Shekar was a very silly young fellow. But he had a kind heart. One morning as he was walking down the road he saw a little old woman. She was sitting by the road with her foot in her hand. “My son, there is a thorn in my left foot. My eyes aren’t good enough to see it. Will you help me take it out?”
“Of course, grandma,” Shekar said. He pulled the out in the thorn out in a jiffy.
“Aaaah!” she sighed with relief. “O, thank you no much! I’ll give you a small reward for your kindness. Walk down this road till you come to a big tamarind tree with a hollow trunk. Enter the hollow and my sister will give you a gift.
“Thank you grandma!” cried Shekar happily. He would take the gift to his parents. They would be so happy to see it.
Soon he came to the huge tamarind tree with a hollow. At first Shekar was frightened and wanted to turn back and run. But he remembered that the old woman had promised him a gift. She had seemed to be kind, not evil. He stepped into the hollow.
“Welcome!” called a shrill voice. Looking into the dark, he saw a tall, thin woman sitting inside.
“I was waiting for you!” she said. “Here is your reward. This will bring you luck”. She thrust something soft, feathery and shining into his hands.
“Thank you” he sang out. Then he took a good look at his gift. It was a beautiful, golden duck and it looked at him with gleaming eyes of gold.
He tucked it under his arm and started walking. As he felt tired he thought he would stop at the little town nearby and take a rest.
When he entered the town a washer man saw him. The golden duck caught his eye. “Is it a real duck?” he wondered and ran to touch it. But when he patted it he found that his hand had got stuck to the duck. It was a magic duck! When Shekar went on the washer man had to follow him
The washer man’s wife saw her husband running behind a man with a golden duck.
“Come bank” she yelled angrily and ran to pull back her husband. Ooops, she got stuck too.
The washerwomen’s donkey saw his master and mistress going away. He ran behind them when he touched the washerwomen’s sari, the donkey got struck to it.
Soon the big tomcat in the street saw them pass. He nipped at the donkey’s leg and caught! The big black dog saw the helpless cat and chased him. He pounced on the cat he got struck! The dog’s owner, a little boy, ran up and tried to pull him off. He got struck. Then the boy’s mother came running after her little boy an dstuck to the rest of the procession. And a very strange procession it was!
Now the princess of that kingdom was suffering from a strange disease. She had forgotten how to smile or laugh. Many clowns and jesters had tried to make her laugh, but they failed.
This pretty princess was looking out from the balcony when the strange procession walked past.
Up walked Shekar with the golden duck with the washer man struck to the duck behind him, with the washerwoman behind him, with the donkey behind her, with the tomcat behind the donkey with the dog behind the tomcat, with the boy behind the dog, and finally with the mother behind the boy.
The princess started at this odd procession and burst out laughing. The king and the queen heard the laughter and ran up.
The princess was laughing so much that tears were streaming from her eyes. the king was thrilled. He called Shekar to his court at once. The entire procession came up. As soon as Shekar put down the golden duck, everyone stuck to it became free and went away.
“Who are you?” asked the king. Shekar told him the whole story. “you have made my daughter laugh. You are a kind and good boy you’ll make good king. Will you take over the kingdom?” asked the king. Shekar agreed.
He brought his parents to the palace. The princess fell in love with Shekar, as he was the only man in the world who knew how to make her laugh. They got married and lived happily ever after.
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