Many years ago, in a kingdom far away, a king lived happily with his big family made up of three wives and nine female children. The king needed a prince who will be heir to his thrown but none of his wives could give him that prince. His desperation to have a male grew when he clock sixty for his time was running out. The youngest wife (Manka) of the king was despised by he two seniors (Lum and Bih) who never saw anything good about her.
The king visited the chief priest (the mouth of the gods) asking him to consult the gods in regards giving him a son and that was done. Seven days latter, the chief priest visited the palace bringing good news to the king. He made the king understand that one of his wives will bear him a son. He further explained that he is going to cook a pot of soup with some portions in it which all the wives of the king shall be required to eat. They shall each get pregnant but only one of them will have a male. When that pot of soup was prepared and given to the eldest wife (Lum) to share with the others, she called for Bih and just two of them ate the soup. Manka discovered what was going on when the pot of soup was empty. Being so desperate to have a male, she licked the pot with her fingers crying and asking God for a male.
Two months latter, the Lum and Bih got pregnant and were so happy because they knew one of them shall have a male. The king and the whole village was happy too. About a month latter, Manka's stomach was pregnant too. After nine months pregnancy, Lum and Bih gave birth to females. It made them so angry because they knew Manka could be the one carrying a male. They started plotting evil on how to kill Manka's child if it's a boy. When it was time for Manka to give birth, Lum and Bih were the only people with Manka in her room and as soon as Manka gave birth to a male, he was replaced with a stone and the child thrown into the evil forest. The king learnt that Manka had given birth to a stone and sent Manka away from the palace for it was an abomination.
Twenty years latter, the king passed away and the village needed a new king. It was then revealed by the chief priest that their prince, the would be king, lives in nearby forest. The village elders went searching and finally came back with the prince. This brought joy to the whole village. The chief priest also revealed that the mother of the king lives in with them in that village and before the coronation of the king, the prince must identify his mother.
He demanded that all women of that land should cook a pot of soup from which the would be king will taste all the pots of soup. He shall identify his mother by the help of the gods from the taste of her soup. Every woman in that land prepared the best soup ever. Bih and Lum saw the possibility of being mothers to the would be king again so they put all good spices in the food to make it delicious. Manka never had money to purchase spices for her soup so it contained just salt.
Latter that day, the prince began tasting the soup prepared by the different women and every woman's dream was to be his mother. He tasted that of Lum and Bih and never made a comment. When he finally reached Manka, he tasted her soup and began singing that she is his mum, everyone was shocked but it was true. A hunter rescued him when he was thrown into the evil forest by Lum and Bih. The evil practices of Lum and Bih was revealed by the chief priest and they were put in prison far away from that land.
It took quite a long time for the truth to unveil, but it was finally exposed. The prince was crowned king and he lived happily with his mother Manka ever after.