The Na, Mi, and Blue-lotus Flowers' Princesses

THE NA, MI, AND BLUE-LOTUS FLOWERS' PRINCESSES In a certain country there is a King, and the King has three children, males. On the second poya day (the…

THE NA, MI, AND BLUE-LOTUS FLOWERS' PRINCESSES

In a certain country there is a King, and the King has three children, males. On the second poya day (the full-moon day), at the time when the moon has risen, having caused these three Princes to be brought, he asked, "Son, what is this moon good for?"

The big son said, "This moon is good for [enabling] poor people to go on journeys; it is good for trampling stacks (threshing by means of buffaloes)." The King accepted this word.

He asked at the hand of the next (ekkama) son; that son replied in that very manner.

He asked at the hand of the next son. That son said, "It is good for [enabling] the Mi-flower Princess, and the Na-flower Princess, and the Blue-Lotus-flower Princess to perambulate on the carriage which they keep."

Thereupon anger went to the King. Having caused the executioner to be brought, he started off the youngest Prince and the two elder Princes and the executioner, these four persons. He told him to behead the Prince.

At the time when these four were going in the midst of the jungle, there was a Banyan-tree; the four persons sat down in the shade under the Banyan-tree. The youngest Prince having collected a heap of sand and having been [hidden] in it, both the elder Princes and the executioner, these three persons, [not seeing him], set out to come away. Having come a considerable distance [the executioner], killing a lizard (katussa) and smearing the blood on the sword, came and told the King, "I beheaded him." The King took it for the fact.

The Prince having arisen, when he looked about, his two elder brothers were not [there], and the executioner was not [there]. Because there was not a place to go to he went to sleep again under that very Banyan-tree.

Having arisen in the morning, when he looked there was no water, no food. Having climbed up the tree, he saw that water was pouring down at the margin of a rocky hill. He descended from the Banyan-tree, and went along looking constantly at the hill. Taking a little water [at it], and washing his face, at the time when he was going up the hill a bee came, and turned (flew) round his head; then he struck at the bee. A second time having come it turned round his head; a second time he struck at it. Having come even the third time, when it was turning round his head he thought, "I must look for [the hive of] this."

On the hill there were rocks. Having come [and found the hive], sitting down at them he drew out the comb. Having drawn it out, when he looked in the hive (miya) there was an ash-pumpkin [flower]. He took out the ash-pumpkin [flower], and when he looked in it there was a Princess. Having gone away, taking the Princess also, after sitting down under a Na-tree and looking and looking around, eating and eating the honey he gave to the Princess also. This Princess in a day or two became big.

Beneath that very Na-tree they stayed for three days. While one day sitting below the same Na-tree, when he looked upward in the Na-tree there was a large flower, a kind of ash-pumpkin [flower], in the Na-tree. He went up the tree for that flower also, and plucking the flower descended. After having thrown away the petals, when he looked [inside] there was a Princess. He gave honey to the Princess, and they remained under the same Na-tree.

After four days they set out from beneath the Na-tree. In a day or two these two Princesses were [as big as though their age was] twelve years. Having gone along in the jungle, they came out at a certain country, and went to the house of a widow-Mahage (an old woman of good connections), and stayed there. The widow-Mahage eats by pounding paddy at the King's house and being given the rice-dust. She gave [some] to these three persons also; the two Princesses and the Prince were unable to eat it, they said.

At that time the widow-Mahage having gone near the King says, "O King, Your Majesty, at the place where I live, two Princesses and a Prince having come thus, are staying."

Thereupon the King says, "Widow-Mahage, wilt thou tell the Prince to come to my palace?" he said. The Mahage having come, told him.

At the time when she is telling him, the Princesses say, "Should he tell you any work, don't say, 'Ha' (yes), and don't say, 'I cannot,' and don't say, 'I can.' Having said, 'After having considered I will tell you,' come back," the Princesses say.

To the Mi-flower Princess the chariot of the Gods is visible beyond a kalpa; to the Na-flower Princess the chariot of the Gods is visible beyond two kalpas.

[When he went to the palace], "Prince," the King says to the Prince, "in the morning and in the evening I want seven handkerchiefs of Blue-lotus flowers."

He did not say "Ha"; he did not say "I cannot." After having said, "I will consider and tell you," he came back to the place where he is living at the widow's house.

This Prince having come, says to the two Princesses, "The King says to me, 'In the morning and in the evening I want seven and seven handkerchiefs of [Blue-lotus] flowers. Can you [bring them]?' Thereupon I said, 'After having considered I will tell you.'"

The Princesses say, "Prince, when you have gone to pluck the flowers you would die while in the pool, [but we will save you]. In the pool there is a great Crocodile. Because the King is not clever [enough] to kill you and write (that is, contract) a marriage to us two, it is good to do thus," they said.

Thereupon, the Prince having gone the second time near the King, this Prince says, "I can."

After he came home taking seven handkerchiefs, both the Princesses, having called the Prince and having combed and tied up his hair (lit., head), uttered spells on his right over a handful of sand, and after giving it, say, "Having gone near the pool, throw down the handful of sand on the right. At that time the human-flesh-eating Crocodile having come will go ashore." Having given [the spells over] a handful on the left also, they said, "Plucking seven handkerchiefs of flowers, come out, and quickly on the left throw down this handful of sand, [or] the Crocodile will come." [He acted accordingly.]

At the time when he was coming [after] plucking the flowers, a large Blue-lotus flower having been there he plucked that flower, and having come back, gave it [to the Princesses] at the house. Then having gone to the royal palace, taking also the seven handkerchiefs of flowers, [he gave them to the King].

Quickly having come back, taking the [Blue-lotus] flower at the house into his hand, and having cast away the petals, when he looked there was a Princess.

At that time the widow-Mahage having gone to the royal house, says, "I don't know if this Prince is a magician; I don't know if he is a person possessed of supernatural powers; I cannot find out what he is. Now he is there, and three Princesses are there."

Then the King thinks, "How [am I] to take these very three beautiful Princesses?" he thinks. Again he thinks, "Should I send this Prince to the Naga world I can take them; without it, indeed, I cannot."

At that time the King says to the widow-Mahage, "Say thou to the Prince that I say he is to come." She accepted that word; having come she told the Prince.

At the time when she is saying it, the Blue-lotus-flower Princess says to the Prince, "Prince, should he tell you any work, don't say, 'Ha'; don't say, 'I cannot'; don't say, 'I can.' Having gone to the royal palace, when he has said it come back, saying, 'After I have considered I will tell you.'"

Having gone and returned, he says to these three Princesses, "The King says thus to me, 'How is it? Canst thou go to the Naga world?' he says. Thereupon I said, 'Having considered I will tell you.' Having said [this] I came back."

Then these three Princesses say, "Prince, when [he thinks] you have died the King will come summoning us three to go [to become his wives]." These Princesses say to the Prince, "You go [to the King]. Having gone, say, 'I can.'"

He having gone, and having returned after saying it, they thereupon summoned the Prince. Sitting near him, the Mi-flower Princess, taking a palmful of oil, after having uttered spells over it rubbed it on his head. The Na-flower Princess also having uttered spells over oil rubbed [it on his head]. The Blue-lotus-flower Princess also having uttered spells over oil rubbed [it on his head].

The Mi-flower Princess next having uttered spells over a handful of sand, gave it into his hand. The Na-flower Princess also having uttered spells [over sand] gave it into his hand, and told him to tie it himself at his waist. The Blue-lotus-flower Princess also having uttered spells over a handful of sand, said, "Having gone near the tunnel [leading to the Naga world], when just going into the hole throw down the sand of the Mi-flower Princess. At the time when you are descending and going down the hole, when going to the middle of the hole throw down the sand of the Na-flower Princess. When going to the foot of the tunnel, throw down the sand of the Blue-lotus-flower Princess."

Having stayed at the house of the widow-Mahage, they cut a tunnel [which met the tunnel opened by the King, so that the Prince might escape by it]. The Prince does not go; the widow-Mahage does not know [about it]. Anyone you like [sees it] not; they do not know [about it].

[On the appointed day] having gone into the tunnel at the King's midula (the open space in front of the palace), at the time when he is coming to this tunnel, the King, having blocked up the King's tunnel and having employed elephants and trampled [the earth down], and having come, says to the three Princesses, "Princesses, go ye to the royal palace."

At that time these three say, "When our Prince has gone three months, and three poyas (at the quarters of the moon), and three days, and three half days, should he not return we will come. You, Sir, be good enough to go." Thereupon the King went back to the palace.

[While he was there, the Prince, who had escaped by the secret tunnel, proceeded to the palace to see him.] Having [stated that he had] gone to the Naga world and come back, the Prince says to the King, "O King, Your Majesty's father, the [late] King, has arrived at old age; he says to you that you also are to go."

At that time, [as he believed this], having removed the stones and earth [that he had placed] in the tunnel down which the Prince went, the King also began to go. Having handed over the sovereignty to the Crown and the Sword [of State], and gone near the tunnel, and summoned everybody (serotoma), he says, "Having handed over the sovereignty to the Crown and the Sword, I am going. When I have gone for the space (taena) of three months and three poyas, I shall come back. Until the time when I come be careful."

At the very time when he is descending into the tunnel, they brought elephants, and having put stones and earth in it, when they trampled them down the King died.

Three poyas and three days and three months went by. He came not ever.

As the sovereignty was going to be lost, loading on the tusk elephant's back the robes and the Crown and the Sword, and having made notification by tom-toms, at the time when it is walking in the street the Mi-flower Princess, and Na-flower Princess, and Blue-lotus-flower Princess say to the Prince, "To-day you, Sir, will obtain the sovereignty. Do not go anywhere."

Thereupon the Prince says, "How do you know?"

These three say, "Now, now, you will obtain it."

The tusk elephant having come, when it was making obeisance by kneeling he mounted on the tusk elephant, and putting on the Crown and taking the Sword in his hand, he went to the palace.

For the dead King there were five hundred Princesses. Having separated them in a different house, he allowed the five hundred to be [there]. Thereafter, after building separate houses for the Mi-flower Princess, and for the Na-flower Princess, and for the Blue-lotus-flower Princess, he sent them to them.

At the time when he was exercising the sovereignty in that manner, the country of his parents who told [the executioner] to behead this one, became abandoned. When this King was on the floor of the upper story, while this one's elder elder brother, taking a bundle of firewood [for sale], was going through the midst of the city, the King saw him. Having called him, and after he had thrown down the bundle of firewood having summoned him to come here, this King says, "There is not permission for yourself to come again to this city," and he sent away this one.

At the next occasion, on the second day, at the time when the younger elder brother was coming, taking a pingo (carrying-stick) load of Jak [fruit], the King tells this one also. Calling him near he says, "Why hast thou brought Jak? Has thy city become waste, or what? Why is it?" he asks at the hand of this man who brought Jak.

At that time this one says, "Our country having become waste, there is much scarcity of food to eat, for our King and people."

Thereupon this King says, "Canst thou come here with the three persons (his parents and other brother)?"

This one says, "Ane! O Lord; send us two, for us to come with those two." Thereupon the King, having been troubled [at the news], sent the two persons.

These two having gone, say to this one's two parents, "Ane! Father-King, that King says that we four persons--between that city and this city there is a river--having come to the river he says we are to remain [there]." Thereupon, because there was no food for the four persons, and because they could not endure the hunger, on the second poya day, at the time when the moon had risen they came to the river, and stayed there.

Thereupon the King, and the Mi-flower Princess, and the Na-flower Princess, and the Blue-lotus-flower Princess, sitting on the chariot, went near the river. Having seen these four persons, and descended from the chariot, he told that party of four persons to ascend the chariot.

Then the four persons say, "Ane! We cannot mount on this. Whether you, Sir, [are going] to behead us, or chop us [in pieces], or kill us [in some other way], we do not know. We cannot mount on it."

Making them mount by harassing them and combating [their objections], they came to the palace. Having come to the palace, after having given them a separate house to live in, and given them expenses for food, he said, "Don't you be afraid; you remain [here]," this King says to these four persons.

At the time when a long period had gone by in this manner, the King thought that with the four persons he must eat food at one table. Having thought so, after three or four months he sent four men to the four persons, and having caused them to bathe, and [then] caused them to bathe in coconut milk scented with sandal-wood, and given to all the four persons four pairs of vestments that day, he told [the servants] to send food [for all] to eat at one table.

They having sent the food [and] table, and the four persons sitting down together with the Mi-flower, the Na-flower, the Blue-lotus-flower Princesses, at the time when he tells them to eat the cooked rice the four say, "Ane! We cannot eat at one table with you, Sir. How can you, Sir, a King, and we, eat [together]?" these four persons say.

The King says, "Nothing will happen through your eating at one table with me."

At the time when, through [his] harassing them and combating [their objections], they are eating [after] having sat down at one table, the King asks, "Can you, or cannot you recognise me?" the King asks.

Thereupon the four persons say, "Ane! We cannot recognise you."

At the time when they have said and said [this], three drops of milk having come from the breast of his mother fell on the King's face. When they fell she began to weep.

Thereupon the King says, "Don't cry. The thing I said became correct."

At that time the King [his father] becoming afraid and terrified, he said, "Father-King, here, behold! the Mi-flower Princess. Here, behold! the Na-flower Princess. Here, behold! the Blue-lotus-flower Princess," and showed them.

Then the King says, "Are you willing to take the sovereignty of the city?" he asked at the hand of the King's father. "I can," he said.

To his father he gave the sovereignty. To the elder brother he gave the Ministership (aemaetkoma); he appointed the [second] Ministership for the younger elder brother. "Now then," he said, "when we have gone you will not give us a little betel!"

In this story is [related] the manner in which a foolish King, taking the sovereignty, without considering exercised the sovereignty.