In a certain country there was a King who having gambled gets the
victory. At that time, in that country there was a Beggar.
One day, Senasura, [223] having come near the Beggar, said, "Taking the
money that thou hast begged and got, go near the King, and say thou,
'Let us gamble.' Then the King will say, 'I will not.' Then say thou,
'Somehow or other, to the degree in which you, Sir, hold [a wager],
I will hold wagers. Because of that you ought to play.' Then the King
will say, 'Ha.'"
At that time the Beggar by begging had obtained about a thousand
pounds. Having taken that little money he spoke to the King about the
gambling. Then the King scolded him: "What gambling with thee, Beggar!"
Then the Beggar says, "Should I hold the wager that you, Sir, hold,
that is as much [as matters] to you, isn't it? Why are you saying
so? Let us gamble." Then anger having come to the King, and having said
"Ha, it is good," he became ready to gamble.
Having made ready the two gambled. While gambling the King began to
lose at the wagers they were laying and laying. Having thus lost, he
staked (lit., placed) the palace, also, and played. By that [throw]
also, he lost. Then having staked Lankawa (Ceylon) also, he played. By
that [throw] also, he lost.
After that, going from the palace the King and Queen made an outer
palace, and the Beggar stayed in the palace. This King and Queen
[afterwards] went away. Being unable to go on, they sat down at a
place. While they were sitting the Queen lay down, and placed her head
on the foot of the King. During the time while the Queen was asleep,
the King taking a ball of straw placed it for the Queen's head;
and while the Queen was sleeping there the King went away.
At that time some men came there, bringing laden oxen. Then having
heard the noise of the caravan (tavalama), the Queen awoke. When she
looked about the King was not there. Then the Queen also having joined
the caravan people, went away [with them].
Having gone, while she was lying down at a place, Senasura, having
come taking the disguise of a leopard, sprang at the party of caravan
cattle. Then all the cattle which were tied up, breaking [loose]
bounded off. Having bounded off, while they were running all these
men sprang off on that road. This Queen sprang off to one hand (a
different direction).
Having bounded off she entered a city. The mother who makes garlands
for the royal house, being without a person [as an assistant], having
sought one and walked there, met with this Queen. At the time when
she asked at the hand of the Queen [if she would help her], she said,
"I can work." Well then, the Queen stayed [there], doing and doing
garland-making work.
That King having abandoned the Queen, while he was going away,
Senasura, taking the disguise of a polanga [224] (snake), stayed
on the path. When the King was going from there the polanga said,
"Having swallowed a prey I am here, unable to go. Because of it take
hold of my tail, and having drawn me aside and left me, go away."
Thereupon the King having taken hold of the tail of the polanga,
while he was drawing it aside it bit him on the hand. Then leprosy
having struck the King, the King's eye became foul.
At that time a horse belonging to the King of yet [another] city was
born. [The King went there, and was appointed as a horse-keeper under
the King who owned the horse.]
That garland-making mother (the ex-Queen) one day having gone taking
flowers, placed them on the couches at the palace. When she was
coming out, a trader who sold clothes when at that gambling city,
having brought clothes to this city and having seen her as that
garland-making mother was coming out, this trader made obeisance to
this garland-making mother.
Thereupon the Queen of the King of the city having seen it summoned
the trader, and asked him, "Why didst thou make an obeisance to our
garland-making mother?"
The trader says, "What of that Queen's doing garland-making work! [She
is] the Queen of the King of such and such a city. Having seen her
before, through being accustomed to it I made obeisance." When she
asked the garland-making mother about the circumstances, all was
correct.
After that having told the King, when the King, having heard of it,
went looking at her she was the King's elder sister. Thereupon he
caused the garland-making mother to bathe in sandal-wood water,
and robed her.
Having heard the circumstances, in order to find the King (her husband)
he made use of an expedient in this manner. Settling to eat a feast, he
sent letters to the royal personages of cities successively, to come to
this city. Then on the day the whole of the Kings came. Before that, he
had told that Queen that should that King come she was to ascertain it.
All these royal parties and their horse-keepers having come, and
the royal party having arrived at the palace, that horse-keeper (the
former King) went to another quarter, and placed a gill of rice on the
hearth [to boil]. Cooking it and having eaten, because he was a King
before that he set off to look at this royal party when eating food,
and having come, peeped a little and looked. When he looked he saw
that that Queen was there.
Thereupon both these persons having seen each other began to weep. Then
the whole of the Kings, having hit upon a little about it, inquired,
"What is it?" Then the [royal] party said, "It is thus and thus."
Then the King summoned the horse-keeper, and having made him bathe in
sandal-wood water, kept the Queen and the King in the palace. Having
much thanked that royal party [of guests] and said, "It was for the
sake of finding this one, indeed, that I laid this feast," he sent
the party [of guests] to those cities. This party (the King and Queen)
remained at this royal house.
Western Province.
This story is a variant of the Indian tale of King Nala and Queen
Damayanti. The two dice, Kali and Dwapara, personified, as well as
several Gods, were in love with Damayanti, but she married Nala,
selecting him at a Swayamvara (at which a Princess makes her own
choice of a husband). In order to separate them, Kali entered Nala
when he had neglected his religious practices one day; and he became
a drunkard and a gambler, and thus lost his kingdom, which was won by
his brother at dice. He and his wife wandered away, and after showing
her the path to her father's kingdom, he abandoned her while she was
asleep. He met with Karkotaka, a snake King, and carried him from
a fire which scorched him. The snake then bit him on the forehead,
causing him to become deformed, and gave him garments which restored
his original form when worn; and he entered the service of a King as
cook and horse-keeper. Damayanti joined a caravan, and then became a
palace attendant of a Queen who proved to be her mother's sister. A
Minister of her father's recognised her; and on her story's becoming
known her uncle sent her back to her father. She heard of a clever cook
and horse-keeper whom she suspected to be Nala; when she got a false
notice of a Swayamvara to be sent to the King his employer he made Nala
drive him there. Nala was tested in various ways by Damayanti, who at
last felt sure of his identity; she then sent for him, and Kali having
now left him he told his story, put on his magic garments, and they
were re-united. He afterwards recovered his kingdom from his brother.
In the Sinhalese version which has been given, the dice are not
mentioned, and the reason why Senasura brought about the misfortunes
of the King and Queen,--that is, his jealousy,--is also not explained.
In Folklore of the Santal Parganas (Rev. Dr. Bodding), p. 144, the
story is given without any intervention of the deities or personified
dice. After being abandoned, the Princess was engaged as a servant
at a palace, and the Prince became a groom at the same place. She saw
and recognised him, and afterwards the younger brother restored half
the kingdom to him.