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https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/taprobanian1888/0020
20
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[February, 1888.
to see the nautch, and when he threatened her
with suicide, she gave way. He then dressed
himself in his richest clothes, and jewels, and sat
upon one of the seats. No sooner had she set
eyes on him, than the dancing girl meditating on
Sokkalingam and invoking his aid, threw her
necklet, and it fell over the head of Kovalan and
encircled his neck. Mataki now claimed him as
her lover, and asked what presents he would give
her. He gave incalculable presents to her. She
then told him he might now take off her necklet
and release himself. He tried and failed, and
not even with knives could the necklet be
separated from his neck. Then Mataki advanc-
ing, laughed at him, and said, “if you cannot
take off my necklet, eat a little of my betel.” He
ate, and then at once went away, following her.
In vain his father and the others implored and
begged him to consider his conduct, and not
desert his wife, and all his family, for the sake of
a dancing girl. He replied “I have no wife, no
relations, and Mataki is all to me.” Then they
recognized fate, and ceased to resist, and he and
Mataki went away together, riding upon an ele-
phant, and came to the Amarkundi Iswaran
temple, where Mataki swore by the palipidam
(altar) itself, that she would never love any other
but Kovalan. Kovalan too swore thereon never to
love any other but Mataki. When they reached
the home of Mataki she bade him be seated upon
abed; then one of the legs broke and he fell
upon the floor. She then told him she had no
other bed, and he must now replace it. While
she cooked their food, he sent an urgent letter to
his father, asking for 12 ship loads of money and
necessaries.
Kovalan squanders his fortune.
Manakan Setti did as requested, and despatched
to his son twelve vessels laden with rice, pepper,
and other cargo, and the ships safely arrived at
their destination. Kovalan hearing this, went to
the harbour and met them. He unloaded and
landed the goods with the utmost expedition, and
then realising what price he could, took the whole
of the money to Mataki, and asked what she
wished to be done with it. She then asked for
twelve kawnies of rice land, and many cattle,
and several large mansions, and money for her
table expenses, and for the expenses of her
musicians, and foi’ her mother, and for rich
brocades and silken cloths, and for jewels, and
for their mutual enjoyments. Kovalan therefore
gave her all that she desired, though he lavished
all his wealth in gratifying her caprices. In
this degrading idleness he lived for twelve
years.
Kannakai grows up.
When Kannak&i reached her seventeenth year,
she one day told her maid to procure a mirror.
While she was admiring her own beauty in this
mirror, she noticed her marriage tali (necklet),
and asked why she wore it. On learning that it
was tied in proof of her betrothal, she asked who
the man might be, and where he then was. Her
maids replied that her mother-in-law should be
asked to tell her this.
Kannakai visits her mother-in-law.
Kannakai now sought an interview with her
mother-in-law, who received her with great cere-
mony and offered her a seat. Kannakai then
asked who was her betrothed husband, and where
were his warehouses. Her mother-in-law then
told her that he was living in the house of a
dancing girl.
Kannakai asked for what time he had been
living there, and on learning that it was for
twelve years, that he had lived • with Mataki at
Tirukadur, she asked why his mother had not
called him away. His mother then told her that
merchants of their rank would no longer respect
them, if they received back a man who had fallen
in love with a dancing girl, and devoted himself
to her. She entreated the young wife to try and
recall him to his duty.
Kannakai writes to Kovalan.
Kannakai considered this advice, and then
wrote to Kovalan, saying, Oh husband, who tied
the wedding tali on my neck at my fifth year, and
ever since lived in the house of a dancing girl, I
am now about to die.
I wish before I die to receive from your hands
a little water, and that you should then perform
my funeral rites, and remove my tali; then you
can return again to your Mataki. She sent this
letter by some of her maids, with strict injunction
to give it privately to her husband. The maids
reached Tirukadur, and finding Kovalan engaged
in worship of Sokkalingam at the Setti-moku
temple, they gave him the letter.
Kovalan receives the letter.
When Kovalan read this letter, he bitterly
reproached himself with his cruel neglect, and
shed tears of sorrow; he then went to bid
Mataki farewell, and when she saw that he had
been weeping, she asked the reason. He told
her that his wife Kannakai was dead, and he
was summoned to perform the funeral ceremonies
over her. He added that he could not refuse to
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[February, 1888.
to see the nautch, and when he threatened her
with suicide, she gave way. He then dressed
himself in his richest clothes, and jewels, and sat
upon one of the seats. No sooner had she set
eyes on him, than the dancing girl meditating on
Sokkalingam and invoking his aid, threw her
necklet, and it fell over the head of Kovalan and
encircled his neck. Mataki now claimed him as
her lover, and asked what presents he would give
her. He gave incalculable presents to her. She
then told him he might now take off her necklet
and release himself. He tried and failed, and
not even with knives could the necklet be
separated from his neck. Then Mataki advanc-
ing, laughed at him, and said, “if you cannot
take off my necklet, eat a little of my betel.” He
ate, and then at once went away, following her.
In vain his father and the others implored and
begged him to consider his conduct, and not
desert his wife, and all his family, for the sake of
a dancing girl. He replied “I have no wife, no
relations, and Mataki is all to me.” Then they
recognized fate, and ceased to resist, and he and
Mataki went away together, riding upon an ele-
phant, and came to the Amarkundi Iswaran
temple, where Mataki swore by the palipidam
(altar) itself, that she would never love any other
but Kovalan. Kovalan too swore thereon never to
love any other but Mataki. When they reached
the home of Mataki she bade him be seated upon
abed; then one of the legs broke and he fell
upon the floor. She then told him she had no
other bed, and he must now replace it. While
she cooked their food, he sent an urgent letter to
his father, asking for 12 ship loads of money and
necessaries.
Kovalan squanders his fortune.
Manakan Setti did as requested, and despatched
to his son twelve vessels laden with rice, pepper,
and other cargo, and the ships safely arrived at
their destination. Kovalan hearing this, went to
the harbour and met them. He unloaded and
landed the goods with the utmost expedition, and
then realising what price he could, took the whole
of the money to Mataki, and asked what she
wished to be done with it. She then asked for
twelve kawnies of rice land, and many cattle,
and several large mansions, and money for her
table expenses, and for the expenses of her
musicians, and foi’ her mother, and for rich
brocades and silken cloths, and for jewels, and
for their mutual enjoyments. Kovalan therefore
gave her all that she desired, though he lavished
all his wealth in gratifying her caprices. In
this degrading idleness he lived for twelve
years.
Kannakai grows up.
When Kannak&i reached her seventeenth year,
she one day told her maid to procure a mirror.
While she was admiring her own beauty in this
mirror, she noticed her marriage tali (necklet),
and asked why she wore it. On learning that it
was tied in proof of her betrothal, she asked who
the man might be, and where he then was. Her
maids replied that her mother-in-law should be
asked to tell her this.
Kannakai visits her mother-in-law.
Kannakai now sought an interview with her
mother-in-law, who received her with great cere-
mony and offered her a seat. Kannakai then
asked who was her betrothed husband, and where
were his warehouses. Her mother-in-law then
told her that he was living in the house of a
dancing girl.
Kannakai asked for what time he had been
living there, and on learning that it was for
twelve years, that he had lived • with Mataki at
Tirukadur, she asked why his mother had not
called him away. His mother then told her that
merchants of their rank would no longer respect
them, if they received back a man who had fallen
in love with a dancing girl, and devoted himself
to her. She entreated the young wife to try and
recall him to his duty.
Kannakai writes to Kovalan.
Kannakai considered this advice, and then
wrote to Kovalan, saying, Oh husband, who tied
the wedding tali on my neck at my fifth year, and
ever since lived in the house of a dancing girl, I
am now about to die.
I wish before I die to receive from your hands
a little water, and that you should then perform
my funeral rites, and remove my tali; then you
can return again to your Mataki. She sent this
letter by some of her maids, with strict injunction
to give it privately to her husband. The maids
reached Tirukadur, and finding Kovalan engaged
in worship of Sokkalingam at the Setti-moku
temple, they gave him the letter.
Kovalan receives the letter.
When Kovalan read this letter, he bitterly
reproached himself with his cruel neglect, and
shed tears of sorrow; he then went to bid
Mataki farewell, and when she saw that he had
been weeping, she asked the reason. He told
her that his wife Kannakai was dead, and he
was summoned to perform the funeral ceremonies
over her. He added that he could not refuse to