Bengal Fairy Tales/Humility rewarded and Pride punished
IX
HUMILITY REWARDED AND PRIDE PUNISHED
THERE was once a certain weaver with two wives, each of whom was blessed with a daughter. The names of the daughters were Shookhu and Dukhu. Shookhu with her mother, the elder wife, passed her time in idle amusements, while Dukhu and her mother did all the duties of the house. In course of time the weaver died, and his elder wife, appropriating to herself the property he left, Dukhu and her mother were obliged to shift for themselves. For their livelihood they spun cotton thread, and made coarse cloths of it, selling them in the bazar. One day Dukhu's mother went out, leaving some cotton to dry in the sun under the care of her daughter. A gust of wind suddenly dispersed the cotton on all sides, and the poor girl distractedly ran after the pieces flying in the air. Even the wind took pity on her and said, "Dukhu, don't cry, come after me." The girl did as she was told and eventually reached the door of a cowshed and was asked by its inmate to give her some food. Cows are regarded by Hindus as incarnations of their chief goddess (Durga), and Dukhu gladly did the service asked of her. She then resumed her journey after the wind, and on her way was requested by a plantain tree to relieve it of its overgrown boughs and the creepers round it. Again she did as she was desired, but no sooner had she followed the wind a little further than a horse wanted her to give it some food. She attended to it, and after a little while reached a nicely whitewashed house which was very neat and clean inside, but situated in a very lonely place. There sat in the veranda of one of the rooms an old lady, all alone, who was making, in the twinkling of an eye, thousands and thousands of Saris.[1] The wind introduced her to Dukhu, saying that the old lady was the moon's mother, with the world's cotton at her disposal. The girl was tempted to ask for some, but was told that she must first refresh herself a little before receiving the gift. She was directed to go and bathe in a river close by, but no sooner had she dipped her head in it and drawn it up again than she was turned into a surpassingly beautiful damsel, adorned with the richest gems and ornaments of gold. On her return to the house, dishes of the choicest food were placed before her, but she did not touch them. She ate only a handful of stale rice, lying neglected in one of the corners of the room. The moon's mother then told her to go into an adjoining room where she would find an abundant stock of the best cotton in big closed chests, any one of which she might take. She did not take any of these, however, selecting a very small chest, lying apart, which she placed before her benefactress. The latter approved her choice and dismissed her, pouring blessings on her head.
On her way homewards she met her old acquaintances the horse, the plantain tree, and the cow, and they respectively presented her with a swift-winged colt, a begemmed necklace in a basketful of gold mohurs, and a calf belonging to that species which, whenever required, gives milk as sweet as nectar.
As soon as she reached home her mother, who had been restlessly awaiting her return, ran forward to embrace her. But what was the poor woman's surprise when she saw the treasures her daughter had brought. Dukhu told her bewildered mother the story of her adventures, and the latter, with a heart overflowing with joy, ran to Shookhu and her mother, recounting the good fortune that had visited Dukhu, and proposing to give them a portion of the wealth the girl had brought. At this the weaver's elder widow, with a long face and eyes inflamed with anger, said, "Far be it from us to take a share of what we fear may have been dishonestly acquired. I would strike my daughter in the face with the broomstick should she take a cowrie[2] from the treasures you are so proud of. Avaunt! If fortune befriend my girl, she may to-morrow gain all the wealth the world contains."
The eventful day ended, and when Dukhu and her mother retired to their sleeping room at night the former opened the chest she had brought, and out of it came a prince-like youth, intended by fate to be her husband.
The next day Shookhu, who had managed to find out from her half-sister all the circumstances under which she had left home and obtained the immense fortune, set out on the same quest. But when following the wind she contemptuously refused to serve the cow, the plantain tree, and the horse, who all asked her help. She was not respectful even to the moon's mother when led before her. Haughtily addressing the venerable old lady, she said, "Old woman, why dost thou keep me waiting? Come, give me all the things that Dukhu had from thee. Thou art mad, or thou wouldst not have given them to a wretch like her. Now attend to me, or I will break thy head and thy spinning-wheel." The old lady was both surprised and angry at this mode of address. She told the girl, however, to go to the neighbouring river and bathe. Three times she dipped herself in the river, after which she found her body full of warts, blotches, and sores. Frantic with rage and despair she returned to the old lady, and commenced abusing her, to which the latter said, "Don't blame me, but yourself. Good Dukhu plunged herself into the water only twice, but you dived into it once in excess. Reap the consequence of your folly." Being then shown where the food was, the girl greedily ate the richest dishes, and, having finished the meal, insolently demanded the delivery of a chest like the one Dukhu had obtained. Being told where it was to be found, she went there, and took up the largest chest within reach. And, forgetful even to bid farewell to her hostess, she ran homeward. Whoever met her on the way shunned her ugly appearance. Her other experiences were equally painful. The horse gave her a kick, the plantain tree threw several bunches of its fruit on her head, and the cow goaded her. After all these humiliations she reached home, panting for breath and half dead.
Her mother, who was wistfully expecting her, fainted at the sight. The chest was, however, some consolation. The mother and daughter, who had heard of the sudden appearance of a very good-looking young man out of Dukhu's chest, expected the like for themselves. They carried it into Shookhu's bedroom, but the girl, feeling very drowsy, put off opening it till the next morning. But her eyes were destined not to see its light. At midnight she cried, "Mother, I feel a torturing pain in the ankles," But her mother replied, "Child, it is nothing. Your prospective husband is putting anklets round them. Have patience, and put them on."
But Shookhu again cried out, " Mother, I feel a shivering all over my body," and again the mother replied, "Child, it is nothing. You are only being decked with ornaments."
After this Shookhu was deprived of the power of utterance, and after passing through unbearable tortures she gave up the ghost. Day dawned and her mother called at her door. But there was no response. Some two or three hours were allowed to pass, it being thought that the girl, worn out by her journey, was still asleep. But when it was nearly mid-day the door was burst open, and all that remained of Shookhu was a heap of bones, with a snake's cast-off skin beside them. The truth was evident. Shookhu had been devoured by a snake. The mother, unable to bear this misfortune, killed herself; and thus ended two lives on account of their envy, selfishness, and pride; while Dukhu and her mother, humble and virtuous, enjoyed the special gifts of God all through their lives.