Once upon a time, in the days of the great draught. The villages around a small state fell into despair and desperation. It became exceedingly difficult to live in a place with a source of water. Even the King’s relief measures did not bring words of pleasant shower for the villages.
One dejected man decided to leave for greener pastures if he could find it. But it was the same case everywhere. Soon others who had lost their hope of finding a place that has rich perennial water source also decided to leave the village. So began the grand exodus of people from the ten surrounding villages.
They were passing through a forest, and it was getting extremely late. The villagers decide to rest near an old, shambled temple. Tents were pitched and the disheartened villagers were taking stock of their present predicament.
By and by, they heard the sweet strain of an Ek Tara and a peaceful voice praising the lord. The villagers saw a Fakir walking along the forest path. Saint Man was dressed in white robe and a turban while carrying a begging bag as he played the Ek Tara.
The Village Elders rush to greet him so that the fakir’s benevolence would throw some light of hope in their world-weary hearts.The Fakir listened with gentle care and said that he would take them to their promised land the next day. Villagers felt motivated and energized with new hope.
The next day morning, the whole tribe followed the Fakir to their promised new land. On the way the Fakir got a chance to know the villagers a lot better. The washerman and milkman would be in constant strife over petty things.
The Elder for their part were very self-centric and as their leaders they failed so badly that the Fakir smiled with gentle understanding.
At a banyan tree, the Fakir stopped the caravan for repast. Fakir with a smile revealed a desire to have Biriyani and wished to know which family is willing to offer the dish for him. The villagers went their separate ways to make it and be the first to offer it to the Fakir. But not a single village family had all the ingredients for making a dish of Biriyani.
Silently Fakir observed the fight that ensured when the families tried to barter their good for getting all ingredients together. When the argument began to get into fist fight, the Fakir raised his hand and calmed them down.
Fakir drew out a huge stone with marking of the scriptural writing and asked them if they wish for Stone Biriyani. The villagers were puzzled as to how one can make tasty Biriyani with a stone.
Fakir made a big show of carefully washing the stone with rationed water and then spent a few more moments drying it with his upper cloth. Then, looked around for a huge vessel and saw a family have a big wide mouthed vessel.
The Fakir asked the woman folk to get that the biggest vessel and he placed the marked stone in the middle. Then he asked each villager to give him ingredients from each one. In this way he said that it would add more flavor to the Stone Biriyani.
Soon, under the watchful eyes of the villagers, the Fakir had prepared the Stone Biriyani for all to enjoy. Once they had thanked the God, the Villagers and the Fakir then ate their repast with great enjoyment.
As they ate their repast the Fakir explained that each family had different ingredients but when they came together you had a wonderful and tasty biryani. Likewise in life when you face a collective problem then make something together and have long chat to clear the misunderstanding.
United you can face any change but when there is division it is hard to survive in difficult conditions. The villagers understood the story moral behind the Stone Biryani.
The caravan resumed their travel to their promised land. When the Fakir was ready to leave them, the villagers begged him to give them some advice to face any misfortune in the future.
He said that whenever there is a misfortune or disagreement make a Stone Biryani and talk out the issue as we did last night.
The Fakir smiled and he gave the stone of the Stone Biryani as a symbol and told them to prepare a feast with this stone using ingredient taken from every family. Then, they are to offer it to god and have a communal lunch together.
The villagers promised to do so, and Fakir left singing his travel song of praising the god with his Ek Tara.
Itinerant Storyteller 