THE FIVE FRIENDS

Of yore, there lived five bosom friends in a village, though they were very good friends, they belonged to different profession. One among them was an accomplished carpenter, the second a dexterous weaver, the third, an adroit jeweller, the fourth, a proficient bangle seller and the fifth a Brahmin who had achieved excellent in the field deep ancient knowledge.

The five friends were happy and content with their life and place until their small village had not come under the shadow of severe feminine. People of the village began feeling in search of work to some other place. The rich and the poor all suffered due to the catastrophe. The five friends and their families were also hit badly and were virtually on the verge of starvation. Seeing no way out they decided to go to an opportune place to try their luck. One early morning they set out for town before bearing they did not forget to pick up the raw materials and tools of their respective professions.

On the way to the town the friends had to pass through a forest. Whole day they walked but they were yet to measure the long way of the forest. As night fell and darkness prevailed they decided to took shelter under a big tree. All of them were exhausted with the long journey and wanted to sleep but it was not safe to sleep in a jungle totally unguarded. So all the five decided to watch in turn. It was agreed that the carpenter will be the first to work as night guard, the weaver will be the second, the goldsmith will be the third the bangle seller will be the last and the Brahmin the fifth to work as vigilant.

So all went to sleep except carpenter. It was night and he was tired but anyway he had to remain awake. “I must engage myself in some work to keep myself awake, “the carpenter thought, “let’s carve something from my wood and tools. My time will beautifully pass and something would be created too.”

Thinking on this line the carpenter began while his work. He carved a beautiful figure of a young woman out of the wood log. The carpenter was overjoyed to see his creation it was the perfect woman figure. He happily picked it up from the ground and then placed against the tree where his friends were sleeping. Since his time to remain awake was over the carpenter awoke his weaver friend for night watch and himself went to sleep.

The weaver got up and noticed the beautiful statue of a young woman against the tree trunk, “ what a perfect piece of woman hood!” exclaimed the weaver “but she is undressed! A woman looks more beautiful when she is appropriately dressed up. I must enhance her honour by providing her cloths.”

The weaver took out the bright silk cloth he was carrying with him and stitching kit. He then deftly stitched a beautiful choli and made a full-length saree out of the silk cloths. The carpenter then made the statue dress with attractive choli and saree. The weaver then threw a gaze on the dressed up to statue and said with a sense of satisfaction “Ah, now she is looking wonderful.”

The weaver’s turn also passed. He then awoke the jeweller to shoulder the responsibility of night watch and himself went to sleep.

The jeweler rose up and amazed to find a superbly dressed beautiful young woman’s statue against the tree trunk. “What a charming young woman! But her beauty is not adorned. A beautiful woman without any jewellery looks unpraised. The different jewellery on the part of woman’s body speaks about the beauty of that particular part, ”thought the jeweler.
“I must provide the jewelleries to beautiful statue,” determined the jeweller. The jeweller carved exclusively designed jewelleries and adorned the statue thus enhancing the beauty further.

Satisfied with his contribution jeweller went to sleep. Now it was the turn of the bangleseller to keep a vigil. The bangleseller awoke, he was feeling fresh. He looked around so that he could keep himself engaged. Suddenly he eyed up on the statue. “wow, what a charm! She looking like a goddess. Her beautiful, loving face, her silk dressing up and exquisite jewellery. She is wearing all are marvelous. Instead she lacks one thing. Her wrist is without any glass Bangles, her forehead is without any kumkum and around her neck there is no mangalsutra” said the bangleseller to himself  “I must provide her with these things to couple her feature.”

The bangleseller immediately took out the glass bangles and slipped those on her both the wrists. He then skin of his finger with a sharp blade and provided vermilion with this on her forehead of the statue. The bangleseller made a mangalsutra and tied around the neck of the young woman. After completing his work, he had a tough look and exclaimed now she is complete

The bangleseller then awake Brahmin their last companion and went to sleep. The Brahmin awake and saw that it was early dawn .He decided to take bath in nearly pool and went away. After some time he returned there fresh chanting mantra. When he reached near the tree his eyes dazzled to see the statue of extraordinary beautiful young woman. The Brahmin felt a tinge of sadness in his heart, “This superb beauty and piece of womanhood should not remain lifeless,” he whispered I must use my deep ancient knowledge to bring her to life.” The Brahmin took little water in his palm with his closed eyes he chattered some mantra and sprinkling water on the woman statue. He repeated his action again and again with much ferovour. So was the spiritual power of mantras that wind began blowing strongly the birds become mysteriously quiet and the sky began displaying lightning. And then a sudden thunder and the wodden statue of woman gained the life. Ah! She looked like an angel landing just from the heaven.

The Brahmin was startled to see her beauty. The other friends too awoke with the thundering sound and spell bound to see their creation active. Such was the charm on woman’s face that all of them were finding hard to remove their gaze from her face. A sudden thought came in every one’s mind, ”I wish she could be my life partner!”

Their common wish did not remain secret for long and soon they were included in alteration.

The carpenter was all too confident for his claim, Since he was the one who created the status first. He came forward and addressed, ”Listen! There is no need of feud in this matter. It’s plain and simple. Since she is the out come of my brain and figured by me give every right to make her my bride."

Listening this the weaver laughed aloud and he remarked, “Of course you are creator, but a man does not leave his wife undressed, in a state of dishonour. A husband must protect his wife’s honour. Since I offered dress to your naked creation, I am the rightful claimant to set her as my wife.”

Hearing the weaver the jeweller taunted sarcastically, ”Rightful claimant hooh! A woman is very very fond of jewelleries and a person who can provide her with this luxury should be rightfully her husband. Since I had adorned her with the jewelleries, I claim to become her husband.”

The bangle seller who till the time was listening, said, ”Don’t you think that she should be rightfully my wife, since I have put on bangles around her unadorned wriest, applied vermilion mark on her forehead and tied mangal-sutra around her neck?"

Thwarting all the claims made by the different friends, the Brahmin a roared angrily, “How silly you are? Whatever you people did, you did to a lifeless sculpture. Could you claim to merry a lifeless wooden status? Now, you couldn’t! It’s me who bring life to the status. And now when she in a women with flesh and blood, I’m the only one who can claim to become her husband.” Spoke the Brahmin in finalizing tone.

Sitting at some distance the women was listening to their argument with a pleasant smile. She did not say any thing nor she intervened between their fend.

Nevertheless, the Brahmin put his claim strongly, none of the other four was ready to give up their claim. After arguments and heated exchanges, a five came when it seemed that soon they would indulge themselves in abusing each other physically. Seeing the deteriorating condition, the carpenter suggested to pray to God Brahma to intervene.

Everyone agreed and they all began praying to God Brahma. Listening to their intense call, God Brahma appeared there All the friends bowed in front of Lord Brahma. The God asked, ”why did you call me? What’s the fend?”

The friends apprised him of their problem and of their claims. The God smiled. He sat on a rock table and then called the young woman. The God asked her to sit beside her. God Brahma instructed all the friends to sit in front of him. When everyone took their position, the God asked to the carpenter, ”So you are the person who carved the status, right!” “Yes, my lord!” replied the carpenter with folded hands.

“It means you are the woman’s creator. Now tell me how a creator is related to its creation?” “Father and child relation is between then, Lord!” replied the carpenter with bowed head.

God Brahma infered, so you are father of this young woman. Convinced with the statement, the carpenter accepted God’s version.

The God then turned to the weaver and said, ”you provided the young woman’s statue sari and choli. It means you protected her honour and saved her virtue. “ “Yes, indeed, my lord!” replied the weaver.

The God asked, ”Now tell me who protects the honour and saves the virtue of a young woman?” “A brother, my lord!” replied the weaver calmly.

“So you are the brother of this young woman,” verdicted the God. The weaver accepted the God’s verdict calmly.

The God then addressed the jeweller. “Tell me whose duty is to provide jewelleries to a bride?” “It’s the duty of bride’s maternal where uncle to provide jewelleries”, replied the jeweller.
“Since you have given the young woman jewelleries, you should be considered as her maternal uncle,” the God Brahma concluded.

The God then asked to the bangle seller to describe his contribution. The bangleseller to replied, “O kind lord, when I saw the statue, it was the statue of a young virgin woman. Since I felt it incomplete, I adorned her with glass bangles, mangle-sutra and vermilion on her forehead. By doing so I converted her from young virgin woman to a married woman.”
The Brahmin who listening to the god’s analysis since long guessed the final verdict so he intervened, “My lord, please consider one thing whatever they did, they did to a object. I was the person who sprinkled life in her.”

The god smiled and said, “O learned Brahmin. Keep your pause maintained. Since you have interrupted tell me what exactly you did to make her alive?”

“The power generated through my deep intricate knowledge and infilerated it in to her lifeless body which brought he to life,” replied the Brahmin.

“Who uses the power of knowledge and whom he gives?” asked the god.

A Guru A teacher changes the life of his student with the power of his knowledge, ”replied the Brahmin with his bowed head.

God Brahma concluded finally “Now with my question and analysis it’s been clear to you what position you acquire in relation with this pretty young woman. Since the bangle seller provided the virgin young woman with status of a married woman he is her rightful husband.”

Every one was convinced with the god’s decision and accepted that happily. All the four friends blessed bangle seller and the young woman for happy married life.