Story 156 - The Queen And The Beggar

AT a city there exists a Beggar, begging, and continuing to eat [thus]. There is a travellers’ shed near the pool at which the Queen of that city bathes. The Beggar having come [after] begging and begging, eats at that travellers’ shed.

When the Queen was coming [after] bathing in the water, the Beggar went in front of her.

Having said,

“Why did a Beggar like thee come, and come in contact with me ?”^[1]

she spat three times.

He having felt (lit., thought) much shame, went to the house of the washerman who cleans the cloths of the city. He remained doing work for him for wages.

The washerman asked,

“Why are you working for wages ?”

“[In order] one day to get the crown and [royal] suit of clothes^[2] I am working for wages,—at the time when the King (raju) is coming to the chamber,” [he said].

At the time when [the King] was coming to the chamber in which is the Queen, he stopped, investigating [matters]. Before the King came, [the Beggar], putting on the royal ornaments [and clothes], went. The guards finished the auspicious wish;^[3] after that he went into the chamber.

The Queen having come and given the auspicious wish, he forbade the adjuration.^[4]

When forbidding it, having said,

“What [sort of] woman art thou also !”

he spat in her face. This one having spat went away.

After that the King came.

The guards thought,

“To-day the King went here; what came he again for ?”

After he went to the chamber the Queen did not give him the auspicious wish. The King inquired why she did that.

Having said,

“Now, on one occasion (gamanaka), as I am bad you spat in my face; have I now become good ?”

she asked.

After that, the King [on hearing her account] sitting down there, wrote two bars of a four-line stanza (siwpada de padayak):—

“The angry tone displayed, the King is desolating;
The courier bold who charmed my love, long bound, is flying.
Speak not so harshly, here with frowns me eyeing;
He will not long rejoice, I pride that day abating.”^[5]

Having given these two bars of a four-line stanza to the Ministers,^[6] he said he will give many offices to persons who explain them.^[7]

North-western Province.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

That is, meet me face to face; this would be an unfavourable omen.

[2]:

Æ[n]aun kuttama. Kutama being a pair, the reference appears to be to the jacket and cloth.

[3]:

Some formal auspicious wish, such as, “May you be victorious, O King,” or more simply, “Victory, O Great King.” The word in the text is asiriwada, the Tamil asirvatam, and Skt. asirvada.

[4]:

Anata ana-dunna.

[5]:

“Koda nada pana e tibi huro nata denu we
Madara dapana kal baedi wiri duta yanu we.
Me tada bada kata no karan me mata raewanu we
Mama oda eda baessa mu dura no pinu we.”

I offer the translation of these lines with considerable doubt. I have assumed that huro = suro, hon. pl. of sum ; madara = ma adara ; duta = duta ; and pinu = pinu. The courier or messenger would be Kama, the god of love. Perhaps oda and eda ought to be transposed; the line would then end, “I that day’s pride abating.”

[6]:

Æmaeta-inda.

[7]:

Harigas kenakunda, lit., to persons who fit them (to the facts).