The Princes Who Learnt the Sciences

THE PRINCES WHO LEARNT THE SCIENCES At a certain city there is a King, it is said. There are four Princes (sons) of the King, it is said. At the time when he…

THE PRINCES WHO LEARNT THE SCIENCES

At a certain city there is a King, it is said. There are four Princes (sons) of the King, it is said. At the time when he told the four persons to learn the sciences that are [known] in that country, they were unable to learn the sciences.

After that, the King, bringing a sword, told them to [go elsewhere and] learn the sciences [or he would kill them].

So all the four Princes, tying up a bundle of cooked rice, went away, and having gone to yet a city and sat down at a halting-place (ruppayak), the eldest Prince said, "At the time when we are coming back we must assemble together at this very halting-place."

After that, the eldest Prince arrived (baehunaya) at a city. At the time when he asked, "What is the science that is [known] in this city?" they said, "In this city there is sooth."

"You must go and send me to the house where they say sooth," he said. Then they went and sent him. The Prince learnt sooth.

The next (etanama) Prince arrived (baessa) at a city. He asked, "What is the science that is [known] in this city?" "In this city there is theft," they said.

"Please go and conduct me to the house where theft is [known]," he said. That one learnt theft.

The next Prince went and arrived at a city. "What is the science that is [known] in this city?" he asked. "Archery is [known] in this city," they said.

"Please go and send me to the house where there is archery," he said. They went and sent him. That one learnt archery.

The next Prince went and arrived at a city. "What is the science that is [known] in this city?" he asked. "In this city there is carpenter's work," they said.

"Please go and send me to the house where there is carpenter's work," he said. That one learnt carpenter's work.

After that, the soothsayer [Prince] looked into the sooth, [to ascertain] on what day the other three persons would come. When he looked, it appeared that on the very day when the eldest Prince comes back the other three persons also will come.

The eldest Prince having set off and come, returned to the halting-place (ruppe) at which they stayed that day. Having come, while he was there the other three also came and arrived at that halting-place.

"What is the science you learnt?" they asked from the eldest Prince. "I learnt sooth," he said.

They asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt theft," he said.

They asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt archery," he said.

They asked the young Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt carpenter's work," said the young Prince.

The three persons asked the eldest Prince, "What is there at our house?" Then he said, "On the Palmira-tree a female crow (kawadi), having laid three eggs, is sitting on them," he said.

"What is missing from our house?" they asked. "The Rakshasa having taken the King's Queen to that [far] shore of the sea, [after] putting her in the middle room (lit., house) in the midst of seven, has put the seven keys in his mouth," he said.

After that, the whole seven came to the city. The King having come rubbing (whetting) a sword, asked the eldest Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt sooth," he said.

He asked the next Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt theft." He asked the next Prince; "I learnt archery." He asked the youngest Prince, "What is the science you learnt?" "I learnt carpenter's work," he said.

Having said, "It is good," the King asked, "What is there at my house?" "On the Palmira-tree a female crow is sitting on three eggs," [the eldest Prince] said.

"What is lost from my house?" he asked, to look [if he knew]. "The Rakshasa having gone away, and put the King's Queen in the middle house (room) in the midst of seven, has placed the seven keys in his mouth," he said.

"Doer of theft, without the female crow's flying away, while it is [sitting there] in that manner, take an egg, and come back," he said. Without the crow's flying away, while it was [sitting] in that manner he took an egg, and came back.

Having caused the egg to be buried under the rice winnowing tray, he said, "Archer, without swerving to that side or this side, shoot [for the arrow] to go cutting it quite across." He shot so as to go quite across.

"Doer of carpenter's work, fasten this [egg] in the very manner in which it was [at first]," he said. He fastened it in the very way in which it was.

"Robber, without the crow's flying (padinne), go and place [the egg in the nest], and come back," he said. He went and placed it [in the nest], and came back.

"Can you bring back this Queen?" he asked. "We can," they said.

The whole four persons having gone, the thief went into the [Rakshasa's] house, and brought out the Queen successfully. When he was bringing her the Rakshasa was asleep. Taking the Queen, they came away.

When they were coming, they told [the soothsaying Prince] to look by [means of] sooth [what the Rakshasa was doing]. Still he slept. Having come very far in that way, they told him to look [again]. "He is now coming on the path," he said.

When they were returning thus, [the Rakshasa], having come quite near, sprang at them. At that very time the archer shot [at him; the arrow] having gone cutting his neck, he fell.

The ship in which they had gone was damaged (tuwala wuna). The carpenter made [the damage good]. Then, [after crossing the sea] they brought the Rakshasa's head and the Queen, and gave them to the King. Thereupon the King gave them the sovereignty.

Then the soothsayer says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. Through my looking at the sooth, indeed, ye will get the country, [if ye receive it]," he said.

Then the thief says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. It was necessary that I should go and take [the Queen] successfully from the Rakshasa. [If ye get it], it is owing to me that ye will get the country," he said.

Then the archer says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. When the Rakshasa came in order to go [after] eating you, through my having shot him and killed him ye will get the country [if ye receive it]."

Then the Carpenter says, "[The sovereignty ought to belong to me]. Your ship having broken, by my fastening it [together] at the time when it was becoming rotten, ye will get the country [if ye receive it]."

Afterwards they gave the sovereignty to the eldest Prince.

Bintaenna, Uva Province.

THE NOBLEMAN AND HIS FIVE SONS. (Variant a.)

In a city there are five sons of a nobleman. In yet [another] city there is a Princess without both parents. The Princess is a person possessing many articles. Having thought that when the eldest son of the nobleman went there she must make him stop [there], and having spoken with the Princess's kinsfolk [regarding it], the eldest son having gone near the Princess she caused him to remain.

After he stayed there many days, this Princess asks this nobleman's son, "What do you know of the sciences?" Then he says, "I don't know a single one." Having said, "If so, you cannot stay near me; go you away," she drove him away.

This nobleman's son came home. The nobleman asks his son, "What have you come for?"

"The Princess asked me, 'What do you know of the sciences?' I said, 'I don't know anything.' 'If so, you cannot stay near me,' she said. Because of that I came," he said.

Immediately, this nobleman says to all his five sons, "Unless you five learn five sciences, without [doing so] don't come to my house." Having said it he drove them away. Thereupon, these five persons went to five cities, and learning five sciences, after much time came home. [One was a soothsayer, the second was a marksman, the third a thief, the fourth made very rapid journeys, and the fifth could bring the dead to life.]

This nobleman, after that having summoned the eldest son, asked, "What is the science that thou knowest?"

"I know [how] to tell sooth," he said.

To look at this one's knowledge, the nobleman, having seen that a female crow had laid eggs in a tree, said, "Should you tell me the sooth that I ask, you are [really] an astrologer." Having given his son betel he asked it [mentally].

After he asked it, this one says, "Father, you have asked me if a female crow has laid eggs in a tree. Is it not so?" he asked.

Thereupon, the nobleman said to the one who was able to shoot, "Come here. Without the female crow's knowing it, and without breaking the egg, shoot thou so that it may become marked [only],--an egg out of the eggs that are in that nest," he said. The nobleman's son having said, "It is good," shot in the manner he told him.

Then this nobleman, having summoned the thief, says, "Go thou, and without the crow's knowing, bring thou only the egg which this one shot." Having said, "It is good," he brought that very egg.

Then the nobleman said, "Go again, and place thou it [back in the nest]." He said, "It is good," and went and put it [back].

Thereupon, [having called the eldest son again], what sooth did the nobleman ask? Thinking it in his mind [only], he asked, "How are now the happiness and health of the Princess whom you at first summoned [in marriage]?"

After he asked, this one having looked at the sooth, says, "The Princess having now died, they have taken her to bury," he said.

Thereupon, the nobleman said to the one who is able to go on rapid journeys, "Go, and do not allow them to bury her"; he went accordingly.

Then this nobleman said to the one who causes life to be restored, "Go and restore the life of the Princess, and come thou back to my city." Having said, "It is good," this one went, and, causing her life to be restored, the person who made rapid journeys, and the one who caused life to be restored, and the Princess, all three persons, came to the nobleman's city.

Thereupon the Prince who caused her life to be restored, says, "I shall take the Princess whose life I caused to be restored."

Then the person who went on rapid journeys says, "Unless I had gone quickly, and had not allowed them to bury her, and if they had buried her, how would you take her? Because it is so, I shall take her."

Then the soothsayer says, "If I had not looked at the sooth, and told [you about her death], how would you two take her? Because it is so, I shall take her."

Then the nobleman says, "Unless I caused the sooth to be looked at, how would you three otherwise take her? Because it is so, I shall take her." Owing to that, these four persons were quarrelling.

Now then, out of these four persons, to whom does she belong? According to our thinking, indeed, she belongs to the nobleman.