Concerning Two Friends

CONCERNING TWO FRIENDS At a certain time there were two men, friends. Of them, one person not having [food] to eat, was very poor. The other man had amply to…

CONCERNING TWO FRIENDS

At a certain time there were two men, friends. Of them, one person not having [food] to eat, was very poor. The other man had amply to eat and drink. At that time the man who had not [food] to eat, in order to get an assistance went near the friend who had [food] to eat. Then at the time when he went to the friend's house, having amply given him food and drink, the friend asked, "What have you come for?"

Thereupon the man said, "Ane! Dear friend, not having to eat and to wear I came near you in order to get an assistance."

Then the man having gone calling him to the bread shop, taking bread for ten shillings gave it to him, and said, "Here, friend, selling these things get a living. I am unable to give an assistance for more than ten shillings."

Thereupon the man having said, "It is good," at the time when he was bounding about taking the bread box having walked until it was becoming black, did not sell [anything]. Through anger that he did not sell it, this man sat down near a tree, and said, "This day on which I got the evil-looking (musala) bread is not good; I will eat these things."

At that time, the Devatawa who was in the tree, having become afraid, said, "Ane! O Lord, don't eat me; I will give you a good article," and gave him a plate.

The man, taking the plate, asked, "With this plate what shall I do?"

The Devatawa said, "Having taken away the plate, and well polished it, and spread a white cloth, place it upon the table. Then you will receive tasty food [from it]." So the man, taking the plate, came to the Hettiya's shop.

The Hettiya asked, "Appuhami, have you met with anything even to-day?"

The man said, "To-day, indeed, I met with a plate." [He gave the Hettiya an account of its good properties.]

Thereupon, the Hettiya, having made the man drink arrack (spirit distilled from palm-juice), and made him drunk, and allowed him to sleep on the bed, took the plate. Taking it, he put another plate into the man's bread box.

Then the man having become conscious, and gone home, told the man's wife, "Don't cook; we shall receive food." Having well polished the plate, and spread a white cloth, placing it upon the table he waited.

Having ascertained that cooked rice did not descend, the man's wife came, and taking the plate threw it away, and having cooked, ate.

On the following day, also, the man having walked without selling bread, came near that tree, and said in the former way, "I will eat. I will eat."

Thereupon, the Yaka on that day gave him a ring, and said, "Having sold the ring, when you are going ten fathoms away the ring will come and place itself again in your hand."

On that day, also, the Hettiya asked [what he had met with]. The man, just as in the former manner, said, "I obtained a ring," [and told him its property]. So the Hettiya on that day, also, made the man drunk, and taking the ring and having caused another ring to be made, put it on the man's hand.

The man having become conscious, and gone away taking the ring, sold it. Having sold it, he went ten fathoms, and looked. That, also, did not come.

Then the man on the following day also came without having sold the bread, and having come near that tree, said on that day, also, just as in the former manner.

At that time the Devatawa gave him a cow which drops gold. "Having taken away this cow, take good care of it, and tie it up and keep it," he said.

Thereupon the man, taking also the cow, just as before went away near that Hettiya's house. The Hettiya that day also asked, "What is it, Appuhami, that you have obtained to-day?"

The man said, "To-day, indeed, I obtained, Hettirala, a cow which drops gold."

So the Hettiya, that day also having given the man arrack to drink, and made him drunk, and allowed him to sleep on the bed, brought the Hettiya's old cow, and having tied it there the Hettiya took the cow which drops gold.

Then that man having become conscious, and having gone away taking that cow also, washed the cow-dung which the cow dropped. Excepting cow-dung, there was no gold.

Thereupon the man on the following day, also, having gone for bread-selling did not sell [any]. That day, also, he went near that tree, and said, "Thou son of a courtesan, when I told thee to provide me with a living thou cheatedst me. On account of it, to-day I shall eat thee indeed," and he began to chase the Yaka on the path.

Then the Yaka said, "O Lord, do not chase me on the path." The Devatawa well knows about the theft of the articles. Having said, "The things that I give to this man yet [another] man takes," he gave him a cudgel.

The man asked, "With this cudgel what shall I do?"

The Yaka said, "Should anyone ask, 'What is this?' say 'Allan Bostan.' Having said it, say, 'Stop, Bostan,' [in order to stop it]."

Then the man, taking the cudgel, went just as before to the Hettiya's house. At that time the Hettiya, in the very same way as before, asked [what he had received].

The man said, "To-day I obtained a cudgel."

Then the Hettiya asked, "What is the name of the cudgel?"

The man said, "That, indeed, is Allan Bostan." Then the cudgel went and began to beat the Hettiya.

Thereupon the Hettiya said, "Lord, don't beat me. I will give you all the things I took."

So the man said, "Stop, Bostan." Then the cudgel stopped the beating. After that [the Hettiya] gave him that stolen plate and ring, and the cow that dropped gold, these very three things. After that, the man having become wealthy, remained so.