This is a modernized folk tale. Written by Tillak Tillakaratne. Author reserved full copyrights for this article.

Gamarala[1] and the two Raksayas (Demons) [2]

Long long time ago, before Dambulla citizens borrowed Mahaweli water and turned lush forest in the area into a cabbage kingdom, a Gamarala and Gamamaayya (of course, his wife!) lived in a small village nearby. He was a farmer.
One day he walked into a stretch of jungle near Dambulu Oya and marked out a plot of land to clear it for a chena.
Gamarala liked the locale, because there was an unusually large tamarind tree in the middle of the proposed chena. Tamarind was considered a good luck charm tree. He didn’t know but a Raksaya had built a one-room flat on this tree and used it as his summer vacation home.
The Gamarala came next day and began to cut small trees and brush. As he continued, gradually he moved towards the tamarind tree. The Raksaya was taking a nap after an all-night outing where he had been called up by a Kapurala to participate in a bali yaaga – a devil dance. Hearing the noise nearby he woke up and hurried down to find Gamarala cutting down small bushes under his tamarind tree. After seeing Gamarala, sweaty and wearing just a loin cloth, and a sharpened axe in hand, the Raksaya thought that this man is going to cut down the tamarind tree and demolish his summer vacation lodge.

He kneeled down before the Gamarala and introduced himself. He then said: “Oh, Master, please do not cut this tree. My tree-house is up on this tree and this is where I spend my summer days. Above all, I can see the flood lights of the cricket stadium from here. I beg you to spare this. I can’t afford to rent even a room because I am out of work now. But I will do any work at your house if you spare this tree.”
Gamarala said: “If I don’t clear this forest, I will not have a farm to grow anything and I won’t be able to support my family. I am sorry, my friend, but I have to do this.”
“Oh, Master, all right, even if I don’t work now, I assure you that from this day onward, I will supply you everything your family needs, free of charge.”
‘Hmm. This is not a bad idea,’ The Gamarala thought. Remember, the Dambulu Vegetable Exchange was not even in the blue print and the Minister who proposed it was still a clerk in the Kandy Kachcheri (this is where government offices are located).

He agreed to the proposition. After negotiating on the finer details of the contract with Raksaya he went home. When his wife asked why he returned home early, he told her about the deal he made with the Raksaya. She was so glad to hear this news.
Henceforth, the Raksaya brought everything Gamarala and his family needed. They lived a very happy life.
Shortly afterwards, one day the Raksaya met another Raksaya at a friend’s house. Since they both have the same last name and, to avoid confusion, from now on we will call them as Raksaya, I and Raksaya, II. After a few glasses of kasippu (illegally distilled alcohol), Raksaya I casually mentioned about his having to buy grocery for his human master and inquired about places where he can buy things cheaper. After he told the whole story about his servitude to the Gamarala he felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

After hearing this story, the Raksaya, II got very angry. “How a loin clothed godaya guy (someone who is far less in touch with modern life style) do this to one of my own people?” he asked.

It is easy now to explain why he took that position at the time. We later found out that Raksaya, II’s name was in the candidates’ list in next general election. Therefore, for any doubters out there, do not underestimate the resolve of an election candidates. They almost always recognize where the injustices are and rarely miss an opportunity to earn a vote.
He told Raksaya that he knows a way to solve this problem but did not disclose what he was going to do. He obtained the address of the Gamarala’s house. He promised to get in touch with Raksaya I, hopefully with good news.
First, through his contacts at the Town hall, Raksaya II obtained a copy of the architect’s plan of Gamarala’s house. Afterwards, for few days he went out and observed the activities in and around Gamarala’s house. Then one day while Gamarala was out at his Chena and, Gamamaayya was out in the back yard watering the pineapple beds, Raksaya II sneaked into the house. He then went straight to the bedroom and crawled under the bed. He was going to wait there until Gamarala returned home that evening. Even I don’t have any idea what he is going to do next.
Gamamaayya returned to the house unaware of the intruder in her house, went back to her house chores. She washed some clothes and hanged them out to dry. She found a ripe pineapple in her garden., cut it and brought it inside the house and threw under the bed. It almost hit Raksaya II who was already tired of being in this fetal position for some time. He heard Gamarala’s wife switching the Television on to watch her favorite daytime TV program. After a little while, Raksaya II fell asleep under the bed. It was easy to drowse off – it was pitch dark under the bed.
In the evening Gamarala came home, tired and hungry. I am sure Raksaya II was hungry too, because he hadn’t eaten anything the whole day either. Since it was irrelevant to the story, nothing had been written about Raksaya II’s hunger at the time.
Gamarala sat in the kitchen and said: “I am hungry so much I am sure I can eat even a devil.” [3]
Gamamaayya handed him a knife and said: “Go and look under the bed. There is a delicious thing waiting for you to eat. Pull it out and skin and get me a piece too.”
When Raksaya II heard this some strange sensation ran through his spinal cord. This happens only when people got scared.
He then heard heavy footsteps coming closer and closer to where he was. He noticed Gamarala squat by the bed and stretch his knife out. He moved the knife to and fro hoping to move the pineapple towards him.
‘Oh, No! Why did I get into this mess?” Raksaya II thought. ‘This is not as easy I thought. Let me get the hell out of here as soon as possible.’
He crawled out from underneath bed startling the unsuspecting Gamaraala.
Raksaya II fell on his knees and begged to be spared.
Having already dealt with another Raksaya, Gamaraala did not panic with this intruder. Instead he motioned Raksaya II to explain.
“Oh, Master. I will bring anything your family needs henceforth. Please do not kill me!”
For a second time too, Gamaraala agreed to a Raksaya’s offer. Since the first one was working well, why not a second one, he thought. No contract was prepared to spell out the conditions of the service.
For a long time after that, Raksaya 1 and Raksaya II provided everything Gamaraala’s house needed.
They did not disclose their predicament to any one else. They just kept it to themselves.

LESSON: Check under the bed before you go to bed.

[2] Again, this is a footnote.  So, its relevance to the story is questionable!  According to a conversation overheard at the Sigiriya rest house this past summer, this story has its origin in or around Dambulla area.  Since no one from another areas brought any copyright issues, we will not dispute their claim – the events described in this area may have actually took place in or around Dambulla!

[3] Mata Yakek Kanda badaginiy!