The Three Suitors

King Vikramaditya sat by the fire, listening to the vampire on his shoulder. “You solved the last riddle,” said Betal. “But can you solve this one?”

In the kingdom of Avanti, there was a beautiful Princess named Chandraprabha. Her beauty was famous across the seven seas. But one dark night, a fearsome Giant flew down from the clouds. He grabbed the Princess and flew away to his fortress on top of the Golden Mountain. The King was devastated. He sent a proclamation: “Whoever saves my daughter will marry her!” Three brave Princes from different lands arrived at the palace. The first, Prince Gyani, was a master of knowledge and magic maps. The second, Prince Yantra, was a master inventor who built incredible machines. The third, Prince Veer, was a master warrior and the bravest man in the world.

“We must work together,” they said. Prince Gyani opened his magic book. He chanted a spell. “Show me!” he commanded. The book glowed. “I see her!” cried Gyani. “She is locked in the highest tower of the Giant’s fortress, a thousand miles away.” “A thousand miles?” said the King. “It will take months to travel there!” “Not with my help,” said Prince Yantra. He clapped his hands. A magnificent Flying Chariot rolled out. It had golden wings and engines of fire. “Hop in! We will be there in an hour.” The three Princes jumped in. Whoosh! The chariot soared into the sky.

They reached the Golden Mountain. The Giant roared when he saw them. He was as tall as a tree and held a massive club. Prince Veer drew his shining blade. “Stay back,” he told the others. “I will handle this.” Veer charged at the Giant. Clang! Crash! They fought a mighty battle. The Giant was strong, but Veer was fast. He dodged the club and struck the Giant’s club from his hand. Defeated and scared of Veer’s courage, the Giant ran away into the caves. Veer kicked open the tower door and rescued the trembling Princess. They flew back in the chariot and returned her to her father. The kingdom rejoiced.

But then, the argument began. “She is mine,” said Prince Gyani. “Without my magic, we wouldn’t have known where she was.” “She is mine,” said Prince Yantra. “Without my chariot, we couldn’t have reached her in time.” “She is mine,” said Prince Veer. “Without my bravery, the Giant would have crushed you both.”

Betal asked, “Now King, be careful. Who deserves to marry her? The one with Knowledge, the one with Science, or the one with Courage? Answer!”

Vikramaditya replied, “The answer is Prince Veer, the warrior. Why? Because Prince Gyani, who located her, performed the task of a Sage or a spy. Prince Yantra, who provided the transport, performed the task of a Driver or a vehicle. But Prince Veer? He faced doom. He fought the monster. He risked his life to save hers. To protect and fight for his beloved is the true duty of a Husband. Therefore, he deserves her hand.”

“Aha!” laughed Betal. “You are too smart for your own good!” And he disappeared back into the night.

Moral of the Story: Knowledge and tools are essential, but courage is the decisive factor in action.