228 JOURNAL R. A* s. (ceylon.) [Vol. VII, Pt. III. 



one, put it among the ashes also, and commenced to blow the 

 fire to melt it down. The live-frog feeling uncomfortable in 

 the heat immediately jumped out and hopped away. " See, dear 

 mother", said he, " your frog is gone. How can you expect 

 me to make ornaments from a living thing ?" " Oh, my dear 

 son", said the mother, " what is worse than bad fortune ? My 

 lump of gold has turned into a lump of flesh." 



III.™ A Story of Two Rogues. 



There are several stories which relate to the sharp- wittedness 

 of people from different villages, towns, or districts, and which, 

 seem to imply much the same as is expressed in our English 

 proverb " set a thief to catch a thief." The following is well- 

 known, and, although the story varies somewhat in different 

 localities, is in substance the same. The names given to the 

 two rogues vary with the place where it is told, but they are, as 

 far as I have heard, always the names of different villages, or 

 districts, with the affix yd or ivd thus Gampolayd and Rayi- 

 gamayd, 'a Gampola man' and 'Rayigaina man' ; Migamtiwa and 

 Mdtarayd, 'a Negombo man' and 'Matara man' : — 



Two men who lived in different districts, and who depended 

 principally on their wits for a livelihood, started off one day 

 about the same time each to pay a visit to the other. On their 

 way they met, and agreed to go together in search of adventure. 

 As they went on they heard the sound of weeping at a certain 

 house and, finding the friends of a dead man mourning for 

 him, they went and joined in the lamentations. When the 

 question of the division of the deceased's property arose, 

 they put in their claim. " Who are you ?", the people asked, 

 " and what right have you to any of the property ?" " Was 

 not this our own poor old grandfather whom we have not 

 seen for these many years ?", said the men weeping. The 

 friends at the house were so affected by the grief of the 

 strangers, that they agreed to go that evening to the grave of 

 the dead man, and see if he would express any wish in the 

 matter. One of the rogues slipped out unobserved and laid 

 himself beside the grave. " Is it your will that these two 



