On the following day, the garland-making mother having waited [at the palace] until the time for going, [the King] says, “Your son is a great clever person. Because of it, tell him to break [into] the Royal Bee-hive[26] (Raja-mīya) that is in the jungle, and come back [with the honey-combs],” he said.
The garland-making mother having come back, when she was weeping and weeping, the above-mentioned Blue-Lotus-flower Queen asked, “What, mother, are you weeping and weeping for?”
Thereupon the garland-making mother says, “Having brought [the honey-combs of] the Royal Bee-hive that is in the jungle, [the Prince] is to give him them, the King said. Because of it, indeed, I am weeping,” she said.
“Without fear on that account, come and eat cooked rice,” she said. Then when the garland-making mother is eating cooked rice, the Blue-Lotus Queen says, “Can you bring and give me three handfuls of stones from a place they are not trampling on?” she said.
Having said “I can,” she brought and gave them.
Thereupon the Blue-Lotus Queen, having given the three handfuls of stones into the hand of her husband, says, “From these three handfuls of stones taking one handful, go and throw it into the jungle. The bees will stop while you go three gawuwas (twelve miles). Having gone there, throw down the other handful; [they will then not attack you until you go to the bee-hive]. Having gone to the bee-hive they will assemble [to attack you]. Throw the other handful at the bee-hive, the head part of the bee-hive; the bees will go to the head part (the upper part). Then, breaking [into] the bee-hive, come back [with the honey-combs], calling the Queen who is in the bee-hive,” she said.
Thereupon, the Prince went, and breaking [into] the bee-hive and calling the Queen, came back, and gave [the honey-combs] into the hand of the garland-making mother. Then the garland-making mother, taking the honey and having gone to the city, gave it to the King.
At that time the King says, “Because your son is a very great clever person he does the things I am saying and saying. Because of it, tell your son to come to the city to-morrow,” he said.
Thereupon, the garland-making mother having come weeping and weeping says, “To-morrow, indeed, he is really to kill my son. He says he is to go to the city.”
Then the Queen who was in the Royal Bee-hive says, “Without fear on that account, come and eat cooked rice.” Thereafter she says [to the Prince], “The King’s message indeed I know. Having told them to cut a well, and caused you to descend into the well, it is indeed to kill you he told you to go. For it, I will inform you of a stratagem,” she said. When he asked “What is the stratagem?” she said, “Having gone near the well, without crookedness drawing a line from it, go a considerable distance. From there having gone cutting a tunnel, do thou cut it to the well, and come back,” she said.