9th STORY OF BHETHALA

THE STORY OF MANI MEKHALA

In next attempt, Bhethala told another story.

Once there was a city by name Usha Puram. [The meaning of this name is ‘the city of dawn] Its king was Gruha Bhujudu. He had a daughter by name Mani Mekhala. [The meaning of this name is ‘a garland of diamonds] She was famous for her beauty. The king wanted to perform her marriage with any prince who was talented in all arts and education. He had enquired about so many princes’ of different countires. One day the king had came to know about a prince by name Mani Mekhaludu. He had learnt 64 arts and education. The king Gruha Bhujudu had performed his daughter Mani Mekhala’s marriage with Mani Mekhaladu.

Both the bride and bridegroom were happy with each other’s company. They were enjoying the life. Oneday night, they had laid on a beautiful royal bed. It was made with fine cotton, feathers of swans and silk covers. It was quite comfortable. Under that cot and bed, ants were moving in a line. Suddenly the ants ahead in the line had stopped. The ants coming in back had asked them “Why do you stop?” The fore ants said, “Here is a cot and bed in our way. On that cot and bed, the newlywed couple is there. We have to cross their cot vertically in the middle. It is against sentiment. That’s why we had stopped.”

The hind ants said, “In such case, let us drag the cot from our path.” The fore ants said, “The wife and husband on the cot are enjoying with each other. Hence, we think that to do so is sin.”

Mani Mekhaludu had learnt all arts. Hence, he knew the ants’ language. He heard all of the conversation of the ants. He laughed out. His wife, Mani Mekhala who lay beside him doubted that he had laughed at her. She asked him “Why do you laughed.” The ants had heard this. The ants called Mani Meghaludu and said in their language, “Oh Prince! If you reveal about our conversation to anybody, your head will break into pieces.” The prince Mani Mekhaludu had kept calm. The princess Mani Mekhala said, “My dear husband! Why don’t you give reply to me? Why are you keeping silence? You might have no love and affection on me. What is the happiness in this type of living together? Hence, I wish to leave my life with poison or fire or rope.”

By hearing the rude words of Mani Mekhala, the prince Mani Mekhaludu felt sad. He had decided to make her happy. He had made a pyre and laid on it. He wished to fire his body after revealing the ants’ conversation to his wife. He had called on her to near to tell the ants’ conversation. Mani Mekhala was eager to know it.

At that moment, there were two goats near to them. Among them, one was she-goat and the other was he-goat. The he-goat had approached the she-goat with love. The she-goat said, “If you love me, you bring the green and fresh leaves which are hanging on the inner walls of the well. The well is very near to us. If you bring those leaves for me, then I will accept your proposal of love.” The he-goat had seen that well and the fresh and green leaves hanging on the inner walls of the well. It felt sad. It said, “Oh, Dear She-goat! You had shown your unkind nature. You have no love on me. If I go to well to bring the grass leaves, it will be danger to me. If I try to bring the grass leaves, it will be danger to me. If I try to bring the grass, I may fell into the fell and I may die. If I die, then on whom you will show love? After my death how I will show love on you. That’s why; it is no use of your love to me. It makes no difference if you love me or not. There is no body to do such foolish things. Get away from here.”

The prince Mani Mekhaludu had known the goats’ language. He had got up from the pyre and left Mani Mekhala. He had gone to his country and got married another girl. He lived happily. That’s all the story.

Bhethala said, “Vikramadithya Maharaja! Who is great in this story? Give reply to me. If the silence break, I’ll go away. If you keep silence by knowing the answer, your head will break into 1000 pieces. Hence, answer to my question.”

Vikramadithya said, “Bhethala! In my opinion, if we love anybody, we have to make them happy, peaceful and comfortable. Mani Mekhaludu got ready to die to make his wife Mani Mekhala happy. But Mani Mekhala was not kind and affectionate to her husband. She didn’t mind his death. She was eager to know why he had laughed rather his death. Being learned man, in spite of human being, Mani Mekhala didn’t realize this truth until the he-goat exposed the definition of love and made circumstantial of this truth in front of his eyes. In such a way, he-goat had shown on his logical sense and sensitive thinking. Hence, he-goat is great than the prince and others in this story.”

Because it was the right answer and the silence had broken, Bhethala disappeared from there.

OUT COMING SKILLS: In this story, the definition of love had discussed by Vikramadithya. This leads children to understand the human relations.