How Luck Eluded Him
The Sultan of Malaya had an uncanny knack of predicting things. The rulers of the neighboring states often used to consult him. He had only to look at the person's face and would then be able to give an indication of his or her future. One day, he was strolling in the garden when his eyes fell on one of the soldiers who were on guard duty. They were marching from one end to the other. This soldier was correctly keeping steps with the others, yet his sad face attracted the Sultan's attention. He watched him for a while, then stopped the guards and asked him to step forward. The others continued their marching. As the soldier walked towards him, the Sultan looked intently at his face and came to the conclusion that he was born at a time when the stars were not in a favorable position, that he was passing through a difficult time, and there was every likelihood of his remaining so. The Sultan took pity on him and wished to help him if he would help himself.
The soldier stopped in front of the Sultan and bowed low in obeisance. When he raised his face, the Sultan asked him, "What's your name?" "Kanchi, Your Majesty," replied the soldier, reverentially. "Kanchi, how's your family?" queried the Sultan. "Is all well with you?" "Nothing to complain about, Your Majesty," said Kanchi modestly. "Honestly, I don't have a family, I'm not married. I don't have enough money to buy gifts for my bride." "That's too bad, Kanchi," said the Sultan. "Let's see whether you can have some better days. I shall give you a special work. Wait here till I come back." The Sultan then went inside the palace and after a while, he came out with a long-sealed envelope in hand. "I want you to take this letter to the Chief of Wonogiri. Here's some money for your food on the way. Go immediately." The Sultan gave him two silver coins. Kanchi bowed low again, gave him a smart salute, and went away. It was a hot day and as he walked in the sun, Kanchi grumbled. "Two silver pieces to trudge such a long distance!" But he did not stop until he came to a village. He saw a cool portico of a house and sat there to rest. Suddenly the door opened, and who was standing before him than Sura, a fellow soldier who was on leave? "Sura! I didn't know you stay here. How're you?" "Kanchi! How come you're in this part of the world?" asked Sura curiously. "Where are you going? Are you also on leave?" "Leave? For me?" exclaimed Kanchi, though wishing very much he had a holiday.
"No, Sura. I'm on my way to Wonogiri to deliver a letter from the Sultan to the District chief there. Two full days of travel and he has given me only two silver coins!" explained Kanchi, expressing his dissatisfaction. "A letter from His Majesty?" said Sura unbelievingly. "Man, you should consider it an honor, to be asked to carry a letter from the Sultan. It only shows how much faith he has in you. I myself would have gone even if there was no money." Thoughts raced in Kanchi's mind. "Here's an opportunity to get me out of this thankless job!" The next moment his face brightened up. "If that be the case, Sura," he said. "will you consider my offer? We'll share the two silver coins that the Sultan gave me. Will you go to Wonogiri and deliver this letter?" Sura readily agreed. After all, he was on leave and he was getting one full coin. And from his house, the place was just one day's journey. Kanchi, shared the money, too, before Sura proceeded to Wonogiri, and Kanchi returned to his barracks, pleased with himself, as one whole silver coin was his without straining much. Before noon the next day, Sura was at the doorstep of the Chief. His was a big house with a garden all around. On one side was his stable with several horses.
By the time his knock was answered, Sura had wiped his face clean and patted his disheveled hair into position, making himself presentable. Today he was none other than Sultan's messenger carrying an important letter. "I've been sent by Sultan," he told the servant. "Please tell your master that I'm carrying a letter from him for the Chief." The servant rushed inside and soon came back to usher in Sura. The Chief was reclining on a bed on the floor and Sura was offered a platform to sit! Sura pulled out the sealed envelope. "Sir, this has been given by His Majesty with instruction that it be delivered personally." The Chief tore open the envelope and took out the letter. As he read the contents, he was smiling. Sura took courage in asking the Chief, "I hope it contains glad tidings!" "Indeed, it does," remarked the Chief. "Stay back for lunch when I shall tell you all about it. Make yourself comfortable here, and the servant will bring you tea while you rest." As he was led to a side room, Sura thought, "My surmise was right. It's an honor to be the Sultan's messenger. That lazy chap-Kanchi. He doesn't know what he has missed!" Meanwhile, the Chief ordered a rich meal, saying he had an important guest. Sura was overwhelmed by the luncheon which was served on a lavish scale.
He ate everything with great relish, all the while pitying his friend, Kanchi, for his foolishness, and thanking his own lucky stars. Luncheon over, the Chief took him to the verandah where they both sat on thick beds supported by cushions on all sides. "You mean to say, you don't know the contents of the Sultan's letter?" began the Chief. Sura nodded his head. "His Majesty wants me to give the bearer of the letter the hand of my youngest daughter and accept him as my son-in-law. The Sultan himself would pay the bride price and arrange for all the customary gifts. I am accepting the Sultan's offer, but do you agree to marry my daughter?" Sura was bewildered when he was told about the contents of the Sultan's letter. Suddenly he remembered, he was not the real messenger of the Sultan. It was Kanchi - a mere place guard like him. Yet, why did the Sultan decide that a soldier should marry the Chief's daughter? He could not think of any reason or explanation. Anyway, why should he bother now? Fortune had smiled on him and why should he deny himself the joy and pleasure Fate had given him? The wedding was a grand affair. Sura spent all his leave in the company of his bride, and the happy couple later called on the Sultan to pay their obeisance to him and express their gratitude. The Sultan, who had noticed Kanchi back on duty after two days of absence, guessed that something must have gone wrong with him just as he had thought when he looked at the soldier's face for the first time. His guess was now confirmed when another soldier presented the Chief's daughter as his bride. The Sultan concluded that Kanchi had disobeyed his orders. Instead of punishing him, which would have made matters worse for the soldier, the Sultan took pity on him and decided to give him another chance.
Kanchi himself was taken aback when he saw his friend with the Sultan Later, he accosted Sura and asked him how he had managed to get such a beautiful bride for himself. "You seem to have forgotten about the letter from the Sultan that you wanted me to take to the chief of Wonogiri." He then described to Kanchi all that had happened after he delivered the letter. Kanchi went away with a crestfallen face. He realized how foolish he had been. A few days later, Kanchi was summoned by the Sultan. He stood before him pale-faced and with shaking feet. But the Sultan put him at ease. He did not question him about the task he had given him earlier. Meanwhile, a servant brought a big watermelon on a tray, "Kanchi, this is for you. Take it home. I'm sure you'll relish it. It's quite sweet." Kanchi bowed low once again. "Thank you, your Majesty! You're very king," said Kanchi, emphasizing on the word 'kind'. The Sultan smiled, as though he understood what Kanchi had in mind. As he walked home with the watermelon, he realized how heavy it was. He wished his room in the barracks was nearby. On his way, he passed by a tobacco shop and suddenly remembered that he had no stock of tobacco, and he had not bought any because there was not much left in his month's wages. He needed tobacco more than the watermelon, so he decided to sell the fruit. He went to the nearby market where he found an old fruitseller.
Luckily she was not keeping any watermelon. "Would you like to buy this watermelon from me? It's sweet and juicy." "From where did you get it?" she queried. "It's from the Sultan's garden. His Majesty gave it to me as he was pleased with my duty. I'm a palace guard." "Strange! you're selling away a fruit given by the Sultan himself? I don't believe you got it from his Majesty. You must have stolen it from the garden!" "I swear he had himself given it to me!" Kanchi protested. "You see, I badly need money to buy tobacco, and I'll get my wages only after some days. That's why I am selling it." "All right, I'll accept your word," said the woman. "How much will you take for it?" "It's a huge watermelon, I'll sell it for fifty cents," said Kanchi. "Watermelon everywhere is the same, whether it's from the royal garden, or elsewhere," the woman bargained. "I shall not buy it for more than thirty cents. Take it or leave it." "That's too little for such a huge fruit. And it's quite sweet, I tell you," said Kanchi. "Come on, we'll settle for forty cents." "You haven't just tasted it, still you say it's sweet, and you want me to believe it?" the woman ridiculed him. "Okay, here's forty cents, and don't stay here for a moment longer." Kanchi straight away proceeded to the tobacco shop. The woman was feeling thirsty and as she had no second watermelon to offer to her customers, she decided to eat this herself. "It must be tasty, coming as it does from the Sultan's garden," she mused as she began cutting it open.
At first, she thought she had been cheated because it was hollow inside. Everything had been scooped out. The next moment the knife touched something metallic and when the melon was divided into two halves, what did she find other than glittering gold coins and glistening jewelry? Soon word spread about the poor woman's windfall. People gathered around her and she told them how she had bought the fruit from a palace guard who had claimed that it was given to him by the Sultan himself. Kanchi, too, came to hear about the watermelon he had sold to the woman for forty cents. As he was bemoaning his Fate, word came from the Sultan that he wanted him to carry another letter to the Chief. However, this time he was not called to the presence of the Sultan. The messenger had brought an envelope with him. Kanchi was happy as the Sultan had given him a chance to atone for his past acts. He hurried to the Chief, who opened the envelope and first read out the contents. The letter said: "The bearer of this letter should be put behind the bars. He disobeyed me twice." The Chief thought, "It is not Fate but the own doing of Kanchi." There was nothing he could do except to follow that was told.
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