There lived a poor widow mother and her only son in a village beyond a forest. When the boy grew up a little, the mother thought to send him to school. But the school was in the city and to go to city one had to cross that forest. But she had to send him to school so she sent him there.

For a couple of months she herself took him to school and brought him from there. But then there were some days when she could not go with him, so she sent him alone. Sometimes the boy used to say that he was afraid to go alone through that forest. The mother then thought another way for him to send him to school. She was a great devotee of Krishn. She said - "Dear son, whenever you feel afraid, you should call Gopaal (another name of Krishn). He will come and be with you all the time through the forest." The boy asked her - "Maa, How does He look like? Is he of my age?" Mother said - "Yes my son, He is very beautiful and he will always accompany you while you will be going to school. Just call Him whenever you need Him." The boy got satisfied and he started going to school again.

One day, again, he got afraid of lonely forest. He wanted to speak, but could not speak of fear. Then he remembered his mother words "Call Gopaal", so he called "Gopaal, Gopaal" and looked here and there around him. He saw nobody around, but the then he saw a beautiful boy coming from his behind and saying - "Friend, why are you so afraid? I am here with you." The boy held His hand and proceeded further to school. Now he was happy and was not afraid of anything. Gopaal accompanied him through the forest. When the city came near, He said - "OK, now I take leave. We will see each other some other time." and He went away.

Now the boy was very happy. First he called Him whenever he was afraid, but later he used to call Him often, because he had started liking his company. When Gopaal had come, both crossed the forest playing together.

After some time his mother asked - "My son, how do you feel now going through the forest? Don't you feel afraid now?" The boy said excitingly - "Maa, The day you told me to call Gopaal, when I got afraid, I called Gopaal and since then He often joins me as the forest starts and we cross the forest together playing. Then He leaves me at the corner of the forest and goes away. I am not afraid any more now."

Mother was surprised to hear this, so she asked again - "What are you saying? Are you speaking the truth? Does Gopaal really join you in the forest?" "Yes, Maa. I am speaking the truth." Mother whispered - "I just asked him to call Gopaal so that he is not afraid, but I never knew that Bhagavaan will really come to help him. He has really seen Gopaal. He is so fortunate that he has seen God at such a young age."

She said loudly - "My son, I also want to see your Gopaal, so I will also go with you to school tomorrow." And next day she went to school with him. When they entered the forest, the mother asked him to call Gopaal. He called "Gopaal, Gopaal" and Gopaal came there hopping and jumping. The boy said to his mother - "See, this is my friend Gopaal. This is the one with whom I go to school daily."

But mother could not see anybody there. She asked "Where is He? I can't see anybody here." The boy said to her several times pointing towards Him that that was Him, but still she could not see Him. Then the boy asked Gopaal as why his mother couldn't see Him? He wanted her to see his everyday friend. Then Gopaal appeared before her and she could see Gopaal. She fell on His feet and thanked Him for taking care of her son who helped her to see Gopaal.

Another Version
Once the boy's teacher said to all his students that the next day they will have a feast, so everybody should bring something. The boy was very happy to hear this. As he came home, he said to his mother the teacher's message. His mother got very sad, because she was very poor, she did not have anything to give him for the feast. Next day when the boy asked his mother to give him the thing for the feast, the mother said - "I do not have anything. You may ask your friend Gopaal, I am sure he will surely help you." The boy nodded and went away. Gopaal was now his friend so he was also sure that He would surely help him.

As he came in the forest, he called Gopaal and Gopaal immediately came there from nowhere. While talking the boy told Him that he needed something for the feast his teacher was going to extend on that day. Gopaal gave him a cup of milk and said that He had only this for him and that he must give this to his teacher. "All right." A little later the boy's school came, Gopaal left him as He used to do it on other days and went away. The boy entered the school carrying the cup of milk. When he came to his class, he saw all children with sweet delicious things. They all were giving them with pride. When his turn came he felt shy to give the milk to his teacher. The teacher also accepted his milk with a little hesitation. But as he started pouring it in a big pot, the milk continued to fall in that pot and it was not coming to end. The pot was filled and it started overflowing.

The teacher was astonished to see this. After all where so much milk came from in that small cup? When it did not stop he had to ask the boy to stop it. The boy just said "stop: and the milk stopped falling abruptly. The teacher gave the empty cup to the boy and asked him - "Where did you get this milk?"
The boy replied - "From my friend Gopaal."
"Where does he live?"
"He lives in the forest."
"Who is He?"
"He is my friend."
"Can I see Him?"
"Yes, why not."

In the evening the teacher and the boy went in the forest and the boy called his friend "Gopaal, Gopaal".  Gopaal came there as usual. The boy showed his teacher his friend, but the teacher could not see Him. He repeatedly asked the boy "Where is He? I can't see Him." The boy also repeatedly replied, "See, he is here." Still the teacher could not see his friend. Then the boy insisted Gopaal to show to his teacher so the teacher could believe him. Then to prove His friend Gopaal appeared before his teacher. The teacher fell on His feet and then on the boy's feet because of whom he could have the Darshan of Gopaal.

[The mother believed in Krishn, and the boy believed in his mother, that is why both got what they wanted.]