NO. 194

THE STORY OF AYIWANDA

In a certain city there are an elder brother and a younger sister, two persons, it is said. Of them, the elder brother is a very rich person; the younger sister has nothing (mokut nae). The younger sister is a widow woman; there is one boy. The boy himself lodges at his uncle’s watch-huts and the like; the youngster’s name is Ayiwanda.

The uncle having scraped a little rice from the bottom of the cooking-pot, and given him it, says, "Ade! Ayiwanda, be off to the watch-hut [at the cattle-fold]." The youngster came to the watch-hut.

The uncle having gone and looked, [saw that] one or two calves were dead in the cattle-fold. Then the uncle having come home scolds Ayiwanda, "Ayiwanda, at the time when thou wert going to the watch-hut thou drankest a little milk, and there being no milk for the calves they are dying."

Afterwards Ayiwanda having gone that day to the watch-hut, and having said that he must catch the thieves, without sleeping stayed awake until the time when it became dawn.

Then Gopalu Devatawa, having opened the entrance (kadulla), came into the cattle-fold. Having come there and placed on the path his cord and club, [48] he began to drink milk. Afterwards Ayiwanda, having descended from the watch-hut, very quietly got both the cord and the club. Taking them he went again to the watch-hut.

Well then, Gopalu Devatawa having drunk milk and the like, when he looked for both the cord and the club in order to go, they were not [there]. Afterwards, Gopalu Devatawa having gone near the watch-hut asked for the cord and club. Ayiwanda taking the two descended from the watch-hut to the ground.

Then Gopalu Devatawa asked for the rope and cudgel, both, at the hand of Ayiwanda. Then Ayiwanda said, "I have heard scoldings for so much time, that as I drank the milk the calves are dying. To-day I stayed awake and caught the thief. Except that if you will give me an authority on that account I will give you the rope and cudgel, I will not otherwise give them."

Then Gopalu Devatawa said to Ayiwanda, "Think in your mind, 'If there be an authority which Gopalu Devatawa gave, may that hill and this hill, both, become united into one.'"

Afterwards Ayiwanda thought in that way. Then the two hills became united into one.

Then Gopalu Devatawa said to Ayiwanda, "Think in your mind, 'If there be an authority which Gopalu Devatawa gave, these hills are again to become separated.'"

Afterwards Ayiwanda thought in that manner. The two hills again became separated.

Gopalu Devatawa said to Ayiwanda, "Think in your mind, 'If there be an authority which Gopalu Devatawa gave, that tree and this tree are both to become one.'"

Afterwards Ayiwanda thought in that manner. The two trees became united into one.

Gopalu Devatawa said again to Ayiwanda, "Think in your mind, 'If there be an authority which Gopalu Devatawa gave, the two trees are again to become separate.'"

Ayiwanda thought in that manner. Then the two trees became separate.

Now then, Gopalu Devatawa said, "The authority that Gopalu Devatawa gave [you] is true." Having said that, and told him that having gone he was to keep it in mind, he assured him of the fact (satta dunna). After that, to Gopalu Devatawa Ayiwanda gave both the cord and the cudgel. Well then, Gopalu Devatawa taking them went away.

Ayiwanda having been [there] until the time when it became light, came home and said at the hand of Ayiwanda’s mother, "Mother, ask for uncle’s girl and come back."

Then Ayiwanda’s mother says, "Ane! Son, who will give [marriage] feasts to us? [We have] not a house to be in; we are in the hollow of a Tamarind. I will not. You go and ask, and come back," she said.

Afterwards Ayiwanda went and asked. Then Ayiwanda’s uncle said, "Who will give girls to thee?" Having said, "Be off!" [49] he scolded him. After that, Ayiwanda having come back is silent.

Having come from an outside village, [people] asked for Ayiwanda’s uncle’s girl [in marriage]. Then he promised to give her there. He appointed it to be on such and such a day. The men went away.

Then Ayiwanda’s uncle gave betel to shooters who were in the neighbourhood, [so that they should shoot animals for the wedding-feast]. Ayiwanda thought in his mind, "Let those shooters not meet with anything, if there be an authority which Gopalu Devatawa gave." Afterwards the shooters walked about at the time when they are saying that the [wedding] feast is to-morrow. They did not meet with even a thing.

After that, Ayiwanda went to his uncle’s house. When he said that the [wedding] feast would be to-morrow, to-day in the evening he asked, "Uncle, give me that bow and arrow."

Thereupon his uncle said, "Ansca! [50] Bola, because there is no hunting-meat have you come to rebuke me? So many shooters were unable [to do it], and [yet] you will seek hunting-meat!" Having said [this], he scolded Ayiwanda. "Through being without hunting-meat, my girl, leaving the house and the like, will not stay, [you think]!" [51]