Land of the Harvest

Once upon a time in the distant land of Mae Sot, there lived a contented family. Mae Phosop, the goddess of rice, was believed to be the guardian of Mae Sot. Thanks to her, the farmers' crops yielded an abundance of rice, providing sustenance for the village. She shielded the vast rice fields from natural disasters like typhoons and droughts.

Dotai Khun and Wang Khun, a couple of farmers, had a twelve-year-old son named Kampu Khun. From a young age, his parents taught him the importance of planting and storing rice to secure a future without hunger. However, Kampu, still a child, didn't take these lessons seriously. Every meal left remnants on his plate, often discarded, much to his mother's chagrin. Despite her scolding, Kampu, a stubborn boy, continued to disobey his parents, preferring to play outside with his friends Ragumpa and Sataw.

One day, while the children were engrossed in their play, Dotai Khun called them for lunch. Uninterested, they wanted to continue playing. Dotai Khun, angered by their reluctance to eat, declared that if they refused, Kampu would be barred from playing with them.

Kampu managed to persuade Ragumpa and Sataw to join him for a hurried meal, neglecting the rice served by his mother.

In their village, many children were similarly wasting rice. When Mae Phosop observed this trend, she instructed her disciples to investigate. Discovering the children's food wastage, including Kampu's, she promptly took action.

Mae Phosop forbade the farmers from planting, allowing the rice supply to deplete until none was left to harvest.

Kampu overheard his mother discussing the swift depletion of their rice reserves, leading to his parents' distress. When he inquired about the rice shortage, Dotai explained that the goddess of rice had ceased cultivation due to the children's wasteful habits.

Distraught, Kampu went to the rice field, crying and begging Mae Phosop for forgiveness. The goddess appeared before him, stating that if he followed her command to eat the food his mother had prepared, she would bless the farmers with rice grains once again. Kampu pledged to stop wasting rice.

A few days later, Mae Phosop resumed planting rice, increasing the village's rice supply. Young Kampu, Ragumpa, and Sataw now understood the value of rice and the dire consequences of wasting it.

Henceforth, they avoided actions that might displease the goddess of rice and learned to make offerings to ensure her protection over the village and its rice fields.

From that time onward, Thailand has cherished agriculture, particularly rice cultivation, as a vital source of food.

The End