In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. ii, p. 228, two pigeons collected ripe fruits and filled their nest with them. During drought which followed they shrank considerably; the male pigeon charged the female with eating them alone, and although she denied it he said, "If it were not that you have eaten them alone how could they have decreased?" and pecked her to death. When rain which fell afterwards caused the fruits to enlarge to their former size, the bird saw it, and felt remorse, and "then began to call his female with plaintive cries."

In the Arabian Nights (Lady Burton’s ed., vol. iv, p. 117) there is a similar story. A pair of pigeons collected a store of wheat and barley during winter, but when summer came it was shrivelled with the heat, and shrank. The male pigeon charged the hen with eating it; when she denied it he beat and pecked her till he killed her. In the next cold season the grain swelled out again as at first; and the male pigeon, seeing that the hen was innocent, mourned over her, refused food, and died of grief. Sir R. Burton refers also to a variant in the Book of Sindibad, and Kalilah and Damnah.

In the last line of the text of the verse on the preceding page, if Kuturu be corrected to Kuturu, and if the bird’s cry is to be interpreted, the meaning might be, "[my] falsehood is great, O Son, [and my] guilt."

NO. 181

THE GOLDEN ORIOLE

At a certain time, a Golden Oriole having perched on a tree, while it was [there] reflected, "On account of my [golden] colour when shall I obtain a food [suitable] for me?"

At the time when he was thinking thus, he saw that a fruit on a Jak-tree had ripened. Then a crow having come, dug into that very Jak-fruit. Thereupon the Golden Oriole, being pleased, laughed. Then after the crow flew away the Golden Oriole went near the Jak-fruit, and taking a section from it flew away.

Putting away somewhere the food possessing the [golden] colour equal to his colour, he sang songs.

He saw near there a King-Coconut tree, and thinking, "The fruit and flowers on the King-Coconut tree, and I, and my food are of one [golden] colour," he was pleased.

Having perched on the King-Coconut tree, while he was eating the section of Jak a Crested Eagle, flying above, seizing the Golden Oriole for the purpose of the Crested Eagle’s food, flew aloft [with him].

While it was flying [away with him] the Golden Oriole says, "For the fault that I committed (i.e., the pride in his personal appearance), taking me let us go flying still higher," he said to the Crested Eagle. Thereupon the Crested Eagle having killed the Golden Oriole ate him.

North-central Province.

This story reminds me of a little tragedy that I witnessed many years ago at Anuradhapura. While I was sitting in the veranda of the Rest-house, my attention was attracted by a friendly Black Robin (Thamnobia fulicata), a bird in habits much like the common Robin of Europe and with the same trustful confidence in man. After picking up insects on the ground close to the veranda it flew up, and perching in the shade on the lower branch of a tree a few feet distant from me, in the full enjoyment of its innocent life uttered a happy little song. Suddenly, in the midst of its notes there was a downward rush of a dark bird from behind, and in an instant the hapless Robin was being carried away in the merciless claws of a Sparrowhawk which must have been hidden in another part of the tree. The hawk was merely fulfilling the Law of Nature; the strong always devours the weak, without pity.

In A. von Schiefner’s Tibetan Tales (Ralston), p. 355, a crow which uttered agreeable (that is, auspicious) sounds when a woman’s husband was absent on a journey, was promised a golden cap by her if he returned safe and sound. When he came back in health and the crow repeated the agreeable sounds, she gave it the cap, and the crow put it on and flew about proudly with it. A falcon, seeing the cap, then tore off the crow’s head on account of it (apparently because it coveted the gold).

NO. 182

THE STORY OF THE VIRA TREE FISH-OWLS [11]

There was a certain Bakarawata City. At the same city seven Fish-Owls who were friends dwelt at one place. Out of them the name of one was Rawana-Face; [the names of the others were] Great-Fisher, Long-Boned-One, Dumb-One, Trap-Setter, Noisy-Drummer, Big-Fool. [12]

While they are in friendship in this way, without a marriage, one day, having called the others, [one of them] said thus:--"The whole of us are beings possessing much dignity. Because of it, let us summon a woman [as wife] for the whole seven of us."

Having [thus] talked, for the purpose of asking for the daughter of King Motanis [in marriage] the two called Noisy-Drummer and Trap-Setter having gone to Kurupiti City, and perched on the portico (torana) near the palace of King Motanis, cried with the sound, "Um, Um." [13]

At that time the King having come out, and perceiving, because he knows the Fish-Owl language, the matter for which they called out [to him], the King asks them, "What is the business that ye do? Your livelihood being of a different sort, how is it?" he asked Noisy-Drummer.

Thereupon he says, "O King, Your Majesty, it is I indeed whom in Bakarawata City they call Noisy-Drummer. In the same city the Minister of King Kuru am I."

Then the Fish-Owl called Trap-Setter says, "I am the son of King Motaba, who is near the same city," he said.

Thereupon the King says, "Unless King Motaba will give marriage to you, we are unable [to do] so." Having said, "Ye are of the lower animals" (tirisannu), he abused them, and drove them away.

After that Noisy-Drummer and Trap-Setter came to Bakarawata City, [and told the others of the failure of their mission]. While they were there, to Noisy-Drummer the other five say, "Ye fools! When ye asked for marriage in that way will they give it?" Having said [this], they quarrelled [with them]. What was that for? Because King Motaba is not an overlord of lineage, [14] if they had asked for the marriage from an overlord of lineage it would be good. Having said [this], they five quarrelled with them.

After that, the two Fish-Owls called Great-Fisher and Long-Bones went to Sulambawati City in order to ask for [marriage with] the Nadakara Kumari, [15] the daughter of King Attapala.