Table with Moral - Sukhu and Dukhu (An Adaptation)
Sukhu and Dukhu is a classic Bengali folk tale from Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder's Thakurmar Jhuli collection that illustrates the law of karma: those who help and respect others will be generously rewarded, while selfishness, arrogance, and cruelty will eventually lead to misfortune and ruin.
Once, a weaver had two wives, each with a daughter- Sukhu and Dukhu. While Sukhu was spoiled and lazy, Dukhu was kind-hearted, hardworking, and gentle. After the weaver passed away, Sukhu and her mother drove Dukhu and her mother out of their home. As a result, they were forced to live in penury.
One day, while Dukhu was spinning cotton, a strong wind blew her cotton away. Extremely disheartened, Dukhu chased the wind. On her journey while following the wind, she came across a cow covered in mud, a tangled banyan tree, and a tired horse. Despite her own troubles, compassionate Dukhu stopped at each instance to clean the cow's shed, clear the tree's creepers, and untie the horse.
Eventually, she reached the home of the moon. The moon rewarded her helpfulness by asking her to bathe in a magical pool. When Dukhu dipped in, her rags turned to silk and she was adorned with golden jewelry. She returned home wealthy and happy.
Seeing Dukhu's transformation and sudden fortune, the greedy and arrogant stepsister Sukhu demanded to go after the wind with her own cotton. When her cotton blew away, she angrily chased it. Along the way, she encountered the cow, the tree, and the horse, but she selfishly refused to help any of them.
When she finally reached the moon's abode, the moon instructed her to bathe in the same pool. However, because of her cruel and selfish heart, when Sukhu dipped into the pool, she emerged covered in soot, dirt, and toads, with her hair smelling foul.
Moral of the Story: Always have a helping attitude towards all living beings.
