Both the prince and minister’s son were good at studies. They learned to read and write well and learned many other things quickly. Both the parents and teacher were happy seeing them progress. But as the boys were married in their infancy, they forgot everything about their marriage. As they grew up fast, they kept on discussing among themselves: “When will our parents get us married?” The minister’s son said, “I wonder whether they will get us married or not.” Finally one day, the prince said, “Our parents will never bring wives for us, it seems. Let’s go to another country.” However they knew that the parents would not permit them to go abroad.
Within a few days, a group of horse dealers from an unknown land brought a dozen of good horses to sell there. The prince said to his friend, “See how beautiful the horses are. Parents would not let us go anywhere but we can convince them to buy horse for us. Once we learn to ride well, we will ride away by ourselves.” When the two friends informed their fathers about the good horse and expressed a desire to have one for each, the kind said to the minister, “Our boys are so patient and diligent, that they always please us. Let’s buy them two horses, otherwise they will be dispirited and may not remain so studious.”
The gift of the horses from parents made the boys cheerful. With lot of tenacity they practiced riding every day and soon became efficient riders.
One day the prince wanted to find his own way out. Alone, even without his friend he galloped towards the tank from which everyone of their kingdom fetched water. This was far from the palace and by the time he reached there, it was already afternoon. That was time for womenfolk from the nearby villages to bathe there. The view of the girls bathing in the pond aroused the prince’s desire to see them from close. He galloped very close to the tank. But his sight terrified the girls. They ran helter-skelter. The prince returned to the palace but did not tell anyone about his adventure, not even his friend. The same routine went on for few days. The young man began stopping the girls from fetching water from the tank as well. People in the village began gossiping, “The prince is now a grown up man. That is why he gallops his horse before the girls to show them his valour.” At last an old village lady came to him one day, “My son, it looks you are roaming around the tank like an unmarried young boy. As long as we have got you married, a man like you should not do this.”
“When did you get me married? I cannot remember anything. Even if you did, why don’t I see my wife around?” — asked the surprised prince.
The old lady replied, “You were married as an infant and that’s why you do not remember anything. Your bride bringing ceremony is not done yet. That is why you cannot see your wife. She is still in her father’s home. The king and queen might have not tell you all these considering you too young. But as you are grown up now, I think they would arrange the ceremony soon.”
“Tell me who my wife is. Where does she stay?”
“She is the daughter of a king. Their kingdom is far from here.” — She gave him all the information he wanted to know. The prince rode back home promising the old lady that he wanted to see his wife soon. The village girls bathed and took water from the pond without fear after a long time.
Returning home, the prince went to his mother. “Tell me dear mother, is it true that I have been already married? Or am I not?”
“Yes, dear son. You are married to a princess.”
“Why does not my queen live with us?”
“This is only because the bride bringing ceremony is not yet done. If you want, we will arrange it this year and send the palanquin to bring her.” — said his caring mother.
“I would say, we should bring her back without further delay. I want to look for her and bring her myself if her family allows her to come with me.”
“That is word like a brave man. Go my son. May *Bonga help you on your journey.” — blessed his happy mother.
After having food he mounted his horse and set out for the long journey. He passed through the villages and reached to the open field where he saw that the villagers had set fire in the field of *thatching grass. The fire was spreading fast. In that field lived a big poisonous snake with his wife. Its wife had crossed the field before the fire grew big but the male snake could not get out as the fire encircled him. Seeing the prince passing by the road, the snake called out loud, “Dear prince, you are going to enjoy your life with your wife, on the other hand I am going to die in this fire while my wife will have to spend her life alone. Please have pity on me and save me from being burnt alive.”
“You are an enemy of us! If I save you, you will bite me. Snakes do not have gratitude.”
“I am not that kind. I will not harm you. What’s more? I will give you a blessing if you save me. Please save me.”
Seeing the snake in distress, the prince took pity on it and came down from his horse. He doused the fire beating the grass and threw a rope to the snake so that it could come out of its den climbing it; then said, “Now that I saved you, give me the blessing you promised.”
The snake said, “But snakes do not know how to bless. True you showed lot of courage to save me but snakes cannot be friends to humans, however much they love us. Now I am hungry and we two are going to eat you.”
“But I saved your life!”- said the terrified man.
The snake replied, “A fool like you cannot get away from me. Why did you save me knowing that I am poisonous? We will eat you for your foolishness.”
The helpless prince took a last attempt to save himself, “I understand I cannot escape. But I am not sure whether you are doing the right thing by eating me. Let me bring some people and judge who among us is right. If you are right, you can eat me but if I am, then you must let me go.”
“But I do not trust humans. They are our enemies and if they are asked to judge, they will be on your side.”
“All right.”- Agreed the prince — “Tell me who you want to be the judges.”
“The first one must be a cow, second one is a tree and third one is water. We must obey whatever these three decide. If they opine in your favour, you can kill us, but if they speak in my favour, we will eat you.”
The prince and the snakes walked a little when they saw a giant banyan tree on the field near which cows were grazing. The plush greenness of the field revealed that there must be a source of water nearby. So they walked at that direction. Reaching near the tree, the prince saw the pond as well. He called out: “Dear tree, we came to you looking for a judgment. Would you please hear me?”
The aged tree replied, “I can judge only if I know the matter. You have to state the entire story of yours first.”
The prince had to elaborate, “I was going to fetch my wife when I saw this fire which was about to burn this snake alive. He asked for help. I first disagreed but as he promised me a blessing, I saved him with lot of effort. Now after being saved, he wants to eat me breaking his promise. Tell me, isn’t this wrong?”
Taking little pause, the banyan tree replied, “But he is right according to human’s principles. I provide you shade and you rest in my shade. Still it’s you who break my branches, burn my leaves when you need fire in winter. It that just? If this is, then the snake can justifiably eat you.”
Rejected, the prince turned to the cows, “Tell me cows, what is your decision about the matter?”
The cows mooed, “Yes, the banyan tree is right. The snakes should eat you following human’s principles. Once we give birth to our young ones, you drag them away from us. You take away all our milk depriving our kids. On top of that, you beat us mercilessly, even though we work for you all day; plough your field to help you make money. You should be the food for the snake for sure.”
The powerless prince asked the water, “Dear water, please speak to me. What do think is right?”
The water repeated what the first two had said, “I think the snake is right. I provide you clean drink which saves your life. In return you spit on me, wash your body and bottom with me — isn’t that you consider right? Following the same logic, as you acted bravely to save him, he should eat you.”
The snake was so glad that it asked the prince dancing, “Then what more you have to tell? Now it’s my time to eat you.”
“You will surely eat me. But I would request you all to listen to a story. I have only my life story to tell before I die, for their will be no one in the world to tell that.” Not only the snake, also the tree and the cow and the water felt curious. Taking their permission, he went on telling, “I was married as an infant. My wife stayed back in her parent’s home whereas I grew up in my own, without any memory of the wedding. I have never seen her or spoken to her. Growing up I came to know about her. Now I am going to meet her first time in my life. I would ask your permission to meet her once before my death — otherwise she too will live a life full of sorrow, without seeing her man even once in life. I promise you to return in three days and be your food. The snake did not rely on his words at first, but the three judges felt the pain of the prince. They said, “We are staying as guarantor. There is no reason a young man should not be allowed to jest at least once with his wife. He too has right to enjoy the company of his wife, even if for a day. After meeting his wife, he must return this way and within three days. Then you should eat him.”
The boy raced hard to reach his destination as soon as possible. As he reached his in laws home the following day, none could recognize him. Everyone in the kingdom including the king was surprised to see a young handsome man riding a horse entering their place. They welcomed him cordially, put a bedstead for him and then asked him, “Are you a friend from any of the faraway kingdoms? We cannot recognize you.”
“I believe a bride from this home was given to me when I was an infant.” — The prince said mentioning his father’s name and the kingdom where he came from. They immediately recognized him. They brought him oil to massage, water to bath, and then gave him curd and flattened rice to eat. A joyous celebration started. A goat was killed and everyone ate a sumptuous meal and danced till nightfall.
At night the womenfolk showed him the room to sleep and got their daughter, the princess ready for her first night with her husband. They oiled her hair, decorate the neatly parted hair with flowers and gave her some oil telling, “Massage your husband’s hands and feet with this. You two will live together from now.”The grown up princess too was happy with her husband’s arrival. Since all those years, she too was waiting eagerly for her husband. With pounding heart, she entered the room, and massaged the arms and legs of her husband. But the young prince looked timid and absent minded, as if he had nothing to do with her. The young lady asked, “Aren’t you a grown up man too? Then what is the reason you do not want to enjoy time with your wife?” The prince replied, “I am grown up and that is reason I came here to take you along. But I had a terrible experience on my way -and now I have to prepare myself for death leaving you alone. Why should I fondly caress you now so that you won’t be able to forget me tomorrow? What’s the use of making you long for me when I will have to leave the world soon?”
The shocked princess asked, “Wouldn’t you find me worthy to tell your story? Please tell me whatever you have experienced.”
The young man explained her everything with heavy heart. She listened carefully and decided her duty. Following morning when he was preparing to leave, she came and said, “I shall go with you and be the food of the snake together with you. Being your wife, I cannot have a different destination. At least I want to see how it eats you.” The prince denied and continued pursuing her not to follow him till it was very late. Anyway he had to keep his promise to the snake and guarantors to reach the location within three days. Both mounted the horse and set off.
Nearing the spot, the prince told her to go back once again. His wife said, “I want to see where exactly they would be waiting for you.”
“On the other side of the hill.”
“Then I will go till the hill and watch the snake as it will eat you.”
Her husband tried to convince her again to go back. Finally defeated before her determination, he rode along with her. They saw the snake opening its large hood waiting at the roadside. She said, “Now I walk before you and you should follow me, I will return after it kills you.” The prince could not do anything but to abide by.
Going close to the snake the young lady called out, “Listen to me snake, to eat my husband, you have to eat me first.”
“I cannot eat you. You should return to your parents. I will eat the one I am supposed to.”
“That is impossible. As the man bought me *bones and ashes, I am in a bond to serve him. I shall have to have same fate with him. If you eat him, you have to eat me as well.”
The snake denied and the princess continued guarding her husband. Seeing the snake firm about eating her husband, she finally said, “Well, tell me how I shall survive if you eat my husband. The world is full of bad people. How shall I save myself from them if I don’t have him beside me? Be the banyan tree my witness.”
The snake promised her a blessing telling, “I shall teach you after eating him.” She pursued, “First teach me and then I will let you eat him. I don’t trust you.” The banyan tree supported her. The snake taught her a mantra and said, “Chanting this, take a fistful of dust and blow that in own breath on your enemy. He will be burnt into ashes.”
The princess said, “First I will test and let my husband go only if your magic spell works.” The snake, by now tired of constant altercations, agreed. The devoted young lady chanted the spell, took a handful of dust from the road and then blown it up in one breath on the snake. Immediately it burnt into ashes.
“Had I not come with you, you would have been dead by now and ruined my life. If I had listened to you, I would have mourned my entire life. Did you see?” The gleeful princess spoke as the princes listened, appreciating her affection and wit.
The king and queen and everyone in their kingdom cheered up seeing them after so long. A grand feast was arranged and many goats were killed for the feast. All ate and drank and danced to their heart’s content.As the prince stated their story before them, they said, “By the grace of gods, our loved prince and his wife are saved; else we could not see them again.”
The king, queen, the prince and his wife and the entire kingdom lived a happy life thereafter.
Santal dance by Jamini Ray
*Bonga – Supreme God of the Santhal
*thatching grass – those days, the Santhal people used a type of grass stronger that common straw for thatching their homes. They looked after fields where this grass grew and set the stubble on fire after cutting the grass in a particular season.
*bones and ashes – As per Santal tradition, during wedding the groom’s side buys the girl till bones and ashes paying a token amount and the girl’s side accepts it. This signifies the bond of the relationship and the couple is not supposed to part their way till death.
