The Wishing Tree – A Tale from Rajasthan

In the vast expanse of the Thar Desert, where golden sands stretched endlessly under the scorching sun, a weary traveler named Dharam Singh trudged along an ancient trade route. For days he had journeyed, his water supplies dwindling and his spirits falling with each step through the merciless landscape.

Dharam Singh was a merchant from a small village near Jodhpur. He had set out to trade spices and textiles in the distant markets of Jaisalmer, hoping to earn enough to support his aging parents and young sister. But the journey had proven more difficult than he anticipated. A sandstorm had forced him to take shelter for two days, depleting his provisions, and now he found himself alone in the desert with the sun beating down relentlessly.

“Just a few more miles,” he muttered to himself, squinting at the horizon where heat waves danced and distorted the view. “Surely there must be a village or at least a well nearby.”

As the afternoon wore on, Dharam Singh spotted something unusual in the distance – a splash of green against the endless beige of sand. At first, he thought it might be a mirage, a cruel trick of the desert on his desperate mind. But as he approached, the vision didn’t waver or disappear. Instead, it grew more distinct: a massive tree with a broad canopy of lush green leaves, standing alone in the desert like a miracle.

“How can this be?” he wondered aloud, quickening his pace despite his exhaustion. “No tree could survive in this barren land without water.”

When he finally reached the tree, Dharam Singh fell to his knees in gratitude. The shade it provided was immediate relief from the punishing sun. Its thick, gnarled trunk spoke of great age, and its branches spread wide, creating a cool sanctuary in the midst of the desert’s fury.

Even more surprising, at the base of the tree bubbled a small spring of clear, sweet water. Dharam Singh cupped his hands and drank deeply, feeling life return to his parched body. After quenching his thirst, he sat with his back against the tree’s trunk, marveling at his good fortune.

“Thank you,” he whispered to the tree. “You have saved my life this day.”

As the heat of the day began to subside and evening approached, Dharam Singh prepared a small meal from his remaining supplies. The cool breeze rustling through the leaves above lulled him into a peaceful state, and soon his thoughts turned to his family and the purpose of his journey.

“If only I had enough goods to make this journey worthwhile,” he sighed, thinking of the meager bundle of spices he carried. “My family depends on me, and I fear I will return with little to show for my efforts.”

No sooner had these words left his lips than a strange thing happened. A single leaf detached from the branch above him and floated down, landing gently in his lap. As Dharam Singh picked it up, the leaf transformed in his hands, becoming a gold coin that gleamed in the fading light.

Startled, he dropped the coin, but it didn’t disappear or turn back into a leaf. It lay there on the ground, solid and real. Cautiously, he picked it up again, turning it over in his fingers.

“This cannot be,” he whispered, but the evidence was undeniable.

A thought occurred to him then – a tale he had heard as a child about a mythical Kalpa Vriksha, a divine wishing tree that could grant any desire. Could this solitary tree in the desert be such a legendary entity?

Testing his theory, Dharam Singh spoke aloud: “I wish for enough coins to buy medicine for my father’s ailing eyes.”

Immediately, several leaves detached from the branch above and drifted down. Each transformed into a gold coin as it touched his outstretched hands. Dharam Singh gasped in amazement, counting ten gold coins – more than enough for the finest medicines available.

His heart racing with excitement, Dharam Singh began to think of all the things he could wish for – a new house for his family, fine clothes, perhaps even servants to care for his parents in their old age. The possibilities seemed endless.

“I wish for a sack of gold coins,” he declared boldly, “enough to build a mansion in my village!”

This time, a veritable shower of leaves fell from the tree, each transforming into gold. Soon, a small pile of coins lay at his feet, more wealth than he had ever seen in his life.

As night fell, Dharam Singh could hardly sleep, his mind racing with plans and dreams. By morning, he had decided to make one final, grand wish before continuing his journey.

“Great tree,” he announced, standing before the massive trunk as the first rays of dawn painted the desert gold, “I wish for all the wealth in the world, so that I may never want for anything again!”

But this time, no leaves fell. The tree remained still, its branches unmoved by even the slightest breeze. Confused, Dharam Singh repeated his wish, louder this time, but still the tree gave no response.

As he stood there, puzzled by this change, he noticed an old man approaching from across the dunes. The stranger was dressed simply in white cotton, with a long white beard and eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of ages.

“Good morning, young merchant,” the old man called as he drew near. “I see you have discovered the Kalpa Vriksha.”

“You know of this tree?” Dharam Singh asked, surprised.

The old man nodded, settling himself in the shade. “I have known it for many lifetimes. It has stood here since before the desert was born, offering its gifts to those who truly need them.”

“But it no longer responds to my wishes,” Dharam Singh admitted, gesturing to the pile of gold coins he had gathered.

“Ah,” the old man smiled knowingly. “The Kalpa Vriksha gives only what is needed, not what is wanted out of greed. It seems it has decided you have received enough.”

Dharam Singh looked at his pile of coins, then back at the old man. “But how will I know when I have enough?”

“That,” said the old man, “is the question that has troubled mankind since the beginning of time. The tree’s wisdom lies in knowing the difference between need and greed, between what sustains life and what corrupts it.”

The merchant considered these words, looking thoughtfully at the gold coins scattered around him. He had more than enough to help his family, to secure medicines for his father and education for his sister. Did he truly need more?

“I think I understand,” Dharam Singh said slowly. “The tree gave me what I needed to help my family, but it will not fuel endless desire.”

The old man nodded approvingly. “You learn quickly, young merchant. Many before you have discovered this tree and wished for kingdoms, for immortality, for power beyond measure. Those who could not be satisfied eventually left with heavy purses but heavier hearts, never finding the contentment they sought.”

As they sat together in the shade, the old man shared stories of previous travelers who had encountered the wishing tree. Some had used its gifts wisely, building schools or hospitals, digging wells for parched villages, or simply ensuring their families would not go hungry. Others had wished for more and more until the tree no longer responded, leaving them to learn the hard lesson that unlimited wealth does not bring unlimited happiness.

When evening came again, Dharam Singh had made his decision. He carefully gathered the coins the tree had given him, leaving behind a single gold piece at the base of the trunk as an offering of gratitude.

“Thank you for your wisdom,” he said to both the tree and the old man. “I have enough to help my family and perhaps to start a small business that will support us for years to come. That is all I truly need.”

The old man smiled. “Then you have received the greatest gift the Kalpa Vriksha offers – not gold, but understanding.”

As Dharam Singh prepared to leave the next morning, he noticed the old man was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared, leaving the merchant to wonder if he too had been part of the tree’s magic.

With his bundle of coins securely tied at his waist, Dharam Singh set off toward Jaisalmer. But before the wishing tree disappeared from view, he turned back for one last look. In the morning light, he could have sworn he saw the ancient trunk shift slightly, as if the tree were nodding its approval.

Dharam Singh returned to his village a changed man. With the coins from the wishing tree, he purchased medicines that restored his father’s sight, arranged a good marriage for his sister, and established a small but prosperous trading business. But more valuable than these material gains was the wisdom he had acquired beneath the branches of the Kalpa Vriksha.

In the years that followed, many travelers claimed to have searched for the legendary wishing tree in the Thar Desert, but none could ever find it. Some said it appeared only to those in genuine need; others believed it moved through the desert, choosing when and where to reveal itself.

As for Dharam Singh, he never sought the tree again, but he planted many trees around his village, creating shade and life where there had been none before. And to all who would listen, he would say, “The greatest wish is to know when you have enough.”

Adapted from “The Wishing Tree,” a traditional Rajasthani folktale collected in “Rajasthani Folk Tales” published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), featuring desert wisdom passed down through generations of storytellers in the Thar region.