Rajasthani Folk Tale Suneli's Well - Tales
There was a small village named 'Narsi ki Dhani' situated on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Like other villages of Rajasthan, there was a lot of shortage of water here too. The women of the village used to bring water from far away by carrying pitchers on their heads. There was a woman of this village - Suneli. Like other women of the village, she used to do all the household chores and fetch water from far away. By evening, Suneli used to get tired and exhausted. To avoid the trouble of fetching water, a family of the village started living near a well. Suneli wanted that her family should also live near a well. But the people of the family did not want to leave their ancestral land and go anywhere. Poor Suneli used to stay disappointed.
Tales
Once upon a time, Suneli was returning to her village, carrying a pot of water on her head, thinking something in her mind. She stopped to take a breath under a Khejra tree in her village, and her eyes fell on the root. She saw wet soil there.
‘Oh, these rats dig holes everywhere’ she thought and moved ahead. Suddenly it occurred to her that the soil dug out from the holes is wet. There must be water here. If we dig a well here, we will not have to go far to fetch water. It was as if her feet had wings. Quickly reaching home, she said to her sons, “Take up your shovels. We will dig a well near the Khejra tree in the village.”
The three sons and their father started laughing after listening to Suneli. “It is not new for rats to dig holes. But where is water here!” Her husband tried to explain to her, but Suneli did not listen. Suneli said, “Don’t come with me. I will dig the well alone,” she said and picked up the shovel and went towards the Khejra tree. When Suneli did not return for a long time, her husband asked the sons about her. All three said laughingly, “Mother has gone to dig a well with a shovel.” Suneli’s husband sent his elder son to look for Suneli.
Tales
When the son reached near the Khejra tree, he kept looking. His mother was digging with a shovel. A lot of fresh soil was lying nearby. He took the shovel from his mother's hand and started digging. Soft soil was emerging under the little sand on top. The son started digging with full enthusiasm. After taking some rest, Suneli said, "Son, I say with confidence that there is water below here. If we all dig together, then soon a well can be made. But even if no one digs, I will keep digging here. Now I will die only after drinking the water of my well. You dig. I bring food for you.
" The son kept digging with enthusiasm. When Suneli came with food, she saw that her son had done a lot of digging. The son sat in the shade and started eating, while Suneli herself took a shovel and started digging. In the evening, when the mother and son were returning home, the people of the village made fun of them. Both of them returned home quietly. But both of them were very happy deep inside their hearts.
Tales
Next day, when the younger son woke up early in the morning, he did not see his mother in the house. The pitcher was also not in its place. He woke up his brother sleeping nearby and said, “Brother, mother is probably right. The Khejra tree remains green because there is water in the ground beneath it. Come, let us also help mother in her work.” The elder brother sat thinking for a while, then said, “You are right. Come, let us help mother.”
Reaching near the Khejra tree, both of them went down into the pit dug by their mother. Taking the shovel from their mother's hand, both of them started digging. By then Suneli's husband also reached there. Seeing her husband and sons, Suneli was overjoyed. She was convinced that now a well will definitely be dug near the Khejra tree. The whole family kept digging the well till noon. But the weather of Rajasthan! Suddenly a storm came. The dug pit got filled with sand.
Tales
The villagers made fun of Suneli and her family. Both the sons became sad. Suneli stroked their foreheads and said, “Now we will rest during the day and dig in the moonlight at night. You dig and I will keep throwing the soil.”
The work progressed again. Seeing their dedication and faith, other villagers also came to help them. Be it small or big! Everyone got busy in the work. Now success was visible near. As the pit became deeper, it became difficult to bring the soil up. Suneli used a trick. She said, “Just like you put a pulley to draw water from a well, put a pulley here as well. It will be easy to pull the soil up. After putting the pulley, the work became a little easier.” Now as soon as the soil came up, the children would throw it up.
Soon, wet mud started coming out of the well. Sweets were distributed in the village. Boys started dancing with joy. Now the digging started happening even faster. Now one spring after another started gushing out of the well and in front of everyone's eyes, the water rose twelve feet high. Cool, sweet water came out of the well. Everywhere, Suneli's wisdom and dedication was being praised. She herself felt like taking a good bath in the water.
Tales
On hearing her cheers, Suneli's eyes filled up with tears. She said, "Brothers, a single gram cannot break a furnace. If you had not come with me, what would I have done alone?"
The oldest person in the village said, "Either it is your courage, daughter-in-law. Rats do dig holes. Khejra trees also grow in Rajasthan. But in my eighty years of life, I have not seen anyone thinking like this."
The well dug by Suneli never runs out of water and even today people call it Suneli’s well.
Tales
Some other interesting Stories
- The Hungry Maharajah: A Tale of Innocence and Justice
- A Herd of Elephants and the cleverness of a Rabbit
- The Story of the foolish Crocodile and the clever Monkey
- Outsmarting the Thief: The Tale of Raju's Bull - Short Story
- Golden Dreams: The Tale of the Barber's Folly - Moral Story
- First Story: Betaal Pachisi Story online
- Second Story: Betaal Pachisi Story online
- Third Story: Betaal Pachisi Story online
- Forth Story Betal Pachisi Story Online
- God's Mysterious Ways: Birbal's Unwavering Belief
