Tulisa, the Wood-Cutter's Daughter facts for kids

Tulisa, the Wood-Cutter's Daughter is an old Indian legend. It comes from a collection of stories by Somadeva Bhaṭṭa. This magical tale is about a woodcutter's daughter named Tulisa. She hears a mysterious voice at a fountain. The voice asks her to be its wife. This leads to a big adventure with a serpent king, hidden riches, and jealous neighbors. In the end, Tulisa and her husband become a royal couple.

Where Did This Story Come From?

The story of Tulisa was first written down a long time ago. A French expert named Emmanuel Cosquin said it was collected in 1833. He heard it from a washerwoman in Benares, which is now called Varanasi in India. An English version of the tale was published in 1842. It was in a magazine called The Asiatic Journal. The magazine said the story was "a great favourite amongst the people of Hindustan". This means many people in India loved this tale.

What Happens in Tulisa's Story?

Tulisa was a beautiful girl. She was the daughter of a poor woodcutter named Nur Singh. One day, she was at a fountain and heard a strange voice. It asked, "Will you marry me?" Tulisa ignored it at first. But the voice kept asking her this question.

She told her father about the voice. It turned out to be Basnak Dau, the Prince of Snakes! He promised great wealth to Tulisa's father if she married him. Tulisa agreed to the marriage. She moved into a beautiful palace. Tulisa married the mysterious voice. But there were two rules. She could never see her husband at night. Also, she could not have any visitors.

Tulisa's Secret and a Helpful Squirrel

One day, Tulisa helped a squirrel. The squirrel told her it would help her back later. Another day, Tulisa helped an old lady get into the palace. The old lady talked to Tulisa. She convinced Tulisa to ask her husband his name.

The important day arrived. Tulisa asked her husband his name. He answered, "Basnak Dau." Suddenly, the palace and the prince disappeared! Tulisa was left all alone. She became poor again and went back to her parents.

The Queen of Serpents

One day, the grateful squirrel visited Tulisa. It told her the secret about her husband. He was the Prince of Snakes. His own mother had taken his throne away. To get him back, Tulisa had to do something brave. She needed to take the eyes from a snake. This snake coiled around the Queen's neck. If she did this, the Queen would be defeated. Then, the true King, Basnak Dau, would get his throne back.

Tulisa and the squirrel went to the palace of the Queen of the Serpents. With the squirrel's help, Tulisa was able to complete the difficult tasks.

Other Names for the Story

This story has a few other names. It is also known as The Tale of Tulisa. Sometimes it is called The Wood-cutter's Daughter. In German, it is known as Die Holzbauer Tochter. Another name is The Wood-Cutter's Daughter and the Mysterious Voice.

How Tulisa's Story Traveled

The story of Tulisa was shared in many places. It was published in German as Tulisa and Basnak Dau. This was in a book by Hermann Brockhaus in 1843. It also appeared in a magazine called Ausland that same year. An English version was in Household Tales from the East in 1869. This was in The Dublin University Magazine.

The story was also translated into Czech. It was published in a magazine called Česká Včela in 1844. Its Czech title was Drwoštěpowa dcera. Franz Hoffmann also translated it into German. He called it Die Tochter des Holzfällers (Ein Märchen aus Hindostan).

Similarities to Other Fairy Tales

Experts have noticed that Tulisa's story is like other famous tales. It has parts that are similar to the ancient Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche.

Cupid and Psyche Connections

A German scholar named Johann Georg von Hahn saw a strong link between Tulisa's story and Cupid and Psyche. Folklorist Joseph Jacobs also mentioned this connection. He wrote about it in his book Europa's Fairy Book. He said both stories have an invisible husband. Both also have a rule that is broken. There are also difficult tasks given by a mother-in-law. And in the end, the wife wins.

Another expert, Ludwig Friedländer, put The Tale of Tulisa in the "Cupid and Psyche" group of stories. This group is also known as "The Search for the Lost Husband."

Folklorists Johannes Bolte and Jiri Polivka also saw similarities. They listed Tulisa's story as a version of the German folktale The Singing, Springing Lark. This German story was collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is also a version of the Cupid and Psyche myth.

See also

In Spanish: Tulisa, la hija del leñador para niños