The Wooden Doll

Once upon a time, there were four friends in a village: a carpenter 🛠️, a tailor 👗, a goldsmith 💍, and a Brahmin 🧘‍♂️. One day, they decided to go to another place in search of better jobs, each carrying his tools along.

After walking all day, they reached a forest 🌳 as night🌜 began to fall. The carpenter suggested they take turns to keep watch to protect themselves from thieves and wild animals 🐅. The friends agreed.

The carpenter took the first watch. To keep himself busy and awake, he carved a wooden doll from a tree branch. When his turn was over, he woke the tailor and handed him the doll before going to sleep.

The tailor admired the wooden doll and decided to dress it up. He stitched a lovely dress for it from a piece of cloth he had. When his watch ended, he woke the goldsmith and gave him the dressed doll before going to sleep.

The goldsmith was impressed by the doll and decided to add some jewelry. He crafted a pair of bangles, a necklace, and earrings for it from the gold he carried. Finally, it was the Brahmin's turn to keep watch. The goldsmith handed him the adorned doll and went to sleep.

The Brahmin, struck by the doll's beauty, used his knowledge and power to breathe life into it. He chanted mantras 📜 and sprinkled holy water on the doll 👩‍🦰, and it transformed into a beautiful maiden with enchanting eyes and a lovely smile.

In the morning 🌅, when the others woke up, they were amazed by the beautiful maiden. Each friend wanted to marry her.

The carpenter said, "I made this doll, so I should marry her." 🛠️

The tailor argued, "I dressed her, so I should marry her." 👗

The goldsmith insisted, "I adorned her with jewelry, so I should marry her." 💍

The Brahmin said, "If I had not breathed life into her, none of you would have been able to marry her. Therefore, I should marry her." 🧘‍♂️

They began to quarrel and decided to go to the village headman 👨‍⚖️ to settle the matter. The headman thought for a while and gave his decision:

The carpenter made the doll and the Brahmin gave her life. They are like her fathers 👨‍👧, so they cannot marry her. The tailor dressed her, like a maternal uncle who brings clothes for the bride, so he too cannot marry her. A girl is always given ornaments by the bridegroom. Since the goldsmith adorned her with jewelry, only he has the right to marry her. 

The goldsmith was happy with the headman's 👨‍⚖️ decision, but the carpenter, tailor, and Brahmin were not. Nevertheless, they accepted the decision, and the beautiful maiden was married to the goldsmith with great pomp and celebration. 🎉