While he was going one day, at the time when he was bringing milk having met with a Nāgayā and a female Cobra,[1] the Nāgayā said, “Will you bring and give me every day, morning by morning, one leaf-cup of milk?”[2] he asked. The Prince said, “I will bring and give it.”
When he was bringing and giving it no long time, one day when he was taking the milk on that day the Nāgayā was not [there]; the female Cobra and a Rat-snake were [there]. Well then, at his hand the female Cobra asked for the leaf-cup of milk. The Prince did not give it; he poured the milk into an ant-hill.
At the time when the Nāgayā came from the journey on which he went, the female Cobra says, “The Prince having come, not giving the milk went away.” When she said this, the Nāgayā having become angry went to the house at which the Prince stays, and remained at the corner of the mat on which the Prince sleeps.
While it is [there] the Prince says [aloud to himself], “Now for a long time I was going and giving milk to a Nāgayā and a female Cobra. To-day I went, taking the milk. When I was going the Nāgayā was not [there]. Because the female Cobra and a Rat-snake were on the ant-hill, the female Cobra asked me for the milk. Not giving it I came home, having poured it into an ant-hill.”
The Nāgayā having become angry regarding it, came back, and having bitten and killed the female Cobra, heaped her up. On the following morning, at the time when the Prince took the milk only the Nāgayā was [there]; the female Cobra was killed.
Further, the Nāgayā says to the Prince, “Lie down there.”
The Prince without lying down began to run away. At the time when the Nāgayā was going chasing after him the Prince fell. The Cobra having mounted on his breast, [said], “Do you without fear extend your tongue.”
The Prince afterwards in fear stretched out his tongue. On his tongue the Nāgayā with the Nāgayā’s tongue wrote letters. “Having heard all kinds of creatures talk you will understand them. Do not tell it to anyone,” [he said]. Afterwards the Nāgayā died. He burnt up the Nāgayā.
The Prince having come home, while he is [there], when the Prince’s wife is coming out from the house small red ants (kūm̆biyō) say, “A woman like the boards of this door, having trampled [on us] on going and coming, kills us,” they said. The Prince having understood it, laughed.
When his wife in various ways was asking, “Why did you laugh?” anger having come to him [he determined to burn himself on a funeral pyre, so] he said, “You in the morning having cooked food and apportioned it to me too, eat you also.”