Village Folk-tales of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), vol. 1-3
by Henry Parker | 1910 | 406,533 words
This folk-tale entitled “the story of the old man” is gathered from oral sources sources, tracing its origin to ancient Ceylon (Sri Lanka). These tales are often found to contain similarities from stories from Buddhism and Hinduism. This is the story nr. 127 from the collection “stories of the cultivating caste”.
Story 127 - The Story Of The Old Man
IN a certain country an old man ground gunpowder. Having ground it until the time when it became night, he dried it in the sun. In the evening, at the time when he was preparing (lit., making) to put it in the powder-horn, the old gentleman’s[2] grandson having come said,
“Grandmother, let us burn (pussamu) gunpowder, to look at it.”
Then, having scolded the child she said,
“Bring a fire-brand.”
Having brought it,
“Grandmother, give me a little powder,”
he said. After that, she put gunpowder into a potsherd. Having put it in she told him to burn it. When he was placing the fire-brand [to it] the little powder that was in the potsherd all burnt.
Because the old gentleman was near the potsherd the old gentleman’s beard and body were burnt.
On account of the difficulty of his body he said to his wife,
“Warm and give me a little water,”
he said.
The woman having warmed the water called him to bathe; at that time the old gentleman came there. After that, while the .woman for the purpose of cooling the water went to bring cold water, the man, taking a piece of coconut shell, poured [the hot water] over his body. Because there was too much heat in the water his body began to burn.
While he was crying out on his body’s burning, a man having come said for that burning,
Afterwards the man having gone running, bringing excrement deposited by a child called Goma, from the place where they tie the cattle, smeared it on the burning places. The [old] man perceiving the stench, at the time when he said to his wife,
“What is this stench ? Is this cowdung or what ? Look,”
the woman brought a lamp. When she looked, perceiving that it was ordure, she said,
“The things this foolish stubborn fellow is doing to himself !”
Spitting, having brought water and bathed him she went with him into the house. Afterwards in many days she made him well.
North-western Province.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Naki mahallae katantare.
[2]:
Nakiralage.
[3]:
From my own experience in the case of a severe bum, I can say that a paste of cow-dung smeared completely over a burnt place entirely removes all pain, and the wound soon heals under it. The paste dries immediately owing to the heat of the skin, and after that no unpleasant smell remains.