Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen Abridged Version by Baker Chris; Phongpaichit Pasuk

Author:Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk [Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Love triangle, Siam, Translation, Thai literature, Folk epic
Publisher: Silkworm Books
Published: 2015-06-21T18:30:00+00:00

KHUN CHANG ACCUSES KHUN PHAEN

Elephant and howdah

At audience, the king heard cases concerning the populace and gave judgments of life or death according to the crimes. Looking around, he asked, “Who is that prostrate at the back? Is that you, Khun Chang? Where did you get your chest and shoulders striped with welts, your face and forehead scored with scratches, and your hair hacked about? Did somebody beat you up?”

For a moment, Khun Chang was nonplussed, and he left the royal question hanging without a reply. The king roared, “Khun Chang, who did this to you?”

Khun Chang twitched and trembled until Phramuen Si hit him in the chest. “His Majesty has issued a command. Why do you remain silent?”

Still trembling, Khun Chang addressed the king. “My liege, your humble servant’s name is Khun Chang from Bigwall Village. My father’s name was Khun Siwichai and my mother is Thepthong. My elder cousin, Phanson, was born before me, son of my aunt. Next came Sonphraya and Ratthaya, and then myself, your humble servant. I had a wife, who died many years ago...”

The king became very angry. “Who asked you to recount your household census details?”

Khun Chang was shocked to his senses, but still got everything muddled. “Wanthong disappeared into the forest on horseback ... many, many forest robbers ... weapons scattered everywhere ... Khun Phaen, son of Thong Prasi ... a great deal of money and valuables ... with Wanthong at a banyan tree ... lacerated by rattan thorns ... a sacred thread around the house ... elephant into the undergrowth ... hundreds died ... a shrine near the gate ... ”

The king said, “Everything’s topsy-turvy. Phramuen Si, whisper in Khun Chang’s ear to speak without panicking.”

Phramuen Si followed the king’s order. Khun Chang calmed down, and wove a story of fact and fiction.

“The villain put people to sleep, plucked my head, drew patterns on my body in soot, and chopped three beautiful curtains to shreds. Cash and property are missing. He wound a sacred thread around the house and made many offerings to an eye-level shrine. My wife, Wanthong, disappeared. I gave chase and found them at a banyan tree. Khun Phaen had several hundred bandits who ambushed us and killed many of my men. I was caught and lacerated with rattan thorns. He shouted that he would not kill me but let me return to Ayutthaya and tell everything so that the king would come out. He would defeat the king in an elephant duel and seize the city as ruler. These were his vile words. He has built a royal lodge in the forest and a camp fortified with spikes.”

King Phanwasa pondered over this story. “I think some is true and some false. Khun Phaen probably took his wife away and Khun Chang chased after him but got beaten. He probably blundered into the rattan in flight but he accuses Khun Phaen of lacerating him. Listening to one side is misleading.”

The king gave orders to Phramuen Si and Phramuen Wai, two lieutenants of the royal pages.

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