In a time when words carried the weight of sacred oaths and a man’s honor was measured by his faithfulness to his promises, there lived a father whose wisdom was renowned throughout the land. His home sat on a hill overlooking the great river that divided the territory, where the rushing waters sang their eternal song and the morning mist danced like spirits above the current. But it was not his house that drew visitors from distant villages, it was his daughter, whose beauty was spoken of in whispers of wonder.
The young woman possessed a grace that seemed to flow from some divine spring, her laughter like silver bells ringing across the valley, her eyes holding depths that reflected both earthly wisdom and celestial light. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall of midnight silk, and when she walked through the village market, even the hardened merchants would pause in their bargaining to watch her pass with reverent silence.
Word of her beauty spread like wildfire across the region, carried by traveling merchants and wandering minstrels until it reached the ears of young men in kingdoms both near and far. Soon, a steady stream of suitors began arriving at the father’s door, each convinced that he alone was worthy of such a prize. They came bearing gifts of gold and precious stones, leading caravans of exotic goods, and reciting poetry that praised her beauty in languages both familiar and foreign.
Also read: The Three Royal Brothers
But the father, weathered by years and wise in the ways of the world, knew that beauty alone could not ensure his daughter’s happiness. He had watched too many marriages crumble under the weight of shallow affection, had seen too many young women wedded to men who valued their appearance more than their souls. His own beloved wife, may her spirit rest in peace, had taught him that true partnership required depth of character, not merely depth of pocket.
Standing before the assembled suitors one morning, as the river mist swirled around his feet and the ancient waters murmured their approval, he raised his hand for silence. His voice carried across the gathering with the authority of a man who had never spoken a false word.
“Young men,” he began, his eyes studying each face with careful intensity, “you see before you a daughter who is indeed beautiful, but beauty fades like flowers in winter. Only he who proves himself worthy of her spirit, not merely her form, shall win her hand in marriage.”
The suitors leaned forward eagerly, their hearts racing with anticipation and ambition. Some fingered the purses at their belts, others straightened their finest robes, and a few even practiced the charming smiles they believed would win the father’s favor.
But the challenge that came from his lips was unlike anything they had expected.
“Here is your test,” the father declared, gesturing toward the great river that churned and frothed below them. “Cross these waters and return to me, but accomplish this feat without a single drop of moisture touching your body. He who can do this shall have my daughter’s hand.”
The suitors looked at one another with expressions ranging from confusion to despair. The river was wide and deep, its current strong enough to drag away full-grown trees, its waters cold enough to steal the breath from a man’s lungs. Many turned away immediately, recognizing the impossibility of the task, their dreams dissolving like morning dew.
But three young men remained, their eyes fixed on the churning waters with determination burning bright in their souls. Each possessed something the others lacked, a gift that set him apart from ordinary mortals, a power that whispered of connections to forces beyond the everyday world.
The first suitor, a young man whose family had served the local temple for generations, possessed a faith that ran as deep as mountain roots. He approached the river’s edge and knelt upon the muddy bank, his knees sinking into the soft earth as he raised his hands toward the heavens. His voice rose in prayer, words flowing from his lips with the rhythm of ancient chants passed down through countless generations.
As his prayer reached its crescendo, the very air seemed to shimmer with divine presence. The great river, which had flowed in its course since time immemorial, began to slow its mighty current. The waters divided as if pulled apart by invisible hands, creating a pathway of dry earth that stretched from shore to shore. Without hesitation, the young man stepped onto this miraculous road, his feet finding purchase on ground as solid as any village street. He crossed in perfect dryness and returned the same way, the waters closing behind him as if they had never parted.
The second suitor, whose grandfather had been a renowned fisherman and whose bloodline carried secrets of the deep waters, stepped forward with confidence born of ancient knowledge. From his belt, he drew a staff carved from driftwood and worn smooth by countless tides. He raised it high above his head and brought it down upon the river’s surface with a sound like thunder.
The waters erupted in response, and from the depths rose a creature of legend, a fish so massive that its back could serve as a bridge, its scales gleaming like polished silver in the sunlight. The beast positioned itself across the current, its great head touching one shore and its tail fin reaching the other. The young man stepped onto its broad back and crossed as easily as walking across a fallen log, never once feeling the touch of water against his skin.
The third suitor, whose mother’s people were said to have descended from the wind itself, approached the challenge with tools that seemed mundane yet held power beyond appearances. He unrolled a simple woven mat, its pattern intricate but unremarkable to untrained eyes. But as he spread it upon the ground and stepped onto its surface, the mat began to rise like a bird taking flight.
Higher and higher it soared, carrying its passenger above the rushing waters with the grace of a falcon riding the thermal winds. The young man guided his magical carpet across the river’s span, landing softly on the far shore before making the return journey, his feet never once touching the water’s surface.
When all three suitors stood before him once more, each as dry as sun-baked clay, the father found himself facing a dilemma more complex than any he had encountered in his long life. Each man had accomplished the seemingly impossible task through different means, one through divine faith, one through ancient wisdom, and one through mystical power. Each had proven himself worthy according to the terms he had set.
The father walked slowly along the riverbank, his brow furrowed with the weight of decision. The water lapped gently at the shore as if waiting for his judgment, while the three suitors stood in respectful silence, their hearts hammering with hope and uncertainty.
Finally, he turned to face them, his expression grave with the solemnity of the moment. “I am faced with a problem that tests not your worthiness, but my own integrity,” he said, his voice carrying across the water like a bell tolling the hour. “I promised that the man who could cross this river without getting wet would have my daughter’s hand. Three of you have done exactly this, each through means that speak to different kinds of strength and wisdom.”
He paused, watching their faces carefully. “I could choose between you based on my personal preference, or the size of your bride-gifts, or the influence of your families. But to do so would break the spirit of my promise, even if it honored the letter of it. A man’s word, once given in good faith, must be kept in good faith.”
The father raised his face toward the heavens, where clouds gathered like witnesses to his declaration. “I will not choose between you, for that would make my promise a lie. Instead, I call upon the spirits of this sacred river, upon the gods who govern justice and honor, to help me fulfill my word completely.”
His prayer rose like incense into the gathering dusk, and the air itself seemed to shimmer with response. Before the amazed eyes of all who watched, a transformation began that spoke of powers beyond mortal understanding. The father’s beloved daughter, standing beside him in all her beauty, began to glow with gentle light.
As the light grew brighter, her form seemed to multiply, like reflections in crystal water. Where one woman had stood, now three appeared, identical in every way, each possessing the same grace, the same wisdom, the same loving heart that had made the original so treasured.
“Now,” the father said, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction, “my promise is kept in full. Each of you has proven worthy, and each shall receive exactly what was promised, the hand of my daughter in marriage.”
The three young men, awed by the miracle they had witnessed, each found himself blessed with a bride whose love was as complete and genuine as if she had been created specifically for him alone. And indeed, perhaps she had been.
The Moral Lesson
This profound tale teaches us that true integrity requires keeping not just the letter of our promises, but their spirit as well. The father could have easily chosen one suitor and technically fulfilled his word, but doing so would have violated the deeper truth of his commitment. Sometimes honoring our promises requires us to find creative solutions that serve justice rather than convenience, and when we act with such integrity, even the impossible becomes possible.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What challenge did the father set for his daughter’s suitors? A: The father challenged the suitors to cross the great river and return without getting a single drop of water on their bodies, declaring that only the man who accomplished this would win his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Q2: How did each of the three successful suitors cross the river without getting wet? A: The first suitor prayed and the waters parted for him to walk across on dry ground; the second suitor summoned a great fish that carried him across on its back; the third suitor used a magical mat that flew him across the river through the air.
Q3: Why couldn’t the father simply choose one suitor over the others? A: All three men had successfully completed the exact challenge he had set, so choosing just one would have broken his promise to the other two. The father believed that a promise once made must be kept completely and fairly.
Q4: How was the father’s dilemma resolved in the story? A: The father prayed to the spirits for help in keeping his promise completely, and through divine intervention, his single daughter was transformed into three identical women, allowing each worthy suitor to receive a bride.
Q5: What does the river symbolize in this traditional folktale? A: The river represents the trials and challenges that test a person’s true character and abilities. It serves as a barrier that can only be overcome by those who possess genuine spiritual power, wisdom, or divine favor.
Q6: What is the main moral lesson about promises and integrity in this story? A: The story teaches that true integrity means keeping both the letter and spirit of our promises, even when it requires extraordinary solutions. It demonstrates that when we act with complete honesty and honor, divine help may come to make the impossible possible.
Source: retold from The Multicolored diary
