Story 109 - Concerning A Vaedda And A Bride

IN the midst of a forest a Vaedda stayed. When the Vaedda’s wife went to bring water, taking the large water-pot, the Vaedda, taking his bow and having gone in front of the woman, as she is coming shoots [his arrows] to go by the woman’s ear. Every day he shoots in that manner.

One day when the woman went to bring water she met with the woman’s elder brother; he asked,

“What is it, younger sister, that you are so thin for ?”

Then the woman said,

“Ane, elder brother, when I have taken water and am going home, the Vaedda shoots [his arrows] to go by my ear. Through that trouble I am becoming thin.”

After that, the Vaedda [her brother] says,

“Younger sister, for that I will tell you a clever trick. To-day also when he has shot as you are going, say,

‘There will be better shooters than that.’”

That day when he was shooting the woman said this word. Then the Vaedda asked,

“What, Adiye ! didst thou say ?”

Afterwards the woman says,

“There will be better shooters than that in this country.”

Then the Vaedda says,

“Where, Adin ! are they ? I must seek them and look at them. Tie up a bundle of cooked rice and bring it.”

So having cooked a bundle of cooked rice she gave it.

Taking it, the Vaedda began to go through the forest jungle (himalaye). At the time when he was going he saw that a man is staying looking upwards.

The Vaedda having gone near asked,

“What are you staying looking upward for ?”

“It is now eight days since I shot at a bird. I am waiting until it falls.”

When a little time had gone, the bird’s flesh, having become decomposed, fell down.

At that time the Vaedda thought,

“A better shooter than I is this one.”

In order to inquire further, the two persons, having joined together, began to go through the midst of the forest. At the time when they were going they saw yet a man who is looking upward.

These two having gone near asked,

“What are you staying looking upward for ?”

The man said,

“I see the celestial nymphs^[1] dancing in the divine world.”

The two persons spoke together:

“In sight this person is more dexterous than we.”

Thereupon these three having joined together, at the time when they were going [they saw that] at the bottom of a J ak tree a bride was staying, leaning against the tree. A cobra was preparing to strike the woman.

Then the shooter said,

“I do not see far. You aim the arrow and show me [the direction]; then I will shoot.”

Then he shot at the cobra. The arrow having entered the cobra in the quarter of the cobra’s tail, came out near the bride’s head.

The three Vaeddas went to the place where the bride is. That they had shot the cobra no one in the bride’s party knows. Thereupon, when they tried to call the bride and go away, the Vaeddas did not allow them to call her and' go.

[They said],

“If this cobra having bitten her she had¹ difed, where would there be a bride for you ?”

Both the parties instituted law-suits. Both the parties having gone near the King told him to decide the lawsuit. The King having heard the law-suit, after he had' looked [into the matter] was also unable to decide it.

At that time he asked the Vaeddas,

“To whom must this woman belong ?”

Thereupon the Vaeddas said,

“To both parties she cannot belong. She must belong to our teacher.”

Should you say,

“Did they say who that was ?”

it was indeed that woman who at first took the water.

North-western Province.

 

Note:

In Folk-Tales of Hindustan (Shaik Chilli), p. 83, a Prince while travelling met with an archer who had shot an arrow at a star fourteen years before and was awaiting its fall. He saw its approach when it was still a thousand miles away, and warned the Prince to avoid it.

In Old Deccan Days (M. Frere), p. 297, the chief amusement of a rich man was shooting his arrow every morning through one of the pearls of his wife’s nose-ring: When her brother came to take her to visit her parents, he found her thin and miserable, as she feared the arrow might some day strike her face. Each day the husband asked her,

“Was there ever a man as clever as I am ?”

and she replied that there never was one. Her brother advised her to say next time that there were many men in the world cleverer than he was. When she said this her husband left her in order to find one of them. He met a clever wrestler and a clever pandit, who joined' him; and who frightened some demons that were going to eat them.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Suranganawo, the Apsarases.