Villadom Pickles :A Tale of Unity, Greed, and the Consequences of Mistrust

-Trushti Dand

What happens when a community built on unity is tested by greed? Villadom Pickles, a folktale from Kerala, tells the story of a village that thrives on cooperation but falls apart due to suspicion and selfishness. The villagers, known for their strong bond, decide to make mango pickles together in a well instead of separate jars. However, when it’s time to collect their share, jealousy creeps in. One by one, they jump into the well, fearing that others are taking more than their fair share—never to return. This simple yet powerful tale serves as a cautionary reminder that unchecked greed can lead to destruction, no matter how strong a community appears to be.

The folktale Villadom Pickles is set in a harmonious village named Villadom in Kerala, where people live with a strong sense of unity and cooperation. The villagers believe in working together rather than individually, making their society one based on mutual trust and collective decision-making. This communal spirit is reflected in their daily lives, where they share responsibilities and resources.

One day, as the mango season arrives, the village elders gather to discuss the annual tradition of making mango pickles. Instead of each household preparing pickles separately, they decide to work together and make a single, large batch that everyone can later divide based on their contributions. However, they face a practical challenge: they need an exceptionally large container to store all the mangoes. After much discussion, they come up with a unique solution—to use a small well in the village as their storage jar.

Following this plan, each villager brings their share of mangoes along with the necessary ingredients like chili, salt, and oil, and they carefully place them into the well. To protect the pickles, they build a fence around the well and agree not to disturb it until the pickles are ready. This decision highlights the trust they place in one another and their belief in collective welfare.

Weeks pass, and the much-awaited day arrives when they can finally retrieve the pickles. The villagers gather around the well, excited to claim their share. The process is simple—each person must dive into the well, collect their rightful portion of pickled mangoes, and come back up. However, as the first man jumps in, he does not return for a long time. The second person, growing impatient, assumes the first man is taking more than his share and jumps in himself, fastening a large jar around his neck. Yet, he too fails to resurface.

As the villagers grow increasingly suspicious, one by one, they follow the same pattern—each fearing that others are taking more than they should. Eventually, no one returns. The well, which was supposed to be a symbol of their shared prosperity, becomes a trap fueled by greed and mistrust.

This folktale delivers a powerful moral lesson: greed, impatience, and jealousy can lead to the downfall of even the most united communities. It starts with an inspiring display of cooperation but ends in tragedy, showing how human nature can turn against itself when trust is replaced by suspicion. Despite their good intentions, the villagers’ inability to trust one another ultimately leads to their destruction.

The tale serves as a cautionary reminder that true cooperation is not just about working together but also about having faith in one another. Without trust, even the strongest communities can collapse under the weight of their own fears and desires.

The folktale Villadom Pickles is deeply rooted in Kerala’s rich cultural and historical traditions, reflecting the values of community living, cooperative work, and traditional food practices. Kerala has long been known for its agrarian society, where villages thrive on collective farming, trade, and shared labor. The story aligns with the state’s historical practice of cooperative societies, where people work together for mutual benefit, much like the villagers initially do in the tale.

The decision to prepare mango pickles as a community reflects Kerala’s culinary traditions, where food is not just about sustenance but also a means of bringing people together. Mango pickles are a staple in South Indian households, often prepared in large batches and shared among families, symbolizing tradition, preservation, and unity.

The folktale also resonates with the panchayat system, which has been central to village governance in Kerala for centuries. The villagers’ collective decision-making mirrors how communities historically relied on their elders and local councils for guidance. However, the story serves as a warning—without trust and fairness, even well-structured systems can collapse.

Moreover, Kerala’s oral storytelling tradition, including Kathakali and Ottanthullal, often conveys moral lessons through engaging narratives. Villadom Pickles follows this tradition, using simple yet powerful storytelling to impart wisdom.

Ultimately, the folktale reflects the strengths and weaknesses of human nature, teaching that unity is fragile and can only survive when built on mutual trust and fairness—an idea as relevant today as it was in the past.

Villadom Pickles explores several timeless themes, primarily focusing on cooperation versus individual greed. The story begins with a strong sense of unity, where villagers collectively decide to make mango pickles together instead of individually. This demonstrates the power of teamwork and shared responsibility. However, the same community that thrived on cooperation crumbles when jealousy and selfishness take over. The villagers, unable to trust one another, succumb to their greed, leading to their collective downfall.

Another key theme is trust and betrayal. Initially, the villagers rely on mutual faith, believing that everyone will take only their fair share. But as soon as suspicion arises, the foundation of their unity collapses. This shift illustrates how fragile trust can be and how quickly it can turn into betrayal when individuals prioritize self-interest over the common good.

The story also highlights the consequences of impatience and unchecked desires. Instead of waiting for their turn, each villager hastily jumps into the well, assuming others are taking more than their due. Their impulsive actions lead to their demise, reinforcing the idea that acting out of greed and fear often results in disaster.

Lastly, irony and the paradox of collective failure play a significant role. The villagers, who initially came together to work as a team, ironically perish because they could not uphold their very values of unity and fairness. This serves as a cautionary lesson that a community’s strength lies not just in working together but in sustaining trust and self-control.

The folktale also employs various symbols and literary devices to enhance its meaning and impact.

The well serves as a dual symbol—initially representing community and resourcefulness, as the villagers use it to store the pickles collectively. However, it later transforms into a symbol of destruction, as greed and mistrust turn it into a trap.

Mango pickles symbolize collective effort and prosperity, but ironically become the cause of conflict. What was meant to be shared among all becomes a reason for division, illustrating how even well-intentioned plans can collapse due to human nature.

Dramatic irony plays a crucial role, as the audience realizes the villagers’ fate before they do. Each person jumping into the well believes they are being clever, but the reader understands that they are sealing their own doom.

Suspense builds as one by one, villagers disappear, creating tension and anticipation.

The story also functions as an allegory, representing how societies crumble when trust is replaced by greed.

Finally, personification is subtly present—the well, though inanimate, seems to “swallow” the villagers, almost as if punishing them for their impatience and selfishness. This adds to the tale’s moral depth and eerie tone.

Villadom Pickles remains highly relevant in today’s world, reflecting issues in society, business, and human relationships. The villagers’ downfall due to greed and mistrust mirrors the way modern communities, corporations, and even nations struggle with resource distribution. Just as the villagers failed to trust one another, today’s world sees similar problems—whether it’s corporate greed, political corruption, or environmental exploitation, where individuals and groups hoard resources at the expense of the larger community.

Social media also reflects this theme. What starts as a platform for connection often turns into a space for comparison, jealousy, and misinformation. People, much like the villagers, become impatient and suspicious, leading to unnecessary conflicts and toxic competition. Similarly, in workplaces and businesses, teamwork can fall apart when individuals prioritize personal gain over collective success.

The folktale serves as a powerful reminder that true progress comes not from selfish ambition, but from trust, fairness, and cooperation. It urges us to reflect on our own actions—are we building a stronger community, or letting suspicion and greed destroy the bonds that hold us together? In a rapidly changing world, the lesson of Villadom Pickles is more important than ever.