There was once a Rajah, by name Bunsi Lall, who was charmed by a witch,
turned into a snake, and lived under ground, but he constantly wished
to go above ground and see the world.
So one day he ran away and made himself a house above ground. Now, at
this time there was a girl living in that place who had a very cruel
stepmother, and this woman made her spend the whole day picking up
sticks in the forest. It was there the snake met her, and was struck
with her beauty, and one day he said to her: "Sukkia, child of Dukhia
(or the one who gives you pain), will you marry me?" But the girl
was afraid, for who would marry a snake?
She did not know that the snake was Rajah Bunsi Lall, and that he
was only a snake by day, but resumed his human form at night, so
she went and told her stepmother all about it; and her stepmother,
who did not care what became of the girl, said: "Tell him you will
marry him if he fills your house with silver." This the girl told him,
and he readily agreed.
Next day, when her stepmother opened the door, she found her house
filled with silver, and readily gave her consent to the marriage;
so Sukkia became the snake's bride, and went to live in his house,
where all was comfort and happiness for her.
After some time her stepmother thought she would go and find out
whether the girl was still living; and when she arrived at the snake's
house, she found that, contrary to her expectations, Sukkia was both
happy and prosperous.
Now the stepmother knew the story of the enchantment of Rajah Bunsi
Lall, and also that, if he revealed his name, he would be obliged to
return again to his former home under ground; and she advised Sukkia
to beg him to tell his name, and not to rest day or night until he
had done so.
When night came, Sukkia asked her husband to tell her his name;
but he implored her not to, as it would bring bad luck to her,
yet she persisted in asking, and would not be advised, though he
turned himself into a snake and fled before her till he reached the
river-side, where he again begged her to desist; but the foolish girl
would not listen, till he called out: "My name is Rajah Bunsi Lall;"
and so saying he disappeared under the water, and she saw him no more.
For days and days she wandered the streets and bazaars calling,
"Rajah Bunsi Lall, Rajah Bunsi Lall!" but he came not, and she was
very unhappy. In the meantime the snake had reached his own country,
where arrangements were being made to marry him to another girl; and
when his servants came to draw water from the well, they met Sukkia
and told her of it.
Now Sukkia still wore the ring which Rajah Bunsi Lall had given her,
and she begged them to take it to him, which they did; and when
his eyes fell upon it he remembered Sukkia, and all she must have
suffered because of him, so he went back to the world determined to
seek and find her, and then bring her to his own country. Sukkia was
delighted to meet him again. and gladly followed him; but the snake's
mother soon discovered her, and made up her mind to kill her without
delay, so she had a room prepared full of scorpions and snakes, and
all sorts of deadly creeping things, and invited Sukkia to sleep there.
This plot was discovered in time by Rajah Bunsi Lall; and he had
the creatures all removed and the room swept clean and whitewashed,
thus Sukkia escaped; but only for a time, for the snake's mother
told her she was clever, indeed so clever that a test would be given
her to prove her cleverness, and if she failed to give proof of it,
she would be put to death.
The snake's mother then brought a quantity of mustard seed and strewed
it on the floor beside Sukkia, telling her to divide it into equal
lots and carefully count each seed.
The poor girl began to cry, for she felt this task to be beyond her
power, and the snake said all the trouble had been caused through
asking his name, but he knew some little birds, who came when he
called them by name, and they very soon divided the mustard seed,
so once again Sukkia escaped.
The next time she went out, it was to follow very miserably in
the wedding procession of the snake; and his mother had arranged
that Sukkia should have torches to carry on her head and in her two
hands, so that, when the wind blew towards her, she would be burnt
to death. All happened as arranged, but when Sukkia cried out, "I am
burning, I am burning!" Rajah Bunsi Lall heard her and quickly ran
to her rescue. Together they ran away and escaped to the upper world,
and found their former home, where they lived happily ever after.