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88
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1894.
you send me that, send me some of its eye-brows; and when you send me the eye-brows, send me the heroes that killed the pig, prepared for battle; and when you have sent me the heroes, do you put off the dress of a male, and put on the disguise of a female, supply the want of breasts by cocoanut shells, put on a bodice, dress yourself in a woman's garment, put plenty of bracelets on your hands, apply collyrium to your eyes, and tie your hair in a knot. I shall come to the verandah of the Ballal of Edambûr to speak about your marriage." When he read the letter, the Ballâl became greatly dispirited, and sent the letter to the two brothers. They opened the letter and read it, and found it to be very discourteous.
"We will come to the battle," said they to the messenger and they burnt both ends of the palm-leaf and tied it to the neck of the man that had brought it; and, having done this, they caused him to be driven out of the house. They then sent word to the Ballâl that, if he had no courage, he might remain in an under-ground cellar, till they should come to his assistance, and that they would come after they had washed away the oil which they had rubbed on their bodies, and had taken a little rice-water. They bathed and washed away the oil. They took a little rice-water, and they made preparations for going out to battle with all the weapons of war. They each put a necklace on his body; they ornamented their waists with girdles; they put golden necklaces on their bodies; they tied turbans of the color of parrots and pigeons on their heads; they mounted a palankin; they armed themselves with their dagger, equal to that of Rama's. Thus did they completely arm themselves and set out for the Ballal's verandah. The Ballâl saw them coming, and came and sat on his seat, and they bowed low before him.
When they had saluted him, the Ballâl said :-"O heroes! I am now assured that if I rely on you for help, I shall lose the whole of my kingdom. Therefore, O heroes, shew me all your skill and bravery, that I may ascertain whether you are men who can save my kingdom, or who will only ruin it."
"In the upper-story of your mansion there is a mura of sessamum seed. Please order that to be given to us," said the brothers.
"O heroes, is that a thing that you will fail to get from me?" said the Ballal. He ordered the mudi to be opened. The elder brother, Koti, then shewed the dexterity of his hand; when he had shewed it, the seed flew up in the air in powder as fine as red turmeric.
Then the Ballâl said :-"I have thus seen your skill, and now I want to see the skill of your brother, Channayya."
"O my lord," said Channaya, "your swinging cot has four iron chains. Please order one of them to be given to me."
"Can iron be cut by a weapon of iron?" said the Ballal.
"If iron cannot be cut by iron, will one man be able to slay another ?" said Channayya.
"If this be so, will the chain be refused to you ?" said the Ballal, and he ordered one of the chains to be given to Channayya.
When the latter shewed his skill, all the four chains fell in pieces.
"You are heroes that will be able to protect my kingdom," said the Ballal.
Then the five hundred men of Edambûr, and the three hundred of Kolapadi, together with the Ballâl's son-in-law, Rukku Ballal, who rode on a white horse and held a white umbrella, went forth to the battle field. The battle was to be fought in two fields, one in which seven sers of rice, and the other in which seventy sérs of rice, could be sown, and Channayya was to command the field of seven sers. The Ballâl's son-in-law, Rukku Ballâl, stood at a place which was separated from the battle field by three rice fields, in each of which thirty sérs of rice could be sown.
Before going out to the battle, Channayya said to Kôti:-"When, my brother, shall we again see each other's faces ?"
