IN a certain country there is a King, it is said, and there are two Princes of the King. The two Princes are sent to school, and as they are going from the palace the two go along together. After they have walked a little way, the younger brother goes along the path to the school, and having arrived at the school, learns his letters and returns home. The elder brother, after playing and playing in the -water of the river, puts the school aside, it is said; and having come round that way and joined the younger brother, again comes to the palace with him. After many days had gone by in that manner, the King one day told the two Princes, “To-day I must look at your lessons.” The younger brother said, “Father-King, I indeed go to the school, and having said my lessons return. Elder brother and I having met here, and set off together, after we have gone part of the way, where elder brother goes I do not know. Having gone somewhere or other, when I have left the school and am returning, elder brother meets me on the road, and we two come again to the palace. I can say my lessons ; elder brother indeed ca nn ot.” After that, the King looked into the lessons of the two Princes. When he looked, the younger Prince’s lessons were good. When he asked the elder Prince, he-knew nothing. So the King settled to behead the elder Prince. The King had, besides, a Prince older than that Prince. He said to that elder Prince, “Behead this one.” Then the Prince having taken a sword to the chena [Page 161] jungle, and killed a “Blood-sucker” lizard (Calotes sp.), returned after rubbing the blood on the sword, and showed it to the King. “Behold ! Father-King, I cut younger brother,” he said. Afterwards their mother having cooked a bundle of rice, and given it, and also a sword, to the Prince who was ordered to be beheaded, said, “Go to any place you like.” As the Prince was going away taking the bundle of cooked rice and the sword, he met with a man. The man having uprooted Palmira trees and Coconut trees, was taking them away and tying a fence. Having seen this, the Prince said to that man, “Come thou and go with me.” The man having said “Hā,” as the two persons were going along together, another man was cutting the earthen ridges in a rice field. The blade of the man’s digging hoe was as large as a liyadda (one of the squares into which the rice field was divided). Having seen that, the Prince said to that man who was cutting the ridge in the field, “Come thou and go with me.” The man having said “Hā,” and laid down his digging hoe at that very place, came away with those two persons. As the three were going along together, they saw yet a man ploughing. Having seen that the man ploughed a liyadda at one ploughing (furrow), the Prince said, “Come thou and go with me.” The man said “Hā,” and laying down his plough at that very place, went with the three persons. The three persons whom the Prince had met with on the way were three giants. The four perso