Maha Gamaya & Podi Gamaya

  Long  ago  there  were  two  brothers  . they  lived  in   the  village. The  elder  was  known  as  maha  gamaya,  meaning  the  big  villager,  and  the  younger,  podi  gamaya- the  small  villager. They  had  a  chana  cultivation  in  the  jungle  and  turns  to  keep  watch  on  this  cultivation. once  it  was  maha  gamaya’s  turn  to  keep  watch  on  the  cultivation. Podi  gamaya  noticed  that  when  he  returned  home, he looked  tired , and  lifeless. His  eyes  were  bleary ,as  if  he  lacked  sleep, and  he  seemed  very  hungry  by  morning.

                                                   Podi  gamaya  asked  him  if  anything  was  the  matter .’’no’’ he  said  ‘’I’m  all  right ‘’.  He  muttered  weakly.  A  few  days  passed  by.  Maha  gamaya  seemed  to  be  losing  weight  .  so,podi  gamaya    made  inquiries .’’what’s  the  matter ,brother?  I  can  see  you  have  a  problem.  Why  can’t  you  tell  me?’’I  go

It  was  too  much  for  maha  gamaya.  ‘’o  younger  brother ‘’ he  said,’’  you  don’t  know  what  I  go  throught .  you  can’t  even  imagine.  As  I go  to  the  watch  hut,  a yaka  comes  and  sits  in  the  hut.  He  open  my  packet  of  rice,  and  eats  it  with  glee.  He  dosen’t   even  leave  a  morsel   for  me.  Then  he  stretches  himself ,and  tells  me  to  scratch  him.  I  don’t  get  wink  of  sleep.’’

                                                   ‘’mm…  its  that  so?’’  said  podi  gamaya .  ‘’tomorrow  I  will  go.  You  stay  at  home’’.  He  went  late.  He  had  spent  time,  fastening   the  hedges ,and   setting  traps  for  the  wild  boars  that  eat  the  yams.  ‘’oh, my, my’’  he  yawned  wide  and  loud  as  he  want  into  the  watch  hut  saying,’’ I  could  eat  the  very  devil’’.  Now  the  yaka  was  lying  on  the  wooden structure they used for abed, and on hearing podi Gamaya’s intention of eating him up (as he thought) he started shivering in fear. ”o, forgive me sir, I’ll do anything you please, let me go in peace, don’t eat me up, please don’t”he pleaded.

Very well said podi gamaya, much pleased with the turn of events. He had not expected such an easy victory. What will you do,if I let you free? Podi gamaya asked podi gamaya had no idea of how to punish the yaka.’o sir’ said, the yaka,”I’ll get you a sack of paddy every day”. podi gamaya pretended to think hard. A  sack of paddy day, thirty sacks for a month. That is about all the grain his chena yielded for six months.’All right’,he said, pretending to be very kind ,’And make sure you don’t fail’. Yes , sir’ ,said the yaka. ’Bring it in the morning, and I will show you my house’ said Podi gamaya.                               The following morning Maha Gamaya was shocked to see podi gamaya followed by the yaka  carrying a sack on his shoulders. The yaka dropped the sack in the compound and departed. Podi  gamaya related what happened.