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Once upon a time, a King (of small state) went
hunting with his entourage but couldn't get back home and had to
camp in another city.
But there was another problem; the King had never
eaten without the company of his favorite queen. Luckily his wise
Minister, who was with the party, knew an artist who could quickly
draw a picture of the queen, while the meal was being prepared.
The picture was placed on the chair right opposite
the King, where normally his Queen sat. The King was not only pleased
with idea of his wise minister but also asked the picture to be
brought to his tent.
Now, the King with his full stomach, noticed
that the artist had drawn a black beauty spot on one slightly un-covered
part of Queen’s thigh. The King was puzzled how an artist
from another state/town could know the details part of the Queen's
body. He suspected that the Artist might have had an illicit relationship
with the Queen.
The first thing in the morning he called his
minister and ordered the artist to be killed. The King returned
home and went on with his life. But the story didn't end there.
Years later, his only son, now grown-up, one
day went on a hunting spree in the jungle. This time Prince's fate
took a different turn, when he found himself alone being chased
by a lion. The day was coming to an end.
To save his life, the Prince decided to climb.
While only halfway up the tree, he saw a big bear perched on the
tree. The prince froze on the spot didn't know which way to go.
The bear sensed his anxiety and spoke, “Hey Prince, don’t
be afraid, for the very same reason, I am spending my night here
and you are welcome to join me”.
The wise bear suggested that the Prince should
sleep for the first part of the night, while he kept a vigil and
to swap the roles after midnight. When the Prince was asleep, the
lion said to the bear. “you know the man is never a friend
of anybody, you should push the Prince over and in return I will
leave you alone”.
The bear replied that he couldn’t break
the trust of a friend. After midnight the bear and the prince swapped
roles, the crafty Lion tried the same trick on the Prince.
The Prince forgot the promise and tried to push
the bear off the branch. The bear didn't fall but was very very
angry. He said, ‘O Prince, ‘You were after all a Man,
who do not know the value of friendship.’ The bear blew his
big breath into the Prince's ear and the Prince lost his mind.
By this time it was morning, the King's men were
searching for the Prince and arrived there just in time to rescue
the prince to take him home.
But the Prince had lost his mind and didn’t
remember who he was or what happened to him? The King called for
every available treatment but nothing worked.
When the King was about to give up, his wise
minister came to his rescue. He knew a curer woman, who may be able
to help. But the woman wanted Prince's bed to be placed in a tent,
where she would come alone in Purdah (veil) and nobody was allowed
in, except the King who could wait outside the tent.
Next morning the curer came in through the back
door of the tent as arranged.
The curer spoke to the Prince and related the
whole story of that night and what happened between the Prince and
bear on that tree in the jungle.
On hearing the story, the Prince opened his eyes
and remembered everything. The King had also heard everything. The
woman left through the back opening.
The Prince was fully cured and the King arranged
a big feast. The King not only wanted to his thanks to the curer
but was more eager to know how that the curer knew of the events
in the jungle?
The thankful king welcomed the curer in his court
and thanked the curer profusely. The king couldn't wait to hear
how the curer knew the events in the jungle?
At that moment, the curer took her purdah off
and to reveal the same artist who had painted the picture of the
Queen years ago. He faced the King and replied, “O King, I
have used the same intuition to see events in the forest that I
used to see the black beauty mark on your Queen's thigh.”
The King remembered the whole event and profoundly
apologized to the artist.
A Panjabi Folktale
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