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JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VII., Pt. III. 



" Mokada f , repeated the man. 



The priest was bewildered. He could not for the life of 

 him understand the meaning of so strange a proceeding, and he 

 called out in a loud and stern tone, " Allapiya\ u Lay hold (of 

 him)." 



" Allapiya" was as quickly echoed forth. 



The priest then went into one of the rooms to wake up his 

 servant, and in the meantime the simpleton, hearing nothing more, 

 concluded that the ceremony was over and returned home, leav- 

 ing the pingo at the door. The priest and his servant opened 

 the door to see what it all meant, and right glad were they to 

 find the pingo, but they could see no one. 



On reaching home the man called his wife to his side and 

 said, " I have received sil : I feel such a change : I am determin- 

 ed to be more assiduous than you have been in the observance 

 and practice of the rite." The man then went to work in the 

 field, returned home in the evening, and took his dinner, but was 

 scarce in bed before he repeated " Kcteuda? Mokada f Alla- 

 piya" 



u What's the sense of these words ?", enquired the wife in 

 surprise. 



u I am reciting what the priest taught me when he gave me 

 sily said the man. 



" I wonder if you're right in your head !", said the wife. 



" Nay," said he, " in right good earnest I tell you, I repeat 

 what the priest taught me. I am practising siL" 



" Don't talk to me," retorted the woman. " If you're not 

 mad already, you're very near it !" 



The man, however, paid no attention to his wife's words 

 believing her to be in jest, but kept repeating the words all night 

 long at frequent intervals, to the serious disturbance of his wife's 

 rest and that of the other inmates of the house. This went 

 on for several nights, and nothing that the wife could think of 

 had the effect of convincing the man of his mistake. 



About this time three thieves broke into the King's Trea- 

 sury at night, and stole from it a part of his treasure, consisting 

 of gold, silver, precious stones ; pearls and jewels of great value, 



