Indian Fairy Tales · Chapter
How the Raja’s Son Won the Princess Labam explained
A Raja's son, forbidden by his mother to hunt on the fourth side, disobeys and discovers a jungle of talking parrots.
What happens
A Raja's son, forbidden by his mother to hunt on the fourth side, disobeys and discovers a jungle of talking parrots. Their king, Hiraman, mentions the Princess Labam, sparking the prince's obsession. Despite his parents' pleas, he sets out to find her. On his journey, he helps an ant colony by sparing their sweetmeats, earning the Ant-Raja's gratitude and a promise of aid. He then removes a thorn from a tiger's paw, gaining the tiger's loyalty. Later, he cleverly acquires magical items (a flying bed, a wish-granting bag, a water bowl, and a beating stick and rope) from quarreling fakirs. Using the bed, he flies to Princess Labam's country. Disguised and aided by an old woman, he secretly visits the princess at night, first giving her a shawl, then a ring, revealing his identity. The princess agrees to marry him, but her father sets an impossible task: crush oil from eighty pounds of mustard seed in one day or die.
Themes in this chapter
Gratitude and Ingratitude
The Ant-Raja and the tiger both express gratitude for the prince's kindness, promising future help, contrasting with the king's harsh conditions.
Cunning and Wisdom
The prince uses cleverness to acquire the fakirs' magical items and to secretly visit the princess, outwitting potential dangers.
Love and Destiny
The prince's determination to find Princess Labam, driven by love and fate, leads him to overcome obstacles and win her affection.
Characters to notice
- Raja Rasalu
The Raja's son who disobeys his mother, seeks the Princess Labam, and helps animals and fakirs on his journey.
- Hiraman
The parrot king who reveals the name of Princess Labam to the prince.
- Ant-Raja
Grateful to the prince for sparing the ants' sweetmeats; promises to help him in trouble.
- Princess Labam
The beautiful princess the prince seeks; she agrees to marry him after he secretly visits her.
- The Tiger
A tiger whose thorn the prince removes; he and his wife offer gratitude and promise future aid.
Key passages
“Then the Ant-Raja came and stood before him and said, “You have been good to us. If ever you are in trouble, think of me and we will come to you.””
The king of the ants appeared and promised to help the prince whenever he needed it, because he had spared their food.
The prince's kindness to the ants earns him a loyal ally.
“Then the tiger called the Raja’s son, and when he came the tiger and his wife made him a great many salaams. Then they gave him a good dinner, and he stayed with them for three days.”
The tiger and his wife honored the prince with bows and a feast, hosting him for three days as thanks for removing the thorn.
The tiger's gratitude mirrors the ants' and reinforces the theme of reciprocity.
“The four fakirs were quarrelling over these four things. One said, “I want this;” another said, “You cannot have it, for I want it;” and so on.”
Four holy men argued fiercely over who should own the magical bed, bag, bowl, and stick and rope left by their teacher.
The fakirs' greed allows the prince to trick them out of their magical items.
“Then he took the Princess Labam’s hand gently to put on the ring, and she started up very much frightened. “Who are you?” she said to the prince. “Where do you come from? Why do you come to my room?””
As the prince tried to slip the ring onto her finger, the princess woke in alarm, demanding to know his identity and intentions.
The prince's secret nighttime visit startles the princess, but leads to their mutual declaration of love.
