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The God and Three Brothers, Part 4
By Da and Du
Edited by Toon Phapphayboun

After leaving the village, the god had returned to the lands he ruled.  As he 
guided the fates of many nations leading them to glory, he kept an eye on the 
three children he loved. He knew all the secrets of their lives but found no 
fault with them. They grew to manhood and married; they were good husbands 
and fathers. They worked hard, so their families never went without. The god 
was pleased that the elder brother had taught the twins what he had learned 
in his dream, and they had all taught their own sons. The village lived by 
the rules of life taught to the elder boy by the great god in a dream so long 
ago.

All three brothers loved each other deeply, but a special bond existed 
between the twins. When they were old men with grandchildren, one of the 
twins fell from a great height and died. His identical twin was so distraught 
and torn by grief that the god ordered the fates to cut his lifeline, 
granting him the peace of death so that he could share it with his brother as 
they had shared everything in life.  

The elder brother grieved deeply for the lost twins; he placed their ashes in 
a little shrine he built for them under the Banya tree where they had met a 
god so long ago. Each day as he went to the river for his bath, he would pray 
for the souls of the twins. He had no idea that they heard his prayers and 
grieved for his pain as much as he grieved for their loss.

Finally, a day came when the elder brother could stand his pain no more. He 
walked into the river he loved so much but didn’t stop to bathe; he walked 
until the mother of water consumed him. Within her gentle embrace, the life 
left him-freeing him to eternity.  Death gave his spirit its childish beauty 
just as she had returned their gentle childish beauty to his brothers. An old 
and crooked man had walked into the river, and magically, a beautiful shining 
youth returned from her loving embrace. Under the Banya tree, the spirits of 
his brothers joined him. They embraced knowing now that their love was 
eternal. 

The villagers searched all night for the wise old man they loved so much. At 
dawn, the children of his grandchildren found him on the river bank one arm's 
length from the shrine he had built for his brothers under the Banya tree.

The people mourned the loss of the old man deeply, but they knew he was happy 
now that he had been returned to his brothers.  After the funeral when his 
ashes had joined those of his brothers, the three spirits stood around the 
little shrine under the Banya tree.

“What now?” One of the twins asked.

“We could annoy that silly old monk; he would never catch us now,” his twin 
replied.

Both twins laughed at the thought of such mischief, but their brother shook 
his head,

“We have a duty, as you well know, to say good-bye to our home.  Now it is 
our time to leave.”

Agreeing, the twins sent farewells into the dreams of those they loved as 
their brother did.  Taking his brothers' hands in his, the eldest lifted his 
face to the heavens and called, “We are ready lord.”

The villagers all awoke to the mighty roar of thunder and dragons. In wonder, 
they watched those mighty beasts flying above the Banya tree. Lightning hewed 
the sky, and a great light shone from the river; the great god was coming in 
all his majesty to claim his due. The villagers rushed to the river where a 
golden glow shone from the mother of water.  All saw the chariot as it 
descended from the heavens, drawn by two beautiful horses. The charioteer was 
a tall handsome man in a pure white kilt and a tall blue crown.  Beside him 
stood the great god in all his golden magnificence. The chariot descended to 
the beach and stopped under the ancient Banya tree. The spirits of the 
brothers became visible as they mounted the chariot; the god lovingly 
embraced each. As the chariot began to rise, escorted by the dragons, the 
spirits turned sending farewells to their homes and families. Many of the 
older villagers fell to their knees singing songs of praise.  They knew those 
three spirits as their childhood friends and would remember them always in 
happiness.


Go down to the river boys and don’t sit there with your mouths hanging open; 
you’ll catch flies. Take some flowers like you usually do, have a good look 
at your Buddha as you call him. He is the great god who came for your 
ancestors so long ago. Tonight have a look at the sky over the river above 
your Buddha’s shrine; you’ll see four stars grouped together, apart from all 
the rest. They are the god and his three companions sitting above the river 
they love. They can only be seen from here.

The End





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