151 Vikram Baital Tales

Chandralekha and the three princes returned to the kingdom. The queen was very happy to see Chandralekha alive and well. She thanked all the three princes. Now all was well. Everybody was happy. But something new was happening. The three princes were arguing amongst themselves as to who should get the princess. Prince Virendra said, […]

Then he made some calculations on a piece of paper and said, “A giant in the hope of marrying the princess has kidnapped her.” The panicked queen went to her room. She summoned all the three princes in her room. Then she made a request to them saying, “Please save my daughter Chandralekha.” The three

Prince Udaivir replied that he possessed a chariot which could run on land and fly in the sky as well. He too was asked to stay as a guest by Chandralekha. Next day, a prince named Dhananjay proposed to Chandralekha. Princess Chandralekha put up the same question to him as she had put up to

Princess Chandralekha thought for a moment and then replied, “My husband should be strong and talented. He should also be courageous.” Her mother said, “If this is so, then look for these qualities yourself in the princes who propose to you for marriage.” Chandralekha replied, “Yes Mother, I will.” Some days later, a prince named

King Vikramaditya cautiously approached the peepal tree. The corpse was hanging upside down as usual. He took the corpse down. Placing it on his shoulder, he marched towards his kingdom. On the way, Baital the ghost said to him, “I am going to tell you another story. Listen to it carefully and answer my question

The blind sons came and as the three were leaving, the King asked the old man, “I have seen your sons’ talents. What is yours?” The old man replied, “I can tell the reality of a man.” The King asked, “Who am I?” “You are the son of a thief,” replied the old man. The

After a few days, a jeweller came to the King’s court. He brought several precious stones and gems. The King liked a diamond. He gave it to the blind son and asked him to examine it. The blind son examined the diamond. He rubbed it between his palms several times. Then he said to the

The King, on the other hand, thought about what the blind son said. Then he commanded, “Let a horse expert ride this horse.” So, an expert rider sat on the horse. But no sooner did he sit than the horse threw him off its back. The trader was stunned. He exclaimed, “The horse never behaves

Days went by. One day, a horse trader came to the court to sell a horse to the King. The trader stated that the horse was of a good Arabian breed. He boasted that it was very faithful and a good runner. The King did not wish to buy the horse blindly, so he asked

The old man continued, “Sir, my sons are blind but they are gifted. They will serve you well.” The King was surprised. He asked, “How can these blind sons of yours be of any service to me?” The old man replied, “Well, my elder son is an expert judge of horses. And my younger son

“The city of Andhak was ruled by a very righteous King. He personally looked into the affairs of his people. He listened to their complaints and redressed them as well. People were free to visit his court whenever they wished. They could express themselves freely. One day, an old man came to the King’s court.

Baital continued, “But I have a condition. You will not utter a word till you have arrived at your destination. If you speak on the way, I will fly back to my peepal tree.” King Vikramaditya agreed to the condition immediately. Baital continued, “During my travels, I recount to have heard that you are the

So, on the next moonless night, King Vikramaditya went to the forest. After looking for hours, King Vikramaditya found the peepal tree. He pulled the corpse down, placed it on his shoulder and started for his kingdom to give the corpse to the hermit. As King Vikramaditya travelled some distance, he heard a voice. It

The hermit continued, “I can give you more of these. Your kingdom will prosper and so will your people. But you will have to do something for me in return.” The King thought for a while and asked, “What can I do for you?” The hermit replied, “In the forest of Tanakpur is a peepal

One day, the hermit came as usual to the court. He asked the King, “O King! Where are the fruits I gave you? What did you do with them?” The King replied, “All the fruits have been kept safely in the royal treasury.” The hermit said, “They must have got rotten by now.” The King