The giant and the brave boy

The giant and the brave boy

Getting Betal down on his shoulders once again Vikram started walking and Betal started another narration. King Roopdutt of Chitrakoot once went to a jungle where he saw a beautiful girl. Just as Roopdutt was about to talk to her, she got scared and ran away. Roopdutt followed her to her house and asked her father to get her married to him. The poor man agreed and they were married. After the wedding, when Roopdutt left for Chitrakoot with his wife, on the way both of them were thirsty. While searching for water, they reached a cave. Not realizing that a giant was inside the cave, they went inside. The giant caught hold of Roopdutt and wanted to eat him up. Roopdutt tried hard to escape. The giant then caught hold of his wife, Roopdutt then pleaded him to let her go and that he would give anything he wanted instead. The giant said that he wanted a human being as food. Roopdutt promised him to send a human being for his food. The giant asked him to send it within seven days or else he would go to Chitrakoot and eat both of them. Roopdutt reached his palace but was very much worried for the giant’s food. He asked his minister to find out one person who would be ready to go to the giant.

But the minister said that no one would be ready to sacrifice his life, but someone who was needy could be sent by giving him lots of money. Roopdutt ordered him to take as much money and wealth from the state’s treasure and tempt somebody with the money to go to the giant. The minister took large amounts of gems and jewelry and a diamond studded golden statue and announced all over the city that whoever would be ready to go to the giant would get all that as a reward. But no one was ready as everyone thought that there was no use of gems and jewelry after one dies. In the city lived a poor man with five kids. Everyday he used to beg for food for his children but the alms he got were never enough to fill their stomach. When the poor man saw the golden statue, he came home and told the story of the giant. His eldest son got ready to go the giant. The son dreamt of his younger brothers living luxurious lives. The man took his son to the King. The queen put a tilak on his forehead and the boy then laughed loudly. Roopdutt sent two of his soldiers along with the boy. When they reached the cave, the boy fought bravely with the giant and the giant was killed.

Betaal then stopped and asked Vikram as to why the boy laughed before going to the giant. As usual he forced Vikram to reply. Vikram replied that the boy laughed for two reasons, first one was that the King who was supposed to be protecting him from the giant was sacrificing him and sending him to die and the second one was that his parents who should be nurturing him, had sold him for money. He realized that one has to fight his own battle and this inspired him to fight with the giant. Betaal was overwhelmed to hear this but as per his condition, as Vikram had spoken, Betaal once again flew away.