There was a weaver who had two wives. Each wife had a daughter; one was named Shukhu, and the other was Dukhu. The weaver favored his first wife and her daughter, Shukhu. They never lifted a finger to do any housework; they just sat and ate all day. Meanwhile, Dukhu and her mother spun thread and cleaned the house, and in return, they received only a few handfuls of rice and endless scolding.
One day, the weaver died. Immediately, the first wife hid all of his money and possessions and cast Dukhu and her mother out.
Shukhu’s mother would buy the best fish and the finest vegetables from the market, and she would cook and eat them in front of her co-wife and stepdaughter, just to flaunt her good fortune.
Dukhu and her mother spun thread day and night, making a small towel one day, a napkin the next. They would sell these for a pittance, just enough to buy a small amount of rice for themselves.
One day, after the mice had chewed through their thread and the cotton had gone limp, Dukhu’s mother laid out the thread and cotton to dry in the sun and went to the river to wash clothes. Dukhu sat watching over the cotton. Suddenly, a gust of wind came and blew all the cotton away. Dukhu couldn’t save a single piece. She sat down and cried.
Then the wind said, “Dukhu, don’t cry. Come with me, and I will give you more cotton.”
Crying, Dukhu followed the wind.
On the way, a cow called out to her, “Dukhu, where are you going? Will you clean my shed for me?” Dukhu wiped her tears, cleaned the cow’s shed, and gave it fresh hay and water. Then she continued on her way, following the wind.
A little further on, a banana tree said, “Dukhu, where are you going? I am tangled in these vines. Will you clear them for me?” Dukhu stopped and cleared the vines from the banana tree.
After walking a bit more, a Sheora tree called out, “Dukhu, where are you going? My trunk is very messy. Will you sweep around it for me?” Dukhu swept the base of the tree and cleared away the fallen leaves. After tidying everything up, she continued on with the wind.
A little further on, a horse said, “Dukhu, Dukhu, where are you going? Will you give me four bundles of grass?” Dukhu gave the horse some grass. Then, she walked on and on with the wind until she arrived at a sparkling white house.
There was no one in the house. The rooms were spotless, and the courtyard was gleaming. On the veranda sat an old woman, spinning thread. With every turn of her wheel, a pair of beautiful saris appeared.
This was no ordinary old woman; she was the mother of the moon!
The wind said, “Dukhu, go to the old woman and ask for cotton. She will give it to you.”
Dukhu went and bowed at the old woman’s feet.
“Grandmother,” she said, “the wind has blown all my cotton away. My mother will scold me. Please, grandmother, give me back my cotton.”
The old woman’s hair was like milk-foam and moonlight. She pushed it back from her face and looked at the small, sweet-spoken girl.
“Ah, my golden child, may you live long,” she said. “In that room, there are towels; in that room, there are clothes; and in that room, there is oil. Go and bathe in that pond. Then, go to that room and eat something. After that, I will give you your cotton.”
Dukhu went into the house and saw many beautiful towels and clothes, but she pushed them aside and chose a torn towel and a plain cloth. She put a little oil on her head and took a pinch of cleansing paste to the pond.
She applied the paste and dipped into the water. With the first dip, her beauty overflowed. She was more beautiful than a celestial nymph, but she didn’t even notice. With the second dip, her body was covered in so much jewelry that it seemed it would not fit. Adorned in gold, she slowly came out of the water and went to the dining room.
In the dining room, there were many delicacies that Dukhu had never seen before. She sat in a corner and ate a little bit of plain rice.
The moon’s mother said, “My golden child, you have come! Go into that room. There is cotton in a chest. Take it.”
Dukhu went and saw chests upon chests—small, large, of all kinds. She chose a tiny, toy-like chest from a corner and brought it to the old woman.
The old woman said, “My precious jewel! Why bring it to me? Go to your mother now. I have put cotton in this chest.”
Taking the dust from the old woman’s feet, with the chest on her hip, Dukhu, radiant with beauty and jewelry, started for home.
On the way, the horse said, “Dukhu, Dukhu, come, come. What else can I give you? Take this.” The horse gave her a spirited winged foal.
The Sheora tree said, “Dukhu, Dukhu, come, come. What else can I give you? Take this.” The tree gave her a pot of gold coins.
The banana tree said, “Dukhu, Dukhu, come, come. What else can I give you? Take this.” The tree gave her a large bunch of golden bananas.
The cow said, “Dukhu, Dukhu, come, come. What else can I give you? Take this.” The cow gave her a beautiful calf.
Placing the pot of gold and the bananas on the foal’s back, Dukhu returned home with the calf.
“Dukhu, Dukhu, you wretched girl, where did you go with the cotton?” Dukhu’s mother had been searching everywhere for her daughter and was beside herself with worry. She ran out and cried, “Oh, my child, where have you been?” Then she saw her. “Oh my! Is this my poor, unfortunate daughter? Where did you get all this?” She embraced Dukhu.
Dukhu told her mother everything. Overjoyed, Dukhu’s mother took her to Shukhu’s mother. “Sister, oh Shukhu, Shukhu, our sorrows are over. The moon’s mother has given Dukhu all these things. Take some for Shukhu, and let Dukhu keep some.”
With a scowl and a sneer, Shukhu’s mother said, “Don’t be ridiculous! Sharing someone else’s fortune? I wouldn’t touch it with a broomstick! Shukhu’s mother is not so desperate! You can have all that rubbish for yourself.” Under her breath, she muttered, “May my enemies’ fortunes burn! Why, is my Shukhu some worthless girl? If it’s in her fate, my Shukhu will bring back the wealth of the heavens herself tomorrow.”
Hurt, Dukhu and her mother returned home.
That night, when they opened the chest, a handsome prince emerged. The prince rode the winged horse and drank the milk of the special calf. Dukhu and her mother’s small hut was filled with light.
Without a word, Shukhu’s mother bolted the front door. The next day, she put some cotton out to dry at the back door and, whispering instructions to Shukhu, she tied a bundle of clothes and went to the river.
After a while, the wind came and blew Shukhu’s cotton away. Shukhu immediately ran after it.
The cow called out, “Shukhu, where are you going? Listen to me.” Shukhu didn’t even look back. The banana tree, the Sheora tree, and the horse all called out to her, but Shukhu paid no attention. She grew angry and shouted, “Hmph! I am going to the moon’s mother’s house. I don’t have time to listen to you!”
Following the wind, Shukhu arrived at the moon’s mother’s house.
“Hey, old woman, old woman, what are you doing just sitting there? Give me all my things first, then you can spin your thread. Hmph! That wretched Dukhu, and you gave her so much!”
Saying this, Shukhu was about to grab the old woman’s spinning wheel and break it.
The moon’s mother was astonished. “Stop, stop!” Such a small girl, but her words were so harsh, her actions so wild! The old woman remained silent.
Then she said, “Alright, go and bathe and eat, then you will get everything.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Shukhu stormed into the house and took the best towel from one room, the finest sari from another, and the pot of fragrant oil and the bowl of sandalwood paste, and went to the river.
She oiled her hair seven times, washed it seven times, and looked at her reflection in the water seven times. Still, she was not satisfied. After spending half the day like this, she finally got into the water.
One dip for beauty! One dip for jewelry! Ah! Shukhu was ecstatic. She looked this way and that. “The more I dip, who knows what else I will get!”
“Aai-aai-aai!!!” After the third dip, Shukhu came out and saw that her body was covered in warts and sores. Her nails were long and crooked, and her hair was like a bundle of jute. She was hideous. “Oh, mother! What has happened!” Crying, Shukhu went back to the old woman.
Seeing her, the old woman said, “Ah, you unfortunate girl. You must have dipped three times. Don’t cry. Go and eat; it’s getting late.”
Cursing the old woman, Shukhu went to the dining room and greedily ate all the best food, making a mess everywhere. Then she washed her hands and face and came out. “Alright, old woman, I’m going to my mother now! Are you going to give me the chest or not?”
The old woman showed her the room with the chests. Shukhu chose the biggest one she could find, hoisted it onto her head, and, muttering curses at the old woman, she set off for home, her ugliness dazzling the path.
Foxes fled at the sight of her. People on the road fainted. The horse gave her a kick. “Aai-aai!” she cried. A branch from the Sheora tree broke and fell on her. “I’m dead, I’m dead!” she screamed. A bunch of bananas fell from the banana tree and hit her on the back. “I’m finished, I’m finished!” she yelled. The cow lowered its horns and chased her. Panting, she finally reached her house.
Shukhu’s mother was waiting at the door, which she had decorated with auspicious markings. She had set out two seats and was watching the road.
Seeing Shukhu, her mother cried, “Oh, mother! Oh, mother, what will happen! Where will I go!” Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted. When she came to, she said, “So be it, you unfortunate girl. Bring the chest inside. We’ll see; maybe when your husband comes, everything will be alright.”
The two of them brought the chest inside.
That night, they opened the chest, and Shukhu’s husband emerged.
Shukhu said, “Mother, why are my legs tingling?” Her mother said, “Put on your anklets.” Shukhu: “Mother, why is my body shivering?” Mother: “Put on your jewelry.”
Then Shukhu’s hands began to crack, her throat gurgled, and her head itched. She put on a necklace, a nose ring, and a head ornament and fell silent. Happy, Shukhu’s mother went to sleep.
The next day, Shukhu did not open her door. “Why, it’s so late, won’t you get up?”
The time for bathing and eating came and went, but Shukhu did not get up. Shukhu’s mother went and opened the door. “Oh, my god!” Shukhu was not there. There was no trace of her. On the floor of the room were bones and the shed skin of a python. A python had eaten Shukhu.
Shukhu’s mother struck her head with a piece of firewood and died.