A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Abandoned in a forest with her elderly nurse, a merchant’s daughter is sheltered by a speaking tree. It opens its trunk to admit both women, then closes again. Predators smelling them break branches, pierce the wood and scratch away bark, but cannot reach the women inside. At sunrise the tree releases them; the girl treats its wounds with mud from a nearby tank.

The tree then devises a means of livelihood. It tells the women to scatter some of their scant supply of fried paddy beside the water. Peacocks competing for this food shed feathers, which the girl makes into valuable fans. Repeating the process makes her wealthy enough to build a house. The text gives neither the tree’s species nor a personal name; the girl’s address to it as mother expresses gratitude rather than a stated biological relationship.

Speaking tree that opens its trunk to protect two womenSpecific Bengali narrative witness
01

Origins & earliest records

Bengali oral storytelling translated by Lal Behari Day

02

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant tale, attached notes,1883 preface and1912 edition credits directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Folk-Tales of Bengal

    Lal Behari Day, collector and translator · 1912

    VIII, The Story of Prince Sobur, pp.119–124, within complete tale119–131, notes1–2; first edition1883, illustrationsWarwickGoble

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Lal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (Macmillan,1912; first edition1883)

VIII. VIII, The Story of Prince Sobur, pp.119–124, within complete tale119–131, notes1–2

Complete tale and footnotes read, pluspreface andeditionhistory. Bengali oral informants described collectively, individual teller of this tale not identified. Original paraphrase; no source-image verification claimed.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical translated oral narrative and collector notesLal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (1912), VIII, The Story of Prince Sobur, pp.119–124, within complete tale119–131, notes1–2Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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