This is the story of a young boy whose father is a fortune teller. In this part 1 of this story, we learn about the prophecy made by his father, who is a fortune teller. Listen to the adventures of this young man and how he rescues four living beings from a well.
Listen to Part 1 of The Fortune Teller’s Son by clicking below
This story was narrated by Sheerali Biju. Edited by Krishnadas. Audio produced by Amar Vyas for gaathastory. This story was originally written by and has been rewritten for language, context and brevity.
Read part I of the story The Fortune Teller’s Son below
In The Fortune Teller’s Son: Part I, Gangazara, the soothsayer’s second son, inherits a grim prophecy: poverty from birth, ten years of imprisonment, and death on a sea-shore, followed by an enigmatic promise of happiness. Driven by fate and survival, he embarks on a journey to Benares, only to rescue four beings—a tiger, serpent, rat, and a goldsmith—from a well. Each encounter tests his trust, as the animals warn him against the goldsmith’s deceit. A tale of destiny, loyalty, and the power of prophecy from Indian folklore.
A soothsayer, on his deathbed, wrote the horoscope of his second son, Gangazara, and bequeathed it to him as his only inheritance, leaving the rest of his estate to his eldest son. Gangazara read the horoscope and pondered its grim predictions:
“From my birth, poverty. For ten years, imprisonment. Death on the sea-shore. Some happiness afterwards.”
Unsure of what this happiness might be, Gangazara set out for Benares after his father’s funeral, avoiding the coasts and traveling through the Deccan. After weeks of journeying, he reached the Vindhya mountains. There, he crossed a barren sandy plain with no signs of life. His provisions ran out, and his water vessel, usually filled from rivulets or tanks, was empty. With no food or water, Gangazara found himself trapped in the vast desert. Yet, he clung to his father’s prophecy: “I must survive this to die on a sea-shore.”
Driven by this thought, he pressed on until he discovered a ruined well. Hoping to find water, he lowered his vessel with a string. Instead of water, a voice called out from the well:
“Oh, relieve me! I am the king of tigers, dying here of hunger. Fortune has sent you here. If you help me now, I will be your lifelong ally. Do not fear me. Once free, I will never harm you. Please, lift me up.”
Gangazara hesitated. “If I lift him, will he devour me? No, my father’s prophecy never failed. I am to die on a sea-shore, not by a tiger.” Trusting the prophecy, he pulled the tiger up. True to its word, the tiger did not harm him. Instead, it circled Gangazara three times and spoke:
“My life-giver, my benefactor! I will never forget this day. In return, I pledge to stand by you in all calamities. Whenever you are in need, think of me, and I will be there. As for how I ended up here: I chased a goldsmith into this well three days ago. He is at the bottom. On the second ledge is a starving serpent, and on the third, a rat. They may also ask for your help. But heed my advice: never trust the goldsmith. He is not to be trusted, even if he is human. You can trust me, a tiger, or even the serpent and rat, but never a goldsmith.”
With that, the tiger left. Gangazara, still thirsty, lowered his vessel again. This time, the king of serpents, son of Adisesha, called out:
“Oh, my protector! Lift me up. I am dying. Release me, and I will serve you for life. I will remember your kindness and help you in all possible ways.”
Recalling his prophecy, Gangazara lifted the serpent. Like the tiger, it circled him three times and spoke:
“Oh, my life-giver! You have given me a new birth. Three days ago, I chased a rat into this well. I fell onto the second ledge, while the rat lies on the third. I must go now, but whenever you are in need, think of me. I will be there to assist you.”
The serpent glided away, and Gangazara, still pondering the warnings, lowered his vessel a third time. The rat, king of its kind, was next:
“Oh, life of my life! My benefactor! Lift me up. I will come to your aid in any calamity. The tiger and serpent were right about the goldsmith. He cannot be trusted. Do not help him, or you will regret it. I am hungry; let me go for now.”
The rat ran off, and Gangazara, still thinking, lowered his vessel once more. The goldsmith, Manikkasari, called out:
“My dear friend, my protector! These beasts have lied about me. I am glad you did not listen. I am starving. Let me go. My name is Manikkasari. I live in Ujjaini, twenty kas south of here, on your way back from Benares. Do not forget to visit me and accept my gratitude for your help.”
Gangazara, after quenching his thirst, continued his journey to Benares. He lived there for over ten years, forgetting the tiger, serpent, rat, and goldsmith. After a decade of religious life, thoughts of home and his brother filled his mind. “I have earned enough merit. Let me return home.” With that, Gangazara set out on his journey back.
