Long ago, in the scenic land that is now modern-day Jammu, India, there lived a king.
One morning, the king was walking in his garden when a stag broke through the fence and began trampling the flowers. The king was enraged and ordered his servants to capture the animal. He grabbed his sword and chased the stag himself. The stag, however, escaped from the garden, and the king pursued it across several miles until he reached the border of his kingdom. Exhausted and thirsty, he decided to rest and bathe in a nearby stream.
While he was bathing, a thief stole his horse and clothes. Stranded and humiliated, the king realized he could not return to his palace in such a state. Fearing ridicule from his people, he wandered into a neighboring kingdom.
As he wandered, he found a pearl necklace of great value. Grateful for his fortune, he decided to sell the necklace in the city to buy clothes and a horse. He approached the chief goldsmith and offered to sell the necklace.
The goldsmith, upon seeing the necklace, accused the king of theft. “You thief!” he exclaimed. “I made two identical necklaces for the king, but one went missing. How did you steal this?” The goldsmith immediately took the king to the ruler of that land, who, upon hearing the accusation, ordered that the supposed thief’s feet be amputated.
The queen of this land, who was just and kind, was appalled by her husband’s cruelty. She confronted the king, arguing that there was little evidence against the accused and that goldsmiths were often deceitful. However, the king dismissed her concerns and banished her along with the footless man.
The queen, relieved to be free from such a tyrannical husband, carried the footless man out of the city in a long basket. She cared for him, and over time, they fell in love and married. A son was later born to them.
To support their small family, the queen gathered wood and sold it in the city. One day, while she was in the city, her husband fell asleep. Their little boy, left in his care, crawled to the edge of a nearby well and tumbled in. When the father awoke and realized what had happened, he was inconsolable.
That evening, his wife returned. She too was grieved beyond expression, but being a brave and sensible woman, she controlled herself, and tried to comfort her husband by saying, “This is written in our lot.“
That night, the king lay awake, thinking of his little boy and wishing for his return. Around midnight, two birds, Sudabror and Budabror, landed on a tree near his home and began speaking about his misfortune.
“What a world of trouble!” said Sudabror. “This poor man was unjustly punished, forced to live as a beggar, and now, he mourns the loss of his child.“
“Is there nothing that can be done?” asked Budabror.
“There is a way,” said Sudabror. “If the man jumps into the well, he will rescue his son and regain his feet.“
Upon hearing this, the man was astonished. At dawn, he told his wife what the birds had said. She advised him to follow their words.
He jumped into the well and miraculously, his son was saved, and his feet were restored.
Later, he encountered his chief minister, who had been searching for him ever since his disappearance. The minister revealed that the people of his kingdom longed for his return. Encouraged, the king went back to his kingdom, taking his wife and son with him.
After reclaiming his throne, his first act was to wage war against the king who had wronged him. He emerged victorious, and the defeated ruler, realizing his folly, begged for mercy. The unjust king admitted that he had been misled by the wicked goldsmith and promised to execute him. The victorious king forgave him but ensured that justice was served against the deceitful goldsmith.
Henceforth, peace and happiness reigned. The king lived joyfully with his wife, had many children, and eventually died at a ripe old age, mourned by his people.
