Image of a real mother

The lonely poor old woman had just finished her religious rituals in the evening, when she saw a young man coming towards her house.

“Whoever can this young man be?” She pondered as he drew closer to her. The young man resembled in certain ways her son who died a few years ago in the war with the adjoining kingdom. The young man smiled and clasped his hand in veneration to the old woman, who looked at the face keenly.

“Who are you my son?” She asked.

The two words ‘my son’ were pleasing to the ear of the young man.

“I’m a wayfarer in search of a person who could teach me how to live happily.”

“My dear son such good people are not found these days. Gone are those good old days. We now have a pack of ignorant people who think all about themselves. Our king does not think much about these things either.”

“Do you know about these kings and rulers of this kingdom?” Asked the young man.

“Not that I don’t know. But I don’t have any interest in these matters. I am a poor old woman living from hand to mouth. Anyway what brought you here?”

“Mother, I am hungry. And I want to get back home soon.”

“You can’t do two things at once, young man. If you have patience, wait until I cook some rice to you.”

“Are you going to cook a special meal for me?”

“Anyway I got to cook food for myself. Now that you have come here I cannot let you go hungry. I’m a mother and I know the mood of a hungry young man. Wait here, I’m going to cook for you too.”

“I’m so happy that I have visited your house mother.” Young man looked at the old woman’s kitchen which was spick and span, unimaginable for her age. She kept silent as she concentrated on her cooking. The young man sat on the wooden bench in the corner of the kitchen door. The sweet fragrance of the boiling rice in the pot was enticing to the point that the young man felt a sense of hunger hitherto unknown to him.

“This is going to be delicious milk rice,” he thought. He wanted to know about the kind of rice she was cooking. “What do you call that rice, mother?” he asked.

“It’s from our ancestral paddy lands. It’s called suwandel, or incensed rice, a rare species.”

The old woman took a clay plate from the kitchen store. She served several spoonfuls of hot milk rice cooked by her.

“Go on eating my son,” said woman handing over the plate of milk rice to the young man. The young man who could not resist his hunger started eating the hot milk rice. Instantly he found that his mouth was severely burning with the hot rice.

A smile appeared on the face of the old woman, as she looked at the way he was eating with his fingers.

“You are a stupid young man who has not cultivated the eating mannerisms.” She remarked.

“How else can I eat this?” He asked.

“Your eating habits resemble our king’s warfare.”

Instantly he stopped eating and wanted to know that particular concept.

“What’s that talk about king’s warfare strategies?” He asked.

“Do you really want to know it?”

“Yes certainly.”

“Our king wants to attack the enemy devoid of knowledge in a particular manner!”

“Oh mother, tell me more about it.”

“Now see, you started eating at once burning your fingers as well as the mouth. This will never happen if you pick bits of rice or fids of rice and keep them around inside the plate. Now look, I am going to help you.”

Then she used her fingers and made small balls of rice, and placed them in the plate.

“When you come to the last ball of rice you may eat the very first one you placed. Gradually you may go on eating one by one.”

It was getting dark. The time came for the young man to bid farewell to the old woman.

The following day two kingsmen came to see the old woman.

“The king wishes to see you. We are here to extend that royal invitation.”

“But why? Why should I see the king? I have not done anything wrong to him.”

“True enough, you have not done anything wrong. But it’s king’s wish.”

The old woman was ushered into the main courtroom of the king. As the old woman entered the court the young king stood up.

“Mother, can you make me out?”

“Yes I can. You came to see me disguised last evening, didn’t you?”

“Yes I found a real mother in you. So I want to honour you.

You are not going to live in that poor condition any longer. You will be given a royal cottage to live. Will you please accept it on my behalf? And from now you will be looked after by royal servants.

My own mother is dead. As such I consider you as my own mother.”

A smile appeared on the old woman’s face.