The rest of the story is as follows:--The two persons having said, "This one himself [is] our child," getting him to the surface they brought him home. When they were rearing him not much time, the Gamarala’s two eyes became blind. This boy having become big is continuing to give assistance to the two persons. Then the Gamarala died.

The elder (lit., big) boy has taken the sovereignty. The elder brother and younger brother, both, [assisting her]--one having done cultivation (goyitan) and trading, one having exercised the sovereignty—​that woman is obtaining a subsistence.

The woman having become old, one day (dawasakda) that younger brother went to see that elder brother and return to the city. Having gone, as he was coming back Sakra having come, taking an old appearance, took away the Gama-Mahage.

The boy having come and looked [for her], at his mother’s absence is weeping and weeping. Sakra, creating an old appearance, having come asked at the boy’s hand, "What are you weeping for?"

The boy said, "On account of our mother’s absence I am weeping."

Sakra said, "Why? While your mother has become old you weep! Whatever time it should be, life goes."

The boy said, "I must go to see our mother’s life."

Sakra having taken him to the Sakra residence (bawana) showed him the boy’s mother. Having shown her, Sakra asked, "Can you stay here?"

Then the boy said, "I having asked at elder brother’s hand must come," and came [back to earth]. Having gone to the elder brother’s city and said, "Elder brother, our mother having gone is in the Sakra residence; I also will go," the elder brother replied, "If you can, go." He having said it, he came away to go, [but] the boy not knowing the path simply stayed [at home].

Finished.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

I have inserted this pointless tale on account of the evidence it affords of a belief that infanticide was practised in former times; I may add that I have adhered as closely as possible to the text. It agrees with the story numbered 243 in this volume (a tale from Ratmalana, about eight miles south of Colombo), that children who were not likely to prove useful were sometimes buried alive. For other instances of infanticide see the Index to vol. i.

I am unable to refer to Indian instances in which Sakra occupies the position of Yama as the God of Death; but in Ceylon he is sometimes represented as being a Dharma-raja, a god of righteousness or justice, and this is a function of Yama. See the verse at the end of the story numbered 179 in vol. ii; in No. 107, vol. ii, it is Sakra who kills the wicked Princess.

The reason for cutting a special well with the water of which the women wished to bathe, was that they would thus obtain undefiled water.

NO. 198

THE STORY OF THE WOODEN PEACOCK

In a certain country there are a Carpenter and a Hettirala, it is said. There are also the wives of the two persons; there are also the two sons of the two persons.

The Carpenter and the Hettirala spoke together: "Let us send our two children to school." Having spoken thus, they sent the Carpenter’s son and the Hettirala’s son to school. At the time when the two had been going to school no long period, the Hettirala took and gave a cart and a bull to the Hettirala’s son. Well then, the Hettirala’s son goes to school in the cart; the Carpenter’s son goes on the ground. A day or two having gone by he does not go again.

Afterwards the Carpenter asked, "Why, Ade! dost thou not go to school?"

Then said the youngster, "The Hettirala’s son goes in the cart; I cannot go on the ground."

After that, the Carpenter also took and gave (anna dunna) a cart and a yoke of bulls to the Carpenter’s son. Now then, the Carpenter’s son also, tying [the bulls to] the cart, goes to school.

Then the Hettirala’s son, having sold the cart and bull, got a horse and horse carriage. The Hettirala’s son began to go in the horse carriage. Then the Carpenter’s son does not go to school.

Then the Carpenter asked, "What dost thou not go to school for?"

The Carpenter’s son said, "The Hettirala’s son goes in the horse carriage; I cannot go in an ordinary (nikan) cart."

Afterwards, the Carpenter having said, "If the Hettirala’s son goes in the horse carriage, am I not a Carpenter? Having made a better one than that I will give you it," constructed a wooden Peacock (dandu mondara) and gave it to the Carpenter’s son. Afterwards the Carpenter’s son, rowing on the wooden Peacock [through the air], goes to school.