Once upon a time, a sick man lived in a village. He was so sick that he could no longer eat and became completely discouraged. He didn’t take any medications, didn’t go to any doctors, and his health got worse and worse day by day.
One day a friend came to visit him and told him that somewhere in a distant country at the very edge of the world there lived a very famous astrologer. This astrologer supposedly has the secret to heal all kinds of diseases.
Hope for healing awoke in the patient’s soul, and he decided to immediately go in search of an astrologer.
The next day in the morning the patient left the house and immediately felt relief. The patient was happy. “I’m just going to the astrologer, but my health has already improved.”
By evening the patient reached the banyan tree and decided to spend the night here. Before he had time to settle down for the night, lo and behold, Nat, the keeper of the banyan tree, appeared out of nowhere.
-Where are you going? - asks Nat.
“To a distant eastern country, where a famous astrologer lives,” the patient answers.
- That's great! – Nat was delighted. “Please, ask the astrologer why I am so attached to this particular tree and why don’t I have the willpower to move to another place?”
“If I find an astrologer, I’ll definitely ask,” the patient promised.
At dawn the patient set off again. When he reached the foot of a large mountain, a huge snake blocked his way.
-How far are you going? - asks the snake.
“I am on my way to an eastern country, where a famous astrologer lives.
The snake was delighted and began to beg the patient:
- Do me a favor, find out from the astrologer why I can only live near this mountain?
“If I find an astrologer, I’ll definitely find out,” the patient agreed.
When the sun was already setting, the patient approached a wide river. He sat down on the shore and began to think about how he could get to the other side. Then a crocodile swam up to him and asked:
-What are you thinking about, man?
“Well,” the patient answers, “I’m going to see a famous astrologer, but I don’t know how to cross the river.”
The crocodile volunteered to help the sick man, and in return he asked him to find out why he, the crocodile, could not dive.
“If I find an astrologer, I will certainly find out,” the patient promised and said goodbye to the crocodile.
The sick man walked for a long time and finally came to a certain country. And the ruler of that country ordered the execution of any foreigner who dared to enter his domain. As one would expect, the sick man was immediately seized by the guards and brought to the palace to the king.
- How dare you violate my order? – the king asked sternly. “Don’t you know that any foreigner who dares to set foot within my domain will face inevitable death?”
“Your Majesty,” the patient answered respectfully. “I didn’t know about such an order of yours and, to tell the truth, I didn’t expect to get into your possessions.” I am on my way to an eastern country, where a famous astrologer lives.
Here the king's daughter stepped forward and, turning to the sick man, said:
– Ask an astrologer to draw up my horoscope.
“Okay,” the patient agreed. “If I find an astrologer, I’ll definitely interrogate him.”
The king was surprised: until today the princess was considered dumb, because no one had ever heard her speak. How can one not fulfill her will! What about the order? Leaving a stranger alive means breaking your own orders! The king thought for a long time about what to do, but in the end his love for his daughter prevailed, and the king let the sick man go in peace.
The sick man walked for a long time and finally came to the country where the famous astrologer lived. The astrologer looked at the patient and said:
“If you had waited a few more days, you would no longer be alive.” Now you have nothing to worry about - your health will improve. Moreover, you will return home not only healthy, but also rich.
At that very moment the patient felt his body filling with strength. He was delighted, but did not rush home. It was necessary to fulfill the requests of other sufferers.
First of all, he spoke about the king's daughter.
“Nothing is easier,” said the astrologer. “Let the king marry his daughter to the man to whom she spoke the first word in her life, and she will be freed from muteness forever.”
The healed patient thanked the astrologer and continued:
“On the way to you, I met a crocodile who doesn’t know how to dive.” He asked to find out how he could get rid of this illness.
– A small cannonball is stuck in the crocodile’s head. If you remove it from there, the ability to dive will immediately return to the crocodile,” answered the astrologer.
“My requests are not over yet, teacher.” On the way to you, I met a snake that lives at the foot of a mountain. She seems chained to her home. Why is this happening?
– It’s very easy to answer this question. A snake guards a ruby hidden in a mountain. If you remove it from there, the snake will immediately feel free.
Finally it remains to fulfill Nat's request.
“The same thing happens to nat as to a snake,” said the astrologer. - There is a pot of gold buried under the banyan tree. Nat is called upon to protect it and therefore cannot be separated from the tree. If gold is removed, the nat becomes free.
The healed patient remembered well everything that the astrologer told him and set off on the return journey. First of all, he visited the king. The king followed the advice of the astrologer and married his daughter to the man to whom she addressed her first words. And this man turned out to be a now healed patient.
After the wedding, the newlyweds went to the village to visit their young husband. On the way they stopped by a crocodile. He listened to the astrologer’s prediction and said:
- Take the core out of my head.
Indeed, as soon as the core was removed, the crocodile gained the ability to dive. And as a sign of gratitude, he transported them to the other side. They walked and walked and reached the foot of the mountain where the snake lived. The snake listened to the astrologer’s prediction and said:
- Take the ruby out of the mountain and take it for yourself. He brought me nothing but misfortune.
That's what they did. And the snake became free and left the mountain.
Finally, the young couple came to the banyan tree. He listened to the astrologer’s prediction and said:
“But it’s true, in the eastern part, deep under the roots of a tree, there is a pot of gold buried.” Dig it up as quickly as possible and take it with you.
That's what they did.
All the astrologer’s predictions came true completely: the patient recovered, became the richest man in the village and, to top it all, married the king’s daughter.
And the point here is not at all in the astrologer’s predictions, but in the fact that this man was not afraid to burden himself with caring for others and that is why fate took care of him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru