Makato and the Cowrie Shell

(A Thai Folktale)
by Supanee Khanchanathiti

Once upon a time, there was a boy whose name was

Makato. He was an orphan, for his father and mother died
when he was very young. He had no brothers, sisters,
cousins or friends to take care of him, so he had to make a
living for himself. He did every kind of work—carrying heavy
things, clearing away the forest, or feeding pigs. He never
idled. Although he was paid only small wages, he was
satisfied. He knew that if he would not work, he would
starve. Wherever he went, his employers praised him for
being sensible, hardworking, good-tempered and cheerful.
One fine evening after he had finished chopping up a
big pile of wood, he sat down to rest and thought of all he
would like to do in the future. He wanted to try his luck in
far–off strange lands, for he longed for exciting adventures. “What
are you thinking about so deeply, my boy?” asked his employer. “I
would like to go on a journey for adventure,” said Makato, pointing
to the northeast. “I heard that the land is fertile and the people are
kind. I wish I could see the land for myself.” His eyes sparked with
excitement. “The land you wish to go to is called Sukhothai,”
said his employer. “They say Pra Ruang of Sukhothai is a
very kind–hearted king. You might be lucky if you could go
there.”
Sometime later, Makato decided to try his fortune. He
left his village and set out in the wide world .He walked
along cheerfully; enjoying new insights and talking to the
people he met on the way. After a month’s journey, he
reached a village on the boundary of the Kingdom of
Sukhothai.
“Please, can I have some water to drink?” Makato
asked an old woman with a big water pot on her head.
 “I’m so thirsty.” “Where did you come from? Why are
you here alone? You look as if you’ve come a long way,”
said the old woman, pouring cold water from her pot into a
small cup and handling it to Makato. “Thank you so much,”
said the boy. “Who are your father and mother? Haven’t
you any family?” the old woman asked again. “I come from
the City of Mon over there, replied Makato. “Good heavens!
Have you really come from Môn?
How is it that you are travelling alone, such a young
boy as you are?” “I wanted to see Pra Ruang of Sukhothai,”
replied Makato.”They say he is a very kind-hearted king.”
“You are a very determined boy!” said the
woman.”Come along with me .Who knows? You might see
Pra Ruang someday.” Makato was glad to go with her. If he
could work with this kind of woman, he would have a place
to sleep, some food to eat and perhaps someday, he might
be lucky enough to see the king.
The old woman was one of the Pra Ruang Mahouts,
which meant that she helped the mahout find the food for
the elephant and clean out the elephants’ sheds. He
worked hard and well, and the mahout and his wife grew
fond of him.
One day, the sky was clear and the weather so fine, it
seemed to Makato that it must be a lucky day. As he
worked in the elephants’ sheds, a tall young man in a
splendid costume, followed by attendants, came in. It was
Pra Ruang himself. Makato bowed low at once with his
hands clasped together before him. His heart beat fast.
“Where did the boy come from?” the king asked the
mahout, who was attending him. “How old is he?” the king
asked further. “12 years old, your Majesty,” replied the
mahout.
 “A good-looking and hardworking boy,” said the king.
“Take good care of him.” As the king walked away, Makato
saw a little cowrie shell lying on the ground.
He ran to pick it up and held it out to the king, but the
king said with a smile:
“You may keep it.”How wonderful!” Makato thought. “The
king has given me a cowrie shell. “At that time the people of
Sukhothai used cowrie shells as money. Although one
cowrie shell had little value, Makato wanted to make as
much use of
it as possible, for it was the king’s gift. For a long time he
could not think of a way to use it so that it would earn more
money for him.
One day he passed by a stall in the market where the
seeds of many different plants were sold. He looked along
the stall and caught sight of a basket full of lettuce
seed.Lettuce! He could grow small plants like that. He
asked the jolly-looking woman at the stall: “Can I buy some
lettuce seed?”“Oh yes, my boy.
How much do you want?” said the woman.“I have one
cowrie shell,” saidMakato.“One cowrie shell!” said the
woman laughing. “That won’t buy anything.
I can’t even measure that much.”“Look!” said Makato
eagerly. “I’ll dip my finger into a pile of seeds; then I’ll take
the seeds that stick to it—that must be about right for one
cowrie shell.”
“Well, why not?” said the woman amused at his suggestion.
“All right, boy.Help yourself.”
Makato paid the woman his one cowrie shell. Then he
put his finger into his mouth and dipped it into a pile of
seeds. When he pulled his wet finger out, it was covered
with seeds.
 He carefully scraped them off his finger into the palm of
his hand and went away happily, clutching the seeds.
Now that he had seeds, Makato broke the soil and
sowed them at once. He
watered the seed bed every day and soon the young plants
appeared. Day by day
he cleared more ground and planted more lettuce seedlings
until the kitchen garden was covered with them. He was very
proud of himself because he had done so well. “I wish could
give the king some of my fine lettuce,” he thought.
One day the king passed by the elephant sheds again.
Makato waited his
opportunity, then knelt down and proudly presented his
biggest bunches of lettuce to the king.“Where did you get
these?” the king asked, surprised. “I grew them from the
cowrie shell you gave me, Your Majesty,” answered Makato
with a beaming smile. “How could you do that?” asked the
puzzled king. Makato told the king the whole story. The king
was impressed with his
intelligence and industry. So much so that later on he gave
Makato a job in the palace.
As the years passed Makato grew tall and handsome.
He mastered every grace
and served the king well. He was so loyal that the king
trusted him absolutely. He was promoted to higher and
higher positions until he was given the title of Khun Wang,
which meant that he was the most important person in the
king’s court.
He was also happily married to a beautiful young
daughter of the king. After that the king made him the ruler
of Mon. So it was that Makato, who had once been a poor
orphan, became the king of that prosperous kingdom.
PROCESS QUESTIONS:

1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?

2. What could be the reason why Makato left his place?
3. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize the traits of a literary
character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show Makato’s traits.
4. What were those changes in Makato’s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
5. Which of Makato’s traits are similar to yours?
6. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
7. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?
2. What could be the reason why Makato left his place?
3. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize the traits of a literary
character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show Makato’s traits.
4. What were those changes in Makato’s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
5. Which of Makato’s traits are similar to yours?
6. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
7. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?
2. What could be the reason why Makato left his place?
3. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize the traits of a literary
character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show Makato’s traits.
4. What were those changes in Makato’s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
5. Which of Makato’s traits are similar to yours?
6. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
7. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?
2. What could be the reason why Makato left his place?
3. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize the traits of a literary
character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show Makato’s traits.
4. What were those changes in Makato’s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
5. Which of Makato’s traits are similar to yours?
6. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
7. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. Describe Makato. What character traits does he possess?
2. What could be the reason why Makato left his place?
3. Through inferring what the character says, does and thinks, one can recognize the traits of a literary
character. Cite lines, actions and thoughts which show Makato’s traits.
4. What were those changes in Makato’s life after meeting the king? Enumerate.
5. Which of Makato’s traits are similar to yours?
6. How would you nurture and enhance your positive traits? In what ways?
7. What lessons in life does the author want to convey to you?