The Monkey and the Beggar, or the Monkey Appusiññō and the Beggar Babāsiññō

For marrying and giving the Princess of the King of the country, the King began to seek Princes. At that time royal Princes not being anywhere in those countries, he stayed without doing anything (nikan).

At that time the Monkey called Appusiññō asked Babāsiññō the Beggar, “Am I to arrange and give you an opportunity [for a marriage]?”

Then Babāsiññō said, “What is this you are saying, Appusiññō? For you and for us what [wedding] feast!”

Then Appusiññō said, “It doesn’t matter to you. I will arrange and give it from somewhere or other.”

Having said thus, Appusiññō went to the royal house. At that time the King having seen Appusiññō, asked, “What have you come for?”

Then the King thinking, “Who is it, Bola, who is a rich man to that degree?” told him to ask a servant for it, and go. So Appusiññō, asking a servant for it, went back [with it].

Thereupon Appusiññō said, “Golden pounds like that are swept up into the various corners of the house of our Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō. Because of it, what of that one!”

The King thought, “Maybe this person is a richer man than I!”

On yet a day Appusiññō went running to the royal house. Having said that the Lord Mudaliyār told him to go and ask for the bushel for measuring rupees, he asked for it.

At that time the King asked Appusiññō, “Whence comes this money?”

Appusiññō said, “All is indeed the revenue which he receives from gardens, and grass fields, and rice fields.”

After that, he took away the vessel. At that time taking the rupee which was hidden, having brought it again, he gave it [with the rupee inside].

That day also the King said, “Look here. A rupee has been overlooked; take it away.”

Thereupon he says, “If one gather up rupees at home in that way there are many [there]. What of that one!”

Appusiññō having gone, and having walked to the shops in the villages, [after] finding about a hundred old keys, returned. Having brought the keys, and having thoroughly cleaned them, and made them into a bunch of keys, he tied them at his waist. [After] tying them at his waist he went in the direction of the royal house. The King, having seen this bunch of keys, asked, “Whence, Appusiññō, keys to this extent?”

“They are the keys of the cash-boxes in the wardrobes of the Lord Mudaliyār,” he said. Having said it, Appusiññō said, “O Lord King, Your Majesty, will you, Sir, be angry at my speaking?”

The King replied, “I am not angry at your speaking, or at your saying anything you want.”

Thereupon Appusiññō says, “Our Lord Mudaliyār having walked to every place in this country, there was not an opportunity (iḍak) [for a marriage] to be found.” The Monkey informed the King that although during the little time that had passed he was poor, at present he was a great rich man, and that he was a person born formerly of an extremely important lineage. “Because of it I am speaking,” he said.

Thereupon Appusiññō having gone into a multitude of villages, told the men, “The King having sent messages and told you to come, will ask, ‘Is Babāsiññō a very wealthy person? Is he a person of good lineage?’ Then say, ‘He is of a very good caste.’ ”

After that, Appusiññō came once to the royal palace. At that time the King said to Appusiññō that he must see the bridegroom.

Thereupon Appusiññō having gone home, and again having gone to the bazaar and bought a piece of soap, caused the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō to bathe.

Again, the Monkey known as Appusiññō, splitting his head with a stone, went running to the royal house.

Thereupon the King asked Appusiññō, “What has split your head?”

Appusiññō says, “The Lord Mudaliyār sought for the keys to get clothes to go somewhere or other. Out of my hand the keys were lost. On account of it having beaten me with a club and my head having been split, I came running here,” he said.

Thereupon the King says, “You can find the keys some time. Until then, there are the needful clothes. Go and give him any cloth you want out of them,” he said.

So having taken a good cloth in which gold work was put, he dressed him, and he having come to the royal house, the King became pleased with the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō; and having caused the naekat (planetary prognostics) to be looked at, settled to marry [him to his daughter]. Thereupon, having told the men who were in that country, and having decorated the city, he observed the [wedding] festival, having also been surrounded by much sound of the five instruments of music in an extremely agreeable manner.

Well then, while they were going summoning the Princess to Babāsiññō’s own country, the Monkey through extreme delight ran jumping and jumping in front. While the Monkey was going thus, a party of boys who were causing certain goats to graze, having heard the noise of the five instruments of music, became afraid. At the time when they asked, “What is this?” “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to save these goats, say they are the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s,” the Monkey said.

When they are going a little further, certain herdsmen who are looking after cattle having become afraid, at the time when they asked [what the noise was], “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to escape say, ‘We are causing the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s cattle to graze,’ ” the Monkey said.

When they are going a little further, certain men who are doing rice-field work having become afraid, at the time when they asked, “What is this noise?” he said, “They are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country. If ye are to escape say, ‘We are doing work in the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō’s rice fields.’ ”

At the whole of the aforesaid places the men observed the method which the Monkey said.

The Monkey saw during the time he was staying in the midst of the forest, a house in which is a Yaksanī. As in that house there are riches, silver and gold, like a palace, and because there was nothing in Babāsiññō’s house, he thought of going there. Having thought it, and having left the bride and bridegroom and the whole of them to come in carts, and having said, “Come on this path,” Appusiññō got in front, and having gone to the place where the Yaksanī is, said, “Isn’t there even news that they are coming breaking up a country, upsetting a country? The King is coming to behead you. Because of it, go to that stone well and get hid.”

Thereupon, the Yaksanī having gone to the stone well, got hid. While she was hiding [in it], this Appusiññō having thrown stones [into it], and having killed the Yaksanī, swept the Yaksanī’s house, and when the party were coming was there.

The King and the rest having come, when they looked much wealth and corn were there. Having said, “This one is a great rich person, indeed,” while the servants and the Princess remained there the King came back to the city.

But however much assistance the Monkey gave, Babāsiññō having forgotten the whole of it did not even look whether they gave the Monkey to eat.

Well then, while the party are staying there, one day, to look, “Does the Lord Mudaliyār Babāsiññō regard me?” Appusiññō was getting false illness.

Thereupon the Monkey made visible and showed the absence (naetikama) of Babāsiññō’s good qualities (guna), bringing forward many circumstances [in proof of it. He said], “Putting [out of consideration] that I was of so much assistance, you said thus!” Having said, “Because of it, staying here is not proper,” he went into the midst of the forest.

Western Province.