Dear reader, this tale doesn’t have any moral, but it is very funny and entertaining. Even after reading it so many times, I could never find logical reason behind fish laughing at the queen. If you can please let me know too…
A fisher-woman was passing by the palace one day when queen saw her through a window and asked her to show the fishes. A big fish jumped from the basket to the top making queen ask, ” Is it he or she? I want to buy she one only” Hearing the queen’s question, fish laughed aloud. ” I only have he-fishes” said the fisher woman and went away.
Queen, however felt offended and when king came, she took out her rage on him and told him about the rudely laughing fish. King didn’t believe at first but then decided to find out about it. Next day he called upon Vizier and told him entire story. He told him to investigate within six months or he will face death penalty.
Now the Vizier felt dreadful as he had no surety to find answer for the question. He called upon scholars but no one gave a satisfactory answer. Finally in the fifth month he gave up, he was sure King would hang him, to save his son from king’s wrath, he sent him away from the town for time being. Son of vizier who was wise as well as handsome, started his journey on a certain road. On the way there was an old farmer going back to his hometown. Vizier’s son Amar asked to join him on the journey and they started walking with each other.
It was a hot summer day, and way was tiring and long. Amar asked the farmer, ” It is a long journey, should we carry each other from time to time?” Farmer was shocked to hear that, he didn’t answer thinking the question to be crazy. Soon enough they passed through the field of corn, ready for harvest. Here the boy looking at the golden sea exclaimed, ” Why is this not eaten yet!” again farmer thought it to be stupid gesture. They went ahead into a jungle, here the boy took out his knife, gave it to the farmer and told him to bring two horses with it. They might be useful for the journey in the jungle. He also told him to not lose the knife and bring it back it is as it was precious.
Old man was angry!
He pushed away the knife and ignored what he said, confirming in his mind that the boy was fool. Eventually they came to a city. Though city was huge nobody talked to them or invited them for rest. Amar here again exclaimed, ” What a large cemetery!”
At the city’s end, they came to a actual cemetery, where final rites were in process for some person from city. Relatives of the dead were giving food and water to the passerby, both of them ate at the same. Here Amar with joy called out,” What a big city!” Now farmer thought that boy had completely lost his mind.
Then they had to cross the stream, that was near the cemetery, farmer pulled up a bit his dhoti and took out his sandals and crossed whereas this boy crossed as it is. Farmer thought the boy has no sense how to be, but as pity he should invite him to his house which was in the next village. Boy agreed to come to his house on one question and that was if pillars of the house were stable or not. Farmer thought it is vein to ask so he just came to his house and told all this funny business to his wife and daughter.
Daughter of the farmer was very wise
She disagreed with her father and told him the boy could be very wise. Farmer couldn’t believe thus she explained the meaning behind the question of the pillars. Boy just meant to say if farmer could afford feeding him. Similarly she further explained when he talked about carrying each other, it meant if they would converse both of them simultaneously so that it will be less stressful.
Later at the corn field he meant that how come yet no debtor showed his right on the field. Then when they were in jungle he meant that farmer could cut two bamboos with knife so they would be handy but bringing back the knife. Nobody in the city talked to them so it was no less than a cemetery, but instead at cemetery they got food,water and exchange of words, thus he exclaimed it to be city. While crossing the river many people get cuts by sharp stones thus it is wise to keep sandals on. Daughter and the farmer were very impressed.
“Tell him, father, that our beams are strong enough, and then he will come in. I’ll send on, ahead a present to the man, to show him that we can afford to have him for our guest.”
Accordingly she called a servant and sent him to the young man with a present of a basin of ghee, twelve chapatis, and a jar of milk, and the following message:–” O friend, the moon is full; twelve months make a year, and the sea is overflowing with water.”
Half-way the bearer of this present and message met his little son, who, seeing what was in the basket, begged his father to give him some of the food. His father foolishly complied. Presently he saw the young man, and gave him the rest of the present and the message.
“Give your mistress my salaam,” he replied, “and tell her that the moon is new, and that I can only find eleven months in the year, and the sea is by no means full.”
Not understanding the meaning of these words, the servant repeated them word for word, as he had heard them, to his mistress; and thus his theft was discovered, and he was severely punished. After a little while the young man appeared with the old farmer. Great attention was shown to him, and he was treated in every way as if he were the son of a great man, although his humble host knew nothing of his origin. At length be told them everything–about the laughing of the fish, his father’s threatened execution, and his own banishment–and asked their advice as to what he should do.
“The laughing of the fish,” said the girl, “which seems to have been the cause of all this trouble, indicates that there is a man in the palace who is plotting against the King’s life.”
“Joy, joy!” exclaimed the vizier’s son. “There is yet time for me to return and save my father from an ignominious and unjust death, and the King from danger.”
The following day be hastened back to his own country, taking with him the farmer’s daughter. Immediately on arrival he ran to the palace and informed his father of what he had heard. The poor vizier, now almost dead from the expectation of death, was at once carried to the King, to whom be repeated the news that his son had just brought.
“Never!” said the King.
“But it must be, so, your Majesty,” replied the vizier; “and in order to prove the truth of what I have heard, I pray you to call together all the maids in your palace, and order them to jump over a pit, which must be dug. We’ll soon find out whether there is any man there.”
The King had the pit dug, and commanded all the maids belonging to the palace to try to jump it. All of them tried, but only one succeeded. That one was found to be a man!
Thus was the Queen satisfied, and the faithful old vizier saved.
Afterwards, as soon as could be, the vizier’s son married the old farmer’s daughter and a most happy marriage it was.
