The Story of the Cake Tree

THE STORY OF THE CAKE TREE In a certain country there are a woman, and a youngster, and a girl, it is said. The woman is a Yaksani.

THE STORY OF THE CAKE TREE

In a certain country there are a woman, and a youngster, and a girl, it is said. The woman is a Yaksani.

One day the youngster said, "Mother, let us cook cakes."

Then the Yaksani said, "Son, for us to cook cakes, whence [can we get] the things for them?"

After that, this youngster having gone to the place where they were pounding flour, and having come back [after] placing a little flour under the corner of his finger nail, said, "Mother, mother, hold a pot," he said.

The Yaksani held a pot. Then he struck down the finger nail; then the pot having filled, overflowed.

Again, having gone to a place where they were expressing [oil from] coconuts, and having come [after] placing a little oil under the corner of his finger nail, "Mother, mother, hold a pot," he said.

The Yaksani held a pot. Then the youngster struck down the finger nail; then the pot having filled, overflowed.

After that, the youngster having gone to a place where they were warming [palm] syrup, and having come [after] placing a little syrup under the corner of his finger nail, "Mother, mother, hold a pot," he said.

The Yaksani held a pot. The youngster struck down the finger nail; then the pot having filled, overflowed.

After that, the youngster said, "Mother, now then, cook cakes." Having said it, the youngster went to school.

During the time while he was going and was there, the Yaksani and the girl having cooked cakes, and the Yaksani and the girl having eaten all the cakes, placed for the youngster a cake that fell on the ash-heap while they were cooking; and both of them remained without speaking.

Then the youngster having been at school, came home. Having come, he asked that Yaksani, "Mother, where are the cakes?"

Then the Yaksani said, "Ane! Son, the cooked cakes the flour people took away, the oil people took away, the syrup people took away. The cake which fell on the ash-heap while [we were] cooking is there. There; eat even that."

After that, when the youngster looked on the ash-heap there was a cake on it. Having taken it, and planted it in the chena jungle, he said, "When I come to-morrow, may the Cake tree (kæwun gaha), having sprouted, be [here]." Having said it he came home.

Having gone on the following day, when he looked a Cake tree had sprouted. Afterwards the youngster said, "When I come to-morrow, may flowers having blossomed be [on it]." Having said it he came home.

Afterwards having gone, when he looked flowers had blossomed. After that, the youngster said, "When I come to-morrow, may cakes having fruited be [on it]." Having said it he came home.

Having gone on the following day, when he looked there were cakes. After that, the youngster having ascended the tree, ate the cakes.

Then the Yaksani having gone [there], sitting at the bottom of the tree said, "Son, a cake for me also." The woman having taken a sack also, put it [there].

Afterwards the youngster threw down a cake. Then the Yaksani falsely said, "Ane! Son, it fell into the spittle heap." The youngster again threw one down. Then the Yaksani said, "Ane! Son, it fell into the mucus heap." Afterwards the youngster again threw one down. Then also the Yaksani said, "Ane! Son, it fell into the cow-dung heap."

Having said, "Not so; holding them with your hand and mouth jump into the sack," she held the sack, through wanting to eat the youngster. Then the youngster, holding them with the hand and mouth, jumped into the sack.

After that, the Yaksani, tying the sack, came away. In a rice field certain men were ploughing. Having placed the sack very near there, the Yaksani went seven gawwas (twenty-eight miles) away [for necessary reasons].

Thereupon that youngster says, "Ane! Unfasten this sack, some one who is in this rice field." Then the men who were very near having heard it, unfastened the sack. After that, the youngster having come out, put a great many ploughed-up clods from a plot of the field into the sack, and again having tied the sack in the very way in which it was [before], and placed it there, the youngster again went to the Cake tree and ate.

Then the Yaksani having come, and taken the sack, and gone home, and placed it [there], said to the girl, "Daughter, this one is in the sack. Unfasten this, and having cut up this one, and placed the bowl of [his] blood beneath the stile, place the flesh on the hearth [to cook]." Having said it the Yaksani went away.

After that, the girl having unfastened the sack, when she looked the youngster was not in it; there were a great many ploughed-up clods. Afterwards the girl having thrown aside the ploughed-up clods, put the sack in the house.

The Yaksani came back. Having come, when she looked beneath the stile there was no bowl of blood. Having gone near the hearth, when she looked there was no flesh. After that, she asked at the hand of the girl, "Daughter, why didn't you cut up that one?"

The girl [said], "Mother, there was a sort of ploughed-up clods in the sack; having thrown them aside I put the sack in the house."

Then the Yaksani said, "If so, daughter, give me the sack;" and asking for the sack, and having gone near the Cake tree, when she looked the youngster was eating cakes in the tree.

Sitting down near the tree she said, "Son, a cake for me also." Afterwards the youngster threw down a cake. Then the Yaksani said, "Son, it fell here, into the spittle heap." The youngster again threw one down. Then the Yaksani [said], "Son, it fell into the mucus heap." The youngster again threw one down. Then the Yaksani said, "Ane, Son, it fell into the cow-dung heap. Not so, son. Holding them with the hand and mouth jump into the sack." After that, the youngster, holding them with the hand and mouth, jumped into the sack.

Thereupon, the Yaksani, in that very manner tying the sack and taking it, went away; and again having placed it in that rice field, went to the very quarter to which she went at first.

Then the youngster said, "Unfasten this sack, some one who is in this rice field." Having heard it, those men unfastened the sack. Then the youngster having come out, caught a great number of rat snakes; and having put them in the sack, and tied it in that very way, and placed it there, the youngster again went to the Cake tree and ate cakes.

Then the Yaksani having come, and taken the bag also, and gone home, told the girl, "Daughter, cut up this one, and having placed the bowl of [his] blood beneath the stile, put the flesh on the hearth." Having said it she went away.

After that, the girl having unfastened the sack, when she looked there were a great many rat snakes [in it]. The girl having waited until the time when the rat snakes went off, put the sack in the house.

Then the Yaksani having come, when she looked if the bowl of blood was beneath the stile, it was not [there]; when she looked if the flesh was on the hearth, that also was not [there]. After that she asked at the hand of the girl, "Daughter, didn't you cut up that one?"

Then the girl says, "Mother, in it there were a great many rat snakes. Having waited there until the time when they went off, I put the sack in the house."

After that, the Yaksani [said], "If so, daughter, give me that sack;" and asking for the sack, and having gone near the Cake tree, when she looked this youngster was eating cakes.

Afterwards the Yaksani, sitting down, said, "Son, a cake for me also." The youngster threw down a cake. Then the Yaksani said, "Ane! Son, it fell into the spittle heap." Afterwards the youngster again threw one down. Then the Yaksani said, "Ane! Son, it fell into the mucus heap." The youngster again threw one down. Then the Yaksani [said], "Ane! Son, it fell into the cow-dung heap. Not so, son. Holding them with the hand and mouth jump into the sack." Afterwards the youngster, holding them with the hand and mouth, jumped into the sack.

After that, the Yaksani tied the sack, and placing it on her head and having come quite home, and placed the sack in the veranda, said to the girl, "Daughter, to-day indeed that one is [here]. Cut up that one, and having placed the bowl of [his] blood beneath the stile, place the flesh on the hearth." Having said it she went away.

Afterwards this girl having unfastened the sack, when she looked the youngster was [in it]. Having brought the bill-hook, when she was about (lit., making) to cut up the youngster, the youngster said, "Elder sister, don't cut me up just now. Lie down here for me to comb your head." After that, the girl lay down.

As he was combing and combing the head, this girl went to sleep. Afterwards, this youngster having cut the girl's throat (lit., neck), placed the bowl of [her] blood beneath the stile, and having put the flesh on the hearth, the youngster, taking a rice mortar, and a pestle, and a millet [grinding] stone,--at the doorway there was a Palmira [palm] tree--ascended the Palmira tree.

While he was there the Yaksani came, and having drunk the bowl of blood that was beneath the stile, and come near the hearth and taken the flesh that was on the hearth, began to eat.

While she was eating it, the youngster, being in the Palmira tree, says thus:--

"They themselves eat their own children. The Palmira tree [is] at the doorway; Jen kitak kita."

The Yaksani having heard it and said, "Ade! Where is this one?" and having looked around, again eats that flesh.

Then that youngster again says,

"They themselves eat their own children. The Palmira tree [is] at the doorway; Jen kitak kita."

Then the Yaksani having come into the open ground in front of the house, when she looked up the tree the youngster was there. Afterwards the Yaksani said, "Ade! Stop there. [I am going] to eat this one."

As she was setting off to go up the tree that youngster let go the pestle. The Yaksani, saying and saying, "Thou art unable to kill me," goes upward.

After that, that youngster let go the rice mortar; then the Yaksani fell to the ground. Then that youngster let go the millet stone; then the Yaksani died. Only the youngster remained.