She Laughed in Flowers and Shed Tears of Pearls

Kautha from Kinnaur

Narrated by Kamala Devi from Lambar

In a country, there lived a King named Duryodhana. One day the King announced “I do not wish to get married. With the sages, I want to go and meditate.” Learned and wise man Sudan responded to the King “Getting married is important because the kingdom needs its rulers. Get married. You can do as you choose after your son and daughter are born.” 

In response, King Duryodhana said, "The queen I marry should be such that flowers bloom when she laughs and pearls drip down when she cries. Only such a queen I want.”

Two officials from the King’s court were sent to look for such an exclusive queen. They searched tirelessly and against all odds, the duo located a fabled woman. She was the daughter of a King and Queen from a faraway land. 

The two set out to confirm the authenticity of the claims about the Queen. One official volunteered to make her laugh, the other volunteered to make her cry. With their roles decided, they set off to visit her.

The official who had chosen to make the queen weep fetched from the barnyard cake of donkey dung. As they entered the Queen’s ‘Panthang’, he tossed the dung cake into the fireplace.  Curious, the Queen watched as the smoke swirled. A sharp sting welled up in her eyes, and soon, tears began to fall. Ter...ter...ter... And just like that, the Panthang was instantly flooded with pearls. 

The official entrusted with making the Queen laugh waited eagerly for the food to be served. As the Queen entered, carrying plates laden with food, he swiftly snatched them from her hands before being offered. Gush! The Queen’s laughter rang out, “Why must he act so strangely and snatch the food”, She was amused. And in that moment, flowers began to bloom, filling the Panthang.

The duo spoke to her mother and father about the matter and joyfully returned. "We have spoken to such a remarkable queen on our King’s behalf and asked for her hand in marriage”.

Serving the Queen was a girl, full of jealousy and resentment—her name was Chokri. As the wedding day approached, her envy only deepened. 

The spiteful Chokri knew a secret—the Queen's heart was hidden deep inside a well, disguised as a golden fish. 

Every morning, Chokri fetched water from the well, where she knew the Queen's heart lay hidden. One day, Chokri poked the eye of the golden fish and killed it. She used the gold skin to fashion a rosary and hid it away. 

The Queen soon fell gravely ill, growing weaker with each passing day. On the brink of her death, the queen left a message “My mother and father when I die, don’t burn my body. Take me to a dense forest and keep me inside a shelter made of stones.” 

The father was anxious, for the wedding day was drawing near. The Mother responded “Our daughter is dying, and you are worried about the wedding. Never mind that we will send this Chokari in her stead.” Deep down, Chokri felt a surge of happiness. 

Getting sicker and sicker, the Queen soon died. 

She was taken to a dense forest and a shelter was built with rocks inside which her body was placed. The day of the wedding arrived. Chokri was dressed in fine clothes and sent off with King Duryodhana. The King’s horse, Shyam-Godha, galloped fiercely as they rode. King Duryodhana made the horse leap high and gallop fiercely, stirring up clouds of dust around them. He sought to bring forth tears from Chokri's eyes, hoping to witness a string of sparkling pearls fall down her eyes. Yet, no pearls were shed for the girl was an imposter.

He sent her to a room but refused to see her afterwards. "They have deceived me," he thought. Although the two officials had originally arranged for the true Queen, fearing the King's wrath, they fled the kingdom in a panic.

The Raja, feeling sorrowful, would often wander into the forests. "I never wanted this," he lamented. "But Rishi Sudan pushed me into it. I never wished to marry, but what can I do now?" One day, he saddled his noble steed, Shyam-Godha, and tethered it near the stone shelter where the Queen lay. 

It was so that whenever Chokri removed the golden rosary from around her neck, the Queen would awaken. 

Outside the shelter flourished a beautiful garden, lovingly tended by the Queen herself. 

And on a fateful day, Shyam-Godha ventured into this garden devouring every plant in sight, leaving chaos in the wake. The king went and caught hold of his horse. “Shyam-Godha, what havoc have you wreaked upon this poor soul’s garden?” Before leaving the King savoured two apricots and placed their seeds on a slate. 

At night the queen came back to life and upon witnessing her garden destroyed she got irritated and in her anger, she grabbed the two apricot seeds, crushed them and consumed the apricot kernels along with their shells.

Through an unusual turn of events, the queen became pregnant. For a time, nothing changed, but eventually, a son and a daughter were born.

One day, King Duryodhana rested underneath a Banyan tree, while a parrot and a mynah bird perched above him. "Tell us a tale," said the Mynah. "With you, it's always about the stories," replied the parrot. "Tell a tale, though there is no one within earshot, if there is, they will hear it too." So, the parrot began to speak, and the tale it told was about King Duryodhana.

The king listened intently, and as the story reached a certain point, the bird paused and said, "That’s enough for today. The rest shall come tomorrow." With that, the two birds flew away.

The next day, King Duryodhana sat beneath the same tree, waiting and wondering if the parrot and the mynah would come. The two birds, knowing the king awaited them, deliberately held back until noon. When they finally arrived, the familiar voice called out, "Tell a tale." "With you, it's always about stories," replied the other. "Tell a tale, though there is no one within earshot, if there is, they will hear it too."

So, the parrot began to speak, continuing the story of King Duryodhana. "The queen comes out of her enchanted slumber in the dense forest. She had left a message to her mother and father on her deathbed. She lives in a shelter made of stones, with gardens surrounding it."

"Will the queen ever truly awaken?" asked the Mynah.

"She will fully awaken if someone takes the golden rosary and places it around her neck. There is no one within earshot, but if anyone hears and brings the rosary to the queen, she will awaken." After Narrating the story the two flew away “That’s enough for today. Rest will come tomorrow.” 

That evening, the King returned home, lost in thought. Otherwise, he would have never spared Chokri a glance. But with a bright smile on his face, he approached her and said, “The hunt has not been fruitful lately. Would you be so kind as to lend me your rosary?”

“Of course, how could I not?” Chokri replied. “If my beads aren’t for you, and yours not for me, then what good are they?” And so, she handed him the rosary. The King tucked it into his cap and went to sleep.

That night, two mice crept into the room, “Jyon Jyon Jyon... The mistress is about to come. Should I steal it? Should I steal it?”

“What will you steal? Your head will be bashed,” the other replied. “Is the mistress here or there?”

And so, the two mice scampered off…Jyon Jyon Jyon.

The King woke up early the next morning and set off at once. He tied his horse, Shyam-Godha, outside the shelter and waited for the sun to rise. Because he had come so early it seemed to take forever for the sun to rise. Finally, when the sun rose he made his way to the queen.

She lay there, her long hair spread out, looking eerie, while the two children drank her milk.

The sight startled the king, and he became afraid. Carefully, he placed the rosary on the tip of a stick and lowered it to place it around her neck.

The queen suddenly awoke. "I had no peace in life, and now I have no peace in death," she cried, overcome with emotion.

King Duryodhana comforted her, revealing his identity and intentions.

Together, the king, queen, and their children rode back to the kingdom. As they neared, Chokri watched from her window, her heart racing with fear.

And so, the tale came to an end. The King, the Queen, and their children were reunited and lived happily.

Written By Pramiti Negi, Art by Tanisha Negi