The Pregnant Virgin

In a small village, there lived a poor cleric (Maulvi). He was the sole Imam of the only mosque in the village. Besides leading the prayers, he also taught the village children the Qur'an. His wife taught the village girls at home, which helped them sustain their livelihood. They had only one daughter, who was exceptionally beautiful. Her beauty was talked about far and wide and these tales eventually reached the son of the village chief (Chaudhry).

The young man became eager to see this beautiful girl. He began searching for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of her. One day, he went to the cleric's house under the pretense of delivering some offerings on behalf of his father, hoping to see the girl. While the Imam was leading prayers at the mosque, the boy knocked on the door. A voice from inside the girl’s responded, "Who is it?"

He replied, “I have brought something sent by Chaudhry Sahib. Please take it.”

She said, “Leave it at the door. I’ll pick it up.”

He left the items and waited quietly. When the girl assumed he had left, she opened the door to collect the things and in that moment, he saw her. But it wasn’t just seeing her he fell madly in love. He returned home, heart stolen, and swore he would only marry her.

He told his father that he wanted to marry the cleric’s daughter. The Chaudhry wasn’t happy about it but agreed to talk to the cleric. He approached the Maulvi and said honestly, “My son drinks, gambles, and is full of vices. Still, I’m here to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage for him. If you refuse, I will leave happily and I promise no harm will come to you from my side.”

Naturally, the Maulvi refused.

The Chaudhry returned and told his son, “The Maulvi declined the proposal. Don’t go near that street again.”

But the son was furious. “How dare he refuse me despite all my wealth, power, and status?” he fumed. He vowed to take revenge.

Meanwhile, the cleric’s daughter fell ill with stomach pain. They tried home remedies, but her belly started to swell. The worried parents took her to the only traditional healer (Hakim) in the village. There were no modern diagnostic tools like ultrasounds back then, so the Hakim checked her pulse and examined her symptoms. After some thought, he declared: “Your daughter is pregnant.”

The news struck the household like lightning. The Maulvi was devastated. He beat his daughter, demanding to know who had dishonored her. “Whose child is this?” he shouted. He even attempted to kill her in rage. But the mother intervened. Despite everything, she still believed in her daughter’s innocence. The girl, too, clung to hope and prayed for a miracle to prove her purity.

When the Chaudhry’s son saw the cleric and his daughter visiting the Hakim a few times, he went to the Hakim himself and offered him some money. In exchange, the Hakim revealed everything.

The boy then paid the village announcer (mirasi) to spread the news publicly:

"The cleric’s daughter is pregnant without marriage!"

Soon, women from the village gathered at the Maulvi's house, interrogating him. “What sin did your daughter commit?” “Why didn’t you marry her off in time?” “Whose child is she carrying?” Rumors spread like wildfire. The village council stripped the Maulvi of his Imam position and gave him a one-month deadline to leave the village. The women stopped sending their daughters to learn from his wife. He was trapped, humiliated, and left hopeless.

One day, lost in sorrow, he heard a knock at the door.

Upon opening, he found a well-dressed young man standing outside, politely asking to come in. The Maulvi hesitated, but the young man introduced himself: “I was once your student. I’m the son of so-and-so from the neighboring village. I have just returned after completing a course in herbal medicine and intend to start a practice here.”

The Maulvi remembered him and allowed him in. The young man explained that he had heard of the tragedy and could not believe it to be true. He asked permission to examine the girl. The Maulvi, desperate for hope, agreed.

After examining her and asking questions, the young man requested a few things: a goat, a dog, and for the girl to fast for the day (not eat anything). They followed his instructions.

By evening, everything was ready. He had invited some respected women from the village to help cook the goat meat. Once the meat was ready, he asked the girl to eat until she was full. She was hungry since morning, so she ate heartily.

By then, many villagers had gathered outside, curious about the commotion.

The young man then called the girl into another room. There, he had already slaughtered a dog. He told the girl, “The meat you just ate it was from this dog.” Upon hearing this, the girl started vomiting uncontrollably. Everything she had eaten came out.

To everyone's shock, a frog emerged from her mouth along with the vomit a frog that had been growing in her stomach. Everyone saw it with their own eyes.

Instantly, the girl felt relief in her stomach. The young man explained: “This girl must have drunk water from a stream or river where a tiny frog entered through her mouth and lodged in her stomach. Over time, it grew, causing pain and swelling that resembled pregnancy.”

The crowd was amazed by the young man’s wisdom. The truth was clear. The girl was innocent.

At the young healer’s suggestion, the cleric married his daughter to him. And so, they began a new life, full of happiness and dignity once again.