FLYING SWAN

Once upon a time, there lived a King named Atith Vongsa - the superior King to other 101 kings-and her Queen named Pimpea, along with his other 6 thousand concubines, ruling in the capital city of Tep Borey. All of his 6,000 concubines didn't even bear a child for him.

Fearing that the nation could disappear, the King's prominent servant commented the King that, "Your Majesty, you're the King of the Nation. I fear that our Nation might vanish when you pass away as we don't have any king to succeed." The King commanded Queen Pimpca to organize flowers in honor of gods and asked them for a male infant. The Queen followed his royal command. With her powerful rite, Indra's palace was shaken; he used his divine eyes to witness the event. He then in canted magical words so that Buddha could be reincarnated as a male baby of Queen Pimpea.

After the ten-month pregnancy passed, a golden-skinned prince was born. He was named "Prince Sovann Kumar" by the palace's Brahmans. When he was at the age of 16, his father ordered that daughters of the 101 kings be convened for Prince Kumar's selection as his princess. The prince was not contended with the girls and told his father that he would seek his life partner himself.

During the period of time, there were two craftsmen - one of whom specialized in constructing temples and decorations and the other in inventing such animals as Garuda and peacock that could be used as a vehicle. The King ordered the two craftsmen to build a flying swan as his vehicle. Upon completion of the assigned works by the craftsmen, the King traveled by the swan to various areas including Himalaya forest.

Prince Kumar was keen to learn science of magic. He then asked for permission from his father who agreed with and offered him the flying swan. He sat on the flying swat to take view of forests for 3 weeks before descending in the Kingdom of Banhchal. He parked the swan at a large tree and took rest at a house of the Kingdom's Brahman priest. It was not too long that he could proficiently master the science of magic. The priest offered the prince as his god son and always got him to meet the King of Banhchal every day.

The King of Banchal had a 16-year-old daughter named Botum Kesor, who was the Kingdom's most beautiful girL One day, she saw Prince Kumar walking near her palace-she fell in love with him immediately, She felt anxious and sad, failing to sleep as normally did, One of her female servants asked her, and she replied, "I love Prince Sovann Kumar very dearly," She suggested that the female servant tell Prince Sovann Kumar. The ' servant accordingly told Prince Sovann Kumar who promised that he would move to meet the princess during the night. During the nighttime, Prince Sovann Kumar rode his flying swan to Princess Botum Kesor's palace. He had visited the princess every night until she became pregnant.

Being informed that she was pregnant, the King of Banchal used a trick so as to get Sovann Kumar arrested and killed. Prince Kumar knew the trick and cheated his murderers to get him to the tree base where he parked his flying swan. He then managed to ride the means to Botum Kesor's palace and got her on it. They both rode the flying swan over the palace of the King, sending a message from the sky before their leaving to the capital city of Tep Borey.

Upon traveling for one week, Princess Botum Kesor felt she was about to deliver birth to a baby. After the delivery, the princess felt terribly cold and tremble. Seeing a large junk sailing in the sea, the prince rode his flying swan in direction to the junk to ask for fire. On his way back, the fire burnt the swan's rope that as a result it fell into the sea. Failing to see her husband's return, Botum Kesor, holding her son in arms, cried in the forest. When she felt tired, she took out her ring to tie with her son's hand and laid him down on a piece of cloth under the shade of a Krasna tree before she continued her trip in search of her husband.

At the meantime, Prince Sovann Kumar was swimming in the sea and was saved by a junk sailor. Later that time, another junk sailor found the flying swan. One day, a king named Preah Bat Prum Toat of Pearean Sei Kingdom visited the Himalayan forest. Approaching to touch the Krasna tree, he saw the male baby, whom he decided to adopt and named "Chao Krish Kumar." Princess Botum Kesor returned to the Krasna tree after failing to discover his husband. Failing to notice her son, she cried to unconsciousness. She decided to follow the tracks of the Pearean Sei King's soldiers, realizing that her son was taken by the people until she arrived at a house of an elderly couple near the Kingdom's palace. They were the makers of flower garlands for the King. She asked the elderly people to be their god daughter and garland flowers for the elderly woman.

When Chao Krish Kumar aged 16, Preah Bat Prum Toat decided to choose a wife for him among daughters of other kings, rich and noble persons. The prince was not contended with the girls. An officer of the King told him about the beauty of Grandmother Mealea's adopted daughter. The King called in the girl named Botum Kesor. On sight of her, the prince fell in deep love with her straight away. The King celebrated a wedding ceremony for the prince and Botum Kesor in accord with the royal tradition on a great golden temple.

In the I st hour of the night, the prince entered into the Botum Sakor's bedroom. At the moment, a god made a cat walking toward its kit. The kit said, "Who dare to walk across my head?" Its mother answered, "You should not say in such a way. We're animals. He'd not marry his mum if he's a man." Hearing so, the prince returned to his bedroom. In the 2nd hour, he tried to enter again, but heard the same conversation by a mother goat and its son. In the 3rd hour, he entered again, but also heard the same conversation by a horse and its foal. He then thought, "I'm the one found in the forest by my father." He determined that, "Should she be my mum, please let the animals stop their conversation." The animals stopped as a result.

Afterwards, the prince entered the bedroom of Botum Kesor who told him of the whole story; they both wept. Later, the princess got a dining hall constructed as a place to offer food to the homeless who stayed near the palace and got painters to paint pictures detailing her history with Sovann Kumar. She left the messages with Grandmother Mealea. The junk sailor who found the flying swan got it to Preah Bat Prum Toat who later granted it to Chao Krish Kumar. Seeing the flying swan, Princess Botum Kesor burst into tears.

The junk sailor who saved Princess Sovann Kumar docked his junk at the port of Pearean Sei. Sovann Kumar left the junk and approached the dining hall near the palace. After his eating, he saw the paintings and understood that they detailed his history. He's so shocked that he sobbed consequently.

On sight of the event, the guards at the dining hall rushed to tell Grandmother Mealea who subsequently notified the princess. The princess ordered that Sovann Kumar meet her. Upon clearly noticed of Sovann Kumar, she and Princess Chao Krish Kumar ran to hug him - they three fell into unconsciousness then. King Prum Toat asked his officer to inquire about the sad story of the three. Sovann Kumar told that he's Botum Kesor's brother who have separated for long.

At the meantime, Chao Krish Kumar returned the flying swan to his father, Sovann Kumar. He restored the flying swan into its good conditions and offered abundant rewards to the two junk sailors. During that night, Chao Krish Kumar wrote a letter and left it at the palace's gate in their farewell to King Prum Toat. Prince Sovann Kumar, Bolum Kesor and Chao Krish Kumar were on the flying swan heading to their homeland, Tep Borey, joyfully.

- The END -