Long ago in Old Ayudhya, there lived a man named Nai Hah Tong, who dreamed of turning copper into gold. His wife, Nang Song Sai, had little faith in magic. She believed in the wealth of nature and richness of the earth. When her husband boasted, "Someday, we will be the richest people in Ayudhya," she listened patiently; however when all their tical had been used for experiments, she decided something would have to be done about her husband's great expectation.
She said to her husband, "Nai Hah Tong, you have experimented with copper and a monkey's paw, copper and a lizard's tail. You have polished copper with the gold stripe of fur cut from the tiger's skin, but the copper did not turn into gold. Why don't you give up this dream and go to work like other men?"
Her husband said, "Mai chai, that is not right. with each experiment my magic has grown stronger."
"Mai pen rai, never mind, my husband, you must do what you must do," she answered.
The next day, however, she went to see her father and asked him what to do about Nai Hah Tong's unreasonable search for gold.
Her wise, old father did not seem disturbed He said, "Pai, go now, and say nothing of this meeting I have a plan to help your husband." The next day, Nai Hah Tong received an invitation to dine with his father-in-law. At mealtime Nai Hah Tong was there on the mat-covered floor beside the elderly gentleman.
The old man said, "My son, since you desire power and a long life, you sit facing the east. I seek honor and dignity, so I shall sit facing west."
"Chai, yes, my father, I always follow the old belief. I never sit facing north when I eat, for I fear the bad luck such an action would cause, but sometimes, I eat facing south because I would like to have esteem and respect."
The old man smiled and nodded in agreement.
A servant interrupted the conversation by placing a large tray bearing bowls of white rice, hot chicken curry, roasted turtle eggs, vegetables, and namprick, a spicy sauce made from beetles and fish paste. Another tray held bowls of fresh water for washing, cloths for drying, and a lime scent for perfuming the hands. The men ate from the same bowls, using only the fingers of their right hand They did not speak very much while eating because the delicious food demanded their complete attention. The curry was spicy, yet sweet with the added milk of the coconut. The rice was fluffy and fresh from the top of the pot. The namprick bit the tongue, but it was good and made the mild mild drink more tasty by contrast.
When the meal was over, Nai Hah Tong felt as content as a baby gibbon sitting upon his mother's lap.
"Ah, we are lucky for fish in the water and rice on the land," he said.
"Chai, my son, but there is more to life than good food. I have asked you to come to see me this evening because I need your help Like you, my son, I have been looking for a way of turning copper into gold. Now I know how to do it."
Nai Hah Tong drew in his breath and made a long, long whistling sound. "Oh, it's too good to be true! I can't believe it!" he said.
"Listen carefully, Nai Hah Tong. I have all things I need for the miracle except one additional ingredient Because I am an old man, I don't think I can work hard enough and long enough to get it."
"Mai pen rai, never mind, Father, I will get whatever you need," Nai Hah Tong replied.
"That is not as easy as you might think, my son. I must have two kilos of soft fuzz gathered from the underside of the banana leaf, and the fuzz must be plucked carefully from our very own banana trees. Furthermore I know the fuzz will not perform the miracle, unless it comes from a tree planted when the magical words were spoken."
"I can say the magic words, and I can raise the banana trees. I will collect two kilos of banana fuzz for you," said Nai Hah Tong.
The old man smiled and said, "I know you can do this, my son, because I have faith in you. I will loan you the money to buy the land you will need to raise banana trees."
The young man bowed low to the older In the hearts of each of them, there was a feeling of faith and trust.
Nai Hah Tong was determined to prepare his fields in a way which would be most pleasing to all the gods who might influence his crops. For this reason he went to his village wat and asked guidance from the priest who knew how to look at the gleaming stars and interpret the wisdom of the night sky. The priest's saffron robe glowed in the moonlight. His bare feet made no sound as he walked from the wat to the open court. The glittering stars seemed to light the sky as the fireflies lit the darkness. The priest gazed at the stars as if they were the eyes of heaven.
Nai Hah Tong waited patiently for the priest. The only sound the heard was the lonely call of the gecko lizard hiding in a crack of the stucco wall of the wat. He counted the lizard's croaks nung, song, sam, see, ha, hok, jet.
"Ah, it is a rare sign of good fortune. The gecko calls seven times, bringing me good luck."
The priest returned to his small, bare cell and opened a worn-out folding book. He said, "Since you were born in the year of the Ox, you must begin plowing on Wednesday, the tenth day of the fourth lunar month. Now do not forget to begin when the sun is midway between the horizon and the high point of noon."
"Chai, chai, yes, yes. I shall do as you say."
The priest continued, "Before this auspicious hour, you must build a shrine tot he guardian spirit of the field, Phra Phum. Give him an offering of the best rice. Lay it flat on a shining green banana leaf and serve him graciously. At the north corner of your field, you must place three triangular while flags. As you mount them on bamboo poles, ask the blessing of the goddess who makes the banana tree fertile with the yellow fruit. do not forget to praise the Farm Goddess and do remember to ask Phra Phum's blessing. As these gods to keep hungry locusts and nibbling worms far away from your fields."
"Is there anything else that I must do"? aske Nai Hah Tong.
"Chat, you will ask your village chieftain to guide your plow three times around the field. when this is done, again honor Phra Phum with the sent of incense and the beauty of flowers plucked by your own hands.
"All shall be done exactly as you desire," said Nai Hah Tong.
He followed the priest's suggestion and added one more touch of magic. with the planting of each banana tree, he uttered the special secret words given to him by his father-in-law.
The gecko had predicted good luck, so Nai Hah tong was not surprised when his banana plants grew tall, sturdy, and heavy with blossoms. Not very long he had thousands of firm yellow bananas and myriads of shiny leaves with a soft layer of fluffy fuzz on the underside.
Each morning Nai Hah Tong gave Phra Phum an offering of the rice from the top of the pot. Then he carefully collected the soft fuzz from the underside of the banana leaves and stored it in a pottery jar. Each morning his wife, Nang Song Sai, gave Phra Phum flowers and incense. Then she collected the beautiful yellow bananas, took them to market, sold them, and placed her tical in a pottery jar.
After three lunar years had passed, Nai Hah Tong had a half kilo of banana fuzz. His wife had three pottery jars full of tical. Strangely Nai Hah tong was so intent upon collecting and storing the fuzz that he paid no attention to his wife's profitable labor.
One day Nang Song Sai's father came to ask if he would have to wait much longer for the two kilos of banana fuzz. When he saw the pottery jar partially full, he appeared worried. "I am an old man. If you don't get more banana fuzz, I shall not live to see copper turned into gold."
"Mai pen rai, never mind, Father. I will borrow more money to buy more land. Then there shall be more banana trees and I can collect even more banana fuzz," said Nai Hah Tong.
Now Nai Hah Tong and his faithful wife worked for many years. The moon rose, waxed, and waned, days after days until finally time arrived when each had accomplished a goal. Nang Song Sai had collected many jars full of tical. Nai Hah Tong had two jars full of banana fuzz. As you can imagine, it as an especially happy day Nai Hah Tong shouted to his wife, "Run, run and bring your father here Today he can test his magic. If all goes well, we shall see red copper grow until it is gold as the sun of Siam."
When the old man arrived, Nai Ha Tong bowed very low before him and presented him with the treasured banana fuzz. The old man said, "Arise, my son, today you will be a rich man."
Nai Hah Tong trembled nervously. Little rivers of perspiration ran down his face His fingers shook like banana leaves in the wind. The old man, on the other hand, was not in a hurry. He turned to his daughter and calmly asked, "Have you made any money from the sales of bananas?"
"Oh, yes, chai, chai, my father," she said.
Nai Hah Tong thought his father-in-law must be out of his mind. when the copper was waiting to be turned into gold, why worry about the sale of a few bananas?
Nang Song Sai brought in a try piled high with golden tical and placed it before her husband.
"Ah!" said her father. "Now, Nai Hah Tong, just look at all this money that has been made by following my directions. My son, I cannot turn copper into gold, but you and my daughter have harvested gold from the sale of your bananas. You cared for the young plants until they produced delicious fruit. Is not that just a great miracle as turning copper into gold?"
Nai Hah Tong did not answer because he felt like a fool, but he was a very rich fool.
His clever wife knelt before him to show her love and respect. when she arose she said, "My husband, you are a master magician. With the help of the gods you cleared land. You cared for the banana plants with the same loving care we give our son. You made the gods happy, and they rewarded you with the golden fruit of the banana plant."
"Mai chai, that is not right, my clever wife. Do not put a story under your arm and walk away with it. It is your father who is the master magician He has made his honorable daughter and worthless son-in-law the riches people in Ayudhya."
Nai Hah Tong looked at the meaningless pile of banana fuzz mounted high on the table under the smiling face of his father-in-law. Right there and then it is said, Nai Hah Tong mixed the banana fuzz with a little water and carefully molded a statue of the old man.
"What are you doing?" asked his wife.
"I am making a statue of your father. I hope our sons and our son's sons will treasure it as an heirloom. Each time they look upon it, they will be reminded of my foolishness and your father's wisdom.
Source
Lapid, Milagros and Serrano, Josephine. English Communication Arts and Skills through Afro-Asian Literature, 6th ed. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. 2010.
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