shasas were in two bees in a gourd which was inside a crystal pillar at the bottom of a tank. If one drop of the bees' blood fell on the ground, the Rākshasas would be twice as numerous as before. The bees were killed by being squeezed to death.

At p. 171, in a Bengal story (G. H. Damant), the lives of Rakshasas were in a lemon, and a bird. When the lemon was cut in Bengal, the Rakshasas in Ceylon died. As the bird's wings were broken, the Rākshasī Queen's arms were broken; when the bird died, she died.

In vol. xvi, p. 191, the life of a giant was in a parrot; when it Iwas killed he died.

In vol. xvii, p. 51, a Prince's life was in a sword; if it rusted he was sick, and if it broke he died.

In Folk-Tales of Hindustan, Allahabad (Shaik Chilli), p. 51, the life of a Prince was in the brightness of his sword. When it was placed in a furnace and lost the brightness, he died. A giant who was his friend found it, and discovering that a little brightness remained at the tip, rubbed it until it regained its lustre, on which the Prince revived.

At p. 114, the lives of Räkshasas were in a number of birds; they died when these were killed.

In a tale of the interior of W. Africa in Contes Soudanais (C. Monteil), p. 154, the life of a King was in a little box inside a small goatskin, which was in a little pot placed inside a large pot. When the King was told this he died.

Doubtless this strange notion of a life safeguarded by being hidden away, is of early date, and may be due originally to the early magical idea prevalent in Egypt, Assyria, and India, that a person might be killed from any distance by piercing the heart of a figurine formed to represent him. This action is mentioned in the Commentary on the Atharva Veda (Bloomfield's translation, p. 359); and in the Rigveda, i, 29, 7 (Griffith's translation), prayer is made to Indra for the destruction of "him who in secret injures us.”

In the Jātaka story No. 208 (vol. ii, p. 111), a monkey escaped from a crocodile that was going to kill it in order to get its heart, by telling it that monkeys kept their hearts hanging on trees.

In the Maha Bhārata, Vana Parva, 135, 52, a Rishi caused buffaloes to shatter a mountain, and thereby killed a child whose life was dependent on its existence, if not supposed to be actually in it.

The recovery of the three giants from the house of the Rakshasi is evidently based on the story of Wijaya, the first King of Ceylon, and Kuwēni, a female Yakkha or aboriginal Princess, who, taking the form of a devotee, had captured his followers one by one, and imprisoned them.

The story is given in the Mahāvansa, chapter vii, as follows :— 'All these persons not returning, Wijaya becoming alarmed, equip

ping himself with the five weapons of war, proceeded after them; and examining the delightful pond [to which they had gone to bathe], he could perceive footsteps leading down only into the tank ; and he there saw the devotee. It occurred to him: 'My retinue must surely have been seized by her.' 'Woman, hast thou seen my attendants?' said he. 'Prince,' she replied, 'what need hast thou of attendants? Do drink and bathe ere thou departest.' Saying to himself, Even my lineage, this Yakkhini is acquainted with it,' proclaiming his title, and quickly seizing his bow, he rushed at her. Securing the Yakkhini by the throat with a ‘nārācana’ ring, with his left hand seizing her by the hair, and raising his sword with his right hand, he exclaimed, 'Slave! restore me my followers, or I will put thee to death.’ The Yakkhini, terrified, implored that her life might be spared. 'Lord! spare my life; on thee I will confer this sovereignty; unto thee I will render the favours of my sex, and every other service according to thy desire.' In order that she might not prove herself treacherous, he made the Yakkhini take an oath. While he was in the act of saying, ' Instantly produce my followers,' she brought them forth" (Mahāvansa, i, p. 32).

The idea of the thorn which was driven into the head of the Rākshasa, is borrowed from magical practice. In the case of a figurine made for the destruction or injury of a person, pins or nails or thorns were run into various parts of the body, one being inserted in the crown of the head. In a variant of the story numbered 73 in this work, a female Yakā was kept in subjection by means of an iron nail that was driven into the crown of the head.

In Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes), p. 12, a pin was fixed in the head of a woman who had been transformed into a bird. When it was drawn out she resumed her human form.

In The Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway, 1900, p. 232, it is stated regarding the great stone Bull, 12 feet high, at the Tanjore temple, that "it was popularly supposed by the natives that this bull was growing, and as they feared it might become too large for the mandapam [stone canopy] erected over it a nail was driven into the back of its head, and since this was done the size of the monolith has remained stationary."

No. 21

Nagul-Munna

N a village there were two persons called Nagul-Munnā

there they spoke together," Friend, while we two are remaining in this way matters are not going on properly." At the time when they spoke thus, Mun-aeța Guruwā replied to Nagul-Munna's talk, and said, "It is good, friend. If that be so let us two cut a chena.”

Having spoken thus, the two persons went to the chena jungle, and there being no watch-hut there, built one; and taking supplies week by week, began to chop down the bushes while they were living at the house in the jungle. Having chopped down the jungle, and burnt it, and sown the chena, the millet plants grew to a very large size.

When the two persons were at the watch-hut they remained talking one night for a long time, and said, “Tomorrow we must go to the village to bring back supplies." After talking thus, they went to sleep, both of them.

During the time while they were sleeping, Mun-aeța Guruwa's clothes caught fire. Then Nagul-Munnā awoke, and jumped down to the ground, and ran away. Mun-aeța Guruwa was burnt in the shed and died. On account of his being killed, through fear of being charged with causing his death, Nagul-Munnā bounded off into the jungle, and did not return to the village.

That day the relatives of those people who were in the village, thinking, "Nagul-Munna and Mun-aeța Guruwā will be coming to fetch supplies," getting ready the supplies, stayed looking for them. On that day the two persons did

not come; because they did not come two men went from the village to look for them.

The two having gone and looked, and seen that the watchhut had been burnt, spoke together concerning it: "Both these men have been burnt and died. Let us go back to the village." So they returned.

Nagul-Munnā, who sprang into the jungle that night, having come home during the night of the following day, spoke to his wife, who was in the house. The woman, thinking that he had died, was frightened at his speech, and cried out, "Nagul-Munnā has been born as a Yakā, and having come here is doing something to me." At that cry the men of the village came running; when they looked he was not there, having run off through fear of being seized.

In that manner he came on two days. The woman, being afraid, did not open the door. On the third day he arose, and hid himself at the tank near the village. While he was there, a tom-tom beater having gone to a devil-dance,1 came bringing a bit of cooked rice, and a box containing his mask and decorations.2

As he was coming along bringing them, this NagulMunnā having seen him, went and beat the tom-tom beater, and taking the bit of cooked rice and the box of devil-dancer's things, bounded into the jungle. Having sprung into the jungle, and eaten the bit of rice, he unfastened the box of devil-dancer's goods, and taking the things in it, dressed himself in them, putting the jingling bracelets 3 on his arms and the jingling anklets on his legs.

There was a large mask in it. Taking it, and tying it on his face, he went to the village when it became night, and having gone to a house there, broke the neck of a calf that was tied near it, and sprang into the rice-field near by. Having made a noise by shaking the jingling bracelets, and given three cries, “Hū, Hủ, Hu," he shouted, "If you do not give a leaf-cup of rice and a young coconut at dawn, and at night a leaf-cup of rice and a young coconut, I will kill all the cattle and men that are in your village, and having drunk their blood, go away."

1 Kankariya. a Wes.

• Gigiri walalu. • Silambu.

The men of the village becoming afraid on account of it, began to give rice every day in the way he said. Having given it for about four or five years in this manner, the men spoke together, "Let us fetch a sooth-sayer to seize that Yakā." After having said concerning it, " It is good," they fetched a doctor (Vedā).

When the doctor went to the tank to catch that Yakā, Nagul-Munnā came, and seizing that doctor, cut his bathing cloth, and having taken him to the place where he was staying, killed him, and trampled on his bathing cloth. Through the seizing and killing of the doctor, the men of the village became afraid to a still greater degree.

After that, having talked about bringing another soothsayer they fetched one. In the same manner, when he went to the tank the Yakā killed the sooth-sayer. At that deed the men of the village became more afraid still.

Having fetched a Sannyāsi (a Hindu religious mendicant) from Jaffna, they went to him, and told him to seize the Yaka. That man said, "It is good"; and having gone to the aforesaid tank to look for him, the Yaka was in a tree. So the sooth-sayer repeated incantations to cause the Yakā to descend. The Yakā did not descend.

After that, because he did not descend, that person got to know that he was a man, and on his calling" Hū,” to the men of the village the men came. Afterwards, seizing NagulMunnā, who was in the tree, they went to the village.

Because Mun-aeța Guruwa had died, the relatives of Munaeța Guruwā came for their [legal] action against him. Saying that he had cheated them, and eaten food wrongly obtained from them, the men of the village came for their action.

Because he had stolen the rice and the box with tom-tom beater's things in it, the tom-tom beater came for his action. Saying that he killed the first sooth-sayer, his people came for their action.

The second sooth-sayer's people also in the same way came for their action.

For his killing the calf the owner came for his action. After all who had brought these actions had came to one