In Ceylon, it is believed that the demons who protect the treasure, or those who are summoned by means of evil invocations in other cases, take at first various forms of animals; and it is imperative that these animals must be fed with appropriate food, otherwise the demon would be able to destroy the persons engaged in the business. [↑]
No. 221
King Gaja-Bāhu and the Crow
At the time when King Gaja-Bāhu[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?”