One day, the Princes having said, “Let us also go to look at the fishing,” the King and the seven Princes went to the river to fish. The King having fished three Ḷūllū,[5] gave them into the hand of the seven Princes to bring.
The youngest Prince said, “Elder brother, let us put these into the water to look if they go down (sink).”
Afterwards they put the three fishes in the water. Two went down; one remained over. Taking that fish, the seven Princes came to the city. Having come, and given it into the hand of the Queen, they said, “Our father the King gave us three Ḷūlḷū.[6] When we were bringing them younger brother said to us, ‘Let us place the three Ḷūllu in the water to look if they go down.’ Afterwards we placed them [in it]. Then two Ḷūllu went down; this Ḷūlā remained over. Having cooked this one for our father the King, cook for us and give us a packet of rice,” they said. The Queen having cooked and placed [ready] the Lūlā for the King, cooked a packet of rice for the seven Princes, and gave it.
After that, the seven Princes, taking the packet of cooked rice, went away.[7] Having thus gone, the whole seven ate the packet of cooked rice near a piece of garden. When the whole seven were going away again, they met with a soothsayer. Then the eldest Prince said, “I must stay near this soothsayer,” and having said it he stopped near the soothsayer.
When the other six persons were going away, they met with a man who knows the crows’ language. After that, the next Prince stayed near the man who knows the crows’ language. When the other five were going away they met with a shooter[8]; near the shooter stayed the next Prince. When the other four were going away they met with a plough carpenter; near the carpenter stayed the next Prince. When the other three were going away they met with a ball-playing man; near the ball-playing man stayed the next Prince. When the other two were going away they met with a gang of thieves; both of them stayed near the gang of thieves.
A long time the two persons in the gang of thieves remained breaking and breaking into houses. Having been thus and thus, the two persons spoke together: “Seeking articles [to take back with us] let us go to look at our elder brothers.” Having said [this, after] getting the articles they came near the Prince who stayed near the man who is striking balls. When they looked he was learning to play at balls better than the ball-playing man.
That Prince said, “Let us go to see the other [next] elder brother of ours.” Having said [this], the three Princes came near the Prince who remained near the plough-carpenter; when they looked the Prince also was learning to bore (widinḍa) ploughs better than the plough-carpenter.
That Prince said, “Let us go to the place where elder brother is.” They came to look at the Prince who remained near the shooter. Having come there, when they looked he, also, was learning to shoot better than the shooter.
After that, the Prince said, “Let us go to look at that other elder brother of ours.” They came near the Prince who remained near the man who knows the crows’ language. Having come there, when they looked he, also, was learning the crows’ language better than the man who knows the crows’ language.
After that, the Prince said, “Let us go near that other elder brother of ours, near the Prince who remained near the soothsayer.” The whole of the six Princes having come, when they looked he, also, was learning to say sooth better than the soothsayer.