The Seven Horses
A farmer resided near a forest with his two sons, Jai and Vijay. Stricken by poverty, he struggled to nourish his family adequately. Unable to tolerate the hardship, the older son, Jai, decided to approach the stern but powerful local king for employment. Thus he set out for the king’s palace.
First Encounter
The king listened patiently to Jai’s account before offering him a unique task. He was to oversee the king’s seven horses, observing their eating and drinking habits. Success would bring rewards, the chief among them being marriage to the king’s daughter. Failure, however, would result in severe punishment.
Jai agreed with confidence and took the horses out the next morning. He faced challenges almost immediately as he struggled to keep up with the fast-galloping horses, eventually falling behind and losing sight of them.
Lessons Learned
Tired and lost, Jai stumbled upon a quaint cottage where a hospitable old woman lived. After some rest and food, Jai remembered his task. The old woman informed him the horses ate grass and drank water and that they would return by the same path later. Trusting her words, he returned to the king and relayed what he had been told, only to face the ruthless punishment threatened earlier. Injured and disheartened, he returned home.
Second Attempt
Upon hearing Jai’s tale, the younger son Vijay decided to undertake the same task to set matters right. Despite facing the same challenges, he pursued the horses relentlessly, even grabbing a horse’s tail to keep up. His efforts led him to a forsaken temple deep within the forest where a miraculous transformation took place: the horses metamorphosed into seven handsome princes, revealed to be the king’s cursed sons.
The Truth Unveiled
The eldest prince explained their predicament, being cursed by a sorceress to live as horses. Though they resumed their human forms within the temple, they reverted to equine form upon leaving. The only solution was to divulge their secret to the king and decapitate them with a certain sword. Braving the task, Vijay fetched the sword, observed what the princes ate and drank, and prepared for the night ahead.
A Brave Climax
Despite the old woman’s scathing reprimands—the apparent sorceress herself—Vijay led the transformed horses back to the palace. Confronting the king, he relayed what he had observed: the king’s ‘horses’ ate like humans, drank from a sacred pond, and prepared a variety of extraordinary juices. Pleased by Vijay’s bravery and the truth unveiled, the king arranged the wedding of his daughter to Vijay, thus forever altering the fate of the farmer’s family.