Roḍiyā. North-western Province.
Part of this story was given in The Orientalist, vol. iv, p. 30. A Jackal that had followed a Leopard which was trying to get at a man who had taken refuge in a corn store, advised it to insert its tail through a gap in the doorway, and wave it about. When it did so, the Jackal said in the Peraelibāsa,[2] which the Leopard did not understand, Kaṭu anuwē potun deṭak, which when transposed becomes aṭu kanuwē detun poṭak, “Two or three twists round the pillar of the corn store.” The man acted as advised, and held the tail fast. When some men came up they killed the Leopard.
[1] That is, as we should say, “I have come here to enjoy a view of the scenery!” [↑]
[2] There appears to be some doubt regarding the spelling of this compound word. I give it as I have heard it. Except in the last letter I have followed that of the late Mr. W. Goonetilleke, the learned Editor of The Orientalist, who in vol. i, p. 8, of that journal said of it: “Pereḷibāse therefore means ‘the language of transposition,’ or ‘the transposed language.’ ” In Clough’s Dictionary the second word is spelt bāsa. In Mr. A. M. Guṇasēkara’s excellent Sinhalese Grammar the spelling is peraḷibāsa in the Index, and peraḷi bāsē (or bhāshāwa) in the paragraph dealing with it. Professor E. Müller-Hess has drawn my attention to the form pereḷi on one of the inscribed tablets at Mihintale. [↑]
No. 71
How the Boars killed the Rākshasa
There is a certain city. There is a very great jungle belonging to the city. A wild Sow stays in the jungle. The Sow having come to a house on the high ground, and pains having come to her, gave birth to a little Boar. The men of the house having seen the little Boar, catching it and amply giving it to eat, reared it.
[After he had grown up], one day that village Boar says, “I cannot remain thus.” Having thought, “I must go to a great jungle,” he went away.