Many, many years ago, people and animals could understand each other’s language. They considered one another as relatives and openly asked for help when needed.
In one household, the wife was expecting a child, and at the same time, their cow was also going to have a calf. Both were in the courtyard. The wife was sitting on the veranda weaving cloth when suddenly the shuttle (used for weaving) fell from her hand. She then called out to the cow, “Sister cow, could you please bring me the shuttle?”
The cow replied, “Dear, my body feels just as tired as yours. I’m very lazy too, but I will bring it if you promise me one thing!”
“What is that? Tell me.”
“Will you arrange a marriage between your child and my calf?”
The word ‘relative’ spoken lightly and true kinship are two different things. Hearing the cow’s words, the wife secretly chuckled and said, “Alright, we shall see when the time comes. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, we’ll find out! For now, just bring me the shuttle so I can continue weaving.”
The cow brought the shuttle. Though the wife forgot about the condition, it remained clear in her mind. When the time came, both the household and the cowshed welcomed new life. A lively baby girl was born inside the home, and a strong, healthy calf was born in the cowshed.
From a young age, the calf would follow the girl everywhere. Whenever she went out to play, he would stand nearby. The villagers noticed this and whispered among themselves. As time passed, both grew up— the calf became a mighty bull.
When the villagers saw the girl, they whispered, “She is surely going to marry that bull!” But the girl would run away in anger.
One day, in a fit of despair, she went to the far end of the village where a tamarind tree stood and hanged herself there. Seeing this, the bull was so heartbroken that he struck the tree repeatedly with his horns until he died at that spot.
But their story did not end there.
Long after, two strangely beautiful, enormous tamarinds hung from the very branch where the girl had ended her life. No one had ever seen tamarinds like those before.
A long time had passed since the deaths of the girl and the bull. One afternoon, the king of that land went out for a ride on the back of his elephant. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon the pair of tamarinds hanging from the tamarind tree. Reaching out, he plucked the tamarinds to take them for the queen. But fate had other plans—one tamarind slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. The king’s elephant then picked it up with its trunk and ate it.
A few months later, a lively princess was born in the queen’s chambers, and in the elephant’s shelter, a vigorous baby white elephant came into the world. The princess grew up in the royal palace, while the white elephant grew up in the elephant’s stable. From early on, the white elephant never went near anyone but the princess. They played together all day long. Whenever the princess went near someone else, the elephant would raise its trunk and trumpet loudly in protest.
One day, the white elephant carried the princess on its back and ran far away from the palace, deep into the dense forest near the source of the Gomati River. At first, the princess enjoyed this freedom, but later, she began to miss her home. Deep in her heart, she longed to return.
In that forest lived a terrifying demon. When he saw the princess, he captured her and kept her imprisoned in his home. The white elephant searched everywhere but could not find her. However, the elephant itself remained in the forest.
Meanwhile, the king employed two brothers named Budua and Rangia to kill the white elephant and bring back the princess. Of the two brothers, the younger one, Budua, was braver and more skillful, but he was also very lazy by nature. So, Rangia built a treehouse deep in the forest for Budua and went out every day from morning till night searching for the elephant and the princess. Budua, on the other hand, spent his time eating and idling, looking around carelessly.
One day, the demon came across the treehouse in the middle of the forest, destroyed it completely, bit off Budua’s tongue, and threw him two hundred hands away.
Meanwhile, Rangia, while wandering, found the white elephant. Following the king’s orders, he killed the elephant and took its two tusks. Returning to the treehouse, he found the wreckage and searched until he found his brother’s tongue. Then, he prayed to the gods and regained the ability to speak on behalf of his elder brother. Budua then gave him the location of the demon’s house.
The demon’s house was inside a tunnel at the base of a huge banyan tree. Rangia sat Budua outside and went inside the tunnel. As he entered, he felt as if he had entered a new world! There was no resemblance to the forest outside. All around were stone houses. Clear water ponds. But there was no sign of any people in any house. After wandering for a long time, suddenly he saw a very beautiful girl sitting on a large couch, crying. Then Rangia realized, this was the princess—the one he had been searching for so long. From the princess, he learned that the demon roams the forest all day and returns at dusk.
When the demon returned at dusk, the tunnel began to tremble inside and out. But Rangia was not afraid. He was a true warrior. People said he was the son of the gods. So with a single strike of Rangia’s sword, the demon fell dead, unable to even raise his head again.
Meanwhile, Rangia’s heart also grew fond of the captive princess. Together, they took all the precious jewels of the demon queen and returned to the royal court, bringing along Budua, who was dozing outside. The king and queen were overwhelmed with joy upon receiving their long-lost treasure and hearing the tale of the demon’s defeat.
As a reward, the king granted Rangia half the kingdom and the princess, who was dearer to him than life itself.
After that, they lived happily and peacefully. Yet, perhaps sometimes the princess remembers her current life or even a past life’s companion—who might have repeatedly come back to this world as a bull or an elephant and died for her sake. Maybe Rangia, happily enjoying his kingship, has forgotten all about those tales.