In one small village there lived a young man named Maun Sita. He lost his parents in early childhood, and he had no relatives at all. So he lived alone, earning his living by playing the harp.
One day, as usual, Maun Sita went with his old harp to a distant village. His path ran through a dense forest. Before Maun Sita could go deeper into the thicket, robbers attacked him, took his money, and broke his nurse-harp into small pieces. Maun Sita wept bitterly, and the robbers, having had plenty of fun at his grief, left. Maun Sita waited until the robbers were out of sight, and began to carefully collect the pitiful fragments, saying:
- Dear harp! You were my only joy in this world, and now you are gone too.
Maun Sita grieved for a long time over the broken harp and suddenly heard:
-What are you grieving about, young man?
Maun Sita quickly turned to the speaker and - lo and behold - he saw the king of the Nats. Kneeling before the radiant king, Maun Sita respectfully said:
[Nat – literally translated – spirit. According to the ideas of the people of Burma, these are the lower creatures that inhabit the waters, mountains, forests and sky.]
“Oh great king, forgive me if I said anything wrong.” The robbers broke my harp and thereby deprived me of a nurse. Now I don’t know what to do, and that’s why I’m crying.
“Don’t be sad, young man,” answered the king of the Nats. - I'll help you. But you must swear an oath to me.
Maun Sita rejoiced and exclaimed loudly:
– I agree to fulfill any of your commands! And then the king continued:
“You will have a new harp, and not just a simple one, but a magical one.” Make a wish, touch its strings with your fingers, and it will immediately come true. But remember, the harp will serve you faithfully as long as you remain kind and humble. As soon as you become greedy and envious, misfortunes will fall on your head. Promise that you will not abuse the magical gift of the harp.
“I promise,” Maun Sita answered readily. - I will be content with only the most necessary.
The king of the Nats touched the broken harp with his magic wand, and a completely new harp immediately appeared in its place.
Maun Sita was delighted, bowed to the king at the waist, took the harp and set off again. Whether he walked for a long time or for a short time, only in the end he felt intense hunger. Then he remembered the harp, touched its strings, and all kinds of dishes immediately appeared in front of him. Maun Sita tasted a little of everything and moved on.
Two days later he reached his native village, Maun Sita. Little by little, the villagers learned about the magical power of his harp and whenever they were in trouble, they turned to him for help. And Maun Sita never refused anyone. Gradually, the rumor about the magic harp spread throughout the country and even reached the ears of the king. The king summoned his courtiers and ordered them to find Maun Sita at all costs and bring her to the palace.
And so Maun Sita appeared before the king.
“Young man,” the king turned to him. “I heard about your extraordinary harp and decided to try its magical power.” For many years now, the Queen has been tormented by headaches. Can't you heal her?
“Order, lord, I will do everything in my power,” Maun Sita answered obediently.
“Then please get down to business immediately, and if you are successful, I will give you expensive gifts.”
On the appointed day, Maun Sita came to the palace and appeared before the queen. He took his harp in his hands, conceived a wish, and before he could touch its strings, the queen felt better. The young man came to the palace for five days. And on the sixth day the queen finally recovered. To celebrate, the king threw a feast and generously presented Maun Sita with gold and precious stones.
Maun Sita loaded three carts with royal gifts and went home. And when he reached his native village, he divided the wealth equally among the peasants. Since then, there were no poor people in the village, everyone lived happily and prosperously, tirelessly praising the virtues of Maun Sita. And Maun Sita, true to his vow to always remain kind and humble, continued to work along with all the villagers. And grateful fellow villagers, in memory of the noble Maun Sita, named the village after him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru