Story 212 - The Story of Madampe-rala

AT a certain city there is a person, Madampe-rala. For that Madampe-rala he brought a [bride in] marriage, it is said. That bride (man̆gula) was sent away aeruna). Still he brought a bride, it is said; that bride also was sent away. In that manner, he brought seven persons. The youngest one of the whole seven having prospered, remained. The whole of those very seven persons were sisters. Those six persons were sent away, having said they would not grind millet.

While the above-mentioned youngest woman is prospering, one day the man says,

“Bolan, cook for me to-morrow morning while it is still night, and give me it. It is [necessary] to go to cut jungle (wal),”

he said.

The woman during the night itself cooked seven [millet] cakes, and cooked the flesh of a deer, and packed them in a box; and having cooked still seven cakes and the flesh of a deer, and given ‘[these last to him] to eat, he finished. That Madampe-rala ate the seven cakes and the flesh of the deer, and went to cut jungle, taking the other seven cakes and the flesh of the deer.

Having gone, and having placed the things he took at the bottom of a tree, he began to cut jungle. Having cut three and a half chenas,^[1] and come [to the tree] and eaten the seven cakes and the flesh of the deer which he took, and drunk a gourd (labbak) of water, he cut another three and a half chenas, and went home.

A little time having halted and been at home, he came back to the chena, and having set fire to it he began to work [again]. Having sown it and finished, bringing his wife and bags after the millet (kurahan) ripened they went to the chena, and she began to cut the millet. In the whole seven chenas she cut the millet in just one day. Having cut it and collected it at one place, together with the man she dragged^[2] (carried) it home. That she cut the millet in the whole seven chenas the man was much pleased.

Having finished with the millet work, there having been a little paddy of his he cut that little, and collected it together.

Having said that he must go to his father-in-law’s village, while he is going away [after] tying five pingo (carrying-stick) loads, when going along through the middle of the Kj ng’s rice field the men who are in the field seized him.

Thereupon he says,

“Don’t seize me. There being no paddy for me to cut, a little paddy of my father-in-law’s has ripened; to cut that little and return, I am going [after] tying also five pingo loads [of presents for my father-in-law]. I am unable^[3] to stay to cut paddy [for you],”

he said.

Thereupon, the men while giving answer asked,

“Bola, any person who goes through the middle of this field goes [after] having cut paddy.^[4] If thou cut [some] and went, would it be bad ?”

Thereupon, the man began to cut the paddy. Having cut the seven amunas (about sixteen acres), and finished, he descended to the unripe paddy^[5] and began to cut it. Having cut the unripe paddy and finished, he began to cut the young paddy.^[6] That he cuts with an elephant’s-rib pin.

When he is cutting the young paddy, the men having gone running to the royal palace, say,

“We called and got a man who was going on the path. That man having cut down all the [ripe] paddy is cutting the young paddy,”

they said.

Thereupon the King having come to the rice field and called the man, when he asked,

“What are you cutting the unripe paddy for?”

the man says,

“When I was going to father-in-law’s village [after] tying five pingo-loads, they told me to cut paddy,”

he said.

The King calling the man and having gone with him [to the palace], tied ten pingo-loads more, and sent him away with men [carrying them], it is said.

Having gone to his father-in-law’s house, while he is there, when the man is preparing to go to the watch hut [in the rice field] his father-in-law says,

“Son-in-law, you cannot go. A malignant (wasa) boar comes to the rice field. It has eaten three or four men,”

he said.

Having said,

“No matter to me for that; I am not afraid of it,”

he went off, taking a large rice pestle. Having gone, when he was [there] the boar came; it having come there he shouted. Through fear at that it descended to rip open the man. When it was coming, the boar came and sprang to eat him. The man having given it blows with the rice pestle, killed it; having killed it he began to cut the paddy. In that paddy field he cut all the paddy before light falls. Having cut it and come away, he entered the watch hut and went to sleep.

After light fell, his father-in-law who stayed at home was expecting that he would come; because [he did] not, with much grief he went to the rice field to look if the boar had eaten him. Having gone [there], when he looked he had gone to sleep.

When his father-in-law spoke to him he turned and got up. When he said,

“Boy, we were afraid that the boar would have eaten you,”

he replied,

“The boar indeed came; I beat it. Look there; it is dead, look.”

Having looked at it, both of them went home, taking it. Thereafter he was much pleased with the son-in-law. Afterwards [the man] came home.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

That is, three and a half times the extent usually cleared by one man for the season’s crop.

[2]:

Æddeya. See note, vol. i, p. 193.

[3]:

Lit., it is not for me to stay.

[4]:

A common custom in the royal fields, I believe. Villagers employed on my works sometimes impressed wayfarers in this manner, as a joke.

[5]:

Amu koyamata.

[6]:

Dalu goyan.