Village Folk-tales of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), vol. 1-3

by Henry Parker | 1910 | 406,533 words

This folk-tale entitled “king gaja-bahu and the crow” 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. 221 from the collection “stories of the lower castes”.

Story 221 - King Gaja-Bahu and the Crow

AT the time when King Gaja-Bahu[1] was lying in the shade one day in his garden, he said,

“There is not a greater King than I.”

He having said it, a Crow that was in the tree dropped excreta in his mouth.[2]

Then he gave orders for the Crow to be caught alive, and published them by beat of tom-toms on the four sides.

All the men said,

“We cannot.”

Then a widow woman went to the King and said,

“I can catch that Crow.”

The King asked,

“What are the things you require for it ?”

The woman said,

“I want a suckling woman and an [infant] child. How about the maintenance of those two ?”

The King said,

“Up to the time when you catch the Crow I will give their maintenance.”

Afterwards the King caused a suckling woman and an [infant] child to be brought to her. With these two that woman went to her village, and having gone there began to give food to the crows every day. Many crows collected together there for it. She caused that child to be near the crows at the place where the crows were eating the food. During the time while it was there, that little one was playing in the midst of the party of crows, the crows surrounding it. [At last it came to understand their language.]

Afterwards she taught the child,

“When the crows are quarrelling, on hearing a crow say,

‘It was thou who droppedst excreta in Gaja-Bahu’s mouth,’

seize that very Crow [which did it].”

When the crows came to eat the food they quarrelled. At the time when they were quarrelling the child stayed in that very party of crows.

Then a crow which was quarrelling said to another crow,

“Wilt thou be [quiet], without quarrelling with me ? It was thou who droppedst excreta in Gaja-Bahu’s mouth.”

As it was saying the words the child seized that Crow. The woman having come, caught the Crow and imprisoned it, without allowing it to go.

On the following day she took the Crow to the King. The King asked at the hand of that woman,

“How didst thou recognise this Crow, so as to catch it ?”

The woman told him the manner in which it was caught.

Then the King asked the Crow,

“Why didst thou drop excreta in my mouth ?”

At the time when he was asking it there was a jewelled ring on his finger.

The Crow replied,

“You said, ‘There is not a greater King than I.’ I saw that there is a greater King than that; on that account I did this.”

Then the King asked,

“How dost thou know ?”

The Crow said,

“I have seen the jewelled ring that is on the finger of that King; it is larger than your jewelled ring. Owing to that I know.”

The King asked,

“Where is that ring ?”

Then the Crow having said,

“I can show you,”

calling him, went to a city.

At that city there is a very large rock house ^cdve). Having gone near the rock house, he told him to dig in the bottom of the house, and look. The King caused them to dig, and having dug, a jewelled ring came to light.

King Gaja-Bahu, taking the jewelled ring and the Crow, came back to his city. Having come there he put the jewelled ring on his head, and it fell down his body to the ground. Well then, the King on account of the strange event let the Crow go, and gave employment to the widow woman.

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Probably Gaja-Bahu I, A.D. 113-135.

[2]:

The Hitopadesha relates this of a traveller near Ujjain.

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