There was once a king in India, who wanted to build himself a palace that was more beautiful than any other palace in country. He decided that there should be a single column in the centre of the palace. This would support the entire building.
The king called his chief minister and said, “Send men to our forests, far and near. Tell them to cut down and bring to the city the biggest and strongest tree they can find.”
The minister sent out thirty foresters.
Soon the foresters returned. The leader of the group said, “There are many strong and gigantic trees in the kingdom. We cannot carry or drag them all the way to the city.”
“Very well,” said the king. “You must find a tree, just as big, in one of our parks. Bring it here within seven days.”
The foresters left and looked around. They saw a splendid SAL tree that grew not far from the palace. The tree was unusually strong, large and beautiful. So the foresters decided that the king’s column must be made from this beautiful SAL tree. The people of many nearby villages worshipped the tree because within it lived a tree spirit. So, they would come with garlands, lamps and music to pray to the spirit that she must leave her tree, for within seven days it would be cut to the ground.
The tree spirit understood what was going to happen. She remained quiet as a resting breeze for a few moments, and then all her leaves began to whisper. This was what the leaves were whispering to each other: “Sh- sh ! Our fall will crush all the little SAL trees that have sprung and thrive under our protection. For ourselves we do not care, but for the children’s snake, we wish the king had not ordered this….”
As the whispering died away, the spirit within the tree thought, ‘This must not be allowed. I must visit the king and try to make him change his mind.’
That night, while the king was asleep, a shining figure appeared to him in a dream and spoke in a soft voice: “I am the spirit of the SAL tree, O king! Today I learned of your plan to cut me down. I have come to beg you to change your mind.”
“No, I cannot ,” answered the king. “Yours is the only tree in our park strong enough to support a palace. Therefore I must have it.”
“O King!” said the spirit. “For a thousand years the people of many villages have worshipped me. The birds have their nests in me. Against my trunk, men take rest, glad of the cool shade.”
“True,” said the king, “all true enough, good SAL but I cannot spare you. I cannot change my mind.”
The tree spirit bowed her head and spoke. “Then, Mighty King, grant me one request. Please fell me in three parts. First, cut away the green part. Next cut my middle, with its hundred strong arms and hands. Last of all, cut down my trunk.”
“This is a strange request,” said the king. “I have never heard anyone who wished to suffer three times.”
“ MY family has grown around me. Dozens SAL trees have sprung from me. They depend on me for shade. If you cut me with one mighty stroke, my weight would certainly crush all my children to death. But if I suffer the stroke three times and fall in the three pieces, some of the little ones may escape. Do you grant my prayer?”
“Yes I do,” said the king, as the tree spirit faded away.
The next morning the king called the minister and his foresters. He told them that he had changed his mind. The column for the new palace should be built of stone, not wood.
“I have changed my mind because a very noble spirit lives in the SAL tree,”
He said . Then he told them of his dream.
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