The Snake Charmer's Wife and other stories

The Snake Charmer’s Wife

Once upon a time, there lived a snake charmer named Tipota.

He had a two-headed snake in his basket made of coconut leaves. He took care of his companion snake and he called it Goyan.

He set out everyday with his pot of milk for Goyan, the basket of coconut leaves, a bundle for his rest and a pipe to play music with.

Every morning, he set out from his home in the marshes, out to the market; where a lot of people came to see him and his two-headed snake, Goyan.

Tipota and Goyan were like each other’s eyes and ears. Goyan was both deaf and blind, but he could feel every tune that Tipota hurled at him through the snake charmer’s pipe. Goyan always got out of the basket and circled Tipota when he became merry. Tipota played from one side to the other and he too danced merrily like a child and enthralled the crowd with his moodful songs.

Goyan’s heads- they were two, they moved from one side to another and this made all the children merry with delight and they clapped their hands! Oh how! Tipota loved to show the children who gathered around that he was happy with his beloved two-headed snake Goyan! 

Tipota and Goyan would rest at noon. Goyan would sip milk from the pot while Tipota met his friends at the market. They spoke about the nature of life, the comings and goings of twon-folk till dusk gathered above. :Tipota is such a friendly manwith many charms” they all said. And he did too, when Goyan would climb over his shoulders and sit placidly on his arms and sometimes throw his tail over and around Tipota’s neck.

The other marketeers carried enormous birds with colourful feathers. One time, a man from the village on the shore of sea many knots and miles away even brought with him, a tamed lion for the crowd to see and they cheered with glee at that unusual presentation.

Tipota stroked Goyan in affection and some of the more adventurous children caressed the two-headed snake which made them all very happy.

Tipota collected fruits and flour, tea and spices for his wife’s cooking fire and returned home before long.

Huit, his wife, was a very beautiful woman. She had a knack for braising meat, a hand for plucking scented flowers in the garden and great big dark eyes that she decorated with kohl. She always wore a big dimpled smile on her bright face.

That evening, when Tipota returned home, onerous as he was feeling from his day at the market, needing dinner and a good massage, Huit was not to be seen outside their hut, like every other day. “ Huit!”, “Huit, where are you Huit na?”he called out, putting the basket with Goyan in its nook.

There was no answer. Tipota washed up, while Goyan got out of the basket, sensing that his master and companion was nonplussed and began snaking around the hut with two heads carefully for the sound of Huit’s trinkets and anklets. His mistress always wore heavy glass beads and bells around her anklets so that Goyan would know where she went. Sometimes, Goyan accomanied her to the fruit orchards where she helped the old lady who owned the orchards and vineyards pick fruit. Goyan would point out the fruits that were ripe for plucking, while they chatted about the comings and goings of town-folk.

Tipota had looked all around thir hut for Huit and he came back inside looking troubled and flustered this time. Goyan curled up in his lap with hood open, ready to receive his master’s isntructions to find and bring back the beloved mistress of their home.  

The moon rose above. It was full.

At that moment, Huit called out excitedly, from the paved road to their dwelling. “ Tipota! Tipota!Goyan! Goyan!,” she cried. “Where have you been Huit!”Tipota asked, relieved to see her.

“ You will not believe where I have been! Did you see the moon tonight?

Oh! The three circles and the oasis beyond the market and the fruit orchards…” Huit uttered breathlessly, while Tipota calmed her and sat her on his lap and offered her a cup of water.

“ You can tell me all about it, catch your breath a while, wife.” said Tipota to Huit. Goyan too was excited by higgedly-piggedly mistress and found himself a cozy spot in the tree, high above the hut and listened. One of Goyan’s favourite pastimes was to laze by the moonlight.

Huit smiled, as she began to relate her bold adventures that day, having found the three circles of ancient fortune, where she had found a golden locket. Tipota looked enthralled when he learned that inside of it was a perfect timepiece. “But first, I had to answer wisely , the three questions that Mandoo, the great, the king of the desert asked me, before he would give it to me as a product,” she added. “What were the questions and what did you reply, do tell us Huit, “ quipped Tipota, earnestly pleading with his own big blue eyes. “ The first came out like a riddle, “Huit continued. “Who, in the great desert, can slither through the distance or twirl as he likes, around the forest dense?” Mandoo had asked .

“Why, you, ofcourse!” Huit had replied, knowing well that Mandoo the great, the king of the desert thought so. “In the desert, one’s impressions about oneself can go unchallenged for a long time, you see?” Huit explained to Tipota, who was listening so very keenly to his wife. Mandoo had been very busy pleased indeed and had proceeded to ask her the second question, inviting her to the second circle. “Do you know what the meaning of life is?”

Huit, who was counting the number of circles she had already seen, blurted  “One!” and when Mandoo heard what he heard, suspecting skullduggery, blurted in turn,” Would you care to explain that?” to which pat came of her quiet quick-witted rhetoric, “ Is that another question, then?” when at last, Mandoo conceded his defeat and acknowledged Huit’s clever and laudable wit. They both broke into rapturous belly laughter at that, but Mandoo kept his promise no sooner. “You have mighty pleased me with your delightful presence Huit!” said Mandoo and led her to the third circle, showing her his resplendent abode where he told her, she would always be welcome.

“And that’s what kept me so long, so far beyond…” said Huit, snapping a big yawn, when Goyan, hushed among the trees, rescended and snaked away into the bushes to meet Mandoo the great and munificent king of the desert. Who knew perhaps Goyan would find a treasure of his own!