The Quest for the Unseen: Beneficial insects, Magical Herbs, and Ancient Wisdom in Skardu
Description
I heard this tale from my uncle, who had heard it from his father, so it is very old.
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled over our land in Skardu. The king announced to his subjects that he would give a great reward to anyone who could bring him something that had never been seen or heard of before. The king had a daughter who was extremely beautiful and had rejected all suitors. The king promised that whoever fulfilled his condition would marry his daughter and receive half of his treasure.
Upon hearing this, many people set out individually to find something that would please the king. The king himself also began searching. After traveling for a long time, the king and two accompanying ministers decided to rest for the night and continue their search in the morning. The next morning, the ministers woke up early and decided to secretly leave the king and continue their search alone, hoping to claim the reward for themselves.
They travelled far and eventually came upon a lake. As they looked around, they suddenly saw a strange crea-ture with a human-like appearance, covered in hair. They had never seen or heard of such a creature before and decided to capture it, thinking it would be the perfect offering for the king. After much effort, they managed to capture the creature and brought it back to their camp. One minister informed the king about their discovery, and the king ordered that the creature be brought before him.
The creature appeared human-like but was clearly something else. It tried to communicate, but no one in the court could understand its language, not even the king. The king then announced that this creature was indeed unique and ordered it to be taken to the palace. Once at the palace, the king, eager to communicate with the creature, sent out a proclamation throughout the kingdom seeking someone who could understand and converse with it.
The proclamation spread far and wide, and along with it, the promise of a great reward for anyone who could understand the creature's language. However, failure to do so would result in execution. Many people came and failed, losing their lives in the process.
Finally, one person succeeded in understanding the creature. The creature lamented that it had been taken from its home and environment unjustly and pleaded to be returned. It promised to bring something truly beneficial to the king, something unheard of and unseen, if it were released. The king agreed and returned the creature to the lake. The creature dived into the water and disappeared, only to return shortly with a unique herb. The creature instructed that the herb should be ground and mixed into a local type of bread (keseer) and fed to the king. This would enable the king to understand and converse with any living being, which would be of great benefit. After giving these instructions, the creature disappeared again.
The people brought the herb back to the palace and gave it to the cook with special instructions. However, the cook accidentally burned the bread, rendering it unfit for the king. They decided to discard the burnt bread and try again, thinking the king would not notice. They served the king a fresh piece of bread, and he was pleased, believ-ing he would now be able to communicate with all creatures. Meanwhile, a servant who collected firewood for the palace, feeling extremely hungry, went to the kitchen and asked for something to eat. The cook, having only the burnt bread left, offered it to him. The servant, famished, ate the burnt bread without hesitation and left for his home.
The next day, the king was preparing for a journey when the servant, while in a forest, accidentally kicked a tree, causing it to laugh. Startled, the servant looked around but saw no one. To his amazement, the tree spoke to him, explaining that it was often used as a medicine for stomach pain, yet he had kicked it. The servant, bewildered by the talking tree, continued on his way.
Later, needing to relieve himself, the servant went aside and defecated, noticing a small insect emerging from his waste. Curious, he wondered about the purpose of the insect, as everything in nature seemed to have a use. To his surprise, the insect spoke, claiming to be highly beneficial for restoring eyesight to the blind. The servant, having heard of a distant king who was blind and had offered a great reward for anyone who could cure him, decided to take the insect to that king.
The servant travelled to the distant kingdom and presented himself to the guards, explaining his purpose. He was warned about the consequences of failure but accepted the risks. The servant was brought before the blind king and began applying the insect's substance as an ointment to the king's eyes. After a few applications, the king's vision gradually returned, and he was fully cured. In gratitude, the king honored his promise, marrying his daughter to the servant and giving him half of his treasure. Over time, the blind king passed away, and the servant became the new king, having earned his place through wisdom and the magical properties of the insect.
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