No. 70

The Jackal and the Leopard

'N a certain country there is a Gamarāla. There is a

IN a certain country there is

goat-fold of the Gamarala's. At that goat-fold one by one the goats are disappearing during the night. Afterwards the Gamarāla having gone there [to watch for the thief] went to sleep. In the hand of the Gamarāla there was a lump of salt chillies.

Afterwards the Leopard came at night. The Leopard lifting each goat looks at it. Having looked, afterwards having lifted up the Gamarāla [and found he was the heaviest] he took him. Carrying him away he took him to his rock cave. Then the Gamarāla quickly [entered it, and] shut the door. The Leopard then was trying to go into the cave. Having heard the uproar the Jackal Paṇḍitayā came. "What is this, Sapu-flowers' Minister, you are doing?" he asked.

"In other years I brought goats [and ate them without trouble]. That one having entered the cave has shut the door."

"You, Sir, having put your tail inside the cave be pleased to wave it," he said; the Jackal Paṇḍitaya said. "Do not catch hold of the tail," he said [to the Gamarala]. "Otherwise, having put thy foot against the wall, and having folded it two-fold or three-fold, hold it [fast]," he said. "Do not jam a little of the golden salt chillies under the tail of the Sapu-flowers' Minister," he said.

Then the Gamarāla having seized the tail jammed in the salt chillies. Afterwards the Sapu-flowers' Minister pulling out his tail bounded away. Having bounded off and gone, he sat down on a flat rock. Afterwards the Jackal Paṇḍitayā asked, "What are you on that flat rock for?"

"I am looking if this country is fruitful or unfruitful," 1 he said.

Again, the Gamarāla, saving his life, went to the village. The Jackal Paṇḍitaya went to the Gamarāla. "What is it, Gamarāla? Couldn't you kill him?"

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While he was outside how could I, sitting in the cave, kill him?"

"I will tell you a trick for that one," the Jackal Panditayā said. Afterwards he said, "You must make a trap for that one," he said.

Where shall I make the trap ?" [the Gamarāla] asked. "At the fence of the goat-fold," he said.

Afterwards he made the trap. The Sapu-flowers' Minister was noosed in the trap. On the following day the Gamarāla came to look. Having come before the Gamarāla, also the Jackal Paṇḍitayā came near the trap. "Gamarāla, to-day indeed he has been hanged," he said.

Etana metana tō gasannē

Kambul baeta dipannē

Kanda sewanața aedapannē

"Strike thou there and here a
blow;

Knocks upon the cheeks bestow;
Drag him to the hill's shadow,"

the Jackal Paṇḍitaya said. Then he said

Hampottayi tō gannē

Mālu tika mața dennē.

"'Tis the skin will be for thee,
The little flesh thou'lt give to
me."

Rodiya. North-western Province.

Part of this story was given in The Orientalist, vol. iv, p. 30. A Jackal that had followed a Leopard which was trying to get at a man who had taken refuge in a corn store, advised it to insert its tail through a gap in the doorway, and wave it about. When it did so, the Jackal said in the Peraelibāsa, which the Leopard did not understand, Kațu

1 That is, as we should say, "I have come here to enjoy a view of the scenery!"

a There appears to be some doubt regarding the spelling of this compound word. I give it as I have heard it. Except in the last letter I have followed that of the late Mr, W. Goonetilleke, the

1

anuwe potun deṭak, which when transposed becomes atu kanuwe detun poṭak, "Two or three twists round the pillar of the corn store." The man acted as advised, and held the tail fast. When some men came up they killed the Leopard.

learned Editor of The Orientalist, who in vol. i, p. 8, of that journal said of it: "Perelibase therefore means 'the language of transposition,' or the transposed language.'" In Clough's Dictionary the second word is spelt bāsa. In Mr. A. M. Guņasēkara's excellent Sinhalese Grammar the spelling is peralibāsa in the Index, and perați bāsē (or bhāshāwa) in the paragraph dealing with it. Professor E. Müller-Hess has drawn my attention to the form pereli on one of the inscribed tablets at Mihintale.

B B

No. 71

How the Boars killed the Rakshasa

THE

HERE is a certain city. There is a very great jungle belonging to the city. A wild Sow stays in the jungle. The Sow having come to a house on the high ground, and pains having come to her, gave birth to a little Boar. The men of the house having seen the little Boar, catching it and amply giving it to eat, reared it.

[After he had grown up], one day that village Boar says, "I cannot remain thus." Having thought, "I must go to a great jungle," he went away.

After that, having gone to the jungle, while he was there a Rākshasa having come to that jungle was eating the large Boars. Afterwards the village Boar said [to the others], "I will tell you a good trick," he said.

"What is it?" the other large Boars in the jungle asked. "Please dig two very large wells. At the bottom make the two wells one," 1 he said. "The large village Boar will be [on the ground] in the middle of the two wells," he said. He told the other large Boars to be round the well.

The Rakshasa every day comes to a rock. The large village Boar asks the other large Boars, "This Rakshasa having come, what will you do as he comes ? "

The other Boars say, "This Rakshasa having come makes grimaces at us."

"Then ye also make grimaces," he said.

Again, he inflates his sides at us."

"Do ye also inflate your sides," he said.

"He makes a very great roar."

"Do ye also at that time roar all together," he said.

1 That is, unite them by a tunnel.

On the following day the Rākshasa having come, and having looked in the direction of the Boars, made grimaces, inflated his sides, and made a very great roar. [The Boars did the same.]

Then the Rakshasa thought, "To-day these Boars will eat me." Thinking this he went near the Lion.

Afterwards the Lion scolded him. "Ane! You also having gone, and having been unable [to do anything], have you come back?"

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What am I to do? All that I do the Boars are doing." Afterwards the Rākshasa again came to the place where the Boars were. After that, the village great Boar says to the other Boars, "To-day the Rakshasa is coming to eat us indeed. What shall we do?" he said to the great Boars. “[This is what we will do.] The Rakshasa having come, when he springs at the great Boars I will jump into the well. Having jumped in, I will come to the ground by the tunnel [and the other well]," he said. "Before I ascend you eat the Rakshasa," he said.

In that way the Rakshasa came. Having come, as he was springing [at the Boar] the Boar jumped into the well. Then the Rakshasa having jumped [in after him] they bit him and ate him up.

Afterwards the great village Boar asked the other Boars, "Who else is there to eat your flesh?"

Then, “Still there is a Lion King," they said. Saying, "Aḍā! Seeking him there, let us all go," they all went.

The Lion King as the Boars were coming climbed up a tree. Then the Boars at once having broken the roots of the tree, felled the tree to the ground. The Lion ran away. Then the Boars, saying, “Seize him, seize him!" having gone chasing him, killed the Lion.

Rodiya. North-western Province.

This tale is given in the Jātaka story No. 492 (vol. iv, p. 217). A Boar reared by a carpenter joined the wild ones, and taught them how to kill a Tiger that devoured them, by means of two pits. The tunnel connecting them is omitted. The Boar did not jump into the pit; only the Tiger fell into one of the pits when he sprang at the Boar. After killing the Tiger they proceeded to kill a sham