sagi
Donyo Dorje and Belsa were forever quarrelling with each other. The old woman would hurl her pots and pans at him, and he would catch hold of her and give her a sound thrashing. One day, he brought some cloth and showed it to Belsa. She shouted and screamed and flung it on his head. “What a waster you are,” she said. “There is no food in the house, and all you think of bringing home is this expensive piece of cloth.”
Shouting and stamping his feet with the empty bag in his hand, Donyo rushed out of the hut and went and lay under a tree. Soon, he fell asleep. A duststorm swirling around him woke him up after some time. The moment he opened his eyes, he jumped three feet in the air, his eyes popping out with fright. In his bag sat a big black snake. AS he watched, the snake slithered out of the bag and entered his hut. Fascinated, Donyo followed it inside, forgetting he had promised that IjdE would never come back while Belsa was alive. Hearing him come in, Belsa came to do some more shouting, but was struck dumb when she saw her husband following a snake. The snake went straight into the store.
After some time, Donyo and Belsa summoned enough courage to peep in. They nearly fell in surprise at what they saw inside. On the floor sat a rosy-cheeked, fat, little, dimpled boy. His round, black eyes were dancing with mischief as he said, Why are you looking at me like that?”
It took quite some time for the normally shouting uple to open their mouths, and, when they did, a miserable squeak came out. The boy Tsarong spoke again, “Amma, abba, I have come to live with you. Donyo and Belsa had no children of their own. His lovely child delighted them. They soon forgot their quarrels, picked up the boy, and danced round in joy. No one ever heard them quarrelling or even yelling after that.
The boy Tsarong grew up very fast. In a week, he had grown into a young man. But, most of the time, he would crawl into his snake skin and sleep in the store. One day he said to his father, “Go to the king nd ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage for me. Donyo was horrified at the thought. “But my dear son,” he said, “we have spent a lifetime begging for food, and you now ask me to ask the king for his daughter! You must think I am mad!”
But Tsarong was determined. He asked his father to go and try at least. Quaking with fear and with his mouth dry, Donyo reached the palace. He sought permission to speak to the king, then said, “My lord, I do not know how to say this, but my son whom 1 got in my old age, has 1 asked me for an impossible thing. He wants to marry the Princess Drolma.” So, Donyo1 hung his head, fearing it would be chopped off any moment. The king was livid with rage; he had Donyo thrown out of the palace.
The poor man limped home and told Tsarong all that had happened. The young man did not say anything but slithered out of the house. The next day, there was a great uproar in the country. All the springs, lakes, and rivers dried up. Not a drop of water was available. The people went to the palace and demanded a supply of water. All the lamas got together and prayed for days, but there was still no water. They could hear it rushing underground, but none could see even a drop of it. The largest spring had a great boulder stuck in it. Everyone joined in to roll it away. But in vain. The king and his family stood around the spring, begging the spirit of the spring for water. A voice answered, “You will not get a drop of water till you give your daughter’s hand in marriage.” The king now readily agreed. The boulder rolled off on its own, and there was water in the land again
The wedding preparations went on at a hectic pace. Then one day, a messenger from the king came to Donyo, and he said, “The king has asked me to tell you that you will be required to bring rich presents for everyone in the palace; only then will the princess come and live with you.” Donyo was very worried. He, who never knew where the next meal was coming from, how could he present such treasures? He wished he had never adopted Tsarong.
Tsarong heard of this and asked his father not to worry at all. He asked him to carry three bags full of stones, hay, and broken cups and plates. The wedding procession left for the palace. The king demanded his presents. He first said, “I want scarves.” Tsarong dipped into the bag full of hay and pulled out an endless stream of scarves. The king next asked for gold and silver. Tsarong pulled out unlimited quantities from the bag of broken crockery, and when the king wanted precious stones, the bag of stones provided him with more than he could imagine.
Satisfied, the king performed the wedding, and Princess Drolma went to live in her husband’s home. One day, there was to be a great fair in the neighbouring city. Tsarong asked his parents and wife to go. He said, “What will a snake do there?” When everyone had gone, Tsarong got out of his snake skin and hurried to the fair. People were dazzled to see the handsome young man riding a white horse. Before the fair was over for the day, the man and his horse vanished.
Excited by the hectic day, Drolma, Donyo, and Belsa got home late at night. They found Tsarong sleeping in his room. Excited by the hectic day, Drolma, Donyo, and Belsa got home late at night. They found Tsarong sleeping in his room. In the morning, Tsarong asked his wife what she thought was the best sight at the fair. She said, “Towards the afternoon, there suddenly appeared a very handsome man on a. white horse. He looked almost like a god. But he left as mysteriously as he had. come. No one knows who he was. I think he was the most fascinating sight there.” Tsarong said nothing, just smiled to himself.
His parents and wife left for the fair again, leaving Tsarong asleep. Again, the wonderful stranger reached the fair. Drolma asked an old woman if she knew who it was. The old woman said, “Shame on you! Don’t you know your own husband when you see him?” Drolma sighed and said sadly, “But you are mistaken, for my husband is a snake.”
The woman then told Drolma about her husband’s secret. She asked her to go home while the man was at the fair, and burn the skin. Drolma rushed home and found the snake skin in the store. She quickly put it in the fire. Now, as the skin burned, Tsarong, who was at the fair, felt an awful burning all over him. He could bear it no longer and fell in a faint. Donyo and Belsa were grief-stricken, but the old woman sprinkled milk on Tsarong’s body, and he was soon conscious.
Drolma had meanwhile come back to the fair. She told the handsome young stranger what she had done. He smiled and said, “I know what you have done. You have burned the curse off me, my beautiful wife. Now, I shall always remain as you see me now.” They then lived happily together. The king died, and Tsarong was proclaimed the heir. He ruled over the country for many years.
A folktale is sourced from Folk Tales of Ladakh by Veena Mehta
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