Having climbed the tree, and gone round the stems of the branches of the tree, holding two stems firmly, with his two feet he began to kick down the clusters of [ripe] coconuts into the jungle, and the clusters of young coconuts into the jungle. Thereupon the Heṭṭirāla having descended from the horse’s back, began to shout, “Hā! Hā! Don’t pluck them, don’t pluck them!” At that time the person who owned the place having come, prepared to beat him.
Thereupon the Heṭṭirāla says, “It is I who sent him up the tree to make him pluck a young coconut. He is a great fool; don’t beat him.”
The man, treating with respect the Heṭṭirāla’s saying, said, “It is good. If so, having eaten as many young coconuts as possible, go ye”; and the man went away.
Thereupon the Prince having eaten young coconut with the Heṭṭirāla, when they set off to go the Heṭṭirāla says, “Having struck [thy hand] on my head, swear thou in such a way that thou wilt not go [in future] by even a foot-bridge (ēdanḍa) in which a coconut trunk is laid, putting [out of consideration] going up a coconut tree.”
Thereupon the Prince having struck on the Heṭṭirāla’s head, swears, “I will not go up a coconut tree, and I will not go by a foot-bridge in which a coconut trunk is placed.” Having sworn this, they began to go.
When going they met with a bridge in which a great many coconut trunks were placed. The Heṭṭirāla having gone to the other side, spoke to the Prince, [telling him to follow]. Thereupon the Prince says, “Anē! I cannot come. Having struck on the head of the Heṭṭi-elder-brother and sworn, how can I come?”
Thereupon the Heṭṭirāla having descended from the back of the horse, came [across]; and lifting up the Prince and having gone [over], placed him on the other side. Through that disturbance the cloth that was on the Heṭṭirāla’s head fell on the ground. The Heṭṭirāla did not see it. The Prince having seen that the cloth fell, took it with his foot, and having thrown it into the bush went on.
When going a considerable distance, ascertaining that the cloth on the Heṭṭirāla’s head was not [there], he asks the Prince, “My cloth fell on the ground; didn’t you see it?”
Thereupon the Prince says, “The thing which the Heṭṭi-elder-brother has thrown away when coming, why should I bring? I threw it into the bush with my foot.”
Then the Heṭṭirāla says, “Since you threw away the cloth and came, beginning from this time when anything has fallen from us don’t leave it and come.”