Bushy Bride - Part Two

Once the girl had done all the tasks set out for her the three heads began to talk to each other.

All the three heads wanted to give some gifts to the girl who was so kind to them. 

The first head spoke first. “She will be the prettiest girl in the world.”

The second hand made sure that gold would drop from our hair whenever she brushes it and the third head said that gold will drop for a mouth whenever she speaks on seeing the girl come to their home looking even more beautiful than possible her stepmother and her step sister became even more angry they were even more furious when they saw that gold dropped out from her mouth when she spoke. 

The stepmother became so angry that she asked the girl to live in the pic sty. 

Though the girl could live there with her gold, the stepmother did not let her set foot inside the house.

Naturally after this incident the stepmother wanted her own daughter to have all the gifts like her step-daughter and the woman sent her own daughter to the same brook to get some water.

This time to the first head rose out of water and asked the girl to wash her 

However the woman's daughter was disgusted and she shook her head. “You should wash yourself. I will not do it.”

They two other heads also rose up from the water and asked the girl to do the same things. 

However the girl refused to do anything.

This time the three heads talked together and they punished her by making her very ugly and also that ashes would drop from her mouth when she spoke.

Adapted from Norwegian Folktales 

Bushy Bride - Part One

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had lost his wife. He had two children - a boy and a girl. The brother and sister loved each other a lot and were there for each other after they had lost their mother.

Unfortunately for the siblings, their father remarried a widow who had a daughter. Now their father’s new wife and the daughter of the new wife were both wicked.

The boy could no longer stay at home, after the man had remarried and decided to go out into the world and earn his own money.

The boy traveled and then came to the king’s palace. There, the boy worked under a coachman. The boy looked after his horses so wel that his horses were all fat and sleek and these horses shone brightly.

Meanwhile the sister was not doing so well.

The step-mother and the step-sister found fault with everything that the girl did. She did the hardest work in the house and still she found no peace.

Things went on from bad to worse for the sister. 

She once went to a brook to get some water.

At that time an ugly head rose up from the water. 

“Wash me.” The head commanded the girl.

The girl felt that this was very unpleasant work, but she decided to do as she was told and washed the ugly face.

She had done her work well, when another ugly face with wild hair came out of the water. “Brush me.” The face commanded the girl.

The hair of the second hair was messy and tangled, but the girl set about working on it.

After she was done, a third face came out of the water. “Kiss me.” The third face told the girl.

The girl felt this was the worst thing she had to do in her life, but she did this too.

Adapted from Norwegian Folktales

The Shrine of ‘Hang-The-Money-Up’ Tree - Part Two

‘I will never be able to reach the shrine. Then how will my husband be brought back to me?’

Onanatakamura’s wife despaired.

A little later, Onanatakamura’s wife reached a decision. ‘The Gods will definitely hear the prayer of a faithful wife, no matter where she is.’

She offered her prayers at the very spot that she stood. She hung the coins that she had on a pine tree and prayed to the Gods to take her to her husband.

The unkind farmer was nearby and heard her prayers.

When the woman finally went to rest, the farmer tried to steal the money from the tree.

However the farmer was in for a shock.

The Gods had turned the tree into a terrible two-headed serpent. When the farmer went near the tree to steal the money, the heads of the serpent spat of fire on the farmer. 

The farmer was terrified when he saw this.

He realized that he had made a grave mistake and in an attempt to correct it, he led the woman to the Shrine of Ise, himself.

Onanatakamura’s wife reached the shrine and prayed to the Gods.

The Gods heard her prayer once more and they worked a miracle.

The Mikado’s heart suddenly softened.

When the Mikado heard that the wife had reached the Shrine of Ise, he sent for her to come to his palace. “Such a faithful woman deserves a reward.” The Mikado beamed. “What reward do you want?”

“I want my husband back.” The woman replied immediately.

The Mikado immediately had Ononatakamura come back from exile.

The pine tree on which the money had been hung was made into a shrine. Any ill person who was ill would be made well here and they would receive any favour in abundance. 

This place was called the Shrine of the ‘Hang-the-Money-Up’ Tree.

Adapted from Japanese Folktales

The Shrine of ‘Hang-The-Money-Up’ Tree - Part One

Once there was a man by the name Onanatakamura. He had offended the Mikado of his kingdom. 

For this reason the Mikado sent the man into exile. 

Onanatakamura’s wife loved him dearly and she also wanted to go on excel but the Mikado would not permit her to go on exile with her husband.

She despaired at being separated from her husband. So to help him she decided to go to the Sacred Shrine of Ise and pray for her husband.

This shrine was at the foot of Mount Hi-Yei.

Onanatakamura’s wife was undeterred and she started walking towards the shrine. 

However she was not used to walking for such a long time she soon grew tired and sat down to rest under a pine tree.

As she sat down tired she looked into the beautiful country. There bloomed flowers on the pine trees that waved in their green branches and the tall mountains rose high towards the sky and the gentle blowing wind also calmed and rested her.

A farmer came that way. The women turned to the farmer and spoke politely. “Can you please tell me how far it is to the temple of Ise?”

However the farmer was a very rude and unkind man.

Though the farmer knew that the shrine was not very far away he lied to the woman. “The shrine is at least twenty days away.” The farmer told the woman finally.

The woman believed the farmer and she was disappointed. When she heard it she realized that at her slow speed she would never be able to reach the sacred shrine.

Adapted from Japanese Folktales

The Story of Sulochana and Sushena - Part Four

Sage Vatsa remembered the story of Pramadwara the daughter of another apsara - Menaka who had fallen dead after being bitten by a snake before she could marry sage Ruru. Ruru had set that right by giving half of his life to Pramadwara and then marrying her.

Sage Vatsa also remembered that Sage Vishwamitra with the powers of his ascetic merit had carried Trishanku to the heavens in Trishanku’s earthly body.

Sage Vatsa realised that this was the answer to his troubles.

He was a sage and he had to use his ascetic merit and make sure that King Sushena entered the kingdom of Indra in his own body.

That way King Sushena could be reunited with Rambha again.

As soon as Vatsa mediated on this, a heavenly voice was heard around the court of King Sushena. “So be it.”

Immediately after that, King Sushena gave his daughter in marriage to Vatsa.

King Sushena then ascended to heaven with his own body.

There Indra allowed the apsara Rambha to be married to King Sushena and they both lived happily with each other.

Adapted from the Katha Sarith Sagara

The Story of Sulochana and Sushena - Part Three

 

Sulochana grew up to be a beautiful young woman.

At that time there lived a descendant of sage Kashyapa and this man was named as Vatsa. 

Vatsa was roaming around the kingdom and at that time he saw Sulochana in a garden.

The minute the sage saw the princess he fell in love with her. He thought that all the ascetic merits that he had obtained till then would be worthwhile only if he got this woman as his wife.

Things turned out better for the sage because as soon as the princess saw the sage she also fell in love with him. Who is this man who looks so self restrained and still looks so lovely? She thought to herself.

The Princess walked towards the sage and threw a garland over the sage marking him as her choice of husband. 

As soon as the sage saw the garland he blessed her to obtain a husband for herself.

The Princess looked at the sage and nodded. “If that is what you desire, please go to the king and ask for his permission to marry me.”

After receiving this encouragement the sage went to king Sushena. Having heard everything that the sage had to tell him, the king smiled slowly. “This Sulochana is the daughter of Rambha and myself. Rambha is a heavenly Apsara.” Having told the sage this much the king also told the sage how he missed Rambha and how Rambha had told him that it was possible that Sulochana’s wedding could be the reason that the king could go back and live with Rambha.

The sage heard everything that the king had to say and he was silent wondering how he could solve the king's problem and also marry the beautiful Sulochana.

Adapted from Katha Sarith Sagara

The Story of Sulochana and Sushena - Part Two

  

The king and the apsara were so much in love with each other that the apsara even forgot heaven for some time.

In due course a daughter was born to Rambha and King Sushena.

However, immediately after giving birth to the child, Rambha became very sad.

“I am an Apsara and I belong to the land of Indra. According to the law that governs us, as soon as I have given birth to a child I must leave you and depart.”

The king was also heartbroken when Rambha turned to him with tear-filled eyes and she tried to console him. “However, when our daughter is married, we may be united again.”

The apsara did not say anything else and much against her will she left the king and went back to the land of Indra.

The king was very sad and did not know what to do. But his ministers were very wise and they also consoled him.

The ministers gave the king the example of sage Vishwamitra and Menaka the Apsara, who had faced separation too.

Finally the king understood the argument of his ministers and he took reigns of a kingdom again and he also decided to bring up his daughter with all love and care. 

He named the girl Sulochana.

Adapted from the Katha Sarith Sagara