រឿងភ្នំសន្ទុក - PHNOM SANTUK - [Cambo Page - ខេមបូ ផេក]

PHNOM SANTUK

Once upon a time, there was a king, his wife and a son as well as a lot of women servants, knights and other high-ranking officers. 

The king ordered the people to cut down the forest in order to build the royal palace and a temple there. It was named “ Brasat Village” . 

After Brasat was already built, the Kind ordered the people to cut down another forest at the northwest of Brasat to build another place with stone wall for woman savants. That place was called royal palace village or “Phum Vaing” ever since.

After the royal palace was already constructed; the King ordered the people to cut down another forest at the west of Brasat to build a warehouse to store his assets. It was called “ Phum Sangklaing”.

At that time, the Majesty gave the royal order to have the forest cut down at the southwest of Taing Krasaing Vallage for the residence of his concubines. It was then called “ Phum Cahmbak” ever since. 

At the southwest of Chambak Village, there was a big lake where the king always brought his wife and son along with his servants to visit and catch fish, crabs or snails and pull up water lily and pick up the morning glory for food.

One day, the prince went to play there with the women savants. Suddenly, the prince burst into tears so the women servants sang and comforted him quietly and there it was called “ Boeng Bampe and Boeng Kyang” or Comfort Lake and Snail Lake. 

The north of comfort Lake, there was a mountain called Phnom Thom, Sreh Khchao, Phnom Penhchum. These mountains were situated closely together where the king often took his wife to pick the forest fruits such as Phnom Phnaeng Blackberry, eagle marmelos, dasymaschalon lomentaceum, celosia fruit and other fruits which are their favorites.

One day, the King took his wife and his son to visit on the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, the son fell serious sick, therefore the king ordered the officials to cut down the forest at the foot of the mountain to build a lodge and they all temporarily stayed there and it was called “ Bandos Village” and later was changed to “ Krakoh Village” . 

Then The King took his son to stay in the lodge near the foot of mountain and the King seeks for the doctors to cure his son. Though the medicine was effective, it unfortunately could not cure the prince. The prince’s sickness got so serious that he passed away there. 

The King and the Queen cried and felt very upset. The Prince’s corpse was cremated there. The foot of the mountain, where the King built the lodge to cure his son, was called “ Ason Mountain”. This mountain has been called “ Phnom Santhok” ever since onward to nowadays.

After the death of their son, the King and the Queen decided to leave the Royal palace to stay at Stoeung Sen for relief. Meanwhile, there was a monk who went past and noted that the King and the Queen were very sad so he asked what happened to them. 

The King told the monk that he was upset because his son died. Thought the monk tried to explain about the reason and Dharma, the king and Queen still suffered from the death of their don. 

After the monk knew what happened, he said: “ if your majesty wants to see body of the son, please order the sculptors to take the wax or land of the prince so that you can see your son and recover from the suffering”. 

After the King listened to the monk, the King and the Queen felt very happy and ordered the sculptors to make the stature of the prince there.

When the stature of the prince was already built, they both watched it happily and looked relief. That place was named “ Phnum Sannak” or “ Stature Village”. 

Next the King took the Queen to visit the place at the north of stature of the prince. The King saw the bone of crocodile head that was dead for a long time. And there it was called “ Phum Tboung Krapeu” or Crocodile Bone Village” ever since.

The End