The Charmed Ring: A Tale of Loyalty and Magic

Adapted from Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

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The Merchant’s Son and His Unusual Purchases

A wealthy merchant once gave his son three hundred rupees to start his own business venture. “Go to another country,” the merchant advised, “and try your luck in trade.”

The young man took the money and set off with high hopes. He hadn’t traveled far when he came across a group of herdsmen arguing over a dog. Some wanted to kill the animal, while others objected.

“Please don’t kill the dog,” the kind-hearted young man pleaded. “I’ll give you one hundred rupees for it.”

The herdsmen quickly agreed to this unexpected offer, took the money, and handed over the dog. The young man continued his journey with his new companion.

Soon after, he encountered another group quarreling about a cat. Again, some wanted to kill it while others protested.

“Please don’t kill the cat,” said the young man. “I’ll give you one hundred rupees for it.”

Delighted by this generous offer, they immediately gave him the cat and took his money.

As he traveled further, he reached a village where people were arguing over a snake they had just caught. Some villagers wanted to kill it, but others disagreed.

“Please don’t kill the snake,” the young man said. “I’ll give you one hundred rupees.”

The villagers happily accepted his offer and departed with the money.

The Merchant’s Disappointment

With all his money gone and nothing to show for it except three animals, the young man had no choice but to return home. His father was furious when he learned how his son had spent the money.

“You fool! You wastrel!” the merchant shouted. “Go live in the stables! You shall never enter my house again.”

So the young man took up residence in the stables, making his bed on the grass meant for cattle. His only companions were the dog, cat, and snake he had purchased. These creatures grew very fond of him and followed him everywhere during the day. At night, they slept beside him—the cat at his feet, the dog at his head, and the snake across his body, with its head hanging on one side and its tail on the other.

The Snake’s Revelation

One day, the snake spoke to the young man. “I am the son of Raja Indrasha,” it revealed. “When I came out of the ground to breathe the fresh air, some people captured me and would have killed me had you not saved my life. I can never repay your kindness, but I wish you could meet my father. He would be so grateful to his son’s rescuer.”

“Where does he live?” asked the young man. “I would like to meet him.”

“Well said!” replied the snake. “Do you see that mountain in the distance? At its base is a sacred spring. If you come with me and dive into that spring, we will both reach my father’s kingdom.”

The snake continued, “My father will want to reward you. If he asks what you would like, request the ring from his right hand and his famous pot and spoon. With these items, you will never want for anything. The ring is magical—speak to it, and a beautiful furnished mansion will appear. The pot and spoon will provide you with the most delicious foods imaginable.”

The Journey to the Snake Kingdom

The young man agreed to the plan. Accompanied by his three animal friends, he walked to the spring. As he prepared to jump in, the cat and dog grew anxious.

“Master, what shall we do? Where shall we go?” they asked.

“Wait for me here,” he replied. “I won’t be gone long.” Then he dove into the water and disappeared from sight.

“What should we do now?” the dog asked the cat.

“We’ll stay here as our master ordered,” replied the cat. “Don’t worry about food—I’ll visit people’s houses and bring back enough for both of us.”

The cat did exactly that, and the two animals lived comfortably until their master returned.

The Raja’s Gratitude

The young man and the snake safely reached their destination, and news of their arrival was sent to Raja Indrasha. The Raja commanded them both to appear before him, but the snake refused, saying it couldn’t go to its father until it was released from its debt to the stranger who had saved its life.

The Raja then went to them, embraced his son, and welcomed the young man to his kingdom. During his brief stay, the young man received three gifts from the grateful Raja: the ring from his right hand and the magical pot and spoon.

The Magic Begins

After a few days, the young man returned to the surface world, where he found his faithful dog and cat waiting for him. They shared their experiences since they had last seen each other and decided to test the magical items.

The young man spoke to the ring, and immediately a beautiful house appeared, complete with a lovely princess with golden hair. He then spoke to the pot and spoon, which produced the most delicious feast imaginable. The young man married the princess, and they lived happily together for several years.

The Golden Hair

One morning, while arranging her hair, the princess placed some loose golden strands in a hollow reed and tossed it into the river that flowed beneath their window. The reed floated downstream for many miles until it was discovered by the prince of that country.

Curious, the prince opened the reed and found the golden hair inside. He was instantly captivated by it and fell desperately in love with the unknown woman to whom it belonged. He locked himself in his room, refusing to eat, drink, or sleep until the woman was brought to him.

The king, concerned for his son’s health and the future of the kingdom, sought advice from his aunt, who was an ogress. She promised to help him obtain the beautiful woman for his son’s wife.

The Ogress’s Deception

The ogress transformed herself into a bee and followed the scent of the golden hair until she found the princess. She then appeared to the princess as an elderly relative.

“I am your aunt, whom you’ve never met because I left the country just after you were born,” she claimed, embracing and kissing the princess to make her story more convincing.

The princess, completely deceived, welcomed the supposed aunt and treated her with great honor and attention. After three days, the ogress began talking about the charmed ring, suggesting that the princess should keep it instead of her husband, who might lose it during his hunting expeditions.

The princess asked her husband for the ring, which he readily gave her. The next day, the ogress asked to see it. When the unsuspecting princess showed it to her, the ogress seized the ring, transformed back into a bee, and flew to the palace where the lovesick prince waited.

“Rise up and be glad,” she told him. “The woman you desire will appear at your summons. Here is the charm that will bring her to you.”

The Stolen House

The prince, overjoyed, immediately spoke to the ring. In an instant, the house with the beautiful princess descended into the palace garden. The prince entered and declared his love for the princess, begging her to become his wife.

Seeing no escape, the princess agreed on the condition that he would wait one month before the marriage.

Meanwhile, the merchant’s son returned from hunting to find his house and wife gone. Devastated, he sat down and prepared to end his life. Just then, the cat and dog approached him.

“Master, stay your hand,” they urged. “Your trial is great, but it can be overcome. Give us one month, and we will try to recover your wife and house.”

“Go,” he replied, “and may God help you. Bring back my wife, and I shall live.”

The Loyal Companions

The cat and dog ran without stopping until they reached the palace where their mistress and the house had been taken.

“We may have some difficulty here,” said the cat. “The king has taken our master’s wife and house. You stay here while I go inside and try to see her.”

The cat climbed to the window of the princess’s room and entered. The princess recognized her pet and explained everything that had happened.

“Is there no way to escape?” she asked.

“Yes,” replied the cat, “if you can tell me where the charmed ring is.”

“The ring is in the ogress’s stomach,” the princess said.

“I’ll recover it,” the cat promised. “Once we have it, everything will be ours again.”

The Rat’s Wedding

The cat descended from the house and lay down by a rat’s hole, pretending to be dead. By chance, a grand wedding was taking place in the rat community nearby, with rats from all over the neighborhood gathered for the celebration. The eldest son of the rat king was getting married.

When the wedding procession emerged from the hole, the cat pounced on the bridegroom. “Let me go!” squealed the terrified rat, while the other rats begged for his release.

“I will,” said the cat, “but only if you do something for me. The ogress in that house has swallowed a ring that I need. If you get it for me, I’ll let your prince go unharmed. If not, he dies under my paws.”

“We agree,” the rats replied. “If we don’t get the ring for you, you can devour us all.”

The Recovery of the Ring

That night, when the ogress was sound asleep, one of the rats crept to her bedside, climbed onto her face, and inserted its tail into her throat. The ogress coughed violently, and the ring came out and rolled onto the floor. The rat quickly grabbed it and brought it to its king, who gave it to the cat in exchange for his son’s freedom.

With the ring secured, the cat and dog started back to their master. “How happy he’ll be!” they thought as they ran as fast as they could.

The Jealous Dog

On their journey home, they had to cross a stream. The dog swam across with the cat riding on its back. Midway, the dog grew jealous and demanded the ring, threatening to throw the cat into the water if it refused. The cat reluctantly handed over the ring, which the dog promptly dropped. A fish swallowed it before either could retrieve it.

“What have I done?” cried the dog in dismay.

“What’s done is done,” replied the cat. “We must try to recover it, or we might as well drown ourselves in this stream. I have a plan. Go kill a small lamb and bring it to me.”

The dog did as instructed. The cat crawled inside the dead lamb and told the dog to hide nearby. Soon, a nadhar bird—whose gaze can break a fish’s bones—spotted the lamb and swooped down to carry it away. The cat jumped out and threatened to kill the bird unless it recovered the ring.

The nadhar promised to help and flew to the king of the fishes, ordering him to find the ring. The fish king commanded his subjects to search, and the ring was soon found and returned to the cat.

The Final Challenge

“Come along now, I have the ring,” the cat told the dog.

“No,” replied the dog, “unless you give it to me. I can carry it as well as you. Give it to me or I’ll kill you.”

The cat was forced to surrender the ring, and the careless dog promptly dropped it again. This time, a kite snatched it up and carried it to a tall tree.

“See what you’ve done!” exclaimed the cat. “Stop barking or you’ll frighten the bird away to somewhere we can’t follow.”

The cat waited until nightfall, then climbed the tree, killed the kite, and recovered the ring. “Come on,” it said to the dog. “We must hurry. Our master will die from grief if we delay any longer.”

The dog, thoroughly ashamed, apologized for all the trouble it had caused and didn’t dare ask for the ring again.

The Happy Reunion

The loyal companions returned to their master and presented him with the precious ring. In an instant, his sorrow turned to joy. He spoke to the ring, and his beautiful wife and house reappeared. Everyone was as happy as they had ever been, and they lived contentedly ever after.

This tale reminds us that kindness to animals can bring unexpected rewards, and that loyalty and perseverance can overcome even the most difficult challenges. It also teaches us that jealousy and carelessness can jeopardize even the most successful mission.