Chapter :

A long time ago, in the beautiful land of Sri Lanka, there lived a brave warrior named Velusumana. He was the son of a man named Vasabha and grew up in a place called Kutumbiyangana in the Giri district. Velusumana was named after his friends, Vela and Sumana, who was the governor of Giri.

Velusumana was an exceptional warrior, especially known for his skills in riding horses. One day, he managed to ride a special horse from the Indus country, a horse that no one else could ride. He rode so fast and skillfully that it seemed like there were many riders instead of just one!

Velusumana served King Kavantissa, and later his son, King Dutugemunu. One day, Queen Wihara Maha Devi, the mother of King Dutugemunu, had some special wishes. She wanted to make a garland from lotus flowers from a lake called Thisa Wewa. She also wanted to drink water that had washed the sword used to behead the chief guard of their enemy, King Elara.

King Kavantissa gave this important mission to Velusumana. Velusumana first went to Anuradhapura, where he made friends with the man in charge of the royal stables. From there, he picked the fastest horse and rode to Thisa Wewa to collect the beautiful lotus flowers.

After gathering the flowers, Velusumana headed towards the main camp of King Elara. He bravely taunted the guards by saying he was a spy for the Sinhala king and dared them to catch him. The chief guard took the challenge and chased Velusumana on the second fastest horse.

As Velusumana raced ahead, he kicked up dust, making it hard for the chief guard to see. Then, Velusumana stopped, waited with his sword ready, and when the chief guard could not see because of the dust, Velusumana swiftly beheaded him.

That very same day, Velusumana returned to his king with the lotus flowers and the head of the chief guard. His bravery and cleverness made him a true hero, celebrated for his daring journey to Anuradhapura.