Long long ago there lived a King and Queen who had only one daughter whom they loved dearly. It so happened that the Queen fell very ill and none of the physicians could cure her. When she knew that she was about to die she called the King and said: “See that my daughter remains always free from trouble.”

When the Queen died, the King married again. He asked the new Queen to look after the child and became busy with affairs of the State. For some time the Queen treated the girl well, but as time passed her behaviour changed. She would beat her and keep her hungry so that the poor child became pale and thin and looked almost a skeleton.

One day the child asked for something to eat because she was feeling very hungry. Instead of giving her food, the Queen gave her a sound beating. The poor girl went into the garden and began to sob. Suddenly she heard a voice which came from a tree, and when she looked up she saw a parrot sitting there. The parrot said: “Do not weep child. I am your mother and I have taken the form of parrot. I will bring you fruit and other good things to eat. So whenever you are hungry come and sit under this tree.”

The girl was happy, and began to appease her hunger with the fruits which the parrot gave her. Seeing that the child became plump and lovely each day the Queen began to suspect that someone was feeding her. So she sent her maid to find out. The maid hid in the garden and saw how the parrot fed the girl. She went to her mistress and told her everything. The Queen pretended to be ill and lay down on her bed. When the King asked her what the matter was she said: “There is a parrot who sits on the tree in front of my window and makes so much noise that I get a headache.”

The King said: “If that is so I will get it shot.” The King’s daughter was overhearing this conversation, and as soon as she knew this she ran to the tree and told the parrot everything. The parrot said: “Child, don’t worry. Now I will become a goat and sit under this tree. Whenever you are hungry come to me, and I will give you milk.” Now the girl began to drink the goat’s milk. Seeing the girl keeping healthy the Queen was surprised and sent the maid-servant again to find out who fed the child. The maid-servant hid in the garden and saw the goat feeding the King’s daughter with her milk. She went back and told the Queen who again made a pretence of illness. The King asked her;

“What is the matter with you that you are lying like that?”

The Queen said: “The slightest noise causes my head to ache. There is a goat near my window which bleats the whole day and night and I can hardly sleep because of it.” The King said: “Why do you worry, I will get it killed at once.” The King’s daughter who was hearing all this speedily ran to the goat and said: “Mother, now the Queen will get you killed.”

The goat said: “Never mind, child, I will become a field of corn. Whenever you are hungry, break one and roast it on the fire and eat it.” Instantly the goat was killed, a large bit of the land behind the tree was covered with cobs of healthy corn. The girl would eat the corn whenever the Queen gave her no food. When she continued to be as plump as before, the Queen again sent the maid-servant to find out where the girl got the food. She hid behind the corn and saw her break a cob and take it away. She went to her mistress and told her. The Queen went to her bedroom and pretended to be very ill.

“What is the matter?” the King anxiously asked her. “I don’t get a moment’s peace” the Queen said, “First that infernal parrot, then the goat, and now see the corn has come up, and the birds keep pecking at it the whole day and making a noise. How can I sleep?”

The King said; “All right, I will order that the corn be uprooted and thrown away.” He called his servants and ordered them to uproot all the corn. But when they went with their spades to do so they found that the earth was hard as stone! The spades made no impression upon it. The servants came back to the King and said: “Sire, the earth on which the corn has grown is hard as stone. Our spades have become dented and yet they could make no impression on it.” The King said : “How can it be so hard, I will come and see for myself.” He went along with the servants and when they reached the spot, asked them to dig the earth with their spades.

But they simply could not do so. When he saw this he took a spade and struck it on the ground. As soon as he had done so, the King’s first Queen appeared dressed in white and said: “O King! you had promised me that you would look well after my daughter, but the new Queen gives her great grief and keeps her hungry.” Saying this
she disappeared. The King was greatly shocked and turned the new Queen out from his palace. Thereafter he began to look after the daughter himself.

A folk story from Uttar Pradesh, sourced from ‘Folk Tales of Uttar Pradesh’ by K P Bahadur.

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