IN a certain city there are seven elder brothers and younger brothers, it is said. The seven have a younger sister, who cooks and gives food to all seven. While the seven brothers were cutting and cutting the sides of an earthen ridge (nīra) in the rice field, they saw seven women coming, and said to them, “Where are you going ?” The seven women replied, “We are seven elder sisters and younger sisters ; and we are going to seek seven elder brothers and younger brothers.” Then the seven brothers said, “We are seven elder brothers and younger brothers. Stop with us.” The seven sisters said “ Hā." The seven brothers having brought the seven sisters to their house, leaving them there went again to the rice field, and chopped the ridges. Those seven sisters having boiled seven pots of paddy and spread it out to dry, said to their sister-in-law, “We are going for firewood ; you stay at home and look after these things.” After they had gone, that sister-in-law fell asleep. Then rain having fallen, the seven large'mats (māgal) on which the paddy was spread were washed away. When the seven sisters came, and saw that the mats and paddy had been washed away, they seized that woman, and having beaten her, drove her away from the house. So she went to the foot of a Tamarind tree on the roadside, and stayed there. When a long time had passed after she went there, all those [Page 101] seven women bore girls. The woman under the Tamarind tree bore a boy. As the eldest brother was going along the road on which was the tree, the woman said, “Anē ! Elder brother, look at my boy’s horoscope.” He said, “I will not.” As the next brother was going she said, “Anē ! Elder brother, look at my boy’s horoscope.” He said, “I will not.” Thus, in that way all the six elder brothers refused. Afterwards, when the youngest brother Was going, on her saying, “Anē ! Elder brother, look at my boy’s horoscope,” he said “Hā,” and went. When he looked at it, the astrologer said, “He is born such that he will bring misfortune to those seven girls. The child will be so lucky that he might obtain a kingdom.” Then the brother having returned, said to that woman, “That one has been born such that he will eat thee. Knock his head on a stone or root, and kill him.” The woman saying, “It is good. Let him eat me,” reared him. The child having become big, said at the hand of the woman, “Mother, now then, oughtn’t you to bring me an assistant (i.e. a wife) ?” The woman replied, “Anē ! Son, who will give in marriage to us ?” Afterwards the youth went to a place where they were grinding flour, and having put a little flour under his finger nail, came back. “Mother, mother, quickly hold a basin,” he said. The woman held one. Then, when he put into the basin the little flour that was under his finger nail, it filled it and ran over. Having gone again to a place where they were expressing coconut oil, in the same way he took a little coconut under his finger nail, a