INDOlink - Children's Story: Gopal the little tailor

Gopal the little tailor
P.R.Ramachander

Gopal was a clever tailor. He was very good at his work. He always did his work with care. One day while he was stitching cloths at night, lot of mosquitoes entered his room. Since Gopal had to stitch the clothes before morning, he went on beating that part of the body where the mosquitoes sat. At a particular time lot of mosquitoes were sitting on his body and with one hit over them he killed ten of them. Suddenly Gopal decided that he was a great hero. He stitched a cap for himself, over which was written, “Hero who killed ten at a stroke.” He decided that he should not be tailor any more and decided to out in the world to earn lot of money. While going he searched his entire house to find something which he could take with him. He only found one Vada. He put it in his bag. When he came outside his house he could catch hold of a sparrow which was sitting on the window. He put the sparrow also in the bag. He walked a long distance and reached the house of a big Pahalwan (wrestler). That Pahalwan read what is written on his cap and asked him, “Did you really kill, ten at one stroke. I would like to test you.” Gopal then replied, “Of course I have killed ten at a stroke. You can test me”.

Then the Pahalvan took a small stone lying on the road and started pressing it. After some time water started coming out of the stone. The pahalwan asked Gopal to do it. Gopal took the Vada from his bag and started pressing it. Because it was fried in oil, very easily lot of oil came out of the Vada. The Pahalwan was surprised and said, “I will test you once more.” Saying this he took a stone and threw it on to the sky. The stone returned back after 10 minutes. Gopal laughed at the Pahalwan and told, “Whatever I throw will go so high that it will never return.” Then he threw the sparrow on to the sky. The sparrow became very happy at being released and flew away. Then the Pahalwan told, I will uproot a tree and let us see whether you can help me carry it.” Then the Pahalwan uprooted a huge tree. Gopal told him, “You carry the trunk and I will carry the branches because there are lot of branches and I am stronger than you.” The foolish Pahalwan agreed. He carried the entire tree and Gopal was simply walking below the branches. Pahalwan was convinced that Gopal was very strong. He took him to his house where several Pahalwans were there. They all took lot of food and told Gopal, “We are now going to sleep. Tomorrow we will give you another test.” Gopal who was very tired started sleeping immediately in the small corner of the very big bed of Pahalwans. The pahalwans waited for some time and hit the middle of the bed on which Gopal was sleeping with a big knife. Then the bed broke in to two. The Pahalwans thought that Gopal was dead and slept peacefully. But in the morning, Gopal was sitting on a chair in their house and asked them. “Lot of big mosquitoes in your house. One of them even broke the cot on which I was sleeping. But it could not do anything to me. “ All the Pahalwans were scared of Gopal and gave him lot of money and a horse to travel. Gopal purchased new cloths and dressed nicely reached a big city. He took a room in a big hotel and slept well. The people of the hotel, who saw what is written on his cap and went and told the king, “Sir, a great hero has come in to our town. He has it seems killed ten at one stroke. If we make him our commander in chief, we can defeat our enemies easily.” The king agreed and made Gopal the commander in chief of his kingdom. Next day, he called and told him, “We have lot of enemies. You take any number of soldiers, fight with them and drive them away. “ Gopal told, “Sir, I am a very strong man. I will not take any soldier with me but will drive away all the enemies.” Then he sent his servant to his enemies and he informed them. “Today our master who has killed ten people at a single stroke is coming to kill all of you. He will come alone and with only one stick.” The enemy soldiers who were really afraid told the servant, “ Nothing like that will happen. Nobody dares to ride alone to face us.” That evening, Gopal rode on the horse towards the enemy. He was carrying nothing but a small stick. From the distance the enemy soldiers saw him and became scared. By the time Gopal reached the place, they all ran away.

The king was wonder stuck. He told Gopal, “ We have two rakshasas in the forest who are always troubling us. Daily they come and kill and eat some of our people. If you can kill them, I will give half my kingdom and also my daughter in marriage to you.” Gopal agreed. He again said that he would go alone in to the forest. That night he took lot of small stones and went and hid on the tree below, which the Rakshasas were sleeping. The Rakshasa came at night and slept below the tree. Gopal took one stone and threw at one Rakshasa who woke up. He shouted at the other Rakshasa, “Why did you throw a stone at me/”. The other Rakshasa replied, “I did not”. Both of them slept again. Gopal threw one more stone. This time there was a big quarrel among the Rakshasa and both of them fought with each other and died. Gopal returned back as a hero.

But the princess was not convinced. She said, I would also keep a test. There is a wild giant pig in the forest. Let Gopal kill it. Then only I will marry him. Gopal readily agreed. He went in to the forest again alone. When the wild pig started chasing him, he ran straight and took a small turn near a big tree and hid behind it. The pig, which was chasing him, dashed against the big tree and was killed.

So the princess married him and Gopal became a king. But one day, while he was sleeping he muttered, “Where is the needle? I want to stitch a shirt.” The princess heard this and told her father. Then both of them decided that Gopal was a tailor. They asked some of the goondas of their kingdom to come at night and kill Gopal. But one of the Goonda was a friend of Gopal. So he told him about the plot. That night also Gopal muttered loud in his sleep, ”Where is the needle? I want to stitch the shirt, which was torn while killing ten people at one stroke.” When the goondas heard this, they ran away. Then Gopal lived happily in the city and became a king to the city.

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