The Faithful Husband

The Faithful Husband

Long ago, among the green hills of Laos, lived a young nobleman named Su Tome. Though his position was important, Su Tome loved quiet walks in the forest far more than grand receptions or shining halls. One hot day, he followed a path that few people used. Bamboo whispered over his head, and cicadas sang so loudly that the whole forest seemed like one enormous music box. The path led him to a lake, blue and still as though a piece of sky had fallen between the trees. On the shore, he saw seven winged young women. They laughed, splashed water, and dried their light wings in the sun. When they saw a stranger, six flew into the sky. The seventh opened her wings too, but paused. Su Tome stopped at a respectful distance. “Do not be afraid,” he said. “I will not try to stop you.” The young woman studied him. “Then why are you standing here?” “Because I have never seen anyone fly so lightly,” Su Tome said. “And because I would like to know your name.” She laughed. “My name is too long for someone who has only just met me. For now, call me Nang.” They talked for a long time beside the lake. Su Tome told her about his home, and Nang told him about the faraway kingdom of Chom Kou Kilat, where her family lived. When the sun began to lower behind the trees, Su Tome said, “I would like to see you again.” “So would I,” Nang replied. That was how their friendship began. Su Tome came to the lake, and Nang flew down from the heights. In time, they both understood that they did not want to be apart. “If you come and live with me,” Su Tome told her, “your choices will always remain yours. You may fly whenever you wish.” Nang agreed to make a home with him. Everyone in Su Tome’s house was amazed by her wings. His mother worried. “What if one morning she flies away and never comes back?” “If she returns,” Su Tome said, “it will be because she chooses to. Otherwise, what would love mean?” His mother remembered those words. Soon, the ruler of the region heard about Nang. He was used to believing that everything interesting and beautiful should belong to him. When he saw Nang at a festival, he decided to separate her from Su Tome. The ruler ordered Su Tome to lead a difficult journey to the border on what he called important business. Before leaving, Su Tome said to his wife, “I will return. And do not let anyone choose for you.” When he had gone, Nang quickly understood the ruler’s plan. She spoke with Su Tome’s mother. “I need to return to my parents’ home. I will be safe there. When Su Tome comes back, please tell him where I have gone.” Su Tome’s mother silently brought her wings. “I was afraid of these wings,” she admitted. “Now I see that they do not take you away from us. They simply give you freedom.” Nang hugged her. Then she spread her wings and rose above the roofs. She flew east until rivers looked like silver threads and mountains like green waves. So she returned to Chom Kou Kilat. Su Tome completed his journey and came home safely. When he learned what had happened, he did not blame Nang. “She did the right thing,” he said. “Now it is my turn to find her.” He took only what he needed and set out. “Let seven years, seven months, and seven days pass,” he said. “I will not turn back until I learn whether she wishes to see me.” He crossed forests, rivers, and mountain passes. One day, he met an old monkey sitting on a branch and watching the traveler. “Where are you hurrying?” asked the monkey. “To Chom Kou Kilat. My wife lives there.” “That is far away,” said the monkey, shaking his head. “But sometimes a heart knows a road better than feet do. Come with me. I will show you the path to the sea.” For several days they traveled together. The monkey found edible fruit, showed Su Tome springs, and warned him about slippery slopes. When the sea shone ahead of them, he stopped. “I will go no farther,” he said. “But remember: help often comes from someone you do not think is strong.” Su Tome thanked his friend and followed the shore. Soon he saw a tiny fly caught in a spider’s web above the water. Su Tome carefully freed her. “You are so small,” he smiled, “but you too wish to live and fly your own way.” The little fly circled his head. “Remember me, traveler. A small helper may be needed one day.” Farther on, the sea blocked his path. Su Tome searched for a crossing until he saw a great eagle flying each day toward distant cliffs. The traveler shared his food with the bird and told him of his journey. “I cannot carry a person on my back,” said the eagle, “but hold tightly to the strong feathers near my wing and do not be afraid of the height.” So Su Tome crossed the sea. After many more days, he finally saw the towers of Chom Kou Kilat. Near the city, young women were filling large jars with water. Su Tome noticed the sign of the royal household on their clothes. He took the ring Nang had once given him from his finger and asked one of the water carriers to bring it to her mistress. When Nang saw the ring, she understood at once: Su Tome had come. She ran to her father. “He has found me,” she said. “Not because he wishes to own me. He has come to ask whether I want to return to him.” Nang’s father was a careful man. “Over the years, many people have come here claiming to know you,” he said. “Let the traveler show that he truly knows who you are.” In the great hall, seven tables were set. Behind a curtain, each of Nang’s seven sisters had arranged a table in her own way. “Choose Nang’s table,” said her father. “If you choose wrongly, simply continue on your own road.” Su Tome looked and did not know what to do. Every table was beautiful. Then the little fly landed on the edge of one dish. Su Tome recognized her. “This one,” he said. His choice was right. Nang’s father offered a second test. The seven sisters stood behind seven thin curtains and held out only one hand each. “Can you recognize your wife’s hand?” he asked. Again Su Tome was unsure. But the fly landed on the edge of the curtain behind which Nang stood. Su Tome stepped closer. “I think you are there,” he said. “But I do not want to touch your hand unless you say it is truly you.” From behind the curtain came a familiar laugh. “It is me.” Nang stepped out to meet him. Her father smiled. “The most important test you passed just now, though you did not know it. You were not searching for a possession. You were searching for a person who could answer yes or no.” Su Tome turned to Nang. “I came because I missed you. But if this is your home now, I will accept it.” Nang held out her hand. “I want our home to be wherever we can both be free. Let us build it together.” They stayed in Chom Kou Kilat for a long time. Su Tome helped guide the kingdom, but he never forgot the old monkey, the eagle, and the tiny fly. Nang kept her wings not in a locked chest, but beside an open window. And when people asked Su Tome the secret of being faithful, he answered, “Faithfulness does not hold a rope. It leaves the door open and still finds the way home.”

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨