Three Boons in One
The Fall of the Kind King
Long ago, in the far north of India, there lived a very kind and innocent king. Taking advantage of his goodness, his wicked minister, with the help of some courtiers and aided by another neighboring king, besieged the palace, threw him and his queen into jail, and usurped the throne. The young prince narrowly escaped into the nearby forest.
A Ripe Mango
He ran through the woods and stopped only when evening fell. Exhausted, he sat down under a large mango tree, gasping for breath. Suddenly, a wave of breeze passed by, and a few ripe mangoes fell into the prince’s lap. Looking up, he said, “Thank you very much, O good tree, for your fruits. I was very hungry indeed.”
A little dove hopped down to a lower branch and cooed, seeming to acknowledge the prince’s gratitude on behalf of the tree.
The Rowdy Gang
The prince enjoyed the mangoes, which were as sweet as nectar. As he relaxed against the tree, a gang of rowdy fellows arrived, climbed the tree, and plucked both ripe and unripe mangoes. While they savored the ripe ones, they carelessly discarded the unripe ones and broke the branches for fun. The little dove flew away, circling overhead, shrieking in fear that its nest might be destroyed.
“Why do you plunder the tree in this manner? Don’t you see that many of the fruits are unripe? What business do you have breaking the branches? Don’t you see the birds resting on them?” protested the prince.
“See, see and see! As if you alone have eyes, and we don’t!” one of the rowdies ranted. “Audacity! He teaches us how to see! Since we’ve stolen all the mangoes, let us pluck his eyes out. He has already seen too much for his age,” said the gang leader, glaring at the prince.
The Price of Kindness
They seized the prince, and despite his struggles to free himself, they plucked his eyes out and left him in agony. Crying in pain, the prince soon heard a soothing voice: “Do not grieve, O sweet prince. Know that this is a rare magic tree. At night, it can fly anywhere it likes. It is already dark enough for it to take off. We will take you to the goddess Kali, who dwells on a mountain in a faraway region. You may ask her for the boon of new eyes, and I am sure she will grant it to you.”
The Grateful Dove
“But who are you?” asked the prince. “I am the dove you saw earlier. The tree and I are grateful for your efforts to resist those rowdy fellows. Naturally, we are eager to help you. Now cling to the trunk,” said the dove. Following the dove’s advice, the prince clung onto the tree as it rose high into the clouds.
“Rejoice, O prince, rejoice, for shortly you will regain your vision,” the dove chirped joyfully. However, the prince only sighed in sorrow.
A Choice to Make
“Why do you sigh, O prince? Don’t you believe me? The compassionate goddess will give you new eyes. She always grants a devotee one boon, though never more,” said the dove.
“In that case, dear bird, I would rather ask for the freedom of my parents, who are rotting in the enemy’s jail, than for my eyes,” replied the prince, narrating to the dove all their misfortunes. The dove listened attentively and mumbled, “It is a pity that we can only obtain one boon from the goddess. You must choose between your parents’ freedom, your own eyes, and the recovery of your kingdom.”
“I don’t care for the kingdom,” declared the prince. “I must decide between securing my parents’ release or getting a pair of eyes for myself. My choice is for the former.”
The Meeting with the Goddess
“Wait, wait, I have a wonderful idea,” exclaimed the dove and whispered his advice to the prince as the tree began to descend towards the mountain.
The bird led the eyeless prince to the presence of the deity inside the temple. “In a sense, it is good that you cannot see anything. There are no human beings here. All the shrieks and noises are made by various imps, gnomes, and goblins. They would not have pleased your eyes at all!”
Soon, they entered a chamber that was perfectly silent. The dove taught the prince a hymn and asked him to repeat it three hundred and thirty-three times. After he finished, he heard a sublime voice: “My son, I am pleased with you. You can ask for one boon.”
“Thank you, O Goddess,” replied the prince, prompted by the dove, “Grant that flanked by my parents, I may be able to see from the roof of my palace, looking over my kingdom, your blessed temple here!”
“It is granted,” said the voice. Bowing down to the deity, the prince emerged and sat atop the tree, guided by the dove. As the tree rose high, he could soon see the twinkling stars and a bright moon. He had regained his vision. In an hour, the tree came down and took root again.
Restoration and Reward
Before long, his father’s soldiers found him. The people of the kingdom had risen in rebellion against the usurpers, routed them, and restored the throne to the old king. The prince then led the army against the neighboring king, who had aided the usurpers, defeated him, and annexed his kingdom. In doing so, he extended his domain up to the temple of Kali. Flanked by his happy parents, he could now oversee his kingdom and see the deity’s temple on the horizon. Thus, the single boon he received from the goddess proved to be equal to three boons.
The dove often visited the prince’s garden, offering many useful pieces of advice. Over time, people came to believe that it was at the dove’s suggestion that the prince married the most beautiful girl in the world.