I offer the translation of these lines with considerable doubt. I have assumed that huro = surō, hon. pl. of surā; madara = ma ādara; duta = dūta; and pinu = piṇu. The courier or messenger would be Kāma, the god of love. Perhaps oda and edā ought to be transposed; the line would then end, “I that day’s pride abating.” [↑]
[7] Harigas kenakunḍa, lit., to persons who fit them (to the facts). [↑]
No. 157
The Frog in the Queen’s Nose
In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. The woman has also a paramour. One day the man went to a rice field to plough. At that time, this woman having quickly cooked milk-rice, made it ready to give to her paramour to eat.
While that man (her husband) was ploughing, the yoke broke; after that, the man came home. Having seen that the man was coming, she quickly put the pot of milk-rice under the bed in the maḍuwa (open shed). That man as soon as he came sat upon the bed; then the man was burnt [by the hot rice under him]. Thereupon the man looked under the bed. When he was looking he saw the pot of milk-rice. Afterwards, having taken the milk-rice the man ate it.
At that time, when the Queen of the King of the country was smelling a flower, a little young frog that was in the flower had gone into her nose, seven days before. Up to that very time, six men came, saying that they can take out the frog; they came at the rate of a man a day. Having come there, when he is unable to take it out they cut the man’s neck. At that rate they beheaded the six men who came.
That day the King caused the proclamation tom-toms to be beaten:—“To the person who should take out the young frog that is in the Queen’s nose, I will give a district from the kingdom, and goods [amounting] to a tusk elephant’s load.”