One day at about four in the afternoon, Saradiel crept into a room of the bungalow of a European planter’s coffee estate close to Karwanella town. He stole a pistol and a gun. Then, he crept up to the gentleman who was reading a book in the front hall of the house. He then took him unawares by announcing that he was Saradiel and said that he had entered his bungalow in this manner as he was urgently in need of some money. The gentleman was frightened as he was all by himself at that time. Saradiel too, observed the fright overtaking the white gentleman and in order to calm him down said “please do not fear me, no harm will befall you, I only need some money to meet an urgent need”.

Thereupon the gentleman calmed down and asked him “how much money is your need”. “My need, please, is twelve pounds and three shillings” replied Saradiel. The gentleman then questioned him “why is it that you want exactly twelve pounds and three shillings.

“Sir, I forcefully took twelve pounds and three shillings from a poor Moor in order to place a bet but I lost all that money. He has fallen into a dire situation. Therefore I must find him and refund the money” replied Saradiel. The gentleman then went into a room, obtained a bundle of notes from his safe and coming back to where Saradiel was, counted out the money demanded and handed it over to him. As a gesture he asked of him “do you want more?” Saradiel replied, “No Sir, this amount is sufficient”. Before Saradiel departed, he requested the gentleman to send someone at about seven in the night to the rear off the labour line room of the Tamil workers at the end of the estate to take delivery of his pistol and gun.

Many of the estate staff who saw Saradiel leaving the premises hurried to their employer’s bungalow and requested the planter to take legal action against Saradiel. The planter listened anxiously to this discussion of his staff, smiled at them and said, “you all have not understood Saradiel." I have heard of him before but I only saw him today. From what I experienced just now, it is indeed true information that Saradiel extracts money from the rich and distributes it amongst the poor”.

“Why he obtained money from me was to fulfill such a reason. Without doubt, his robbing and intimidation is not to build his wealth or ego but to help the less fortunate. A person such as him may inflict losses once in a way to a few well-to-do but he is providence to a larger downtrodden poverty stricken population. Providing such relief to the poor is tolerated even by God” said the good gentleman.

“A man must toil day and night to gather wealth. Wealth accumulated by ones toil must be expended to fulfill his wants and as well as spent for the benefit of others. Saradiel is one such person. I have no intention to file legal action against Saradiel. In pondering over his escapades, I recall the legend of Robin Hood of England. He too similarly forced money out of the wealthy and distributed it amongst the poor peasants. He was a hero to them. Therefore, it is not wrong to call Saradiel the Robin Hood of Lanka” announced the planter to his staff. He then sent a member to the appointed place behind the labour line room to fetch his pistol and gun (as promised by Saradiel).

From the day that Saradiel extorted money from this gentleman, Saradiel became his loyal security guard. Once when this planter was retuning from a visit to Kegalla town on horseback he fell off the horse close to his bungalow. He got himself stuck between two rocks. Saradiel, on hearing the planter’s plight was one of the first to hasten to his assistance. He on his own strength extracted the gentleman, placed him on an improvised stretcher, carried him to his bungalow and departed. The ancients recall the friendship that subsisted between the English gentleman and Saradiel up to the time that Saradiel met with his untimely death.

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