No. 111
The Story of the Four Giants[1]
In a certain country there were seven giants. The youngest giant of the seven of them without any means of subsistence remained on the ash-heap itself, near the hearth. At that time the other six persons scolded him: “How wilt thou eat and dress?” Then when this youngest giant was preparing to take a digging hoe with a broken corner the other persons scolded him regarding it [also].
Thereupon, having put down the digging hoe and gone, not bringing any tool, into the midst of a forest which had Wīra, Palu, and such-like trees, and having looked for a place suitable for a rice-field, with his hand he loosened and uprooted and threw them all down. Having made the rice-field, and made the ridges in it, he came home and said, “I have made a little rice-field plot (liyadda); to sow it give me a little paddy,” he asked his brothers. When he said it they did not give it.
Thereafter, having gone near his uncle[2] he spoke thus, “I have made a rice-field plot; let us go to look at this rice-field plot. How about a little paddy for it?” he asked.
Thereupon his uncle said, “Having looked at the rice-field I will give you paddy.”
The two together went to the rice-field. While there his uncle ascertained the size of the rice-field and the quantity of paddy that was necessary for it, and having come home told him to take a round corn store (bissak) in which sixty amuṇas (about 350 bushels) of paddy were tied up. Thereupon the giant who was on the ash-heap, placing the corn store of sixty amuṇas on his shoulder, brought it home; and having made [the paddy] sprout, sowed the rice-field.
After the [paddy in the] rice-field ripened he cut it and trampled it [by means of buffaloes], and having collected and placed the paddy in a heap, came home. Having returned summoning his brothers, he told them to climb upon the heap of paddy, and look if the spires [of the dāgabas] at Anurādhapura are visible. Having looked in that way, and having seen them, though they were visible they said they were not. Thereupon anger having come to the giant of the ash-heap, he kicked the paddy heap, and having come home, taking his sword began to go away somewhere.
While going thus, he saw that yet [another] giant, having uprooted a Banyan-tree, is polishing his teeth [with it], and he went quite near. Thereupon, the giant asked the giant of the ash-heap, “Where are you going?”