In a certain country there was a King. Madness seized the King. It
having seized him, he caused all the men of the city to be brought,
and seized from them their gains; should the party say even a word
about it he kills them.
Having killed them in this manner, when the city was diminished a
half share, he sent to tell the Treasurer (sitano) to come. He knows
thoroughly that in order to kill that person he had been told to come.
The Treasurer asked at the hand of the Treasurer's wife, "What shall
I do for this?"
Thereupon the woman said, "You having gone, to the talk which the King
says having said nothing [else] in reply, say 'Eheyi' (Yes), [231]
to the whole." Having heard her word the Treasurer went to the palace.
The King asked, "Treasurer, is there rain in your quarter?" The
Treasurer said "Eheyi, Lord."
"Are you well now?" he asked. The Treasurer, not saying another speech,
to that also said, "Eheyi, Lord."
In this manner they talked until the time for eating rice in the day
time. To all he said, "Eheyi."
Then the King said to the Treasurer, "Treasurer, now the time for
eating rice has come, hasn't it?" The Treasurer said, "Eheyi, Lord."
Thereupon the King said, "Treasurer, let us go to bathe." The Treasurer
said, "Eheyi, Lord."
The King said, "Ask for the copper water-pot." The Treasurer said,
"Eheyi, Lord." Having said it and gone, he returned [after] asking for
[and getting] it.
Then the King said, "Get in front." The Treasurer said, "Eheyi, Lord";
having said it the Treasurer got in front. Having gone to the river,
the King took off his clothes, and putting on the bathing cloth,
[entered the water, and] asked the Treasurer, "Treasurer, won't
you bathe?" The Treasurer, having said, "Eheyi, Lord," remained on
the rock.
While the King was talking and going backwards and backwards, he was
caught by an eddy in the water, and went to the bottom. Having sunk,
when he was rising to the surface he said, "Treasurer, I shall die;
draw me out quickly." Thereupon the Treasurer said, "Eheyi, Lord,"
[but did not move]. When he was going to the bottom the next time
the King died.
Then the Treasurer, taking the few royal ornaments, came home. Having
come, he said at the hand of the Treasurer's wife, "The King died,"
[and he gave an account of his death].
Thereupon the woman said, "O fool! I said that indeed. Putting on
those royal ornaments, go to the royal palace and say, 'It is I who
am King; also I killed the King. If ye do not hearken to the things
I say I will kill you also.'"
The Treasurer did in that very way. The whole of the men of the city
were afraid. Well then, the Treasurer exercising the sovereignty over
the city, the Treasurer's wife became the Queen.
Western Province.