Fortune Favours the Fool

A certain widow lived in the city of Madipura. She had a son named Sudhir. Though he was named for intelligence, he was the most foolish creature alive. However, he was a good lad and very simple in his ways.

His mother worried about him constantly. She knew he was incapable of carrying out even the simplest commands successfully. One day, she sent him into the forest to gather some firewood. Thrice, she reminded him of what he had to do. Sudhir could not understand why she had impressed this simple command upon him so many times.

He set out for the forest with the axe on his shoulder. As he was passing through the forest, he saw three youths snoring under a tree while the blazing sun shone mercilessly on them. Sudhir quickly cut a branch and held it over their faces so that the sunlight would not fall on them.

The three awoke suddenly to find themselves in the comforting shade of the branch. They saw Sudhir standing there and asked him what he was doing. He told them he was providing them with shade so that they could sleep comfortably. Moved by his kindness, they blessed him, saying, “You are a good lad. Whatever you wish will happen.” Being gods, they were pleased with Sudhir’s good nature and bestowed upon him this remarkable power.

However, dim-witted Sudhir did not understand what they meant.

He gathered a large amount of firewood, so much that he found it impossible to carry. So, he sat down and wished that he could fly home with his bundle of firewood. At once, he rose into the air with his load. Princess Meenalochani, seeing him from her window, laughed loudly at the funny spectacle of the lad riding on a bundle of firewood. Annoyed by her laughter, Sudhir wished he could marry her to teach her a lesson.

As soon as he thought of this, a similar idea possessed the princess, and she ran to the king, saying she was keen on marrying Sudhir. Initially, the king was angry because he did not like the idea of marrying his daughter off to a strange young man who flew through the air on a bundle of firewood.

He tried to reason with the princess, but she would not listen. Finally, after consulting his ministers, he announced a banquet at which all the unmarried young men of the city were invited. However, Sudhir did not attend as his mother could not trust her foolish son out of her sight.

Not finding Sudhir in the crowd, the princess declared another banquet must be held. This time, those who did not attend would be severely punished. Sudhir’s mother, fearing the royal wrath, sent her son to the banquet. When the princess saw him, she ran to her father and exclaimed, “Father, there he is. He is the one I want to marry.”

The king was aghast at the sight of the simple and foolish-looking Sudhir. He said to his daughter, “Are you going to marry that foolish creature?”

“Yes, father,” replied the resolute princess.

“Very well, but don’t blame me for what happens afterwards,” said the wrathful king.

The wedding took place, and shortly afterwards, the king shut them up in a wooden barrel and threw it into the sea, though some food was stored inside so they would not die of starvation.

The princess, thoroughly alarmed, spoke to Sudhir. “What shall we do?”

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “Somehow, whatever I think has come true so far. I saw you and wanted to marry you, and here we are.” Realizing he had some miraculous power, Princess Meenalochani urged him to save them from their predicament.

So Sudhir wished for a ship to take them off the wooden cask, and sure enough, a ship appeared on the horizon, rescuing them.

Soon, they reached land, and the princess encouraged Sudhir to wish for a palace and a retinue of servants. He wished for everything she suggested, and it all came to pass.

One day, Meenalochani said to Sudhir, “Why don’t you wish to be handsome and intelligent?”

Sudhir wished as she had suggested and was immediately transformed into a handsome and keen-eyed prince.

Meanwhile, Meenalochani’s father regretted his hasty decision to throw his daughter and son-in-law into the sea. Thinking they might have been saved, he began searching for them.

One day, he stumbled upon a magnificent palace and was astonished to find his daughter and son-in-law living there. After hearing all that had happened, he was proud of Sudhir, now the most intelligent man in the land.

As for Sudhir’s mother, she came to the palace to live with her son and rejoiced in the good fortune that had finally come to one who was once considered foolish and ineffective.

Riddles

What has four legs but is not an animal; feathers, yet is not a bird; and clothes but is not human?

Why is a ship very polite?

What has one eye and drags its tail behind it?