Afterwards, unfastening the bag of cakes [they counted them, and he] having given [some] to the woman, the inferior ones, eating and eating the cakes both of them began to go away.

After that, [when her husband came across and claimed her], Dippitiya having cried out, and dragged her, and obstructed her going with feet and hands, he said, "Having snatched away my wife canst thou strike blows? Come and go [with me]"; and they went for the trial [regarding their rival claims to be the woman’s husband].

Having gone near the King, [and laid a complaint regarding it], the King [finding that both men claimed her], says, "Imprison ye the three of them in three houses."

Afterwards the King asks at the hand of Dippitiya, "What is the name of thy mother?"

"Our mother’s name is Sarasayu-wiri." [31]

"Secondly, how many is the number of the cakes?"

"Three less than three hundred."

Having caused Diktaladi’s daughter to be brought, he asks, "What is thy mother’s name?"

"Kamaloli" (Love-desiring).

"How many is the number of the cakes?"

"Three less than three hundred."

After that, [as both agreed regarding the number] he handed over the wife [to him]. Both of them, making and making obeisance, went away.

Potter. North-western Province.

With the exception of the ending, this is the sixth test case which was settled by the wise Mahosadha, in The Jataka, No. 546 (vol. vi, p. 163); [32] but the variations show that, like some other Sinhalese folk-tales, it is not taken over directly from the Jataka story, which appears to be one of the latest in that collection.

There was a village, apparently of Vaeddas, called Dippitigama, in the North-western Province [33]; and "the house of the Dippitiyas, [34] at the village called Kotikapola" is mentioned in the story numbered 215 in this volume, related by a Tom-tom Beater. This latter tale apparently contains a large amount of fact, and ends "the persons who saw these [things said] they are in the form of a folk-tale." Thus there is a possibility that this part of the Jataka story is derived from a Sinhalese folk-tale of which the Potter’s story gives the modern version.

STORIES OF THE WASHERMEN

NO. 189

THE THIEF CALLED HARANTIKA

In a certain city there was a thief, Harantikaya by name. The thief, together with his father, goes to commit robberies. For a long period, at the time when they are committing robberies at that city not a single person could seize that thief.

One day, the father and son having spoken about breaking in to the box of valuables at the foot of the bed [35] of the King of the city, entered the King’s palace. Having entered it, and gone by a window into the kitchen, and eaten the royal food that was cooked for the King, he went into the very room and broke into the box at the foot of the bed; and taking the goods and having come back into the kitchen, he put [outside] the articles he had brought. It was the father who went into the house, and put out the articles. The son stayed near the window, on the outer side.

Well then, the father tries (lit., makes) to come out by the window;

Thereafter, the father, having put out his neck through the window, told the son to drag him out.

Well then, the son tried hard to drag him out. Because he also could not do it the son cut off the father’s head. Then the thief called Harantika (the son), taking the head and the articles stolen out of the box at the foot of the bed, came home.

Thereafter, having come home he says at the hand of his mother, "Mother, our father was unable to come [out by the window at which he entered the kitchen at the palace]. He endeavoured as much as possible. Because father was unable to come, cutting father’s neck with the knife that was in my hand, [I brought away his head and] I returned here. The theft will come to light. Now then, to-morrow, during the day, having said, 'Whose is the corpse?' they will bring it along these four streets. Don’t you either cry out, or lament, or tell about us." These matters he told his mother.

On the morning of the following day, fixing a noose to the two feet of the dead body, the King ordered the Ministers to take it, and walk [dragging the corpse] along the four streets. Next, he gave orders to the city that everyone, not going anywhere, must remain to observe whose was this dead body. Thereafter, when the Ministers were going along dragging the corpse, the men [and women of the city] remained looking on.

At the time when the wife of the dead man, [on seeing the body] is crying out, "O my husband!" the thief called Harantika, having been in a Murunga tree [in front of the doorway], broke a Murunga branch, and fell to the ground.