In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 80, two young Brāhmaṇas, hiding at night in a tree close to a lake, saw a number of men appear out of the water and prepare a place and food which a handsome person, who came out of the water also, came to eat. He ejected from his mouth two ladies who were his wives; they ate the meal and he went to sleep. The Brāhmaṇas descended from the tree to inquire about it. When the elder youth declined the advances of one of the women she showed him a hundred rings taken from the lovers she had had. She then awoke her husband and charged the youth with attempted violence, but the other told the truth and saved him. The being whose wives the women were is termed a water-genius and later on a Yaksha, who was subject to a curse. He told the youths that he kept his wives in his heart, out of jealousy.
There is a nearly similar story in the same work, vol. ii, p. 98, in which the being who came out of the water was a snake-god who ejected a couch and his wife. When he went to sleep a traveller who was lying under the tree became her hundredth lover. When the snake-god awoke and saw them he reduced them to ashes by fire discharged from his mouth.
In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. i, p. 378, a Prince who had climbed up a tree saw a Brāhmaṇa, who first bathed there, eject from his mouth a pot, out of which came a woman. While the Brāhmaṇa was asleep she also ejected a pot out of which came a young man, her lover; when he afterwards re-entered the pot she swallowed it again. Then the Brāhmaṇa awoke, swallowed her in the same way, and went off. The Prince told the King to invite the Brāhmaṇa to a feast, at which food for three was set near him. On his saying he was alone the Prince invited him to produce the woman, and when he had done so, she was made to bring out her lover, and all three ate the meal together. The Prince thus proved to his father, who had kept his wives in seclusion, that it was useless to shut women up.
No. 207
The Turtle Prince[1]
At a certain city two noblemen[2] stay in two houses. When they are there, for the two noblemen there are two Queens. One Queen bore seven female children; the other Queen bore six male children and a Turtle.
Then the same two noblemen spoke: “Cousin, not contracting the marriages of your children and my children outside, let us ourselves do giving and taking,” they said.
Having said, “If so, let us marry the eldest children,” they married them. The second two children they also married. The third two children they also married. The fourth two children they also married. The fifth two children they also married. The sixth two children they also married. There was no way to marry the seventh two children.
The matter of their not [marrying] indeed [was this:—the father of the girls] said, “Cousin, my daughter is a daughter possessing much beauty. Because of it, your young child indeed is not good. Should you say, ‘What of the matter of his not being good, indeed!’ Your child is the Turtle; because it is so I cannot [marry my daughter to him],” he said.