 There once lived an old couple with their young daughter. After her husband died, the widow worried about what might become of her lovely daughter when she was no longer able to take care of her. The mother told her daughter, “The world can be a cruel place to a fair and kind young woman. To protect you, I am placing a wooden bowl on your head. Wear it when you go outside. When I am no longer in this world you must always wear it. The bowl will protect you from harm.” After her mother died, the maiden put the bowl on her head and went to work in the rice fields. Many laughed at the sight of a woman with a bowl on her head; some jeered and made nasty remarks. She remembered her mother’s words and ignored the comments. Some men even tried, with no success, to take the bowl off of her head. A neighboring farmer noticed the diligence with which she worked, paying no attention to those who spoke and acted harshly. He invited her to work in his rice fields where she would be safe from those who chose to harm her. In time, he and his wife grew fond of the young woman and treated her like a daughter. One day, their eldest son returned from the city, tired of the life he’d been living. When he saw the maiden with the bowl on her head he asked his father who she was. “She is a kind young woman who works hard.” The son worked alongside her and the two became friends. He grew to love her and asked her to marry him. Although she loved him, she refused. She was a servant. A woman with a bowl on her head. That night she dreamed her mother visited her, encouraging her to follow her heart, that if she did, all would be well. The next morning, the son asked her again. This time the maiden said yes. On the day of the wedding she tried to take the bowl off of her head but it stayed fast. The son tried, but he too could not remove it, nor could anyone else. The maiden asked if he would like to change his mind about marrying her, a woman with a bowl on her head. He smiled and said, “I love you as you are. Let the wedding proceed.” After the wedding feast, as the maiden took a sip of the ceremonial wine, the bowl fell off her head and crashed to the floor. She heard her mother’s voice, saying, “Yes!”
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World TalesAge old stories of wit and wisdom from around the world. Tales retold by Nancy King. Archives
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Nancy King is a widely published author and a professor emerita at the University of Delaware, where she has taught theater, drama, playwriting, creative writing, and multidisciplinary studies with an emphasis on world literature. She has published seven previous works of nonfiction and five novels. Her new memoir, Breaking the Silence, explores the power of stories in healing from trauma and abuse. Her career has emphasized the use of her own experience in being silenced to encourage students to find their voices and to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with authenticity, as a way to add meaning to their lives.
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