood
they did not remember to take fire. Because of it, and because to
bring fire each person was afraid to go alone, both set off and went.
During the time while they were going thus, when strong dew was
falling like rain the woman who was asleep on the pile of firewood
having opened her eyes, said, "Am I not at this grave mound?" She also
having looked far and near, [201] thought, "It is indeed a work, this,
of my son and daughter-in-law;" and having descended from the pile of
firewood, lifting up a new corpse that was at the grave, and having
gone and placed it upon that bed that was on the pile of firewood,
she plucked off her cloth, and having clothed the corpse she entered
the jungle quite unclothed.
The son and daughter-in-law having come, remained looking about. Then
her son and daughter-in-law procuring fire, [202] and having come
to the new grave, both persons made the fire burn at the two ends of
the pile of firewood, and went away.
The woman, who had looked very well at this business, because she
was unclothed could not come near villages. Having entered a forest
wilderness that was near there, when going a considerable distance
she saw a rock house (cave). Having gone to this rock house,
when she looked [in it] she saw that a great number of clothes,
and ornaments, and kinds of food and drink were in this rock house,
and having thought, "For these there will be owners," she remained
quite afraid to seize them.
At that time a gang of thieves who owned the goods, hundreds of
thousands in number, that were in this rock house, having come and
looked in the direction of the rock house, saw that an unclothed
Yaksani had entered there. Having become afraid at it, the whole of
them bounded off, and having gone running arrived near a Yakadura,
[203] and said thus, "Friend, one Yaksani having entered is now
staying at the rock house in which are the goods that we collected
and placed [there] during the whole eight years in which we now have
been committing robberies. Because of it, should you by any means of
success whatever drive away the Yaksani for us, we will give a half
from the goods," they said to the Yakadura.
Thereupon the Yakadura being pleased, when he went to the neighbourhood
of the rock house with the thieves, the thieves, through fear to go,
halted. The Yakadura having gone quite alone to the rock house, when
he asked the woman who was unclothed, "Art thou a human daughter
[204] or a Yaksani?" she gave answer, "I am a human daughter."
At that time the Yakadura said, "If so, I cannot believe thy word. Of
a Yaksani, indeed, there is no tongue; of a human being there is the
tongue. Because of it, please extend the tongue [for me] to look at
it, having rubbed my tongue on thy tongue," the Yakadura said.
Thereupon this woman thought thus, "If so, these men having thought
I am a Yaksani, are afraid of me. Because of it, having frightened
them a little more I must get these goods," she thought.
Having thought thus, and having come near the Yakadura, at the time
when he extended the tongue she bit his tongue. Thereupon, when
the Yakadura began to run away, blood pouring and pouring from his
mouth, the thieves, having become more frightened at it, ran away;
and having said, "If she did so to the Yakadura who went possessing
protective spells and diagrams, [after] uttering spells over limes,
and uttering spells over threads coloured with turmeric, how will
she do to us?" they did not go after that to even that district.
Well then, that woman, putting on clothes that were in the rock house,
and having eaten and drunk to the possible extent [after] making up the
goods into bundles as much as possible, came to look for her son. When
the daughter-in-law and son saw her coming while afar, having arrived
at astonishment at it, they asked, "How have you who were put on the
pile of firewood and burnt, come again? Whence are these goods?"
Thereupon the woman says, "Why, Bola, don't you know that after their
life, when they have burnt men they receive goods?" she asked.
Then her daughter-in-law, having thought that she will be able to
bring goods, said, "Ane! Please burn me also in that way."
Having said, "It is good," the mother-in-law, having gone taking her
daughter-in-law, and having put her on the pile of firewood, set fire
[to it].
At that time, "Apoyi! I indeed cannot stay," she cried when she began
to burn.
Thereupon her mother-in-law cries out, "Ha! Ha! Don't cry out. Should
you cry out you will not receive the goods. While you were burning
me did I also cry out? Ane! Because you are stronger than I, [after]
making a great many articles into bundles come back," she said. In this
manner having told and told her, and having burnt the daughter-in-law,
the mother-in-law went home.
After a few days had gone, her son asks, "Mother, you by this time
came bringing the goods. This giantess [205] has not [come] yet;
what is that for?" he asked.