Concerning a Monk and a Yakā
A monk, tying a Yakā [by magical spells] gets work from him. For seven years he got work. Then the time having come for the Yakā to go, the Yakā every day having gone near the monk says, “Monk, tell me a work [to do].”
The monk said one day, “In Galgamuwa tank there will be seven islands. Having gone there and planed them down, come back.” After that, the Yakā having gone and planed the tank, and having very quickly come, said at the hand of the monk, “Monk, tell me a work.”
Then the monk said, “Having cut a well of seven fathoms, and having cut a Damunu[1] tree, and removed the splinters, and put it down to the bottom of a well, and tied a creeper noose to the Damunu stick, you are to draw it up [from inside the well] to the ground.”
Afterwards the Yakā having cut a well of seven fathoms, and cut a Damunu tree, and removed the bark from it, and tied a creeper noose to it, and put the Damunu stick to the bottom of the well, the Yakā sitting on the ground holding the creeper noose tried to draw it out. He could not draw it. When he was drawing it, because there was slime on the Damunu stick he was unable to draw it out.
On account of the time during which the Yakā had been delayed near the well, the monk being afraid of the Yakā, the monk went backwards and backwards for three gawwas (twelve miles). The Yakā having pushed against the monk for so much time, and having got a bill-hook also, on the road he drove him (the monk) away. Having gone there [afterwards] to kill the monk, he met with the monk. After that, the Yakā threw the bill-hook, so that having cut the monk with it he would die. After he had thrown it, the bill-hook was behind,[2] and the monk was in front [of it]. On account of that, the name [of the place] there became Kaettāēpahuwa Kinnarā. North-western Province. This story is known throughout the district to the north of Kurunāēgala. The explanation of the Damunu tree incident which was given to me is that the monk, being unable to find enough work for the Yakā, gave him this task as one that would provide occupation for him for a long time. When the bark is freshly removed, the Damunu sticks are extremely slippery. The creeper was tied at one end in a ring which was passed over the smooth stem of the tree. When the Yakā endeavoured to raise the tree by pulling at the creeper, the ring slipped up the stem instead of raising the tree.