The Wicked Princess
In a country there was a King; the King had a Prince (son). He sent the Prince to a school to learn the arts, and the Prince quickly learnt the arts. The teacher, having become pleased with the Prince, gave his daughter in marriage to the Prince. When they were thus for no long time the Prince’s father, the King, died.
At that time he set out to go back with the Princess to his own country. When going, they were obliged to go through the middle of a forest on the path on which they were going.
In the midst of the forest there was a Vaedda King. The Vaedda King having seen this Princess and Prince, asked, “Who are you? To go where, came you?”
Thereupon the Prince says, “I indeed am the Prince called Mānam, of the King here; this is my Princess,” he said.
“It is good. Who gave you permission to go through the middle of this forest of mine? Owing to your coming without permission, I shall now kill you,” he said. “Otherwise, if you wish to go to your kingdom, having now made this Princess remain here, you may go.”
The Prince says, “I will not go, leaving here my Princess whom I married in my youth. If you will not let us go, it will be better that we two should die.”
When he had said this, the Vaedda King, although he spoke about it again and again, did not listen to him. Afterwards, having caused his army to be brought, “Look now at this army of mine,” he said; “they will kill you. Then you will not have your kingdom, nor your Princess. Obtaining your kingdom will be better than that, having caused your Princess to remain here, and having gone, saving your life,” he said.
Then the Prince said, “My kingdom does not matter to me if there be not my Princess.”
“It is good. If so, look, now, in a little [time], at the way I shall kill you.”