Once upon a time there peacefully lived a husband and wife far away from the others making their living by working the field. Although the couple had lived a good life, they had often felt very sad that since getting married, they had never had a single child. "Tonight, the moon is perfectly full because people celebrate the salutation-to-the moon ritual. So why don't we try our luck by having a wish for a child? ", said the wife. So, the two had prayed to the celestial elements for a child who would become a torchlight for the family's future.
One year later, the wife had got pregnant as they had wished for. They had felt very ecstatic. When the pregnancy tenn had come, she had delivered a child, but sadly, the newborn had been a frog. The husband had been so furious that he had almost killed the creature with a knife. The frog cried out: "Wait! Wait! My dad to whom I am much indebted. Why can you have the heart to kill me? I also want to see the sunlight like the others".
Stupefied by the frog's utterance, the father had not been able to raise his hand, while his anger over the son had disappeared. He had managed to look after the child until he had grown up. At the age of 16, Chao Kingkuk (the frog) had been able to help his parents like the other kids. He had often helped carry water, tend cows and other chores for both of them.
One day his dad and Chao Kingkuk had gone to fetch firewood deep in the forest. "What is that sound out there, Dad? " asked Chao Kingkuk. They had then walked up to where a woman shout for help had come from. "The princess! Oh dear' What a huge snake' It wants to eat the princess ' horse", cried out Chao Kingkuk. Upon hearing Chao Kingkuk's voice, the wild snake had released the horse and turned toward Chao Kingkuk. It had intended to swallow Chao Kingkuk as its feed. But in the end. it had been killed by Chao Kingkuk. Suddenly, there emerged a diamond ring out of its head The princess had said to Chao Kingkuk: "You are a big powerful frog. I am very thankful to you for saving my life". Chao Kingkuk had helped the princess out of the forest.
There had been a kingdom called Chakrath, where a crown prince named Kamheng Rith had been known to be the most powerful. He had learned the magic and sword skills on a mountain in order to conquer and annex all other kingdoms. After completing the learning, he had returned to the palace. Back at the palace, the crown prince Kamheng Rith had asked the king to allow him to make war with Mohaphoup kingdom. The king had agreed to the request.
Upon having learnt that the kingdom of Chakrath had intended to capture its land, Mohaphoup kingdom for its part had order its supreme conunander to lead soldiers to counter attack. But he had been defeated and wounded by Kamheng Rith, and had fled. Half way back to the palace, the supreme commander had met his remnants. He had managed to reach the palace. He had recounted the fighting to the king, but he had succumbed before being able to finish it. After the death of the death of the supreme commander, the king had made an announcement to look for strong men and with the promise that if anyone had been able to win the war, the king would offer his daughter as his spouse and a high title as a reward.
Chao Kingkuk had heard the announcement, and he had asked his father to take him to the king. Once meeting the king, Chao Kingkuk had asked the monarch to allow him to be the chief of the army. The king had been astonished and said to himself: "How is a frog able to speak?". He had not uttered a word. Chao Kingkuk had repeated his request, thinking that the king might have thought that he had been just an animal; that was why he had not said a word. He said: "Your Highness! Even thC!ugh I am a frog, I am really willing to defeat the aggressors of our land. I am also one of Your Highness subjects". The king had been inspired by what Chao Kingkuk had said. He had smiled and said: "My brave general! May you be victorious!". "Thank Your Highness!", replied Chao Kingkuk.
Chao Kingkuk had led the army through one province after another and at last they had arrived at the area invaded by the enemy. Kamheng Rith could not help laughing at Chao Kingkuk when he had seen the animal, and asked: "Your kingdom may .not have any strong men. That is why it chooses a small animal as an anny chief. Upon hearing this, the soldiers of Chakrath kingdom had also started to laugh at the frog. Chao Kingkuk had kept quiet and walked toward a palm tree. He had uprooted the palm tree and thrown it onto the anny of Kamheng Rith. He had then inflated his belly and ejected magic air, killing many soldiers. In response, Kamheng Rith had uttered magic spells to create many snakes to kill the frog, but all were killed by Chao Kingkuk .
Sensing that he had not been able to win over Chao Kingkuk, the general Kamheng Rith had used his magic rope to tie Chao Kingkuk. "You! Bloody beast! Your body will become a pool of blood under my magic rope. Ha! Ha!", shouted the general Kamheang Rith. Chao Kingkuk had tried hard to get himself free, but failed. Hopelessly, he had raised his hands and prayed to his parents to help him out of the magic rope so that he had been able to save the kingdom on time. The rope had suddenly been detached, and the general Kamheng Rith had been very furious. He had then enlarged himself to become as big as a giant, and pulled out the sword to take Chao Kingkuk's life. Chao Kingkuk had spewed the magic diamond out onto Kamhcng Rith and killed him.
After defeating Chakrath kingdom, Chao Kingkuk had got back to the palace. The king had said to Chao Kingkuk: "I will not break my promise I have made with you. You have save our kingdom from the enemy". Then he had turned to his daughter, who had also been present there, and asked: "Will you agree to accept Chao Kingkuk as your husband ?". The princess had answered: "Yes, I do agree because the general Kingkuk has once saved my life while I was taking a stroll in the deep forest. Chao Kingkuk had then asked the permission from the king to take the princess to his native village to meet his parents. The two had said good-bye to the king and set out to meet the parents. Back home, Chao Kingkuk and the princess had knelt down before the parents and recounted the story to them. Chao Kingkuk had then told his mother to draw a cross with the magic diamond on his head and raised both hands in prayers by saying: " May my son become a man as I wish!". The mother had followed what her son had told and Chao Kingkuk had been turned into a very good-looking prince.
The prince and the princess bad returned to the palace. They had tied the knot in a very auspicious ceremony and lived together happily.
- The END -
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