The Three Gifted Men

Undaunted, Vikram returned to the tree, got down the corpse, threw it across his shoulder and again began walking towards the burial ground when the Bethal of the corpse said, “O King, you truly remind me of the three gifted men. Let me tell you their extraordinary tale.” He began the following tale

In the South, a certain well-to-do peasant had one son and three daughters. The daughters were married to three rich young men, but the son remained unmarried.

One year after his sisters went away to their husbands, the peasant’s son went to see them and to find out how they were faring with their husbands. He first went to his eldest sister and asked her, “How now, sis? How do you get on with your husband?”

“I can’t say I’m quite happy, brother,” she replied. “My husband has too much money but too little to do. He is a gifted archer, you know. As soon as I sit for my toilet every morning, he comes with his bow and arrow and hits my nose ring. I nearly swoon with fear lest he should miss the mark and hit me.”

“Is that so?” said the brother. “Don’t worry yourself. I will soon find something for your husband to do.”

Then, he went to his second sister and asked her, “How now, sis? How are you getting on with your husband?”

“I can’t say I’m quite happy, brother,” she replied. “My husband has too much money but too little to do. He has got the gift of extraordinary vision, you know. He can see what is going on in all three worlds. He spends all his time watching the divine dances of the court of Indra and never worries himself about the affairs of this world. I don’t know what to do.”

“Is that so?” said the brother. “Don’t worry yourself. I will soon find something for your husband to do.”

Next, he went to his third sister and asked her, “How now, sis? How are you getting on with your husband ?”

“I can’t say I’m quite happy, brother,” she replied. “My husband has too much money and too little to do. You know, he has the gift of moving faster than the wind. He starts early every morning, runs to Banaras, lights the wicks in the temple there, then runs to the east coast, bathes there in the sea, then to the west coast, and returns home by nightfall. I don’t know how to get on with such a husband.”

“Is that so ?” said the brother. “Don’t worry yourself. I will soon find something for your husband to do.”

The peasant’s son returned home and sent invitations to his three sisters and their husbands to spend a few days with him. Accordingly, they came.

“I hear that you are all very gifted,” the young man said to his brothers-in-law. “Yet, I find you do not use your talents properly. If you take the trouble of going to the kingdom of Chola, I am sure you will find an opportunity to exercise your talents. I advise you to undertake the journey.”

They consented to do so. They started at once and reached the kingdom of Chola over time. They lodged at a hostel and asked the landlady,

“Granny, what are the strange things of this city worth knowing?”

The old woman sighed and said, “The strangest thing, my dears, is the queer attitude of our princess regarding her future husband. She insists on marrying the man who can offer her fresh Devaparijata flowers. Deva-Parijata flowers cannot be obtained within a thousand miles, and they fade in a few hours when brought into this hot climate. How can anyone bring fresh flowers and offer them to her? Our King is troubled to death.”

The three gifted men conferred among themselves and reached a decision. They went to the King and told him, “Your Highness, we are ready to bring fresh Devaparijata flowers for your daughter.”

“By all means, my boys!” the King replied. “You’ll be doing me a great favour.”

Then the three went outside the city. The one with the gift of extraordinary vision looked all around and suddenly pointed his finger in one direction, saying, “Two thousand miles away in this direction, I see a forest, and beyond that, a big orchard of Devaparijata trees.”

At once, the one with extraordinary speed started in that direction and was soon lost to sight. But the one with the remarkable vision could see him still, and he described what he saw: “He is now reaching the forest. He has entered the orchard. He is plucking the flowers. He has started back. Good god! There is a tiger! It is watching our man from behind a bush, ready to jump on him!”

“Point your finger at the tiger! Quick!” said the archer. “I’ll kill the tiger with one arrow!”

It was soon done. A few moments after the arrow was shot, the one with the extraordinary vision exclaimed, “The tiger is hit! It has cried out of pain, and our man has got up at the sound. He is now coming away! Thank God, there is no longer any danger.”

In a few moments, the one who went to bring the flowers arrived, and they all went to the King with the fresh flowers.

“Which of you is responsible for bringing these flowers?” the King asked. They replied, “all three of us pooled our talents.”

The King was in a fix. He did not know to whom he should give his daughter in marriage.

Having narrated this story, Bethal said, “O King, which one of them deserved to marry the princess? Your head shall be split if you know the answer and still do not speak.”

“Not one of the three deserved to marry the princess,” said Vikram. “They were undoubtedly very highly gifted, but they had no capacity to use their talents properly. It was the peasant’s son that showed such capacity. Of the four, he is the only bachelor, and for that reason, he deserves to marry the princess.”

The King’s silence was broken, and Bethal returned to the tree with the corpse.