The Barber and the Demon: Folktale from India

The Barber and the Demon: Folktale from India

Once there lived a barber who was very idle. He would do no work and devoted his time to preening himself with an old mirror and a broken comb. His old mother rebuked him all day for this, but it didn’t touch him. At last, one day in a fit of anger, she struck him with her broom. The young barber felt humiliated by this and left home, determined never to return till he had amassed some wealth. He walked far till he reached a forest and thought of praying to the gods for help. But as he entered the forest, he met with a brahmarakshasa, a demon, dancing wildly.

He was terrified but he kept his wits about him. So he mustered all his courage and began to dance too, keeping time with the demon. After a while, he asked the demon, ‘Why are you dancing? What has made you so happy?

The demon laughed and said, ‘I was waiting for your question because I knew you were a fool and didn’t know the reason. It’s simply because I want to feast on your delicate flesh. That’s why. Now tell me, why are you dancing?

‘I have a far better reason’, returned the barber. ‘Our king’s son is very ill. The doctors have recommended for his cure the heart’s blood of one hundred and one brahmarakshasas. His Majesty has proclaimed by beat of drum that he’ll give away half his kingdom and one of his beautiful daughters to anyone who gets the medicine. I have, with great trouble, captured one hundred brahmarakshasas and now, with you, I make up the full quota of one hundred and one. I have already seized your soul, and you are in my pocket.’ So saying, he took out his pocket mirror and held it before the brahmarakshasa’s eyes. The terrified demon found his image in the glass. He could see it there in the clear moonlight and thought himself actually captured. He trembled and prayed to the barber to release him. The barber would not agree at first, but the demon promised him wealth worth the ransom of seven kings. Pretending to yield unwillingly, the barber said, ‘But where is this wealth you promise, and who will carry it and me to my house at this hour in the dead of night?

‘The treasure is under that tree behind you,’ said the brahmarakshasa. I’ll show it to you and I’ll carry you with it to your house in an instant. As you know, we demons, we have special powers.

Saying this, he uprooted the tree and brought out seven golden jars full of precious stones. The barber was dazzled by all that wealth, but he cunningly concealed his true feelings and boldly ordered the demon to carry the jars and himself at once to his house. The demon obeyed, and the barber was carried home with all the wealth. The demon then begged for his release, but the barber didn’t wish to part with his services so soon. So he asked him to cut the paddy of his field and bring the crop home. The poor demon believed himself still in the barber’s clutches and so consented to reap the grain.

As he was cutting the paddy, a brother demon happened to pass that way. He asked the brahmarakshasa what he was doing. The first demon told him how he had accidentally fallen into the hands of a shrewd man and had no way of escaping his clutches unless he did what he was told. So he was reaping the man’s rice crop. The second demon laughed and said, ‘Have you gone mad, my friend? We demons are superior to men and much more powerful. How can any man have any power over us? Can you show me the house of this man?

“I can,’ replied the first demon, ‘but only from a distance. I dare not go near it till I’ve cut all this paddy.’ Then he showed him the way to the barber’s house.

Meanwhile, the barber was celebrating his newfound wealth. He had bought a big fish for the party, but unfortunately a cat had entered the kitchen through a broken window and had eaten up most of it. The barber’s wife was very angry and wanted to kill the animal. When she went after it, the cat escaped through the same window by which it had entered. Knowing the ways of cats, she expected it to return, so she stood there waiting with a fish knife in her hand. Now the second brahmarakshasa tiptoed like a thief towards the house and wanted to take a peek at his friend’s captor. So he slowly thrust his bushy head through the broken window. The angry wife, who was waiting there for the naughty cat, brought down her sharp knife on the intruding demon and made a clean slash through his long nose, cutting off the tip. In pain and fright, the demon ran away, ashamed of showing his friend a face minus a nose.

The first demon patiently reaped all the grain and came back to the barber for his release. The wily barber showed him the back of the mirror. The brahmarakshasa looked at it anxiously and was relieved not to find his image in it. So he fetched a deep sigh and went his way, dancing with a light heart.

Once there lived a barber who was very idle. He would do no work and devoted his time to preening himself with an old mirror and a broken comb. His old mother rebuked him all day for this, but it didn’t touch him. At last, one day in a fit of anger, she struck him with her broom. The young barber felt humiliated by this and left home, determined never to return till he had amassed some wealth. He walked far till he reached a forest and thought of praying to the gods for help. But as he entered the forest, he met with a brahmarakshasa, a demon, dancing wildly.

He was terrified but he kept his wits about him. So he mustered all his courage and began to dance too, keeping time with the demon. After a while, he asked the demon, ‘Why are you dancing? What has made you so happy?

The demon laughed and said, ‘I was waiting for your question because I knew you were a fool and didn’t know the reason. It’s simply because I want to feast on your delicate flesh. That’s why. Now tell me, why are you dancing?

‘I have a far better reason’, returned the barber. ‘Our king’s son is very ill. The doctors have recommended for his cure the heart’s blood of one hundred and one brahmarakshasas. His Majesty has proclaimed by beat of drum that he’ll give away half his kingdom and one of his beautiful daughters to anyone who gets the medicine. I have, with great trouble, captured one hundred brahmarakshasas and now, with you, I make up the full quota of one hundred and one. I have already seized your soul, and you are in my pocket.’ So saying, he took out his pocket mirror and held it before the brahmarakshasa’s eyes. The terrified demon found his image in the glass. He could see it there in the clear moonlight and thought himself actually captured. He trembled and prayed to the barber to release him. The barber would not agree at first, but the demon promised him wealth worth the ransom of seven kings. Pretending to yield unwillingly, the barber said, ‘But where is this wealth you promise, and who will carry it and me to my house at this hour in the dead of night?

‘The treasure is under that tree behind you,’ said the brahmarakshasa. I’ll show it to you and I’ll carry you with it to your house in an instant. As you know, we demons, we have special powers.

Saying this, he uprooted the tree and brought out seven golden jars full of precious stones. The barber was dazzled by all that wealth, but he cunningly concealed his true feelings and boldly ordered the demon to carry the jars and himself at once to his house. The demon obeyed, and the barber was carried home with all the wealth. The demon then begged for his release, but the barber didn’t wish to part with his services so soon. So he asked him to cut the paddy of his field and bring the crop home. The poor demon believed himself still in the barber’s clutches and so consented to reap the grain.

As he was cutting the paddy, a brother demon happened to pass that way. He asked the brahmarakshasa what he was doing. The first demon told him how he had accidentally fallen into the hands of a shrewd man and had no way of escaping his clutches unless he did what he was told. So he was reaping the man’s rice crop. The second demon laughed and said, ‘Have you gone mad, my friend? We demons are superior to men and much more powerful. How can any man have any power over us? Can you show me the house of this man?

“I can,’ replied the first demon, ‘but only from a distance. I dare not go near it till I’ve cut all this paddy.’ Then he showed him the way to the barber’s house.

Meanwhile, the barber was celebrating his newfound wealth. He had bought a big fish for the party, but unfortunately a cat had entered the kitchen through a broken window and had eaten up most of it. The barber’s wife was very angry and wanted to kill the animal. When she went after it, the cat escaped through the same window by which it had entered. Knowing the ways of cats, she expected it to return, so she stood there waiting with a fish knife in her hand. Now the second brahmarakshasa tiptoed like a thief towards the house and wanted to take a peek at his friend’s captor. So he slowly thrust his bushy head through the broken window. The angry wife, who was waiting there for the naughty cat, brought down her sharp knife on the intruding demon and made a clean slash through his long nose, cutting off the tip. In pain and fright, the demon ran away, ashamed of showing his friend a face minus a nose.

The first demon patiently reaped all the grain and came back to the barber for his release. The wily barber showed him the back of the mirror. The brahmarakshasa looked at it anxiously and was relieved not to find his image in it. So he fetched a deep sigh and went his way, dancing with a light heart.