Once upon a time, there was an astrologer who charged a nominal fee from the people who approached him to learn about their future. He would rattle half a dozen cowrie shells in his cupped palms and throw them on a square piece of clothing with mystic charts imprinted on it. He would then study the position of the shells on the chart and share what the shells predicted. Hearing about his skill, the king appointed him as the court astrologer.
Whenever there was an issue, the king would summon the astrologer and seek his advice. One day, the king ordered the astrologer to tell him about the future of his newborn son. As he was leaving the house to meet the king, the cobbler showed up to give him his fixed sandals. Since the astrologer was already on his way to the palace, he asked the cobbler to get the money from his wife. The cobbler requested the astrologer to see what the future beheld for his newborn son. Using his chart and cowrie shells, the astrologer did his calculations and told the cobbler that his son would be a king for a while. The shocked cobbler couldn’t believe what the astrologer had just said. However, he decided to wait and see if the prediction came true.
The astrologer reached the palace. As he did for the cobbler, he made some calculations with his chart and cowrie shells. He told the king that the prince would have an excellent future, though he would be a beggar for a while. This shocked the king. He asked the royal guards to arrest the astrologer and put him in prison. The astrologer replied that it was his destiny to be in prison for some time.
From that day onward, the king and queen took extra care of the prince. The king allowed the prince to play with all children, regardless of their royal status.
Days went by. The prince was now a young man with several friends from all social strata. The cobbler’s son was one of the prince’s close friends. One day, there was an announcement about a drama. The prince invited everyone to attend the drama. The king and queen also graced the occasion with their presence. The king asked the queen what role the prince was playing in the drama.
‘I don’t know, Your Majesty. Let’s watch and find out,’ replied the queen.
During the drama, the king was seen discussing the roles with his ministers. He assumed that his son would play the king’s part. However, he heard the cobbler saying that his son would play the king’s role. Most people in the audience agreed with the cast, for the drama enacted the story of a tyrant who learned his lesson from a beggar and went on to become a saint. The crowd identified all the actors. However, they couldn’t identify the actor playing the beggar’s role to the very end.
Before dispersing, the audience wanted to know who played the role of the beggar. The boy playing the role of the clown laughed out loud and told them that the on-stage beggar could never be a real-life beggar, for he was the prince himself. That’s when the king realized how the astrologer’s words had come true after all! He released the astrologer from prison and compensated him with a lot of money, a massive piece of land, a house, and cattle.
Kalai is passionate about reading and reinterpreting folk tales from all over the country. Write to her at kalai.muse@gmail.com to know more about her.
Folk tale adopted and abridged from Folktales of Pondicherry by P. Raja.