The Tale of the King and the Twins

The Tale of the King and the Twins

Once upon a time, there was a king who had been married for ten years but had no children. One day, a monk visited the king and said, "I can give your queen a potion that will allow her to bear twin sons. However, you must promise me that you will give me one of the twins."

The king, though troubled by this condition, was eager to have an heir to carry on his name and inherit his wealth and kingdom. He agreed to the monk's terms. The queen took the potion, and soon after, she gave birth to twin boys. Years passed, and the monk never returned to claim his share. The king and queen assumed he had died, especially since he was old when he visited them, and they dismissed their worries.

Unbeknownst to them, the monk was alive and counting the years carefully. The king, meanwhile, devoted himself to raising his sons, teaching them to ride horses, shoot arrows, and sword fight. The townspeople admired the boys greatly. When they turned sixteen, the monk appeared at the palace gates, demanding the king fulfill his promise.

The king and queen were taken aback, believing the monk to be dead, but their shock grew as they saw him standing there, demanding one of their sons. Overwhelmed with sorrow, they realized they had no choice but to comply, lest the monk’s curse befall them.

The brothers were heartbroken, having no knowledge of this promise. The younger brother urged the elder, "You are the firstborn; you must stay with our parents and take care of them and the kingdom." The elder replied, "You are our parents' pride; you should remain with them. I will go." After much persuasion, the elder prince left with the monk, planting a tree in the palace courtyard before departing. He told his family, "This tree represents my life. If it is green and flourishing, I am well. If it withers, know that I am unwell. If it dies, I have perished."

The elder prince embraced his family and left with the monk. As they walked through the forest, they encountered a group of dogs. One pup said to its mother, "I want to go with that handsome young man!" The mother allowed it, and the prince happily took the puppy as a companion. They continued until they spotted a female falcon perched on a tree with her chicks. One chick exclaimed, "I want to go with that handsome young man!" The mother permitted it, and the prince took the falcon as well.

The monk, the prince, the puppy, and the falcon journeyed deeper into the woods until they reached an ancient hut, which was the monk's home. The monk instructed the prince, "You will live here and your main task will be to gather flowers from the forest for my rituals. You can go anywhere except north; if you do, danger will find you."

The prince gathered flowers while the monk took them away for the day, returning only at sunset. Thus, the prince spent his days exploring the forest with his puppy and falcon, hunting deer. One day, he shot a deer that ran north. Forgetting the monk's warning, he chased after it, entering a beautiful house. Instead of finding the deer, he encountered a stunning girl who beckoned him inside. "Stay, stranger! Let us play a game of snakes and ladders," she said.

The prince agreed. They decided that if he lost, he would give her his falcon; if she lost, she would give him a falcon like his. The girl won, taking the falcon and hiding it under a wooden board. The prince suggested another game, wagering his puppy this time. Again, the girl won and took the puppy, hiding it under another board.

Finally, the prince proposed a third game, this time wagering himself. If he lost, he would be at her mercy; if he won, she would give him a boy exactly like him. The girl won once more, capturing the prince and hiding him under a board.

Unbeknownst to him, the girl was not human but a powerful enchantress who had ensnared his brother. The elder prince, realizing his brother was in danger, quickly chose the fastest horse from the palace stables and raced to the forest. Along the way, he encountered a group of dogs. One small dog said, "Since you took my brother, take me with you!" The prince, understanding that his brother had taken a puppy, accepted the dog as a companion. Not far ahead, he heard a falcon calling from a tree, "You took my brother; take me too!" The prince complied, and with his new companions, he ventured into the heart of the forest.

When they reached the monk's hut, neither the monk nor the elder brother was there. The younger prince sat waiting for their return. As the sun set, the monk arrived and was pleased to see him. "Where is your brother?" the monk asked. The younger prince replied, "I don't know." The monk warned him, "I told your brother not to go north, for danger lurks there. It seems he disobeyed and fell into the hands of Sasha, who lives there. There is little hope of rescuing him; she may have consumed him."

Determined to save his brother, the younger prince took aim and shot a deer, which ran north. He followed it into Sasha's beautiful home and was not surprised to find the enchanting girl who had captured his brother. She invited him to play the same game, and he agreed. This time, he won, and she gave him back the falcon. They played again, and he won the puppy back as well. For the third game, he insisted on wagering his brother's freedom. The girl protested, claiming it was impossible to find another like him, but he insisted, and she reluctantly released his brother.

Once freed, the brothers resolved to prevent Sasha from ensnaring anyone else. Sasha then revealed a secret that could save the elder prince's life. She told them that the monk was a servant of the goddess Kali, who had a temple nearby. He belonged to a Hindu sect seeking perfection through communion with the spirits of the departed.

Sasha advised the elder prince to visit the temple to confirm her story. He left his brother with her and went to the temple, where he discovered the truth of her words. Upon returning, he told her, "Your life for mine!" She replied, "There is only one way to save yourself. When the monk brings you to the temple to offer you as a sacrifice, he will ask you to bow before the goddess. If you do, you will perish. Instead, tell him you are a prince and do not bow to anyone. Ask him to show you how to bow."

Grateful for her advice, the elder prince returned to the hut with his brother. In a few days, the monk completed his rituals and told the prince to accompany him to the temple of Kali for a reason he did not disclose. The younger prince insisted on going too but was not allowed inside. The monk stood before Kali, instructing the prince to bow. The prince replied, "I am a prince! I have never bowed to anyone and do not know how. Show me first, and I will gladly do as you wish."

The monk bowed before the goddess, who was pleased with the prince's defiance. She granted him the virtue of perfection that the monk had sought. The twins returned home to their father safely.

And so, the tale concludes.