Page:Fairytales•Tregear•1891.pdf/72



In former times, a king named Kupa, ruling over a large and fertile island, had as his high priest a man named Kama. One day while Kama the priest was absent on a fishing expedition, his sons invaded the sanctity of the royal palace, and played on the drums always kept for the king’s own use. These drums were played in a peculiar manner, and by the mode in which the beats were made a sort of secret language could be understood almost as plainly as if the human voice was used. Certain mischief-makers went to the king and told him that the priest’s sons were insulting their royal master and jeering him on his own drums; on hearing which the king was dreadfully angry, and ordering his servants to follow him to the place where the boys were, he slew the children.

When Kama returned from his fishing expedition and heard that his sons had been murdered, he was filled with rage and with desire for revenge; so, not knowing how to effect his purpose, he took on his back a black pig as an offering and went to consult a celebrated wizard. On his arrival at the place where