The Gamarāla and the Washerman. (Variant.)
In a certain country there is a Gamarāla, it is said. A Washerman, having come there, became friendly with the Gamarāla. Having become friendly, he takes charge of the Gamarāla’s cattle for grazing. During the time while he was grazing them the two persons chop chenas and do rice field work.
Well then, the two persons having become very thoroughly friends, at the time while they were thus, the cattle grazed by the Washerman increased by a buffalo bull and a buffalo cow. Afterwards, the Washerman having come [to the other man] said, “Now then, Gamarāhami,[2] we must divide the two cattle between us.” The Gamarāla said, “Hā. Let us divide them.” Afterwards the Washerman having gone and caught the two cattle, tied them up.
The Gamarāla went there. Then the Washerman said, “Now then, the Gamarāhami indeed has cattle. I myself have no cattle. Because of it, let the after portion of this buffalo cow be for me. The front portion the Gamarāhami will be good enough to take.” The Gamarāla, having consented to that, said, “Hā. It is good.” Well then, in complete agreement they shared the buffalo cow.
Again, to share the buffalo bull the Washerman said, “Gamarāhami, let the front side of the buffalo bull be for me, the after side the Gamarāhami will be good enough to take.” Well then, the Gamarāla having consented to that also, by the agreement of the two persons they divided the buffalo bull also.
During the time while they were thus, the Washerman having taken the buffalo bull ploughs for himself. The Gamarāla also one day was going to take the buffalo bull to plough. Then the Washerman quarrelled with him: “The front part belongs to me; the after part belongs to you. I will not allow you to plough with my side,” he said.[3] The Gamarāla having become angry came home.
The buffalo cow having gone to the Gamarāla’s house eats by stealth. Men having come told the Gamarāla, “Gamarāla, your buffalo cow comes to our rice field [and eats the crop]. On that account attend well to its grazing.”
Then the Gamarāla said, “Don’t tell me. Tell that to the Washerman.”
Then the men having gone, told the Washerman, “Washerman, the buffalo cow that you are causing to graze eats by stealth [in our rice field]. Attend well to its grazing.”