Vageesh Express

A Tree of Jelabis

By Dina Nath Dube

Rajathani Folktale

A farmer and his wife were working in a field. They found a brass pot full of gold coins. They looked around to ascertain that they were not noticed by anyone. They buried the pot under the earth and went home.

At night, the farmer came back, unearthed the pot and took it home. There he dug a pit in his yard and hid the pot. Then he told his wife to keep the secret close to her so that Mr. Rao, to whom the farm belonged, would not know about it and demand the pot and coins back. His wife assured him that the secret could remain guarded.

Next day, in the evening his wife went to see her friend in the neighborhood. The farmer felt that she might not keep the secret to herself as a woman can hardly resist such a temptation. He thought of a plan. He unearthed the pot and carried it back to the farm and put it in its original place. This he kept a secret from his wife. At night, when his wife was asleep, he prepared Jelabis (his wife’s favorite sweet treat) and put them on the branches of a Jamun tree near his house. Then he went to sleep.

Next day, when the farmer and his wife were going out, his wife saw Jelabis on the tree and said, "What is this?" The farmer said. "This tree gives Jelabis as fruits every fifth year. Last time, one year before our marriage it gave these fruits. The farmer then climbed the tree and picked the Jelabis. They went home and ate them to their full.

After dinner, when the farmer was resting, Mr. Rao came there and demanded the pot of gold coins. The farmer acted surprised on hearing this and asked Mr. Rao how he came upon such rumors. Mr. Rao insisted that he heard the news from someone who had heard it from the farmer’s wife.

The farmer asked his wife whether she saw such a pot, if so, when was it.

The wife said, "I saw the pot being buried in our compound on the day when we had Jelabis from the Jamun tree."

The farmer laughed and asked Mr. Rao if he could believe his wife's words. Rao was surprised to hear what the farmer's wife had said and thought that it must be a joke.

However, he asked that he be allowed to search the yard. The farmer allowed him.

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Rao searched the compound all over and came to the conclusion that it must be just a joke spread by the farmer's wife as she didn't seem to be a person of sound mind. Mr. Rao then begged to be excused by the farmer for all the bother he gave him, and went away. The farmer later decided to donate the pot of gold for a good cause keeping some for his own.