Have any of you heard this Indian folk tale about salt ? Here is the version that my parents used to narrate when I was a kid and now continue to narrate to our kids.
Once upon a time, there lived a king with three daughters. He wanted to find out how much his daughters loved him. One day, he called each of them and asked "How much do you love me?". The first two daughters, who were mean and cunning, told him they loved him as much as sugar and sweet jaggery. The third daughter, who really adored her father, told him she loved him as much as salt. The first two answers made the king happy but he was very disappointed with the third answer. He banished the third daughter from his kingdom. She walked through a forest, met a kind wood-cutter, married him and they lived happily in a small cottage. Years later, the first two daughters managed to seize the throne and banished their father. The king walked through the same forest and met the same wood-cutter, who was very kind to the hungry and tired person he came across. He invited him home. Through the kitchen window, the third daughter, now the wood-cutter's wife, saw her father arrive at the cottage. She quickly went ahead to prepare a big meal. As they sat down to eat, the king found everything tasteless. At that time, the third daughter came forward with a can of salt. She had not put salt in any of the dishes. The king quickly realized his mistake. It is not in sweet words that love exists but in kind actions. The king stayed with the third daughter and they lived happily ever after in the small cottage.
I am not sure why, but I simply loved to hear this story over and over again. I think it was because it validated my dislike of people who sweet-talk. As far back as I can remember, I never liked people who act nice just to create a great impression. It was quite easy to sense people who wanted to be nice for the sake of being nice from those who genuinely cared. This story had a great message about kindness being the measure of true love. The fact that the youngest daughter, was living a happy life, even when she did not have any luxuries, was also a good lesson.
Couple of years ago, when my daughter was in first grade, she came home excited, telling me the teacher had read her grandmother's story of salt in class. It was interesting to know there was an English book with this story. My immediate reaction was to search for it online. When I could not find any books, I asked the teacher about the story, and she showed me a laminated reading sheet they use in class. She had a huge collection of reading sheets with wonderful folk tales from around the world.
There is nothing better than a folk tale to convey simple life lessons so beautifully. Do you agree? At least, I hope you do not take this (post about salt) with a grain of salt.
Once upon a time, there lived a king with three daughters. He wanted to find out how much his daughters loved him. One day, he called each of them and asked "How much do you love me?". The first two daughters, who were mean and cunning, told him they loved him as much as sugar and sweet jaggery. The third daughter, who really adored her father, told him she loved him as much as salt. The first two answers made the king happy but he was very disappointed with the third answer. He banished the third daughter from his kingdom. She walked through a forest, met a kind wood-cutter, married him and they lived happily in a small cottage. Years later, the first two daughters managed to seize the throne and banished their father. The king walked through the same forest and met the same wood-cutter, who was very kind to the hungry and tired person he came across. He invited him home. Through the kitchen window, the third daughter, now the wood-cutter's wife, saw her father arrive at the cottage. She quickly went ahead to prepare a big meal. As they sat down to eat, the king found everything tasteless. At that time, the third daughter came forward with a can of salt. She had not put salt in any of the dishes. The king quickly realized his mistake. It is not in sweet words that love exists but in kind actions. The king stayed with the third daughter and they lived happily ever after in the small cottage.
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| Love = Sugar, Jaggery or Salt ? |
I am not sure why, but I simply loved to hear this story over and over again. I think it was because it validated my dislike of people who sweet-talk. As far back as I can remember, I never liked people who act nice just to create a great impression. It was quite easy to sense people who wanted to be nice for the sake of being nice from those who genuinely cared. This story had a great message about kindness being the measure of true love. The fact that the youngest daughter, was living a happy life, even when she did not have any luxuries, was also a good lesson.
Couple of years ago, when my daughter was in first grade, she came home excited, telling me the teacher had read her grandmother's story of salt in class. It was interesting to know there was an English book with this story. My immediate reaction was to search for it online. When I could not find any books, I asked the teacher about the story, and she showed me a laminated reading sheet they use in class. She had a huge collection of reading sheets with wonderful folk tales from around the world.
There is nothing better than a folk tale to convey simple life lessons so beautifully. Do you agree? At least, I hope you do not take this (post about salt) with a grain of salt.
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