[3] Oṭunna-himi-kumārayek, lit., a Crown-Lord-Prince. [↑]
No. 262
The Gourd Fruit Devil-Dance
In a certain country a Gamarāla cut a chena, it is said. Having planted a gourd creeper in the chena, on it a gourd fruit fruited. The gourd fruit, when not much time had gone, became very large, and ripened.
The Gamarāla, being unable to bring it alone, summoned several men of the village, and having given them to eat and gone with the men, and come back [after] plucking the fruit, and cut open the “eye” (at the end of the neck), placed it [for the contents] to rot. After it rotted he [cleaned it out and] dried it, so as to take it for work (use), and put it on a high place (ihalakin).
In order to perform a devil-dance (kankāriya) for the Gamarāla, having given betel for it and told devil-dancers (yakdessō) to come, one day he made ready [for] the devil-dance. Having made ready that day, when they were dancing a very great rain rained, and the water was held up so that the houses were being completely submerged.
At that time all the persons of this company being without a quarter to go to, all the men crept inside the Gourd fruit, and having blocked up with wax the eye that was cut open into the Gourd fruit, began to dance the devil-dance inside it.
Then the houses, also, of the country having been submerged, the water overflowing them began to flow away. Then this Gourd fruit also having gone, went down into a river, and having gone along the river descended to the sea, and while it was going like a ship a fish came, and swallowed the Gourd fruit.
Having swallowed it, the fish, as though it was stupefied, remained turning and turning round on the water. While it was staying there, a great hawk that was flying above having come and swallowed that fish, became unconscious on a branch.