At that time, King Aṭṭapāla asks Great-Fisher, “Is this one thy brother, or thy friend?”
Thereupon Great-Fisher says, “O Lord, this is our Long-Bones; he is my eldest brother. He is a person of the royal race. Just now, as we got cold in the head many days ago, our faces have become heavy [looking],” he said.
After that, when the King asked them, “How do you get a living?” they say, “Aniccan̥ dukkhan̥![6] When Your Majesty is ruling you obtain all things, and get a subsistence [in that way]. We are not thus. For us seven brothers, at one place there are rice-fields [extending] over sixty yālas.[7] At yet [another] place there are nine amuṇas. The others indeed I am unable to mention separately. The whole [of the cultivators] of these rice-fields having come near us, after having asked [permission from] us work [in them], and bring and give the paddy at our very house.” He wove and told a great many [such] lies.
Having said, “It is good; I will give my Princess to thee. Come thou into the palace to look if she is beautiful,” the King went inside the palace. At that time they also went.
When he was threatening them,—“Now then, I will give ye a good marriage now!” becoming afraid, and having said, “There is no need of this marriage for us,” they sprang off; and having gone even to Bakarāwatā City, they say to the others, “The King of that city is an extremely wicked one (wasa napurek). He abused and disgraced us in many ways,” they said.
Thereupon, Big-Fool says, “Ye are fools! If you went to a place where there is [good] lineage, and asked for a marriage, they will give it. By asking for a marriage from persons without lineage, will they give it?”
Having said this, these two called Rāwanā-Face and Dumb-One also went for the purpose of finding the marriage. While they were journeying thus, they arrived near the Sun, the Divine King. While they were there, having seen the Sun they say thus, “O Lord, we came to ask to take in marriage for us Your Majesty’s daughter, that is, Paduma Kumārī,” they said.
Thereupon the Sun asked, “Of what lineage are ye, Fish-Owls?”
“We are of Brāhmaṇa race,” they said.
Thereupon the Sun, the Divine King, having become angry, scolded them and drove them away.