SINDHI FOLK TALES
DR. JAGDISH LACHHANI
jagdishlachhani@yahoo.com
GOLDEN HAIR
Who have not heard the name of Ramnagar? It is famous all over the world. Like Ramnagar, Prince of Ramnagar was famous for his courage and bravery. He was very handsome and fond of hunting.
One day, he left for hunting. He was successful in killing the dangerous Lion, but was extremely tired. He laid down under a shade of tree. He slept for a while. After getting up he felt thirst. He looked around him. He found a river flowing on some distance away. He went there to quench his thirst. When he stretched his hands to fetch some water, he found a golden hair along with water in his hand.
Prince was perplexed to see golden hair and started thinking. Since the hair is so beautiful, then how much beautiful be who has such golden hair! He took a vow to marry the belle having golden hair.
He returned to his palace, but was restless within. He lost his sleep. He used to imagine all the time about the belle with golden hair. On seeing golden hair, he used to be delighted within.
Prince could not hide his restless from the King, his father. King asked him the reason of his restlessness.
Prince took out golden hair and kept it before King. He with folded hands disclosed his plight. He prayed the King to permit him to go out in search of the belle with golden hair.
The King knew Prince’s mind. He knew pretty well that Prince will never accept his defeat. King himself was so tempered when he was young. The King willingly permitted Prince to go ahead, blessed him and said, “May God help you. My blessings are with you.” Prince touched his feet and exited.
Prince left his home but did not know his destination. He crossed jungles after jungles. When tired, he used to pause, rest a while and proceeded.
Seven days passed, but he could not get a track of this even after several enquiries. He did not lose his courage. He continued his search. One day he fainted in jungle due to thirst and hunger. Right then Lord Shiva and Parvati had come out in their Viman for their stroll. Suddenly Parvati sighted Prince, who was lying fainted in the jungle due to thirst and hunger. Parvati took pity on him, pointing out to Lord Shiva to youth she said, “Who is this young man, lying fainted in the jungle?”
On this Lord Shiva narrated to her the fact behind this. On hearing the story of the Prince, Parvati prayed to Lord Shiva, “You have been always kind to brave hearted, why don’t you render your help to this young man?”
Lord Shiva consoled Parvati, “Don’t worry, I will show him the way to reach the belle with golden hair.”
Lord Shiva came in disguise of a saint and stood before the prince. He recited a mantra. Prince came to senses and got up. He saw an old saint standing before him.
The Prince bowed and greeted him. Lord Shiva blessed him and enquired, “Son, who are you? Why are you wandering in this deep forest?”
Prince replied, “I am Prince of Ramnagar and have come in search of lady with golden hair.”
Lord Shiva wanted to test his courage. Lord Shiva said, “Golden haired is a princess of Krishnanagar, who has been kidnapped by a demon and wants to marry her. He has imprisoned her in an island. It is not easy to free her from hands of demon.”
The Prince firmly said, “I shall kill the demon and free the princess from demon. I have vowed I will go home back only after killing the demon.”
Lord Shiva in the guise of saint was delighted to hear this, “Golden haired Princess is far away from this place, you have to cross seven seas to get her. After crossing seven seas, there is an island on South side of it. On reaching the island, you will notice a grand palace in middle of the island, where demon has imprisoned the princess.”
Prince started thinking now to cross seven seas. Lord Shiva understood, what Prince was thinking.
Lord Shiva gave him a sandle with golden wings and said, “This sandle will help you to cross seven seas. May you succeed in your mission.”
And Lord Shiva disappeared. Prince saluted the Lord Shiva and proceeded with sandle given by him. He kept on flying over vallies and mountains to cross seven seas. On eighth day he could see a beautiful island with grand palace on it.
He got down slowly in the direction of the palace. As he entered the palace, he was surprised to see a belle with golden hair in the golden cradle.
Princess first delighted to see a human being in the palace but soon became gloomy. She was far sure that the young man would soon be killed by the demon.
Some people had tried earlier to save her from demon, but were not succeeded. They all were killed by demon and some had ran away.
Princess asked the young man, “Who are you? What has brought you here?”
Prince replied, “You must have heard the name of Ramnagar. I am the Prince of Ramnagar.”
Princess was delighted to hear this because she had heard many tells of his bravery. Next moment she got nervous because she did not want that he too be killed by demon.
Prince of Ramnagar could read her mind. He said to golden haired princess fearlessly, “Not to worry, I am quite sure that I shall kill demon and make you free from his hands.”
Suddenly there was high sound and the island was shaking. It looked like a burst of volcano.
It did not take princess a moment to understand that demon has come to know the arrival of human being. At first she got frightened but magically she turned prince into a hair pin and attached it in her golden hair.
The demon arrived and cried “human presence, human presence” and entered the hall.
Princess got annoyed and said, “I am only the human being here; hence human’s smell. If you want, you can eat me up.”
He was convinced and went away. After demon had gone; Princess turned hair pin into prince.
After coming in original shape, prince asked “Do you want to be free from the hands of demon?”
Princess asked, “It is not possible.”
Prince said to her, “Impossible word is in the dictionary of fools. Only you have to tell me, where exactly his life lies?”
Princess replied, “That I know.”
Then she narrated in great details to Prince, “Demon’s life lies in a parrot, ten miles away from here in South direction. There is a row of hills and after crossing the hills, there is a table ground. On the ground you would find a well and in the well, there is a Pipal tree, where lies a cage. In cage there is a parrot. Demon’s life lies in that parrot.”
Again she said after sometime, “But it is very dangerous to go there because thousands of demons guarding that well, because this demon is king of demons. Tell me, who will kill the parrot in the presence of thousands of guards.”
But prince did not lose his courage. He assured the princess, “I will go in the search of the parrot. I will return only after killing it, otherwise I shall never show you my face.”
Saying this prince left the palace and rushed towards south direction.
While walking for some time, he became tired and slept for a while under the shade of a tree. On hearing some bitter cries, he opened his eyes. Suddenly he saw a wild reptile ascending the tree and these cries were from the children of Hawk bird who saw a dangerous reptile ascending them. Prince took pity on them. He took out his sword and cut the reptile into pieces.
After sometime, Hawk came back with feed for his children. He noticed blood strains there all around.
He became very angry thinking the person sleeping under the shade of tree must have killed his children.
As he was attacking the person with his sharp beak, kitten seeing this cried, “Had the person resting down not saved us, we would have been swallowed by the reptile.” Then they narrated the whole story in details to Hawk. Hawk had tears in his eyes, came down from the tree top and stood before the man.
Prince was surprised to see a huge hawk before him, “You have saved the life of my children from dangerous reptile. I shall never forget your this deed throughout my life. Please tell me any service for me?”
Prince told him the whole story about golden haired princess and the demon, “I want to kill the demon. Now tell me what can you do for me?”
The hawk assured him all possible help. He told him about the well guards and asked, “How can you get into the well and kill the parrot?”
Prince replied, “In any case, I have to kill the parrot. I am ready to face any danger. I shall be highly obliged if you can do me some help”
Hawk also wanted to repay the obligation prince had done to him. “Now you are not far away from that well. You have to walk a few miles in south directions. Well is there” saying this Hawk gave him his feather and said, “On reaching there, give a little burn to the feather. As you burn the feather, I, along with my battalion reach there around the well and attack the guards. Taking advantage of our attack on guards, you remove the parrot from the well and kill it.”
It was exactly so; prince when reached nearer to the well, he saw huge army of demon guards. At first, seeing big army prince took little fright. Then he remembered about hawk’s feather. As he burnt the feather, sky was filled with thousands of hawks, who attacked the demon guards.
With this sudden attack, guards were confused and frightened. However hawks continued their attack with full force. Demon guards started running hither and thither. They totally forgot their duty to guard the parrot.
Prince could see everything from distance. When he found the demons were on the run, he took full advantage of the situation.
Prince hurriedly entered the well and could see a big Pipal tree and found a golden cage hanging with parrot. Prince without any delay climbed the tree and took out parrot from the cage and came out from the well. As he moved forward with the parrot, earth started shaking. He was confused. Suddenly he found the furious demon advancing his direction. Prince did not lose heart and immediately cut the feathers of the parrot and then broke its leg. After breaking parrot’s leg the demon fell down limping. In spite of that the demon continued advancing towards the prince. Prince broke another leg of the parrot.
Demon lost his second leg. Still he kept on creeping and advancing towards prince. He came very near to him. Prince hurriedly cut parrot’s throat and separated it from body.
Demon’s cries echoed all over rocks. Now the demon was dead and limbs lay scattered.
Prince put on sandle with golden wings and flew to reach the princess.
Princess had come to know about the death of demon. She was extremely happy to see prince alive.
Both left for Krishnanagar. On reaching Krishnanagar, they were warmly welcomed.
King of Krishnanagar saw her daughter safe and sound and was very much delighted.
He married princess with great royal pomp and show with prince of Ramnagar.
Spending some time in Ramnagar, prince along with golden haired princess came to his own country. The news of prince had already reached Ramnagar. When prince with golden haired princess arrived in Ramnagar, faces of people bloomed as if new life came to them. Glimpses of happiness spread all over. On every where food and cold drinks were distributed. People of Ramnagar were given free food for many days. Natives, locals and outsiders and even dogs of Ramnagar ate….
