Afterwards the youngster said, “Mother, cook cakes with those things, and give me them.” So the woman having cooked them, tied up a pingo (carrying-stick) load, and gave it to him.
The youngster, taking the pingo load, went to his eldest uncle[1]. After he asked him for his daughter’s hand in marriage, the uncle said, “Be off! Be off! Who would give in marriage to Tamarind Ṭikkā?”
From there he went to the next uncle, and asked him. That uncle spoke in the same manner. All the six elder uncles spoke in the same manner.
Then he went to the youngest uncle, and when he asked him the uncle said, “Put the packages of cakes there, then.” (Intimating by this that he accepted him as a son-in-law. He alone knew of the nature of the boy’s horoscope.)
Afterwards, having cooked and given Tamarind Ṭikkā to eat, the uncle said, “My buffalo cow has died, Tamarind Ṭikkā. Let us go and bury it, and return.”
Tamarind Ṭikkā said “Hā,” and having gone to the place where the dead buffalo was lying, said, “Uncle, shall I make that get up?” The uncle said “Hā.” So Tamarind Ṭikkā went to the low bushes at the edge of the jungle, and came back cutting a white stick. Then calling out, “Into the cattle-fold, Buffalo cow! Into the cattle-fold!” he struck the buffalo. Then the buffalo cow that had been dead got up, and came running to the cattle-fold. By the calves from that buffalo cow the cattle herd was increased.
One day, while the six uncles and Tamarind Ṭikkā were watching cattle in the field, the uncles said, “Tamarind Ṭikkā, we will watch. You go and eat, and come back.” After he had gone home, the six uncles cut all the throats[2] of his cattle. When he returned the six uncles said, “Anē! Tamarind Ṭikkā. Some men came, and having tied us all and thrown us down in the dust, cut all the throats of your cattle. Not a thing could we do.” Tamarind Ṭikkā said, “Hā. It is good.”
As he was going away, having seen people burying a corpse he waited while they were burying it, and after they had gone he dug out the grave, and raised the dead body to the surface. Then lifting up the body and taking it to a tank, he bathed it, dressed it in a cloth, tied a handkerchief round its waist, tied a handkerchief on its head, put a handkerchief over its shoulder,[3] and placing it on his shoulder went away with it.
After nightfall, having gone to a village, Tamarind Ṭikkā set the body upright against a clump of plantain trees, and asked at a house, “Anē! You must give us a resting-place to-night.”
When he said this the men in the house replied, “There will be no resting-place here. Go away, and ask at another house.”