The Story of the Cobra and the Prince

THE STORY OF THE COBRA AND THE PRINCE In a country, during the time when a Prince is causing cattle to graze, the cattle having borne [calves] he goes to take…

THE STORY OF THE COBRA AND THE PRINCE

In a country, during the time when a Prince is causing cattle to graze, the cattle having borne [calves] he goes to take milk in the morning every day, it is said.

While he was going one day, at the time when he was bringing milk having met with a Nagaya and a female Cobra, the Nagaya said, "Will you bring and give me every day, morning by morning, one leaf-cup of milk?" he asked. The Prince said, "I will bring and give it."

When he was bringing and giving it no long time, one day when he was taking the milk on that day the Nagaya was not [there]; the female Cobra and a Rat-snake were [there]. Well then, at his hand the female Cobra asked for the leaf-cup of milk. The Prince did not give it; he poured the milk into an ant-hill.

At the time when the Nagaya came from the journey on which he went, the female Cobra says, "The Prince having come, not giving the milk went away." When she said this, the Nagaya having become angry went to the house at which the Prince stays, and remained at the corner of the mat on which the Prince sleeps.

While it is [there] the Prince says [aloud to himself], "Now for a long time I was going and giving milk to a Nagaya and a female Cobra. To-day I went, taking the milk. When I was going the Nagaya was not [there]. Because the female Cobra and a Rat-snake were on the ant-hill, the female Cobra asked me for the milk. Not giving it I came home, having poured it into an ant-hill."

The Nagaya having become angry regarding it, came back, and having bitten and killed the female Cobra, heaped her up. On the following morning, at the time when the Prince took the milk only the Nagaya was [there]; the female Cobra was killed.

Further, the Nagaya says to the Prince, "Lie down there."

The Prince without lying down began to run away. At the time when the Nagaya was going chasing after him the Prince fell. The Cobra having mounted on his breast, [said], "Do you without fear extend your tongue."

The Prince afterwards in fear stretched out his tongue. On his tongue the Nagaya with the Nagaya's tongue wrote letters. "Having heard all kinds of creatures talk you will understand them. Do not tell it to anyone," [he said]. Afterwards the Nagaya died. He burnt up the Nagaya.

The Prince having come home, while he is [there], when the Prince's wife is coming out from the house small red ants (kumbiyo) say, "A woman like the boards of this door, having trampled [on us] on going and coming, kills us," they said. The Prince having understood it, laughed.

When his wife in various ways was asking, "Why did you laugh?" anger having come to him [he determined to burn himself on a funeral pyre, so] he said, "You in the morning having cooked food and apportioned it to me too, eat you also."

Having eaten it, at the time when they are going, taking an axe, and a [water] gourd, and fire, two pigs having been digging and digging at a tank a pig says, "That Prince to-day will die."

The [other] pig says, "The Prince will not die. Having constructed a funeral pyre (saeyak), the Prince will mount on it. Water-thirst having come, he will tell his wife to bring water," it said. "She having gone, when she is bringing the water she will slip and fall and will die," it said.

He having constructed the funeral pyre, when the Prince mounted on it a water-thirst came. He told his wife to bring water. She went [to the tank for it], and having gone slipping through the amount of the weight, she fell in the water and died. Having put his wife on the pyre and burnt her, afterwards he went home.