Sang Thong - Thai

Hello! My name is Phra Sang, but some people know me as the boy from the golden conch shell. My story begins in a grand palace, but I didn't stay there for long because I was born in a strange and magical way. My mother, the queen, and I had to leave our home and journey into the world, but I had a secret nobody knew. This is the story of Sang Thong.

After we left the palace, my mother and I found a small, sunny clearing in the forest where a kind old couple lived. They gave us a little hut to call our very own home. To keep me safe from any danger, I stayed tucked inside my strong conch shell. It was my cozy, secret hiding place. But when my mother went to work in the fields, I would peek out to make sure no one was looking, and then I'd sneak out. I was a little boy with skin that shone like pure gold. I loved helping my mother, so I would sweep the floor clean and fill the heavy water pots before hopping right back into my shell. One day, my mother saw my golden footprints in the dirt and waited for me. When I came out, she gently broke my shell so I could be with her always. I was so happy to finally hug her.

One day, a giantess named Phanthurat found me all alone. She looked like a kind lady, and she took me to her amazing palace to be her son. It was full of sparkling jewels and wonders. I loved her very much, but I soon discovered a huge secret: she was a Yaksha, a giantess. I found a secret room filled with magical things. There was a golden suit of armor, shoes that could fly, a powerful magic staff, and a strange, ugly mask called a Ngo Pa. It looked like a boy with dark, curly hair. I knew I had to return to the world of humans, so I put on the mask and all the magical items and flew away. The giantess was very, very sad, but before she passed away from a broken heart, she taught me a magic spell to call for fish whenever I was hungry. It was her last gift to me.

Wearing my ugly Ngo Pa disguise to hide my golden skin, I traveled to the Kingdom of Samon. The king there had seven daughters, and he wanted them to choose their husbands by throwing beautiful flower garlands. Six of the princesses chose handsome, smiling princes. But the youngest princess, Rochana, saw something no one else could. When she looked at me, the ugly Ngo Pa, she didn't see the mask. She saw the golden prince hiding inside. She threw her special garland right to me. Her father, the king, was furious. He stomped his feet and shouted. He couldn't believe his daughter chose someone who looked so strange and poor. He sent Rochana and me to live in a small, drafty hut far away from the grand palace.

The king was still angry and tried to get rid of me by giving me impossible tasks. First, he told me to bring him one hundred fish in a single day. That seemed so hard. But I remembered the giantess's magic spell. I whispered the magic words, and all the fish in the river came swimming right to me. Next, he challenged me to a game of polo against a powerful god, Indra, who was visiting from the heavens. I knew I couldn't win as the clumsy Ngo Pa. So, I took off my disguise and revealed my true, golden self. With my flying shoes and magic staff, I soared through the air like a bird and hit the ball perfectly, winning the game. The king's jaw dropped. He was absolutely amazed. He finally saw that I was a prince, and more importantly, that I was brave and kind. He welcomed me and Rochana back to the palace with a huge celebration for everyone.

My story, the tale of Sang Thong, became a famous legend in Thailand. It is still told today in beautiful plays called 'lakhon nok,' which have amazing dancing and music. You can even see paintings of me and Princess Rochana in temples. My story reminds everyone that you can’t judge people by how they look on the outside. True beauty and goodness are found within your heart, not just on your skin. And so, the story of the golden prince in the ugly mask continues to inspire children to look for the good in everyone they meet.