The Three Yakās
In a spacious great city three Yakās were born. Well then, the three Yakās spoke together: “Let us three Yakās go to the school of the Chief of the Yakā forces (Yaksa Sēnādipotiyā),[1] to learn letters.”
After they learnt letters the three spoke together: “Let us go to learn the sciences.” The three having walked along the path came to the travellers’ shed at the place where there are again three paths. The three spoke together. One said, “I will learn the science of killing a man.” One said, “I will learn the science of causing [re-]birth.” The other said, “I will learn to do magic.” In the hand of one Yakā [was] the sword; in the hand of one Yakā, the betel-cutter; in the hand of one Yakā, the axe.
Those three Yakās said, “You go on that path; I will go on this path.” Then the three Yakās go on the three paths. Before they went they said, “When any matter of sickness has happened to a person out of us three, how shall we get to know?”
Then one said, “I will plant a lime tree”; one said, “I will plant a flower tree”; one said, “I will make a flower pool.”[2] Well then, saying that should any accident occur to the Yakās the fruit will fall from the lime tree, or the flowers on the flower tree will fade, or the water of the pool will become muddy,[3] they went on the three paths.
Having gone on the three paths, when they came to three countries the three summoned three wives, ordinary women (nikan gāēnu). The Yakās taking human appearance, putting on good clothes like men, putting aside the teeth of Yakās (Yak-dat), taking good teeth, the women do not know that the three are Yakās.
After a long time, a man died in the village of the Yakā who planted the lime tree. That Yakā having taken the corpse after they buried it, and having drawn it to the surface, ate it.[4]
An old thief saw it. Having seen it, on seeing that woman he told her, “In this manner, the man who is in your house in this way eats human flesh,” having seen that woman, he told that. Owing to it, that woman that day got to know that said Yakā is a Yakā. After that she prepared to kill him.
The Yakā’s wife asked, “Where is your life?”
The Yakā said, “In my stomach.”