CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 89 



titotil he came to the house of his father, who was seated in 

 the centre hall of his residence having his hair and beard dressed. 

 Upon looking up he saw Rattapala coming at a distance, and 

 said, These shavelings have made a houseless one of my 

 only son, who was pleasing and beloved : so Rattapala re- 

 ceived no gift at his father's house, not even good words, bufc 

 received abuse alone. 



At that moment a slave girl of his relatives was about t© 

 throw away some stale barley gruel, when he said to her, Sister 

 if you wish to throw away that stale barley gruel put it here 

 into my bowl; this she did, recognizing his hands, his feet and 

 his voice. She immediately went to his mother and said, Indeed 

 madam do you know that your son Rattapala has arrived ? 

 If, girl, you speak the truth, she replied, you shall obtain your 

 freedom and hastened to his father, to whom she said, House- 

 holder, do you know that the honorable Rattapala has arrived? 



At this time Rattapala was eating his stale barley gruel near 

 a wall* but his father came to him and said, Do you indeed, son 

 Rattapala, eat stale barley gruel ? truly son Rattapala you should 

 come to your own home. He replied, "Where, householder is 

 our home ; those who have left family life and become house- 

 less priests have no home : We went, householder, to your 

 house, but obtained there no alms, not even good words but 

 certainly obtained abuse. 



Come, son Rattapala, let us go to the house. It is unneces- 

 sary, householder, 1 have finished my meal for this day. Then 

 Rattapala vouchsafe to take your tomorrows meal there. Rat- 

 tapala accepted the invitation in silence, and his father under- 

 standing his acceptance by his silence returned home, where he 

 caused to be piled up a great heap of coined and uncoined gold f 

 and covered it with a mat, and calling Rattapala's former 

 wives, said, Come here women, and adorn yourselves with those 

 ornaments which gave the most pleasure to Rattapala formerly. 

 In the morning he had the most exquisite cates and viands 



