Once upon a time, there was a fortune teller who was about to pass away. He wrote down a special prediction for his second son, named Gangazara. He gave it to Gangazara as his only gift, leaving everything else to his older brother.

Gangazara read the prediction and thought, “Oh no! Is this all I get? My dad was always right about these things! And look at what it says: ‘FROM THE DAY YOU’RE BORN, YOU’LL BE POOR!’ That’s not all! ‘FOR TEN YEARS, YOU’LL BE LOCKED UP!’ That sounds even worse than being poor! And then it says, ‘YOU’LL DIE ON THE BEACH!’ That means I’ll be far from home, with no friends or family. But wait, the weirdest part is that I’m supposed to ‘HAVE SOME FUN LATER!’ I wonder what that could mean?”

After his dad’s funeral, Gangazara said goodbye to his older brother and set off on a journey to a place called Benares. He went through the middle of the land, staying away from the beaches. He traveled for many weeks and months until he reached some big mountains called the Vindhya Mountains. To get through, he had to walk for a couple of days across a sandy desert with nothing living there.

He only had a little bit of food and water for a few days, but it quickly ran out. His water container, which he always kept full from rivers and ponds, was empty because of the hot desert. He had nothing to eat or drink! Everywhere he looked, there was just desert. He didn’t know how he would ever get out. But he thought, “My dad’s predictions always come true! I have to survive this so I can die on a beach!” This thought gave him the strength to keep walking and look for water.

Finally, he got lucky! He found an old, broken well. He thought he could get some water if he lowered his container with the rope he always carried. So he let it down, and it went pretty far down before stopping. Then, he heard a voice from the well! “Help me! I’m the king of tigers, and I’m starving! I haven’t eaten in three days. You’re my lucky chance! If you help me, I’ll always help you. Don’t worry, I won’t eat you. Once you save me, I’ll never hurt you. Please, pull me out!”

Gangazara thought, “Should I help him? If I pull him out, he might eat me! But wait, my dad’s prediction said I’d die on a beach, not by a tiger!” So he asked the tiger-king to hold on tight to the container. The tiger did, and Gangazara slowly pulled him up. The tiger made it to the top of the well and felt safe. He kept his promise and didn’t hurt Gangazara. Instead, he walked around him three times and said, “Thank you for saving my life! I’ll never forget this day. I promise to help you whenever you’re in trouble. Just think of me, and I’ll be there. Let me tell you how I got here. Three days ago, I was walking in the forest when I saw a goldsmith. I chased him, but he jumped into this well. He’s still at the bottom! I jumped in too, but I only fell to the first ledge. He’s on the very bottom ledge. On the second ledge is a snake that’s really hungry. On the third ledge is a rat, also starving. When you try to get water again, they might ask you to help them too. The goldsmith might also ask for help. Please, as your friend, don’t help that man, even though he’s a human like you. You can’t trust goldsmiths! You can trust me, a tiger, even though I sometimes eat people, or the snake, whose bite can kill you, or the rat, who causes all sorts of trouble in your house. But never trust a goldsmith! Don’t save him! If you do, you’ll regret it!”

With that, the hungry tiger left without waiting for an answer.

Gangazara thought about what the tiger said and was amazed at how well he spoke. But he was still thirsty, so he lowered his container again. This time, the snake grabbed it and said, “Oh, savior! Pull me out! I’m the king of snakes, and my dad, Adisesha, is missing me terribly. Save me now, and I’ll always be your servant. I’ll remember your kindness and help you in any way I can. Please, I’m dying!”

Gangazara remembered his dad’s prediction about dying on a beach and pulled the snake up. The snake, like the tiger, walked around him three times and bowed, saying, “Oh, life-giver! You’re like a father to me because you gave me a new life! Three days ago, I was enjoying the sun when I saw a rat running. I chased him, and he fell into this well. I followed him, but I fell onto the second ledge instead of the third. I’m going to see my dad now. Whenever you’re in trouble, just think of me, and I’ll be there to help you!” Then, the snake slithered away quickly and disappeared.

The poor fortune teller’s son was now almost dying of thirst. He lowered his container a third time. The rat grabbed it, and Gangazara quickly pulled the poor animal up. But the rat didn’t leave without showing his thanks. “Oh, thank you for saving my life! I’m the king of rats! Whenever you’re in trouble, just think of me. I’ll come and help you. I heard everything the tiger told you about the goldsmith on the fourth ledge. It’s true, you should never trust goldsmiths! Don’t help him like you helped us! If you do, you’ll be sorry. I’m hungry, so I have to go now.” The rat ran off.

Gangazara thought about the advice the three animals gave him about not helping the goldsmith. “What’s wrong with helping him? Why shouldn’t I save him too?” So, Gangazara lowered the container again. The goldsmith grabbed it and asked for help. The fortune teller’s son didn’t have much time to waste. He was so thirsty! So he pulled the goldsmith up. The goldsmith started to tell his story. “Wait a minute,” said Gangazara. He lowered his container for the fifth time to get some water, just in case someone else was still in the well. Then, he listened to the goldsmith, who began, “My dear friend, my savior! Those animals were telling you lies about me! I’m glad you didn’t listen to them. I’m starving right now. Can I go now? My name is Manikkasari. I live on East Main Street in Ujjaini, which is twenty miles south of here, on your way back from Benares. Don’t forget to visit me and let me thank you for saving me on your way home!” The goldsmith left, and Gangazara continued north after his adventures.

He reached Benares and lived there for more than ten years. He completely forgot about the tiger, snake, rat, and goldsmith. After ten years of praying, he started thinking about his home and his brother. “I’ve been good for long enough! Let me go home now!” Gangazara thought, and he quickly started his journey back. Remembering his dad’s prediction, he went back the same way he came ten years before. He reached the broken well where he had saved the three animal kings and the goldsmith. He remembered everything and decided to think of the tiger to see if he was still loyal. In a moment, the tiger-king came running up with a big crown in his mouth. The shiny diamonds sparkled brighter than the sun! He dropped the crown at Gangazara’s feet and, forgetting all his pride, acted like a friendly cat. He said, “My life-giver! Why have you forgotten me, your poor servant, for so long? I’m so happy you still remember me! I’ll never forget the day you saved my life. I have some jewels that aren’t worth much. This crown is the best one. I brought it here as a valuable gift for you to take with you and sell in your own country.”

Gangazara looked at the crown, examined it carefully, and counted all the jewels. He thought he would become the richest man by taking out the diamonds and gold and selling them in his country. He said goodbye to the tiger-king, and after he left, Gangazara thought about the snake and rat kings. They came with their gifts and said hello. Gangazara was very happy that the animals were so loyal and continued south. He said to himself, “These animals have been very helpful. Manikkasari must be even more helpful! I don’t need anything from him right now. If I take this crown as it is, it will take up too much space in my bag. It might also make robbers curious. I’ll go to Ujjaini on my way. Manikkasari asked me to visit him when I returned. I’ll do that and ask him to melt the crown and take out the diamonds and gold. He can at least do that for me. Then, I’ll roll up the diamonds and gold in my clothes and go home.”

He reached Ujjaini and asked for his goldsmith friend’s house. He found it easily. Manikkasari was very happy to see the man who, ten years before, had saved him from the well, even though the tiger, snake, and rat had told him not to. Gangazara showed him the crown he got from the tiger-king, told him how he got it, and asked him to help him take out the gold and diamonds. Manikkasari agreed and told his friend to relax, take a bath, and eat something. Gangazara, who always followed his religious customs, went straight to the river to take a bath.

How did the crown end up in the tiger’s mouth? The king of Ujjaini had gone on a hunting trip a week before with all his hunters. Suddenly, the tiger-king jumped out of the woods, grabbed the king, and disappeared.

When the king’s helpers told the prince that his father was dead, he cried and announced that he would give half of his kingdom to anyone who told him who killed his father. The goldsmith knew that a tiger had killed the king, not a hunter, because he had heard Gangazara tell him how he got the crown. So, he decided to tell everyone that Gangazara was the king’s murderer. He hid the crown under his clothes and ran to the palace. He told the prince that the killer had been caught and showed him the crown. The prince took the crown, examined it, and gave half of the kingdom to Manikkasari. Then, he asked about the murderer. “He’s bathing in the river and looks like this,” said the goldsmith. Four soldiers ran to the river and tied up the poor Brahman, who was praying and didn’t know what was happening. They brought Gangazara to the prince, who turned away from the supposed murderer and ordered his soldiers to throw him into a dungeon. In a minute, without knowing why, the poor Brahman found himself in a dark dungeon.

It was a dark room underground with strong stone walls. Criminals who had committed terrible crimes were put there to die without food or water. That was the room Gangazara was thrown into. What was he thinking? “It’s no use blaming the goldsmith or the prince now. We’re all controlled by fate. We have to follow her orders. This is just the first day of my dad’s prediction. So far, it’s true. But how will I spend ten years here? Maybe I can survive for a day or two without food. But how will I spend ten years? That’s impossible, and I’m going to die. Before I die, let me think about my loyal animal friends.”

Gangazara thought about his three friends. The tiger-king, snake-king, and rat-king came to a garden near the dungeon with their armies. They didn’t know what to do. They had a meeting and decided to make a tunnel from an old well to the dungeon. The rat raja ordered his army to do it. They used their teeth to dig a long tunnel to the prison walls. When they got there, they couldn’t dig through the hard stones. So, the bandicoots were ordered to help. They used their strong teeth to make a small hole in the wall so a rat could go back and forth easily. The tunnel was complete!

The rat raja went in first to comfort his savior. He promised to bring him food. “Everyone, bring any sweets or bread you can find to our benefactor. Cut down any clothes you see hanging in houses, dip them in water, and bring the wet pieces to our benefactor. He can squeeze them to get water to drink, and the bread and sweets will be his food!” After giving these orders, the king of the rats left Gangazara. The rats obeyed their king and continued to bring him food and water.

The snake-king said, “I’m so sorry for your trouble. The tiger-king also feels bad for you and wants me to tell you because he’s too big to come here like we have. The king of the rats has promised to do his best to get you food. We’ll do what we can to help you get out. From today, we’re ordering our armies to hurt all the people in this kingdom. Deaths from snake bites and tigers will increase a hundred times from today until you’re freed. Whenever you hear people near you, yell out so they can hear you, ‘The terrible prince locked me up because he thought I killed his father, but a tiger killed him! Ever since then, these disasters have been happening in his kingdom. If I were freed, I could save everyone with my powers to heal poisonous wounds and with magic spells!’ Someone might tell the king, and if he knows, you’ll be free.” The snake comforted his savior and told him to be brave. From that day, tigers and snakes, following their kings’ orders, worked together to kill as many people and animals as possible. Every day, people were carried away by tigers or bitten by snakes. Months and years passed. Gangazara sat in the dark room, without any sunlight, and ate the breadcrumbs and sweets that the rats so kindly brought him. These treats had made him fat. Ten years passed, just like the prediction said.

Ten long years went by in prison. On the last evening of the tenth year, a snake got into the princess’s bedroom and sucked out her life. She died. She was the king’s only daughter. The king sent for all the snake-bite healers. He promised half of his kingdom and his daughter’s hand to anyone who could bring her back to life. One of the king’s servants had overheard Gangazara’s cries and told the king about him. The king ordered the cell to be checked. There was the man, sitting inside. How had he lived so long in the cell? Some people whispered that he must be a god. They talked about it while they brought Gangazara to the king.

As soon as the king saw Gangazara, he fell to the ground. He was amazed by his power and greatness. Being locked up in the deep room for ten years had made his body shine. His hair had to be cut before his face could be seen. The king begged for forgiveness and asked him to bring his daughter back to life.

“Bring me all the bodies of people and animals, dying and dead, that haven’t been burned or buried within your kingdom. I’ll bring them all back to life,” Gangazara said.

Wagonloads of bodies of people and animals started to arrive. Even graves were opened, and bodies buried a day or two before were taken out and sent to be brought back to life. When everything was ready, Gangazara took a container full of water and sprinkled it over them all, thinking of his snake-king and tiger-king. Everyone rose up as if from a deep sleep and went to their homes. The princess was alive again too! The king was overjoyed. He cursed the day he had imprisoned him, blamed himself for believing a goldsmith, and offered him his daughter’s hand and the whole kingdom, instead of half, as he had promised. Gangazara wouldn’t accept anything, but he asked the king to gather all his people in a forest near the town. “I’ll call all the tigers and snakes there and give them an order.”

When the whole town was gathered, just as the sun was setting, Gangazara sat quietly for a moment and thought of the Tiger King and the Serpent King, who came with all their armies. People started to run away when they saw the tigers. Gangazara told them they were safe and stopped them.

The grey light of the evening, Gangazara’s orange-colored skin, the holy ashes all over his body, the tigers and snakes bowing at his feet, gave him the power of a god. Some people said that no one else could control huge armies of tigers and snakes with just a word. Others said, “Don’t worry about that; it might be magic. That’s not a big deal. The fact that he brought wagonloads of bodies back to life shows that he’s definitely Gangazara.”

“Why are you hurting these poor people of Ujjaini? Tell me, and stop your attacks now,” said the fortune teller’s son. The tiger-king replied, “Why did this bad king imprison you because he believed a goldsmith who said you killed his father? All the hunters told him that his father was carried away by a tiger. I was the one who killed him! I did it and gave the crown to you. The prince didn’t even ask questions and just imprisoned you! How can we expect justice from a stupid king like that? Unless he starts being fairer, we’ll keep destroying things.”

The king heard, cursed the day he believed a goldsmith, hit his head, tore his hair, cried and apologized for his crime, and promised to be fair from that day on. The snake-king and tiger-king also promised to keep their promise as long as justice was done and left. The goldsmith ran away to save his life. He was caught by the king’s soldiers and forgiven by the generous Gangazara, whose voice now ruled everything. Everyone returned home.

The king asked Gangazara again to marry his daughter. He agreed to do it later. He wanted to see his older brother first and then come back and marry the princess. The king agreed, and Gangazara left the city that day on his way home.

He accidentally took the wrong road and had to pass near a beach. His older brother was also on his way to Benares on the same road. They met and recognized each other from far away. They ran into each other’s arms.

They were so happy that they couldn’t speak for a moment. Gangazara was so happy that he died of joy.

The older brother was a devoted follower of Ganesa, a god. It was Friday, a day very important to that god. The older brother took the body to the nearest Ganesa temple and called on him. The god came and asked him what he wanted. “My poor brother is dead, and this is his body. Please keep it safe until I finish worshiping you. If I leave it anywhere else, the devils might take it while I’m gone. After I finish the prayers, I’ll burn him,” said the older brother. He gave the body to the god Ganesa, who gave it to his helpers, asking them to watch over it carefully. But instead, they ate it!

The older brother, after finishing the prayers, asked the god for his brother’s body. The god called his helpers, who came forward, scared that their master was angry. The god was very angry. The older brother was very angry. When the body didn’t appear, he said, “Is this how you thank me for believing in you? You can’t even give me back my brother’s body!” Ganesa was very embarrassed. So, he used his divine power to give him a living Gangazara instead of the dead body. The fortune teller’s second son was alive again!

The brothers talked for a long time about their adventures. They both went to Ujjaini, where Gangazara married the princess and became the king of that kingdom. He ruled for a long time, helping his brother in many ways. And so, the prediction came true!