  In a certain country there are a King and a Queen, it is said. There is also a Prince (son) of those two persons. Having given seven thousand masuran, a Princess was brought, and given to the Prince by the King and Queen. The Prince that night having spoken to the Princess, told her to warm a little water and give him it. To that having said, “I will not,” the Princess went to sleep. On that account, next morning the Prince went and sent away the Princess. After that, again having given seven thousand masuran, and brought yet [another] Princess, they gave [her to him]. In that very way having told that Princess to warm water, because she did not warm it he went and sent her away. Thus in that manner having brought six Princesses, because they did not warm water in the night he sent away the whole six. After that, having given ten thousand masuran, and come summoning yet a Princess, they gave [her to him]. That Princess at the time when the Prince told her, having warmed water gave it. Well then, while he is causing the days to pass with much affection for the Princess, the whole of the men of that country became ready to go to Puttalam. This Prince also having thought of going, when he asked [permission] at the hand of the King, the King and Queen, both of them, said, “Don’t go. If you eat the things that are here and stop [here], it will be sufficient for you. They go to Puttalam near the city of the courtesan woman. When they are going away from there the courtesan woman catches But the Prince without hearkening to it went away to Puttalam with the men. Having gone, he went to the city of the courtesan woman. Then certain men having been there, said, “Here, indeed, is the tavalam place Having thrown down the sacks, when they were becoming ready to cook, the courtesan woman having come, said, “Don’t you cook; I am preparing food for all.” The woman, however many persons should come, gives food to the whole of them. That night, also, having prepared food for these people, and called them to the house, and apportioned the cooked rice and given it, she said, “Having eaten this cooked rice and eaten betel, should my cat be holding the light at the time when it is becoming finished, this multitude, the cattle, and the sacks are mine. Should it be unable [to do] thus, my city, people, cattle, sacks, and all my goods are yours,” she wagered and promised. This multitude having become pleased at it, began to eat the cooked rice. When they began, the cat came, and sitting down in the midst of the multitude remained holding the light. Having eaten both the cooked rice and the betel, because at the time when they were finishing it remained holding the light, the multitude, the cattle, the sacks, became attached This multitude being unable to go away, a number of years went by. The Princess’s parents having ascertained that that Prince’s Princess is living alone, without the Prince, the two came to go away with the Princess. That King Well then, the Princess, for the purpose of bringing the Prince, spoke to the men of the Princess’s country: “Let us go to Puttalam.” The men said, “Having gone away to Puttalam, so many persons were caught at the courtesan woman’s city so many years ago; if, again, we also go and should be caught, how shall we come back? We will not.” Thereupon the Princess said, “Without your becoming caught, I will save you; without fear do you become ready to go with me.” After that, many persons got ready. The Princess having cut a long bamboo stick, and cleaned it inside, caught seven mice and put them in it; and having caught a few frogs and put them in it for food for the mice, closed both ends and put a little polish on the outside. The Princess having dressed in He??i dress, taking that staff made the name [for it], having said that the name was “tavalam staff.” Well then, this He??irala (the Princess) went away to Puttalam with those many persons. Having gone, when they came to the city of the courtesan woman, certain men having been [there] said, “Here, indeed, is the tavalama place; throw down the sacks.” Well then, having thrown down the sacks, when they were becoming ready to cook, the courtesan woman came and said, “I am preparing food for you also; don’t cook;” and in the very manner [in which she behaved] to that first party, gave rice and made the promise. When this party were eating cooked rice, the cat, sitting in the midst of this party, is holding the lamp. Well then, the city, the multitude of the city, the cattle, the sacks, and the whole of the goods became the property of the Princess. Well then, the Princess having told about this to the Princess’s Prince also, and having started off that party [who accompanied her] to the Princess’s country, the Prince and Princess went with the party from the Prince’s country. When they were coming along to the Prince’s country, the Prince’s mother and the King too, remained weeping and weeping under a tree in the rice field, wearing a sort of ugly clothes, the hair of the head unfastened and hanging down, and mucus trickling down, filthy to the extent that they could not look at them. The Prince and Princess having seen from very far that these two are [there], dressed themselves. But the two persons were unable to recognise the Prince and Princess. Having come very near they asked the King and Queen, “What are you weeping there for?” Thereupon, the two say, “There was only a single son of ours. There is news that that son, having gone away to Puttalam, has been caught at the courtesan woman’s city. Now then, we have nobody; because of it we are weeping.” Thereupon these two persons said, “Well then, what shall we do about that? Will you give us a resting-place in your kingdom?” they asked. Then these two persons having said, “We can,” and having gone summoning them to the palace, gave them the resting-place. This Princess, taking off the He??i clothes, and the Prince, having put on other clothes in such a manner that they can recognise them, and having summoned the King and Queen, the Princess told all this account from the top to the root, and having said, “Behold! Your Prince is [here],” she handed him over to them. Thereupon, this King and Queen having prepared sandal North-western Province. In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 149, a woman who kept a gambling house was accustomed to win from everyone by the aid of her cat, which brushed against the lamp and extinguished it when the play was going against her. A young woman whose husband had in this way lost everything he possessed, and who had lost his liberty also, went in search of him, bribed the servants to tell her the secret of the gambling woman’s success, and then went to play disguised as a man, having a mouse concealed in her sleeve. When the cat approached the lamp she released the mouse, which was chased by the cat. In the meantime she won back all that her husband lost. In Folklore of the Santal Parganas (collected by Dr. Bodding), p. 115, a Prince while travelling was robbed of all his belongings by a Raja, and became a labourer. His wife, hearing of it, went to the same place, and it was settled that the person towards whom the Raja’s cat jumped should possess the wealth taken from the Prince. The Princess had taken a mouse with her, and kept partly uncovering it and covering it again with her shawl. When the cat was released it sprang towards her to seize the mouse, so she regained the property. In Folk-Tales of Tibet (O’Connor), p. 39, a young man bet a person at whose house he halted that when it became night a cat would not carry a lantern into the room. Each person wagered all his property. The landlord’s cat being trained to bring in the lantern, he won the wager, and the man became his servant. His wife came in search of him disguised as a man. She made the usual bet, got her husband to conceal in his bosom a box containing three mice, and to release these in turn when the cat approached. The cat allowed the first two to run off, but dropped the lantern and chased the last one. The man and his wife returned home with all the landlord’s goods as well as their own. |
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