STORIES OF THE DURAYĀS
No. 57
The Seven Robbers
In a country there are seven robbers. Among them, in the same gang, there is a fool. One day they went to commit robbery. While they were there, they got a devil-dancer’s box, containing his mask and ornaments. Having brought it, the seven persons went into a rock cave to sleep.
When they had gone there that foolish man became hungry. After the others went to sleep that fool took out the devil-dancer’s clothes, and having looked at them put them on.
After he had put them on, one of those men opened his eyes. Then on account of the noise of the bells [of the devil-dancer] the others opened their eyes also. When they saw the man dressed in the devil-dancer’s clothes they were frightened, and saying, “Aḍē! The Kohomba deity is coming,” the other six persons ran away.
As they were running, that man who had the clothes ran after them, saying, “Stay there, stay there.” While they were running those six persons leaped over a well [in the path]. This one also jumped, but being held back by the clothes he fell into the mouth of the well.
After he had fallen into the well, a woman came to draw water. Then he placed his weight in the bucket when she lowered it. After the woman had got to know of the weight, striving and striving she got the bucket near the mouth of the well. The man who had fallen, and was in it, said, “A little more, my mother.” Then the woman hearing this [and seeing what she thought was a demon in the well], let go, and bounded away.