A WONDERFUL STORY
by Maive Stokes · from Indian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once, there was a strong girl named Ajít.
A Wrestler went on a trip. He wanted to find a strong friend. He walked to Ajít's house. He knocked on the door. "Is anyone here?" he asked.
Ajít came out. "I am here," she said.
"Where is your father?" asked the Wrestler.
"He is in the jungle," said Ajít. "He pulls many, many carts. He is so strong!"
Wow! thought the Wrestler.
He went to the jungle. He found two big elephants. He put them on a strong pole. He carried them on his shoulder. He went back to Ajít's house.
He knocked again. "Is your father home?" he asked.
"Not yet," said Ajít. She was sweeping. A big elephant was in the room. She swept it out the door. So easy!
Wow! thought the Wrestler. So strong!
He met Ajít's Father. He pulled many carts.
"Will you wrestle with me?" asked the Wrestler.
"No," said Ajít's Father. "Not here."
An Old Woman came by. She carried bread for her Son. Her Son watched many camels.
"Watch us wrestle!" said the Wrestlers.
"I cannot stop," said the Old Woman. "But I can carry you." The Wrestlers stood on her hands. She carried them easily.
Wow! thought the Wrestlers.
The Old Woman's Son saw them coming. He got scared. He tied all the camels in his cloth. He put them on his head. He ran away fast.
They went to Ajít's house. They had a big dinner. Ajít made many flat cakes.
"Have a cake," she said to the Wrestler.
"It is too big!" he said.
"I can eat it," said Ajít. She ate all the cakes. Then she drank a whole tub of water.
Wow! thought the Wrestler.
"Come to my house," he said. "I will give you food."
"You cannot give me enough," said Ajít. But she went with him. She carried her whole house on her head.
So strong! thought the Wrestler.
They went to the King's country. The King wanted to see Ajít's strength.
"Give me some elephants," said Ajít.
They gave her a rope. She tied the elephants together. She threw them on the King's roof. The roof broke! The elephants fell inside.
Oh no! thought the King. He got mad. He brought his soldiers to stop Ajít.
Ajít saw them coming. She picked up the King and his soldiers. She carried them under her arm.
She put the King in a quiet room. She became the new Queen. She ruled the country kindly. Everyone was happy.
Ajít is strong and kind. That is very good.
Original Story
A WONDERFUL STORY
To notes O NCE there lived two wrestlers, who were both very
very strong. The stronger of the two had a daughter
called Ajít; the other had no daughter at all.
These wrestlers did not live in the same country, but their
two villages were not far apart.
One day the wrestler that had no daughter heard of the
wrestler that had a daughter, and he determined to go and
find him and wrestle with him, to see who was the stronger.
He went therefore to Ajít’s father’s country, and when he
arrived at his house, he knocked at the door and said, “Is
any one here?” Ajít answered, “Yes, I am here;” and
she came out. “Where is the wrestler who lives in this
house?” he asked. “My father,” answered Ajít, “has
taken three hundred carts to the jungle, and he is drawing
them himself, as he could not get enough bullocks and
horses to pull them along. He is gone to get wood.” This
astonished the wrestler very much. “Your father must
indeed be very strong,” he said.
Then he set off to the jungle, and in the jungle he found
two dead elephants. He tied them to the two ends of a
pole, took the pole on his shoulder, and returned to Ajít’s
house. There he knocked at the door, crying, “Is any one
here?” “Yes, I am here,” said Ajít. “Has your father come
back?” asked the wrestler. “Not yet,” said Ajít, who [ Pg 109] was busy sweeping the room. Now, her father had twelve
elephants. Eleven were in the stables, but one was lying
dead in the room Ajít was sweeping; and as she swept, she
swept the dead elephant without any trouble out of the
door. This frightened the wrestler. “What a strong girl
this is!” he said to himself. When Ajít had swept all the
dust out of the room, she came and gathered it and the
dead elephant up, and threw dust and elephant away. The
wrestler was more and more astonished.
He set off again to find Ajít’s father, and met him pulling
the three hundred carts along. At this he was still more
alarmed, but he said to him, “Will you wrestle with me
now?” “No,” said Ajít’s father, “I won’t; for here there is
no one to see us.” The other again begged him to wrestle
at once, and at that moment an old woman bent with age
came by. She was carrying bread to her son, who had taken
his mother’s three or four thousand camels to browse.
The first wrestler called to her at once, “Come and see us
wrestle.” “No,” said the old woman, “for I must take my
son his dinner. He is very hungry.” “No, no; you must
stay and see us wrestle,” cried both the wrestlers. “I cannot
stay,” she said; “but do one of you stand on one of my
hands, and the other on the other, and then you can wrestle
as we go along.” “You carry us!” cried the men. “You
are so old, you will never be able to carry us.” “Indeed I
shall,” said the old woman. So they got up on her hands,
and she rested her hands, with the wrestlers standing on them,
on her shoulders; and her son’s flour-cakes she put on her
head. Thus they went on their way, and the men wrestled
as they went.
Now the old woman had told her son that if he did not
do his work well, she would bring men to kill him; so he
was dreadfully frightened when he saw his mother coming
with the wrestlers. “Here is my mother coming to kill me,” [ Pg 110] he said: and he tied up the three or four thousand camels in
his cloth, put them all on his head, and ran off with them as
fast as he could. “Stop, stop!” cried his mother, when she
saw him running away. But he only ran on still faster, and
the old woman and the wrestlers ran after him.
Just then a kite was flying about, and the kite said to itself,
“There must be some meat in that man’s cloth,” so it swept
down and carried off the bundle of camels. The old
woman’s son at this sat down and cried.
The wrestlers soon came up to him and said, “What are
you crying for?” “Oh,” answered the boy, “my mother
said that if I did not do my work, she would bring men to
kill me. So, when I saw you coming with her, I tied all the
camels up in my cloth, put them on my head, and ran off.
A kite came down and carried them all away. That is why
I am crying.” The wrestlers were much astonished at the
boy’s strength and at the kite’s strength, and they all three
set off in the direction in which the kite had flown.
Meanwhile the kite had flown on and on till it had reached
another country, and the daughter of the Rájá of this country
was sitting on the roof of the palace, combing her long
black hair. The princess looked up at the kite and the
bundle, and said, “There must be meat in that bundle.” At
that moment the kite let the bundle of camels fall, and it fell
into the princess’s eye, and went deep into it; but her eye was
so large that it did not hurt her much. “Oh, mother!
mother!” she cried, “something has fallen into my eye! come
and take it out.” Her mother rushed up, took the bundle
of camels out of the princess’s eye, and shoved the bundle
into her pocket.
The wrestlers and the old woman’s son now came up,
having seen all that had happened. “Where is the bundle
of camels?” said they, “and why do you cry?” they asked
the princess. “Oh,” said her mother, “she is crying because [ Pg 111] something fell into her eye.” “It was the bundle of camels
that fell into her eye, and the bundle is in your pocket,” said
the old woman’s son to the Rání: and he put his hand into
her pocket and pulled out the bundle. Then he and the
wrestlers went back to Ajít’s father’s house, and on the
way they met his old mother, who went with them.
They invited a great many people to dinner, and Ajít took
a large quantity of flour and made it into flat cakes. Then
she handed a cake to the wrestler who had come to see her
father, and gave one to everybody else. “I can’t eat such
a big cake as this,” said the wrestler. “Can’t you?” said
Ajít. “I can’t indeed,” he answered; “it is much too
big.” “Then I will eat it myself,” said Ajít, and taking it
and all the other cakes she popped them into her mouth together.
“That is not half enough for me,” she said. Then
she offered him a can of water. “I cannot drink all that
water,” he said. “Can’t you?” said Ajít; “I can drink
much more than that.” So she filled a large tub with water,
lifted it to her mouth, and drank it all up at a draught.
The wrestler was very much astonished, and said to her,
“Will you come to my house? I will give you a dinner.”
“You will never be able to give me enough to eat and drink,”
said Ajít. “Yes, I shall,” he said. “You will not be able
to give me enough, I am sure,” said Ajít; “I cannot come.”
“Do come,” he said. “Very well,” she answered, “I will
come; but I know you will never be able to give me enough
food.”
So they set off to his house. But when they had gone a
little way, she said, “I must have my house with me.”
“I cannot carry your house,” said the wrestler. “You must,”
said Ajít, “if you don’t, I cannot go with you.” “But I
cannot carry your house,” said the wrestler. “Well, then,”
said Ajít, “I will carry it myself.” So she went back, dug
up her house, and hoisted it on her head. This frightened [ Pg 112] the wrestler. “What a strong woman she must be!” he
thought. “I will not wrestle with her father; for if I do, he
will kill me.”
Then they all went on till they came to his house. When
they got to it, Ajít set her house down on the ground, and
the wrestler went to get the dinner he had promised her. He
brought quantities of things—all sorts of things—everything
he could think of. Three kinds of flour, milk, dhall, rice,
curries, and meat. Then he showed them all to Ajít. “That
is not enough for my dinner,” she said. “Why, that would
be hardly enough for my mice!”
The wrestler wondered very much at this, and asked, “Are
your mice so very big?” “Yes, they are very big,” she
answered; “come and see.” So he took up all the food he
had brought, and laid it on the floor of Ajít’s house. Then
at once all the mice came and ate it up every bit. The
wrestler was greatly surprised; and Ajít said, “Did I not
tell you true? and did I not tell you, you would never be able
to get me enough to eat?” “Come to the Nabha Rájá’s
country,” said the wrestler. “There you will surely get
enough to eat.”
To this she agreed; so she, her father, and the wrestler
went off to the Nabha Rájá’s country. “I have brought a
very strong girl,” said the wrestler to the Nabha Rájá. “I
will try her strength,” said the Rájá. “Give me three
elephants,” said Ajít, “and I will carry them for you.” Then
the Rájá sent for three elephants, and said to her, “Now,
carry these.” “Give me a rope,” said Ajít. So they gave
her a rope, and she tied the three elephants together, and
flung them over her shoulder. “Now, where shall I throw
them?” she said to the astonished Rájá. “Shall I throw
them on to the roof of your palace? or on to the ground?
or away out there?” “I don’t know,” said the Rájá.
“Throw them upon my roof.” She threw the elephants up [ Pg 113] on to the roof with such force that it broke, and the elephants
fell through into the palace.
“What have you done?” cried the Rájá. “It is not my
fault,” answered Ajít. “You told me to throw the elephants
on to your roof, and so I did.” Then the Rájá sent for a
great many men and bullocks and horses to pull the elephants
out of his palace. But they could not the first time
they pulled; then they tried a second time and succeeded,
and they threw the elephants away.
Then Ajít went home. “What shall I do with this dreadful
woman?” said the Nabha Rájá. “She is sure to kill
me, and take all my country. I will try to kill her.” So he
got his sepoys and guns into order, and went out to kill Ajít.
She was looking out of her window, and saw them coming.
“Oh,” she said, “here is the Nabha Rájá coming to kill me.”
Then she went out of her house and asked him why he had
come. “To kill you,” said the Rájá. “Is that what you
want to do?” she said; and with one hand she took up the
Rájá, his guns, and his sepoys, and put them all under her
arm: and she carried them all off to the Nabha Rájá’s
country. There she put the Rájá into prison, and made herself
Rání of his kingdom. She was very much pleased at
being Rání of the Nabha country; for it was a rich country,
and there were quantities of fruits and of corn in it. And
she lived happily for a long, long time.
Told by Karím, 13th January, 1877.
[ Pg 114]
Story DNA
Plot Summary
A challenger wrestler seeks to test his strength against another, but first encounters the other wrestler's daughter, Ajít, who displays astonishing superhuman strength. As he continues his journey, he meets other incredibly strong individuals, including an old woman, her son, and even a kite, all performing impossible feats. Ajít repeatedly outdoes everyone, from eating vast amounts of food to carrying her house and destroying a Rájá's palace with elephants. When the Rájá tries to kill her out of fear, Ajít easily subdues him and his army, becoming the Rání of his kingdom and living happily ever after.
Themes
Emotional Arc
underestimation to awe and dominance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story was collected in 1877, indicating it's a traditional folk tale from that period in India, likely passed down orally.
Plot Beats (15)
- A challenger wrestler travels to find another strong wrestler, Ajít's father.
- Ajít, the daughter, answers the door and describes her father's strength (pulling 300 carts), astonishing the challenger.
- The challenger finds two dead elephants, carries them on a pole, and returns to Ajít's house.
- Ajít sweeps a dead elephant out of her house with ease, further astonishing the challenger.
- The challenger meets Ajít's father pulling 300 carts and attempts to wrestle him.
- An old woman, carrying bread for her son who tends thousands of camels, offers to carry both wrestlers on her hands while they wrestle.
- The old woman's son, fearing his mother, ties thousands of camels in his cloth and runs away with them on his head.
- A kite snatches the bundle of camels from the son's head and flies away.
- The kite drops the camels into a princess's eye, which her mother removes and pockets.
- The old woman's son and the wrestlers retrieve the camels from the Rání's pocket.
- Ajít demonstrates her incredible appetite and ability to drink vast amounts of water, then carries her entire house on her head.
- Ajít, her father, and the challenger go to the Nabha Rájá's country, where Ajít ties three elephants together and throws them onto the Rájá's palace roof, destroying it.
- The Rájá, fearing Ajít, attempts to kill her with his army.
- Ajít effortlessly captures the Rájá, his guns, and his sepoys with one hand.
- Ajít imprisons the Rájá and becomes the Rání of his country, living happily.
Characters
Ajít ★ protagonist
Implied to be of extraordinary size and strength, capable of lifting houses and elephants with ease.
Attire: Period-appropriate Indian peasant dress, likely practical for her strength.
Strong, confident, matter-of-fact, incredibly powerful, resourceful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult with a determined expression, mid-20s, with windswept dark hair and keen eyes. Durable leather tunic over a simple linen shirt, sturdy trousers, and travel-worn boots. Standing in a ready posture, one hand resting on the hilt of a simple sword at their belt, the other slightly raised as if about to gesture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Ajít's Father ◆ supporting
Very, very strong, capable of pulling three hundred carts by himself.
Attire: Period-appropriate Indian wrestler's attire or peasant clothing.
Strong, somewhat reclusive, avoids unnecessary confrontation.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with kind eyes and a warm, gentle smile. He has short, salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wears a simple, well-worn tunic of undyed linen, sturdy brown trousers, and leather boots. He stands with a relaxed, supportive posture, one hand resting on a walking staff, the other open in a welcoming gesture. He is on a forest path dappled with sunlight. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Wrestler (without a daughter) ◆ supporting
Very, very strong, capable of carrying two dead elephants on a pole.
Attire: Period-appropriate Indian wrestler's attire.
Competitive, easily astonished, persistent, ultimately fearful of superior strength.
Image Prompt & Upload
A burly, middle-aged man with a thick neck and broad shoulders, wearing simple brown leather wrestling trunks and a wide leather belt. He has a friendly, open expression and a short, neatly trimmed beard. His hair is dark and cropped short. He stands with a confident posture, arms crossed over his chest, showing muscular arms. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Woman ◆ supporting
Bent with age, yet possesses incredible strength, capable of carrying two wrestlers and flour cakes.
Attire: Period-appropriate simple Indian clothing, possibly a sari.
Strong, determined, practical, somewhat intimidating to her son.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman in her late seventies with a deeply wrinkled, kind face and warm, crinkling eyes. She has a gentle, knowing smile and silver-white hair pulled back into a loose bun beneath a simple linen headscarf. She wears a faded, earthy-toned wool dress with a patched apron, sturdy leather shoes, and a worn shawl draped over her shoulders. She stands slightly stooped, leaning on a gnarled wooden walking stick, her posture welcoming and wise. She is in motion, taking a step forward as if to offer help or guidance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Woman's Son ◆ supporting
Strong enough to tie up and carry three or four thousand camels in his cloth on his head.
Attire: Period-appropriate simple Indian clothing, including a cloth large enough to hold camels.
Fearful of his mother, strong, easily distressed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his late teens with a lean, sturdy build, wearing a simple, slightly worn brown tunic over rough-spun trousers and patched leather boots. His short, unkempt brown hair is dusted with dirt, and his face shows a neutral, tired expression with a hint of determination. He stands with a relaxed, slightly slumped posture, one hand resting on a wooden staff. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Princess (Rájá's daughter) ○ minor
Long black hair, very large eye (large enough for a bundle of camels to fall into without much hurt).
Attire: Royal attire, likely a sari or lehenga choli, suitable for a Rájá's daughter.
Curious, somewhat delicate (despite the large eye), prone to crying.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young princess, around eighteen years old, with long, dark hair intricately braided with gold threads and tiny jewels. She has large, expressive dark eyes and a gentle, serene expression. She wears an elegant, floor-length gown of deep crimson silk, adorned with delicate gold embroidery along the neckline and sleeves. A subtle golden circlet rests upon her brow. She stands gracefully, one hand lightly touching the folds of her skirt, her posture poised and dignified. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Nabha Rájá ⚔ antagonist
Unknown, but a ruler.
Attire: Royal attire, likely a turban, rich fabrics, and jewelry.
Challenging, easily astonished, fearful, ultimately defeated.
Image Prompt & Upload
A menacing Indian king in his mid-40s with a sharp angular face, cold piercing dark eyes, and a cruel thin-lipped sneer. He has a neatly groomed black beard with streaks of grey, slicked-back dark hair, and a prominent gold crown encrusted with dark rubies and emeralds. He wears an ornate deep crimson and black brocade sherwani with intricate gold thread embroidery, layered with a flowing black velvet cape lined with dark silk. Heavy gold chains and jeweled pendants adorn his neck. His posture is tall and imposing, standing rigidly with his chin raised arrogantly, one hand resting on a jeweled sword at his hip, the other clutching a golden scepter. His fingers are adorned with multiple ornate rings. A dark, sinister aura surrounds him with shadows accentuating his threatening presence. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature
Locations
Ajít's Father's House
A house where Ajít lives, with a room that needs sweeping, large enough to contain a dead elephant.
Mood: ordinary, domestic, but with hints of extraordinary strength
The visiting wrestler first encounters Ajít and witnesses her immense strength.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late afternoon sun slants through a high, dusty window, illuminating a vast, dim room within a weathered wooden house. The space is cavernous, with rough-hewn timber beams arching far overhead, their shadows stretching across a wide expanse of worn, uneven floorboards. Dust motes dance in the golden light beams, settling on neglected corners and a few scattered, simple furnishings—a low table, a straw mat. The air is still and quiet, carrying the scent of old wood and earth. The scale is immense, the ceiling lost in gloom, creating a profound sense of quiet emptiness and forgotten grandeur. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Jungle
A dense forest where Ajít's father goes to collect wood with 300 carts, and where two dead elephants are found.
Mood: wild, untamed, a place of immense natural power
The visiting wrestler finds Ajít's father pulling 300 carts and is astonished by his strength.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dense, oppressive jungle at late afternoon, where slanted golden light pierces through a thick canopy of giant tropical trees, illuminating hanging vines and massive ferns. The air is thick with humidity and mist. In a shadowy clearing, the immense, decaying carcasses of two dead elephants lie half-consumed by moss and tangled roots. The ground is a carpet of fallen leaves, twisted roots, and stagnant puddles. The mood is somber and still, with muted greens, deep browns, and the golden light catching on rotting wood and damp earth. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Rájá's Palace Roof
The roof of a palace in another country, where the Rájá's daughter sits combing her long black hair.
Mood: royal, serene, but quickly becomes chaotic
The bundle of camels falls from the kite and lands in the princess's eye, leading to the discovery of the camels.
Image Prompt & Upload
Sunset over the ornate palace roof, intricate Mughal-style domes and spires silhouetted against a deep orange and violet sky. Warm golden light bathes the carved sandstone balustrades and marble floors. Distant terraced gardens and a shimmering river visible below. Scattered potted jasmine and bougainvillea in vibrant magenta. A gentle breeze stirs sheer silk canopies draped between pillars. Soft clouds streaked with pink and gold. The air feels warm and still, with a faint scent of incense. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Nabha Rájá's Country
A rich country with quantities of fruits and corn, ruled by the Nabha Rájá, later taken over by Ajít.
Mood: prosperous, initially powerful, then overthrown
Ajít demonstrates her strength by flinging elephants onto the palace roof and later conquers the Rájá, becoming Rání.
Image Prompt & Upload
Golden hour bathes a vast, fertile valley in warm amber light, stretching under a soft lavender sky. Rolling hills are carpeted with endless fields of ripe wheat and corn, their golden heads swaying gently. Between them lie abundant orchards heavy with ruby-red apples, sun-yellow pears, and deep purple plums, their branches drooping. A wide, slow river meanders through the landscape, its waters reflecting the sunset. In the distance, a majestic palace with white marble domes and intricate lattice windows sits atop a gentle rise, its terraces overlooking the bounty. Along the riverbanks, simple thatched-roof farmsteads dot the scene. A subtle hint of transition is seen in the distance: new, darker banners with a serpent emblem flutter from the palace's highest towers, and a thin wisp of smoke rises from a far watchtower. The air is still and peaceful, filled with the scent of ripe harvest and damp earth. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
