The Flower-Garden Story (Variant)
In a certain country there are a King and a Queen, it is said. While the two persons were acquiring merit for themselves a son was born. The child having become big, while he was increasing in size [the Queen] again bore one.
They sent the second Prince to a pansala (residence of a Buddhist monk) to learn letters. When he was at the pansala the two eyes of his father the King having been injured (antarā-welā) became blind. The Queen’s two eyes also became blind. Owing to it the big Prince told the younger brother to come.
After he came he said, “Younger brother (Malē), the trouble that has struck us! Do you night and day say Bana.”[4] So the younger brother night and day says Bana.
He called to the elder brother, “Elder brother, come here.” The elder brother asked, “What?” “For us three persons you are unable to provide hospitality; you bring a wife (hirayak),” the younger brother said. The elder brother said, “For my ear even to hear that don’t mention it to me.”
After that, the younger brother again called the elder brother near. “For us three persons you are unable to provide hospitality; you bring a [bride in] marriage.” The elder brother on this occasion (gamanē) said “Hā.” When he said it, having gone to another city he asked a [bride in] marriage[5]; having asked he came back. Having gone again he returned, summoning her. After that, for the four persons the Prince is providing hospitality.
One day (dawasakdā) he having gone to chop the earthen ridges in the rice field, the Prince’s Princess was pounding paddy in order to [convert it into rice and] cook. To winnow it she leaned the pestle against the wall; it having fallen upon a waterpot the waterpot broke. When, having seen it, the Princess was weeping and weeping, the Prince (her husband) came from the rice field. “What are you crying for?” he asked.
“Here! (Mēn), I am crying at the manner you, husband,[6] behaved,” the Princess said. Afterwards the Princess said, “Go and conduct me to my village.”
When the Prince said, “What shall I go and escort you for? Cook thou,” he called to the younger brother, “Younger brother, come here.”[7]