302 COCOA-NUT TREE. 



its honoured shade, thou once didst omit the 

 usual respect due to it from all created beings. 

 Its deeply-pointed leaf distinguishes it above all 

 other trees as sacred to Budhoo ; and, under 

 another tree of the same heavenly character thou 

 now liest a mass of sores and ulcers, which the 

 impurity of the red water within the large and 

 small rivers of thy body, has, at the great deity's 

 command, brought upon thee externally. But 

 since the snake, the kind snake, the shelterer of 

 the god Budhoo, when on earth, has thrice par- 

 taken of thy drink, thou wilt derive health and 

 long life by obe^dng the commands which I now 

 bear thee. In that direction (pointing towards 

 the south) lies thy remedy. One hundred hours' 

 journey will bring thee to those trees, which thou 

 shalt see in reality, and taste their fruits to thy 

 benefit. But as on the top only it is produced, 

 by fire it must be obtained. The inside, partly 

 of transparent liquid, partly of innocent food, 

 must be thy sole diet, till thrice the Great Moon 

 (Maha Handah) has given and refused her light. 

 Disease will, at the expiration of that time, leave 

 thee ; thou wilt be clean again ; but forget not, 

 with the restoration of thy health, (the Singalese 

 language renders it, ' the skin of thy flesh, re- 

 newed by the fountains of thy life, being made 

 red again,') sacrifices of sweet flowers and fruits, 



