The King sent a messenger for the purpose of looking whether, having woven the robes, they are finished. Having seen that, except that after tying the hand-lines (at-wael) they are causing [their arms] to row (paddanawā),[4] the robe is not visible, [he thought], “Should I say that I do not perceive the robe they will say I am the son of a courtesan.” Because of shame at it, the messenger having gone to the royal house, said, “The gang of them having assembled together are weaving a priceless robe. His[5] work is not finished. Having completed the work they will dress Your Honour in the robe,” he said.
On account of the statement of the messenger, many persons went to look at the robe, but except that they were causing [their arms] to row, the robe was not visible to anyone. The whole of the retinue who came, through fear that they will say they are illegitimate persons, without seeing the robe having said and said, “We perceive it. It is indeed a very costly robe,” went away.
Having woven for seven days, after the seven days’ date which they got to finish in had elapsed, the King went to look at the silk robe. Having gone, when he looked it was not visible to the King also. What of its not [being visible]! He does not tell anyone the word of its not being visible.
After that, those men having come, said to the King, “Having woven the copper [coloured] silk robe, it is finished. For you, Sir, with our [own] hands we must robe you in it,” they said. “Having got out all the clothes which there are, descended from seven ancestors in succession, you must dress. Having dressed, you must give us all those clothes,” they said to the King.
The King, having heard the word, taking out all the royal vestments[6] that were of the time of his ancestors, and having adorned himself in a good manner, and driven away everybody, gave the party these clothes and all the other clothes that there were.
After he gave them, all the seven men having surrounded him and said that they are putting on the King the copper [coloured] silk dress, began to stroke his body everywhere. They began to stroke the head, having said that they were putting on the crown. They stroked the arms, having said that they were putting on the jacket. In that way having stroked all parts of the body, and having said that they had dressed him, they caused them to bring the King into the middle of the great retinue, and said thus to the citizens: “Neither His Majesty our King nor any person of the retinue dwelling in this city in the olden time before this, either put on a robe in this manner, or saw one. Because of that, the whole of you, [after our] dressing His Majesty the King in this robe, causing His Majesty the King to sit on the festival tusk elephant, and having caused him to perambulate towards the right through all places in the city, again conduct him to the royal house.” Having said this, they brought the tusk elephant, and caused the King to sit on the tusk elephant naked; and they began to go in procession to all places of the city.
These men, taking [the contents of] this house of the royal insignia (rājabānḍāgārē), and having acted deceitfully, and said that they had woven the copper [coloured] silk robe,—because they got [the contents of] the house of the royal insignia when they were going, established for the city the name “[City] of Tāmbraparnni Island,”[7] and went away.
This foolish King remained without clothes.
North-western Province.