The Yakā and the Tom-tom Beater
In a country, at the time when a Tom-tom Beater was going to a devil-dance (kankāriya), it became dark. While he was going along to the village in the dark, when he was near the village having the devil-dance, to the extent of two miles (haetaepma) from it, he met with [an adventure] in this manner.
In the adjoining village, a man having died they took his dead body to the burning ground; and having raised a heap of firewood, and upon it having placed the corpse and set fire to it, at the time when his relatives went away in the evening Maha Sōn Yakshayā[1] came, and remained upon the burning funeral pyre. He said thus to the Tom-tom Beater, it is said, “Where art thou going?”
When he asked it [he replied], “I am going to a devil-dance.”
At the time when [the Yakā] said, “Standing there, beat the [airs of] devil-dances, and the new ones that thou knowest,” he unfastened the tom-tom, and tying it (i.e., slinging it from his neck), he beat various dances.
The Yakshayā being pleased at it, said thus, “Do thou look every day in the house in which are the looms.[2] Don’t tell anyone [about] the things that I give,” he said.
Beginning from that day, having gone into the house in which are the looms, at the time when he looked, raw-rice, and pulse (mun), and ash-plantains, and betel, and areka-nuts, and various things were there. Every day those said things were there.
At the time when he is bringing them, his wife said, “Whence are these?” Every day she plagued him, and being unable to escape from it he told the woman.
On the following day after the day on which he told her, at the time when he looked he had filled the looms with excrement.
North-western Province.