# The Boy Who Had a Moon on His Forehead and a Star on His Chin explained — Indian Fairy Tales

> Chapter companion for Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.

## What happens

A poor gardener's daughter, who daily plays with the King's daughters, boasts that she will one day have a son with a moon on his forehead and a star on his chin. The King, overhearing this and desiring a child, marries her. After a year, the four jealous Queens trick her into misusing a magical kettledrum given by the King to call him in need, causing him to ignore her later when she truly falls ill. They then blindfold her at childbirth and steal her son, replacing him with a stone. The boy is raised by a fairy, grows into a handsome prince, and eventually reunites with his mother and father, exposing the Queens' treachery. The King kills the wicked Queens, and the family lives happily ever after.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice and Karma

The wicked Queens are ultimately punished by death, while the virtuous gardener's daughter and her son are rewarded with happiness and royal status.

### Filial Duty and Family Loyalty

The prince seeks to rescue his mother and reunite his family, demonstrating loyalty and duty despite the King's past failures.

## Character check-ins

### Katar

The prince's faithful horse, who helps him reunite with his father and mother.

### Shankar

The King's dog, killed on the orders of the wicked Queens because of the prince.

### Suri

The King's cow, also killed because of the prince's existence.

### The Cruel Ranee

One of the four wicked Queens who conspire against the gardener's daughter and steal her son.

### Raja Sarkap

The King who marries the gardener's daughter and later kills his four wicked Queens.

## Key lines

> The King killed his Queens, and then he and his wife, the gardener's daughter, and the prince and his wife, all went to live in the King's palace, and lived there happily together forever after; and the King thanked God for giving him such a beautiful son, and for ridding him of his four wicked wives.

The King executed his four wicked wives, after which he, the gardener's daughter, the prince, and the prince's wife all resided in the royal palace, living happily ever after; the King expressed gratitude to God for his son and for being freed from his cruel wives.

_This passage concludes the story with the restoration of family harmony and the punishment of evil._

> I was the grain merchant's servant; and one hot night I went into your father's garden and sang, and you heard me, and came and asked me who I was and where I came from, and I would not answer you.

I used to work as a servant for a grain merchant. One warm night, I entered your father's garden and sang; you heard me, approached, and asked about my identity and origin, but I refused to reply.

_The prince reveals his past identity to his wife, the youngest princess, to prove he is her husband._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters/the-boy-who-had-a-moon-on-his-forehead-and-a-star-on-his-chin
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters