A Story about a Vaeddā1

A Story about a Vaeddā1

Then a Vaedi youth who had gone to kill some game and was hungry, came and saw the fowls and pigs eating some cold cooked rice, whereupon he went to the heap of rice, and pushing aside the upper part of it took a little from the bottom and ate it.

At that time the royal Princess was at the open upper story of the palace. She saw this action of the Vaeddā, and said to her mother, “Anē! Ammē! However poor a man may be he does not do that disgusting work.”

The Queen admonished the Princess, and said to her, “Appā! My daughter, do not say so of any man whatever; you do not know what may happen to you” (meaning that it might be her fate to be married to such a man).

Then the Princess, speaking in ridicule of the Vaeddā’s want of good looks, replied, “If so, why should I wear this costume? [I may as well begin to dress like my future husband’s people].”

The Vaeddā, after stopping and hearing this conversation, went away.

As a lion used to come to that city [and carry off the inhabitants] the King subsequently caused the following proclamation to be made by beat of tom-toms: “I will give my daughter to any person whatever who kills the lion which comes to this city.” On hearing this, the Vaedi youth having dug a hole in the path by which the lion came, and having got hid in it, when the animal approached shot it with his bow and arrow and killed it.

When the King learnt that somebody had killed the lion he gave public notice that its destroyer should be sought for. The Vaedi youth then came forward, and after he had [proved that he was the person who killed it] the King gave that royal Princess to him in marriage [and he went away with her].

While she was living with him another good-looking Vaedi youth accompanied him one day. On seeing him the Princess trickishly drove away the Vaeddā who was her husband, and married that handsome Vaedi youth.

It was not long before this Vaeddā one night killed a buffalo, and [taking some of the flesh] said to the Princess, “Cook this, and give it to me.”

The Princess replied, “It would be disgusting work for me to do; it is no business of mine. [She added] “What does it matter if my first husband is not good-looking? He was good to me.” Saying this, she drove this Vaeddā away, and seeking the place where the first Vaeddā whom she had married was stopping, went to him and said, “Let us go [off together].” But the Vaeddā said, “I will not.”

After that, she put on her Princess’s robes as before, and came away.

In a little while afterwards that very Vaeddā was appointed to the kingship, and everybody subsequently lived prosperously and in health.

North-central Province.