No. 197
The Manner in which the Gamarāla buried his Sons
In a certain country there are a Gamarāla and a Gama-Mahagē (his wife), it is said. When they were there not much time (nom̆bō kālayak), for the Mahagē [there was] pregnancy longing; well then, she is not eating food.
The Gamarāla asked, “What is it, Bolan? You are not eating food,” he asked.
The woman said, “I have pregnancy longing.” The man asked, “What can you eat?” The woman said, “Seven days (haddawasak) having warmed water (paen) give it to me.” The Gamarāla having warmed water gave it [on] seven days; the Gama-Mahagē bathed seven days [with] the water. The Gamarāla asked, “Now then, is it well, the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “It is well.”
Well, ten months having been fulfilled she bore a boy. Until the time the boy becomes able to talk they reared him.
[Then] the Gamarāla said, “To look what this boy says, having taken him let us bury him.”[1] The Gama-Mahagē also having said “Hā,” they took him to bury. Having cut the grave (lit., hole) and placed him in the grave, they covered [him with] earth (pas waehaewwā).
Then the boy said, “Anē! What did mother and father[2] bury me for? If I remained with [them]—the smith does not beat the piece of iron [after] having placed it on the anvil—many will I beat (hammer) for them both.”[3]
The Gamarāla and the Mahagē having said, “That one to us [is] a smith’s boy,” and having well trampled still [more] earth [on him] came home.
When they were thus for no long time, for the Mahagē again [there was] pregnancy longing; well then, she is not eating food. The Gamarāla asked, “What is it, Bolan? You are not eating food.” The woman said, “I have pregnancy longing.” The Gamarāla said, “What can you eat for the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “[On] seven days from the Blue-lotus-flower pool having brought water, seven days having warmed it give me it (dilan) to drink.” The Gamarāla having brought the water, [on] seven days having warmed it gave it; the woman on the very seven days drank. The Gamarāla asked, “Now then, is it well, the pregnancy longing?” The woman said, “It is well.”