Gampolaya and Raehigamaya

GAMPOLAYA AND RAEHIGAMAYA In a certain country there are a Gampolaya and a Raehigamaya, it is said.

GAMPOLAYA AND RAEHIGAMAYA

In a certain country there are a Gampolaya and a Raehigamaya, it is said.

The person called Gampolaya, having put Iriya fruits in two bags, and said they were areka-nuts, tied them as a pingo load (one bag hanging under each end of the stick). Having been in his own country, he is going away to another country.

The person called Raehigamaya tied up a pingo load of pepper (vine) leaves. The person called Raehigamaya, having said that the pingo load of pepper leaves was a pingo load of betel leaves, is also going away to another country.

At the time when he was going along there was a travellers' shed; in that travellers' shed he lodged. That person called Gampolaya, taking that pingo load of Iriya fruits, came there. Well then, those two persons came in contact [there].

The areka-nut trader (Gampolaya) asked, "What, friend, is your pingo load?"

The betel trader (Raehigamaya) says, "[Betel leaves]. In our country areka-nuts are scarce to an inordinate (no-saehena) extent."

"Ane! Friend, [I have brought areka-nuts]. In that very way, for our country there is difficulty over betel leaves," Gampolaya said.

Having said, "If so, let us change our two pingo loads," the person possessing areka-nuts took the pingo load of betel leaves; the person who has the pingo load of betel leaves took the pingo load of areka-nuts.

Gampolaya [afterwards] says, "I indeed met with a trading at a profit!" When he asked, "What was it?" "I obtained a pingo load of betel leaves" [he said]. Who asked it? A man going on the road.

He took the pingo load of betel leaves to his country. Having gone there and having untied it, when he looked it was a pingo load of [worthless] pepper leaves. [The other man], taking the pingo load of areka-nuts, went to his village. Having gone [there] and unfastened it, when he looked they were [worthless] Iriya fruits.

Well then, those two persons came together at the travellers' shed on another day. They spoke: "That day our trading did not go on properly. Now then, friend, we two being thieves at this city, [after] cooking rice and having eaten [together], at night let us go for robbery."

Well then, except that those two say, "Let us cook," not even one of them brings the materials. What is [the reason why] they do not bring them? They were persons who on former occasions had gone to the shop and brought things, [and had been cheated by another person's not bringing any], they said. In that manner it became night.

One person, having said he is going to bathe, [went away, and] having eaten cooked rice at the shop, came back. The other [thought], "While he has gone to bathe, that one, going to the shop, will eat rice;" so this one having gone to another place ate cooked rice [there].

A second time they came to the travellers' shed. [Afterwards] they broke [into] the palace of the King of that city. Taking the box containing the gold things, and having gone [off with it], and during that very night having arrived at a rice field, they went to sleep at the bottom of a tree. Through dishonesty to one of them, the other, taking the box of things, bounded off. Having sprung off and gone, he crept into a mound of straw, and remained there.

That [other] one having arisen, when he looked there was neither the man nor the box of things. Thereafter he seeks and looks about. When he was seeking and looking, [he noticed that] there was a threshing-floor near [the place] where they were sleeping. Having taken a [wooden] cattle-bell, on the following day, in the evening, he shook and shook the cattle-bell, and began to gore the corn stacks and mounds of straw that were at the threshing-floor. Then that man who had got hid there, having said [to himself], "Perhaps it is a bull," spoke [to it, to drive it away]. Having spoken, when he looked it was the first thief.

[When] they two are talking [about it, he said], "I didn't bring this box of things through dishonesty to you, but to look at your cleverness." During all the time each one is thinking of quietly taking the box of goods, and bounding off [with it].

Well then, those two persons having come back, and having walked to the sands of the sea, it became night. Placing that box of things in the midst of the two, when they were lying down the person who stole it at first went to sleep.

Then the other man, taking the box, hid it at a recognisable place (ayiruwak) in the sea. Having hidden it and come back, and very quietly returned near the other one, he went to sleep. The person who hid the box of things and returned, went to sleep.

Then the other one, having arisen very quietly, when he looks for the box of things, the box of things is not there. When he sought and looked about for it, he did not meet with it. [But] when he tasted [with the tip of his tongue], and looked at the body (skin) of that person who is sleeping, until the time when he comes [upward] near the hip there is salt taste.

Now then, that one thought, "He will have hidden it in the water, waist deep in the sea." Having gone on account of the thought, when he looked in the water to the extent of a round [of the top] of the cloth (pili-watak, waist-deep) a tree was near. [The other man] having placed it near the tree he met with it [there].

As soon as he met with it, taking the box of things and having come to his village, he says to his wife and children, "Having sought me, should a man come here, say, 'He died yesternight. There is delay in going to bury him, until the time when his relatives assemble.'" Well then, they are lamenting falsely.

Well, Gampolaya [having come there] says, "We, indeed, called Gampolaya and Raehigamaya, walked about and committed robbery at [each] city in turn. Now then, don't you be grieved that he died; I am more troubled in my mind than you. The agreement of us two indeed is that should I die first, he having come,--that kind of creeper called Habalossa; it is an extremely bad sort of thorn, --having put [some] of the creepers on the neck there is a promise to go dragging me until the time when he goes to the edge of the grave. Should he die first the promise is [that I should act] in that very manner."

Well then, having brought a Habalossa creeper, and put it round the neck of the person who was dead, when he prepared (lit., made) to drag him the person who was dead laughed. Having laughed, he says, "Friend, I did not bring the box of things on account of stealing it, [but] to look if you are a clever person."

Well then, these two correctly divided in two the articles in the box of things. The two persons [afterwards] dwelt in happiness.