23-06ThePrincessAndTheDonkey The story of friendship between the princess and the talking donkey.

Once upon a time in the small kingdom of Kupadi, there lived King Murasu, his royal consort, and their daughter Nalini. The kingdom was located next to a vast forest in India and was constantly guarded by a group of warring elephants, horses, soldiers, and servants. The kingdom had suffered a great loss during a war with a neighboring kingdom, leaving only King Murasu, his royal consort, and Nalini as the survivors. Nalini was determined to avenge her family's death by becoming the queen of Kupadi and wreaking vengeance against the cruel king Sonam. She had a strong bond with the animals of the kingdom, particularly the donkeys who carried the royal clothes to the lake for washing. Sumban, the royal washerman, would mercilessly beat the clothes on a flat boulder to remove the dirt, while the royal donkeys carried them to and from the lake. One day, while Nalini was on her way to the lake with her favorite donkey, it confided in her about the cruelty of its owner, the dhobi. The dhobi used to beat his wife, children, and even the donkey when he was drunk. Nalini was deeply disturbed by this and decided to take action. She sneaked out of the kingdom with the donkey and ventured into the nearby forest. While they were walking, a tiger suddenly pounced on them. Nalini was quick to climb up a tree, but the donkey was left on the ground, defenseless. The tiger rushed towards the donkey, but it bravely raised its front legs and shoved them down the tiger's mouth. The tiger fell to the ground and remained motionless for a while, allowing the guards to arrive and rescue Nalini and the donkey. The story of the donkey's bravery quickly spread throughout the kingdom, and the dhobi was ashamed of his actions. He took a liking to the donkey and began treating it with kindness. Meanwhile, Nalini's parents, the king, and the queen, were thrilled to see their daughter alive and well. They were grateful to the donkey for saving her life and decided to take it into the royal household. The dhobi's wife, Ponni, who was adept in cooking, was hired to work in the royal kitchen, where she earned more money than her husband. This sudden wealth made him realize the error of his ways, and he stopped beating his wife and the donkey. The guards who were supposed to protect Nalini were severely reprimanded and demoted for six months, and the king appointed a forest ranger and helpers to manage the wild animals in the forest. In the end, Nalini fulfilled her promise to her parents by becoming the queen of Kupadi. She ruled the kingdom with compassion and kindness, and the animals of the kingdom continued to live in harmony with each other, as friends. The donkey that saved her life was given a special place in the royal household, where it lived happily ever after.