"For five hundred pounds for the ship on which pounds, thousands in
number, have been spent I will give it," he said.
On account of it the boy, having placed in pawn his books and slates at
a shop near by, and having [thus got and] brought twenty-five cents,
[210] and given them as earnest money for the ship, says, "To-morrow
morning at nine, having secured the money I will take the ship,"
he said. The rich man through inability to say two words remained
without speaking, it is said.
The boy having gone home, at the time when he was there, when his
mother asked, "Why, Bola, where are thy books and slates?" the boy
says, "Having asked the price for a new ship of such and such a rich
man, and agreed to take it, I placed the slates and books in pawn,
and bringing twenty-five cents I gave them as earnest money," he said.
His mother having become angry at it, and having beaten the boy,
scolding him drove him away without giving him food, it is said.
At the time when she drove him away, having gone near a Hettiya of
that city he says, "Ane! Hettirala, I having agreed to take such and
such a rich man's ship, and having gone to school, at the time when
I was coming I placed my books and slates in pledge at a shop; and
bringing twenty-five cents and having given them as earnest money,
and agreed to secure the remaining money to-morrow morning at nine,
I was going home meanwhile. When I told my mother these matters,
she bringing anger into her (undae) mind, beat me, and drove me from
the house without having given me food. Because it is so, you having
paid this price for this ship keep it in your name," he said.
The Hettiya becoming pleased at it, on the following day morning
having made ready the money and gone with the boy, the Hettiya says,
"I will stay here. You having gone with this money and given it to him,
take the ship. As soon as you take it (e aragana wahama) speak to me;
then I will come," he said.
Then the boy, having gone in the manner he said, at the agreed time,
and having spoken to the rich man, says, "According to the agreed
manner, here (menna), I brought the price for you. Taking charge of
it and having written the deeds, give me the ship," he said.
The rich man, as soon as he was out of a great astonishment, [211]
having gone and written the deeds, and having handed over the ship,
says, "Ade! Bola, boy, is thy filth (kunu) a religious merit? Where,
indeed, if this had not broken and fallen [on me], for a price of
that manner was I to give the ship on which I incurred expenses to
the amount of thousands of pounds! Thy birth having been consistent
with it, it will be a debt [of a previous existence] which I was to
give to thee. Because it is so, I will launch on the great sea this
ship on which these five hundred pounds are spent, and will give
[thee it there]," he said.
On account of it, the boy having summoned the Hettiya, says, "There
(Onna)! I got the ship! Although I got it, the price I gave for the
ship was not mine; it was yours. Because of that, load into this ship
the goods you want [to send], and having placed hired workmen [on
board] for it, give charge of it to me. I having gone to some country
or other [after] doing trading shall come back in happiness," he said.
Then that man who sold the ship, having collected together people and
incurred great expenses, and caused the ship to be launched on the sea,
gave him it, it is said. Having acted in that manner and given it,
out of that price not bringing a cent home, he spent it over that; and
having related the circumstance to his family, not feeling (ne-gena)
any grief, in good happiness he dispatched the time (kal aeriya),
it is said. If you said, "What is [the reason of] that?" "There is
no need for us to take [to heart] sorrow. From the debt that we were
to give him [in a previous existence] we are released," he said.
After that, the Hettiya having loaded into the ship bags of rice,
thousands in number, and placed [over it] a hired captain, made the
boy the principal (palamuweniya), and having given him charge sent
it off, it is said.
While the ship was going, time went by, many days in number, it is
said; but while they were going on as a land (godak) was not yet
to be perceived, the ship drifted to a great never-seen country,
it is said. When they investigated in the country, and looked at the
auspicious character of the kind of men who are [there], their faces
were of the manner of dogs' faces, the body like these bodies of ours,
[212] but the food was human-flesh food, it is said.
On account of it, the persons who were in the ship being afraid,
say, "Ane! This is indeed a cause for both ourselves and our ship to
be lost!"
While they are staying [there] the boy says anew, "I think of an
expedient for this, that is, let us cook a great rice [feast] on the
ship. Having cooked it, I will go to this village, and having spoken
to the men and come [after] assembling them, and having eaten this
food of ours, we will tell them to look [round the ship]."
Having caused the rice to be made ready the boy went to the village,
and having come [after] assembling the men, while giving them the food
to eat, these men, perceiving that it was a food possessing great
flavour that they had not eaten and not seen (no-ka nu-dutu) say,
"This sort you call 'rice' we [first] saw to-day indeed. For what
things will you give this?" [213] they asked.
To that the sailors say, "Except that we give for money, for another
thing we do not give," they said, it is said.
Meanwhile the men (minisun) say, "In our country there is not a kind
called 'money'; in our country there are pieces of silver and gold. If
you will give it for them, give it," they said, it is said.
After that, the sailors having spoken [together] and caused them to
bring those things, began to measure and measure and give the rice, it
is said. Should you say, "In what manner was that?" that kind of men,
putting the pieces of silver and gold into sacks and having brought
them, began to take away rice to the extent they give, it is said.
During the time while they are doing taking and giving (ganu denu)
in that way, because the sailors had great fear of staying, at night,
at about the time when both heaps were equal (hari) by stealth they
began to navigate the ship, it is said. At that very time, at the
time when they looked at the accounts of that rice they gave, the
cost had been not more than a hundred bags in number, it is said. For
the rice that was of that cost there had been collected sacks of gold
and silver,--about twelve were assembled, it is said.
Having gone to yet [another] country, and sold those things, and made
them into money (mudal kara), taking for the money yet nine ships,
and together with this ship having loaded goods into the whole ten
ships, he began to come to his own city.
While coming there, at the time when [the citizens] looked at this it
was like the mode of coming for a great fight. Meanwhile, not allowing
them to approach their own country, the King asked, "Of what country
are these ships? Are they coming for some fight, or what?"
At that, having raised the flag of the ship they say, "No; we have
not come for a fight. In these ships are trading-goods. In any other
way but that we have not come," they said.
Yet still the King asked, through the excess of his fear, saying and
saying, "Whose ships? Who is the owner?"
To that the boy, having caused them to raise the ship's flag, says,
"Such and such a Hettirala's indeed are these ships," he said.
Then speedily having caused the Hettiya to be brought, when he asked
him, the Hettiya says, "These ships are not for me. I bought such
and such a rich man's ship for such and such a boy, and loaded rice
in it; since I sent it (aeriya haetiye) there is not even news yet,"
the Hettiya said.
After that, having sent a boat, and caused the principal person of the
ships to be brought, when he asked, indeed, thereafter the Hettiya
gets to know [the facts]. As soon as he ascertained he caused the
ships to be brought, and when the Hettiya asked the boy about these
matters the boy gave account of (kiya-dunna) the wonderful things
that occurred, it is said.
At the time when he reported them the Hettiya says, "I will not
take charge of these ships. Should you ask, 'What is [the reason of]
that?' because your merit (pina) is great, when I have taken the things
you obtained they will not flourish for me," he said. On account of
it, the Hettiya took only the five hundred pounds that the Hettiya
gave the boy, and the price of the rice, it is said.
Thereupon the boy, having caused a great palace to be built, and having
decorated his mother with great beauty, causing her to ascend a great
horse-carriage, published it by beat of tom-toms; and obtaining the
office of Treasurer (situ tanataera) he dwelt in that palace. Having
established hired persons for the ships, he began to send them to
various countries (rata ratawala), it is said.
Western Province.