No sooner did Chan touch his brother’s body with his sword than Son rose up, alive and healthy again.  Both brothers ruled their kingdoms in peace and prosperity from then on, dearly loved by their queens.

The moral of this tale is that our karma works for each of us irrespective of what we do.  It is what we have done in a previous life that gives us good luck or bad luck in this life.

Jan Knappert is a frequent contributor and special adviser to the Culture section of THE WORLD & I. His article Flowing From the Nine–Headed Serpent: Legends From Cambodian Literature appeared in the December 1999 issue.