Story 78 - The Gamarala’s Girl

IN a certain city there was a King, it is said. The King sends letters into various countries to be explained. When they were sent, no one could explain the things that were in the letters. When he sent the letters, on the following day [the recipients] must come near the King. When they come the King asks the meaning in the letter; no one can tell it. Well then, he beheads the man.

Thus, in that manner he sent letters to seven cities. From the seven cities seven men came to hand over the letters. He beheaded the seven persons.

On the eighth day a letter came to the Gamarala. There is a girl of the Gamarala’s. When they brought the letter the girl was not at home; she went to the village to pound paddy. Pounding the paddy and taking the rice, when the girl is coming home the Gamarala is weeping and weeping. So the girl asked,

“What is it, father, you are crying for ?”

Then the Gamarala says,

“(Daughter, why shouldn’t I cry ? The King who beheaded seven men of seven cities has to-day sent a letter to me also. Now then, the letter which the people of seven cities were unable to explain, how can I explain ? Well then, mustn’t I take the letter to-morrow ? It is I who must take the letter. When I have gone he will behead me. Well then, owing to your being [left] without anyone, indeed, I am weeping.”

Then the girl said,

“Where is it, for me to look at, that letter ?”

Asking for it, and having explained all the things that were in the letter, she said to the Gamarala,

“Father, having gone to-morrow, to what the King asks say thus and thus.”

The Gamarala on the following day went and handed over the letter. The King, in the very way in which he asked those seven persons, brought up the Gamarala, and asked him. The Gamarala replied in the very way the girl said. Then the King asked the Gamarala,

“Who expounded this ?”

The Gamarala said,

“There is a daughter of mine; that daughter herself explained it.”

After that, the King said,

“To-morrow we are coming for the marriage [to your daughter]. You go now, and having built inner sheds and outer sheds, and milked milk from oxen, and caused it to curdle, and expressed oil from sand, place them [ready]; those [previously] unperformed matters,”

he said.

When the Gamarala is coming home the girl is not at home. Having gone to pound paddy, and having pounded the paddy, when she comes, taking the rice, that day, also, the Gamarala, weeping and weeping, is digging some holes for posts.

So the girl asked,

“What, father, are you crying for to-day also ?”

Then the Gamarala says,

“Ane ! Daughter, the King is coming to-morrow to summon you in marriage, and return. Owing to it, the King said to me, ‘ Having built inner sheds and outer sheds, having milked milk from oxen and caused it to curdle, and having expressed oil from sand, place them [ready].’ Now, then, how shall I do those things ? It is through being unable that I am weeping.”

Then the girl says,

“Father, no matter for that. Simply stay [here]. Please build the [usual] sorts of inner sheds and outer sheds. How are you to milk milk from oxen and curdle it ? How are you to express oil from sand ?”

Afterwards the Gamarala indeed built the inner sheds and outer sheds.

On the very day on which the King said he is coming, the girl, with another girl, taking a bundle of cloth, went along the road to meet the King. On the road there is a sesame chena. By the chena they met the King.

When coming very far away, the Ministers said at the hand of the King, " That one coming in front is the Gama-rala’s daughter herself.” The Gamarala’s daughter, too, did go in front.

Then the King asked at the hand of the Gamarala’s daughter,

“Where, girl, art thou going ?”

The Gamarala’s daughter replied,

“We are going [because] our father has become of age [in the same manner as women]. On account of it [we are going] to the washermen.”

The King said,

“How, girl, are men [affected like women] ?”

Then the girl said,

“So, indeed ! You, Sir, told our father that having built inner sheds and outer sheds, having milked milk from oxen, and caused it to curdle, and having expressed oil from sand, [he is] to place them [ready]. How can these be [possible] ? In that way, indeed, is the becoming of age by males [in the same manner as women].”

Then the King, having become pleased with the girl, asked yet a word. He plucked a sesame flower, and taking it in his hand asked the girl,

“Girl, in this sesame flower where is the oil ?”

Then the girl asked, " When your mother conceived where were you, Sir P”^[1]

Immediately (e paramo) the King descended from the horse’s back; and placing the Gamarala’s girl upon the horse, and the King also having got on the horse, they went to the palace. The other girl came alone to that girl’s house.

On the second day, the King having sent the Ministers and told the Gamarala to come, marrying the girl to the King she remained [there]. The Gamarala also stayed in that very palace.

North western Province.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In the next story, and in the Story of Madana Kama Raja (Natesha Sastri), p. 246, are given a Prince’s question regarding sesame, and a smart village girl’s reply.