Keep Your Promises & Words

Once, in the royal city of Kalinga, there was an old wood-cutter who lived alone with his young daughter. Every day, the woodcutter went out to the forest to gather thorn bushes. then sold them in the marketplace of firewood. In this way, he earned the bare necessities for two of them.

One morning, The woodcutter’s daughter came to him and said, “Father, we do have enough to eat the common things. But just once, it would be nice to have something special. Do you think you could buy us some cakes?”. He replied, “I think I could do that my dear. I will just gather some extra wood today.”

So the woodcutter walked farther that day to gather more thorn bushes. But he took longer than he meant to. By the time he got back with the wood, darkness has fallen. It was too late to go to the marketplace.

Woodcutter knocked on the door saying, “Sumi, Open the door”.  There was no response. “Alright, Let me sleep outside,” He thought.  The next morning, the woodcutter woke up, while it was still dark. He talked to himself like this, “I might as well go out right now and get another big load of wood. Then I can sell twice as much and buy more cakes”. So, he left his load and went back to the forest to gather more bushes.

But again, he took longer than he meant to and when he got back, it was dark and the door was bolted. So again he had to sleep at the doorstep. He thought “I am too tired, But having worked all day, there is none to give me food”.  He slept on the door side. Just then a goddess appeared before him.

Goddess asked, “What’s the wrong old man?”. The woodcutter woke up in surprise and said: “Am I dreaming or it’s real?” “Why are you crying?” Goddess asked. In reply to that, He said, “Mother,  for two days, I have gone out to gather thorn bushes and for the two days, I have come too late to get into my house and I have nothing to eat”.

The Goddess took some roasted peanuts from her pouch and handed them to the woodcutter and said, “Here, share this with me”. The woodcutter with gratitude said, “Thank you. Mother!”

“If you want your good fortune to continue, here’s what you must do. Every week, find someone in need, Then share what you have.  That way, u both will be helped”. The Goddess Said these and vanished. The door to his house swung open. The daughter came and asked, “Father, where have you been? Please come inside! I was so worried.”  The daughter and her father had a good meal.  The woodcutter and his daughter enjoyed good food from the extra money he brought after selling the wood.

Then one morning, when the woodcutter had gone to the forest, His daughter has finished her housework and decided to go for a walk in the park. She was strolling down a broad path. When a carriage stopped beside her, A princess came in a carriage. The Princess talked to herself, “What a pretty little girl!” “I am the daughter of the king.  Would you like to be my handmaiden?”

The Princess asked the woodcutter’s daughter. “Yes, your highness” the daughter replied. So the wood cutter’s daughter became the handmaiden of the princess. With the gifts the princess gave her, She and her father became quite rich. He bought a nice house and he didn’t have to gather thorn bushes anymore. But somehow he forgot what the goddess told him.

A month went by…

One day, the princess went on a picnic to one of her father’s private gardens and she took the wood cutter’s daughter. There was a small lake there, so they decided to play along. Princess asked the maiden, “Do you know how to swim?” “No madam.” She replied.  Even I too don’t know how to swim. I will play in the water and come back. I will leave my jewels here. Please take care of them. The princess took off her necklace and placed it on the bank of the lake. But when she came out, she forgot all about it. She wore the other jewels and prepared to leave the place.

“We had a good day here,” Princess told in excitement. “Yes, Madam,” the maiden replied. “Come, It’s getting late, we will leave now,” Princess said and they will leave the place. A few days later at the palace, The princess looked for the necklace and couldn’t find it. By that Princess shouted at the maiden, “You stole my necklace. You must have taken it when we went out to swim.” “No, your highness, I wouldn’t do that.” She said. “You are a thief and a liar too! I will show you what happens to people of your kind. Get out of my sight.” Princess Cried.

The woodcutter’s daughter ran home in tears. But an hour later, soldiers came to the door. They arrested the woodcutter and carried him off to prison. “What wrong I have done to undergo this suffering? My God?” Woodcutter cried. As the sunset, the woodcutter cast his thoughts over all that happened to him in the past weeks. All at once, he cried out.

“Oh, what a foolish, ungrateful wretch I am!  Didn’t the Goddess ask me to share every week? what do I have with the poor? Yet I haven’t done it once. Dear Goddess, Please forgive this ungrateful man.” He prayed. The next day, the princess had another picnic in her father’s private garden. and again she went down to the lake for a swim. She was about to step into the water. 

When she saw the reflection of her necklace, She thought, “Oh I have committed a great mistake. The woodcutter’s daughter was innocent after all”. By the end of the day, the woodcutter was free from the prison and his daughter was back in the palace. From that day, every week, the woodcutter always remembered to find someone in need and share what he had.

Moral of the story

Never forget your past, the promises, and the commitments you have made. That will take you to the right destination. [Keep your Promises & Words]