The Gamarāla’s wife hereupon wanted to know the means to get clothes washed when she went to the Divine World. At that time the Gamarāla said that they must perhaps take the washerman-uncle, [so he went to him and told him]. When the washerman-uncle set off to go he wanted his wife also to go, [and he brought her with him].
At last, these very four said persons having become ready and having been in the chena until the tusk elephant comes, after the tusk elephant came, at the very first the Gamarāla hung by the tail. The Gamarāla’s wife hung at his back corner (pitị mulla). After that, while the washerman-uncle and his wife were hung in turn behind the others, the tusk elephant, having eaten the millet, began to go to the Divine World.
After these four persons with extreme joy went a little distance, the washerman-uncle’s wife spoke to the Gamarāla, and asked thus, “For a certainty, Gamarāla, in that Divine World how great is the size of the quart measure which measures rice?” she asked.
Thereupon the Gamarāla, who was holding the tusk elephant’s tail the very first, said, “The quart measure will be this size.” Having put out his two hands he showed her the size.
At that time, these very four persons being extremely high in the sky, and from that far-off place having fallen to the earth, each one went into dust.
Western Province.
The Tusk Elephant of the Divine World (Variant).
In a certain country a man having worked a rice field, after the paddy became big a tusk elephant comes from the Divine World and eats the paddy.
The man having gone, when he looked (balāpuwama) there are no gaps [in the fence] for any animal whatever to come; there are footprints. The man thought, “It is the rice mortars of the men of our village that have eaten this; I must tell the men to tie the rice mortars to the trees.” Thinking it, in the evening the man having told it to the whole of the houses,[2] together with the man they tied all the rice mortars to the trees. Having tied them, the man who owned the rice field and the men of that village went to the rice field and remained looking out.