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Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The peasant's clever daughter
A peasant and his wife at work in the fields left their little daughter in her cradle at home. A very old woman crept softly in - and kissed the child on her eyes and her forehead. "I bring you two gifts," she said, "Beauty and Wit." When the parents returned they hardly knew the little one again, so beautiful had she become. And when she grew to be a big girl, none in all the countryside was so lovely or so clever.
Now, one day, when he was working in his vineyard, the peasant found a mortar made of solid gold. "It's of little use to me," he said, "but what a fine gift for the King! I'll set off this very minute." And he ran into the house to put on his Sunday coat. But Pina, his daughter, said, "You'd better do no such thing. If you show the mortar to the King, he'll only say, 'What is the use of a mortar without a pestle?'" "Nonsense!" replied her father. And off he went.
He made his way into the Palace, threw himself before the King, and said, "Please, your Majesty, will you accept this gift?"
"Very nice! Very nice!" replied the King, taking the mortar in his hand. "But where is the pestle?" "I found no pestle," said the peasant.
"Found a mortar without a pestle? Impossible! You are keeping it back. If you do not bring me the pestle by to-morrow morning I'll have you thrown into prison for a thief!"
The poor countryman stared, and then as he was turning away, said, "Ah, what a wise girl is my daughter!"
"What's that you're saying?" asked the King.
"Only that my daughter Pina told me your Majesty would be sure to ask for the pestle instead of being pleased with the mortar alone. She said I was a fool to give it you."
"Then your daughter is a great deal cleverer than yourself." Now, the King was not a bad man at heart, but rather greedy, and very capricious, rather like a spoilt child. "Hark ye," he went on, "I'll give that clever daughter of yours something to do. See! Take her this flax and tell her to spin from it linen enough to make shirts for my whole army." And he handed the poor dazed man the flax, and distaffs and spindles made of fish-bones. "If she refuses, or if she is not able to do it, I'll have you both put in prison. Ha! ha! Good-bye!"
There was a fine task to take home to his poor daughter! But Pina only laughed.
"Leave me the flax," she said; "and take the distaffs and spindles back; and tell the King that I am spinning busily; and that I shall make the shirts for his whole army when he has made me a loom out of these fishbones."
You may think that the peasant did not like to take such a message to the King. But he took it, nevertheless. Perhaps the King would be in a more reasonable humour this morning. When he repeated what Pina had said, the King stared in amazement. "Well, it's a bold daughter you've got, my man! She is no common girl. I should like to see her; and perhaps I can find her a husband. Tell her she may stop spinning the yarn; and she must come and see me here. But there is one condition"--the King loved to tease--"she must come neither with clothes on, nor naked, neither walking on her feet, nor riding on horse, ass, or mule. Ha! ha! Good-day to you, my man!"
"What next?" said the poor distracted father. "For all her cleverness this task is beyond her."
He gave her the King's message; and she only laughed. "Oh, that's easy enough!" she said.
Then she went to her room, took off her clothes, let down her long thick hair, which fell to her feet, and drew it close round her by a great net. Then she went out to the field, caught her father's old ram, put one foot over its back, and hopped along the road to the town on the other. Thus she reached the Palace.
When the King saw her he laughed aloud in great good humour; and he said, "One could never be dull with such a wife! Pina, will you marry me?"
So the King married Pina, the peasant's clever daughter, and they lived happily and merrily together. But one day, when he was riding out in the country, the King spied a fine horse grazing in a meadow. "That's a splendid animal!" he said. "I have not its like in my stud." And he ordered his servant to seize it and bring it back to the royal stables. Of course, the farmer who owned the horse was very angry, and came to claim it; but the King sent him away scornfully. Queen Pina, who had been present, begged him to act justly, to restore the horse and beg the farmer's pardon, or else offer to buy it for a fair price. But her husband was very obstinate, and refused.
So the Queen sent secretly for the farmer, and suggested to him a means whereby he might get back his horse. The farmer listened and acted on her advice. With a net thrown about him, he went up and down the town, and round and round the outside of the Palace, crying, "Ho! ho! the fisherman! Who wants to catch fish with me?" Up and down the town he went with this cry, and round and round the Palace, stopping always before the King's own windows. At last the King could stand it no longer, and he bawled out, "Be off with you! Would you have us catching fish in the streets? You're a fine fisher, you country bumpkin! And it's a fine catch you'll get in my gutters."
"And you're a fine fisher of horses!" retorted the farmer. "And a fine haul you made in my meadow!"
And the King, who liked a good answer, laughed heartily, and ordered his servants to give back the horse to its toaster. Nevertheless, he was very angry; and when the man had gone, he called for his wife and said, "I know who put the fellow up to that trick. It was you. You have no care for my interests. You like country bumpkins best. Be off with you! Out of my house!"
Then Queen. Pina answered, "Very well, your Majesty, I'll go back again to my home. They will be glad to see me, all the country bumpkins. But it is hardly fair I should go away empty-handed. When you married me you said, 'Whatever is most precious in this palace belongs to you!'"
"Oh, take whatever you like! Only, be off with you!"
Now, Pina had some fairy gifts; and by means of one of these she threw her husband into a deep sleep. And when he was fast asleep she ordered a great coach to draw up before the palace door, and had him carried into it. Then she got in herself, and they drove away to her father's cottage. When at last he woke he found Pina sitting by him. But where were they? It seemed a very small place, and the light was dim; and his couch uncommonly hard.
"Where am I? Where am I?" he cried out in some alarm. "What has happened?"
"Only what you ordered," replied Pina. You sent me away, you remember. But you told me I might take with me the most precious thing in the palace. So I did. I brought you!"
Then the King laughed, and laughed again, till the cottage rafters rang. And he laughed all the way back in the coach. Of course, Queen Pina sat by him, laughing too. They never parted any more. And their reign was a long and a merry one.
Now, one day, when he was working in his vineyard, the peasant found a mortar made of solid gold. "It's of little use to me," he said, "but what a fine gift for the King! I'll set off this very minute." And he ran into the house to put on his Sunday coat. But Pina, his daughter, said, "You'd better do no such thing. If you show the mortar to the King, he'll only say, 'What is the use of a mortar without a pestle?'" "Nonsense!" replied her father. And off he went.
He made his way into the Palace, threw himself before the King, and said, "Please, your Majesty, will you accept this gift?"
"Very nice! Very nice!" replied the King, taking the mortar in his hand. "But where is the pestle?" "I found no pestle," said the peasant.
"Found a mortar without a pestle? Impossible! You are keeping it back. If you do not bring me the pestle by to-morrow morning I'll have you thrown into prison for a thief!"
The poor countryman stared, and then as he was turning away, said, "Ah, what a wise girl is my daughter!"
"What's that you're saying?" asked the King.
"Only that my daughter Pina told me your Majesty would be sure to ask for the pestle instead of being pleased with the mortar alone. She said I was a fool to give it you."
"Then your daughter is a great deal cleverer than yourself." Now, the King was not a bad man at heart, but rather greedy, and very capricious, rather like a spoilt child. "Hark ye," he went on, "I'll give that clever daughter of yours something to do. See! Take her this flax and tell her to spin from it linen enough to make shirts for my whole army." And he handed the poor dazed man the flax, and distaffs and spindles made of fish-bones. "If she refuses, or if she is not able to do it, I'll have you both put in prison. Ha! ha! Good-bye!"
There was a fine task to take home to his poor daughter! But Pina only laughed.
"Leave me the flax," she said; "and take the distaffs and spindles back; and tell the King that I am spinning busily; and that I shall make the shirts for his whole army when he has made me a loom out of these fishbones."
You may think that the peasant did not like to take such a message to the King. But he took it, nevertheless. Perhaps the King would be in a more reasonable humour this morning. When he repeated what Pina had said, the King stared in amazement. "Well, it's a bold daughter you've got, my man! She is no common girl. I should like to see her; and perhaps I can find her a husband. Tell her she may stop spinning the yarn; and she must come and see me here. But there is one condition"--the King loved to tease--"she must come neither with clothes on, nor naked, neither walking on her feet, nor riding on horse, ass, or mule. Ha! ha! Good-day to you, my man!"
"What next?" said the poor distracted father. "For all her cleverness this task is beyond her."
He gave her the King's message; and she only laughed. "Oh, that's easy enough!" she said.
Then she went to her room, took off her clothes, let down her long thick hair, which fell to her feet, and drew it close round her by a great net. Then she went out to the field, caught her father's old ram, put one foot over its back, and hopped along the road to the town on the other. Thus she reached the Palace.
When the King saw her he laughed aloud in great good humour; and he said, "One could never be dull with such a wife! Pina, will you marry me?"
So the King married Pina, the peasant's clever daughter, and they lived happily and merrily together. But one day, when he was riding out in the country, the King spied a fine horse grazing in a meadow. "That's a splendid animal!" he said. "I have not its like in my stud." And he ordered his servant to seize it and bring it back to the royal stables. Of course, the farmer who owned the horse was very angry, and came to claim it; but the King sent him away scornfully. Queen Pina, who had been present, begged him to act justly, to restore the horse and beg the farmer's pardon, or else offer to buy it for a fair price. But her husband was very obstinate, and refused.
So the Queen sent secretly for the farmer, and suggested to him a means whereby he might get back his horse. The farmer listened and acted on her advice. With a net thrown about him, he went up and down the town, and round and round the outside of the Palace, crying, "Ho! ho! the fisherman! Who wants to catch fish with me?" Up and down the town he went with this cry, and round and round the Palace, stopping always before the King's own windows. At last the King could stand it no longer, and he bawled out, "Be off with you! Would you have us catching fish in the streets? You're a fine fisher, you country bumpkin! And it's a fine catch you'll get in my gutters."
"And you're a fine fisher of horses!" retorted the farmer. "And a fine haul you made in my meadow!"
And the King, who liked a good answer, laughed heartily, and ordered his servants to give back the horse to its toaster. Nevertheless, he was very angry; and when the man had gone, he called for his wife and said, "I know who put the fellow up to that trick. It was you. You have no care for my interests. You like country bumpkins best. Be off with you! Out of my house!"
Then Queen. Pina answered, "Very well, your Majesty, I'll go back again to my home. They will be glad to see me, all the country bumpkins. But it is hardly fair I should go away empty-handed. When you married me you said, 'Whatever is most precious in this palace belongs to you!'"
"Oh, take whatever you like! Only, be off with you!"
Now, Pina had some fairy gifts; and by means of one of these she threw her husband into a deep sleep. And when he was fast asleep she ordered a great coach to draw up before the palace door, and had him carried into it. Then she got in herself, and they drove away to her father's cottage. When at last he woke he found Pina sitting by him. But where were they? It seemed a very small place, and the light was dim; and his couch uncommonly hard.
"Where am I? Where am I?" he cried out in some alarm. "What has happened?"
"Only what you ordered," replied Pina. You sent me away, you remember. But you told me I might take with me the most precious thing in the palace. So I did. I brought you!"
Then the King laughed, and laughed again, till the cottage rafters rang. And he laughed all the way back in the coach. Of course, Queen Pina sat by him, laughing too. They never parted any more. And their reign was a long and a merry one.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Demon
Once a poor priest got tired of his poverty and decided to go to the holy town of Kashi. It was a long route and he had just a packet of boiled rice to survive on. In the afternoon he decided to stop for rest and have a little rice from to sustain himself for the day’s journey. As soon as he settled down under a tree and started unwrapping his bundle he heard a voice saying, “Don’t”. When he looked around he could see nobody. He was startled and quickly packed his belongings.
The priest decided to wash himself first and then think about the problem. When he was washing his mouth at the nearby lake he again heard the voice say, “don’t”. The priest decided to be brave and washed himself and came back. The same voice again and again startled the priest when he was eating his rice and when he was washing his hands. Ignoring it he completed his rest and decided to go on with his journey after a while. The voice now pleadingly said “don’t go”. The priest was curious and asked aloud who was he and from where he was talking?.
“Look up”, said the voice. To the priest's astonishment he saw a demon sitting on a branch of a tree. When the demon realised that the priest was interested, he started telling his tale of woes.
I was a priest like you, he said. “I was an expert in music but did not share my knowledge with anybody. So after death I became a demon. I have been living on this tree for quite a long time. Now-a-days a piper visits the nearby temple and practices all day. He is not good at his art and it is torturous to listen to his tunes for the whole day. I feel as if holes are being drilled in my body. I am on my nerves ends and will turn into a terrible thing if this torture is not stopped.”
The priest was sorry for the musician demon and asked how he could help. The demon suggested that he be carried to another grove where he would not hear the torturous tunes. The priest agreed to help him but clarified that he would expect something in return. The demon agreed to give him something once he was removed from from the present place as then his depleted powers would return.
The priest found a grove away from the noise and placed the demon on a tree. Now it was the demon’s turn to return the kind gesture. He told the priest that he was going to posses the princess of Mysore and if he cared to earn some money he should visit the palace. As soon as the priest arrived at the palace the demon would leave the princess and the king would bestow the priest with wealth.
While returning from Kashi the priest remembered what the demon had said and decided to visit Mysore. When he reached the grand city he enquired casually about the happenings in the town and was told that a fearsome demon had possessed the princess causing great anguish. The priest realised that his bad times were going to change and at once started for the palace.
When he was taken to the princess he asked to leave them alone. When the chamber was emptied the demon talked to him through the princess. He told the priest that he had fulfilled his promise and would now leave the princess but the priest should not again come face to face with the demon if he possessed anybody else. If he ignored the warning it would bring death to the priest. With this warning the demon left the princess and the palace causing a thunderous noise declaring his departure.
The king was overjoyed and gave the priest a lot of money and land to help him sustain a family. Life was now settled and the priest married a beautiful girl from Mysore itself and settled in the town.
The demon meanwhile went straight down south and possessed the princess of Travancore. The king hired the services of learned men and magicians but to no avail. One day a visitor told him about the priest who had cured the princess of Mysore. A message was sent to the king of Mysore who in turn ordered the priest to go to Travancore and help the distressed princess.
The priest was now in a fix. Going in front of the demon meant death but refusal was not possible as it was a royal decree. Finally he took courage and decided to go. In the palace when the demon saw him he was furious and threatened that he would cut him into pieces. Now that it was a question of life and death the priest gathered himself and calmly said, “The piper from the temple will be glad to visit this place and play his atrocious tunes”. As soon as the piper was mentioned the demon cried out remembering the pain. He left the palace immediately with a loud noise.
The king was pleased and gave the priest so much wealth that the priest is still counting the coins.
The priest decided to wash himself first and then think about the problem. When he was washing his mouth at the nearby lake he again heard the voice say, “don’t”. The priest decided to be brave and washed himself and came back. The same voice again and again startled the priest when he was eating his rice and when he was washing his hands. Ignoring it he completed his rest and decided to go on with his journey after a while. The voice now pleadingly said “don’t go”. The priest was curious and asked aloud who was he and from where he was talking?.
“Look up”, said the voice. To the priest's astonishment he saw a demon sitting on a branch of a tree. When the demon realised that the priest was interested, he started telling his tale of woes.
I was a priest like you, he said. “I was an expert in music but did not share my knowledge with anybody. So after death I became a demon. I have been living on this tree for quite a long time. Now-a-days a piper visits the nearby temple and practices all day. He is not good at his art and it is torturous to listen to his tunes for the whole day. I feel as if holes are being drilled in my body. I am on my nerves ends and will turn into a terrible thing if this torture is not stopped.”
The priest was sorry for the musician demon and asked how he could help. The demon suggested that he be carried to another grove where he would not hear the torturous tunes. The priest agreed to help him but clarified that he would expect something in return. The demon agreed to give him something once he was removed from from the present place as then his depleted powers would return.
The priest found a grove away from the noise and placed the demon on a tree. Now it was the demon’s turn to return the kind gesture. He told the priest that he was going to posses the princess of Mysore and if he cared to earn some money he should visit the palace. As soon as the priest arrived at the palace the demon would leave the princess and the king would bestow the priest with wealth.
While returning from Kashi the priest remembered what the demon had said and decided to visit Mysore. When he reached the grand city he enquired casually about the happenings in the town and was told that a fearsome demon had possessed the princess causing great anguish. The priest realised that his bad times were going to change and at once started for the palace.
When he was taken to the princess he asked to leave them alone. When the chamber was emptied the demon talked to him through the princess. He told the priest that he had fulfilled his promise and would now leave the princess but the priest should not again come face to face with the demon if he possessed anybody else. If he ignored the warning it would bring death to the priest. With this warning the demon left the princess and the palace causing a thunderous noise declaring his departure.
The king was overjoyed and gave the priest a lot of money and land to help him sustain a family. Life was now settled and the priest married a beautiful girl from Mysore itself and settled in the town.
The demon meanwhile went straight down south and possessed the princess of Travancore. The king hired the services of learned men and magicians but to no avail. One day a visitor told him about the priest who had cured the princess of Mysore. A message was sent to the king of Mysore who in turn ordered the priest to go to Travancore and help the distressed princess.
The priest was now in a fix. Going in front of the demon meant death but refusal was not possible as it was a royal decree. Finally he took courage and decided to go. In the palace when the demon saw him he was furious and threatened that he would cut him into pieces. Now that it was a question of life and death the priest gathered himself and calmly said, “The piper from the temple will be glad to visit this place and play his atrocious tunes”. As soon as the piper was mentioned the demon cried out remembering the pain. He left the palace immediately with a loud noise.
The king was pleased and gave the priest so much wealth that the priest is still counting the coins.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Tenali Raman’s gift...
One day, the King Krishnadevaraya told his court jester Tenali Raman: ”When we have plenty of wealth, we should gift a portion of it to the poor and needy. Raman, you have plenty of money, houses and landed property, you can donate something to some poor people. Why don’t you do it?”
Tenali Raman answered: “Yes, my lord, what you said is right. I will arrange to give the gift of a house tomorrow!“
The king was very happy with Raman’s reply. Tenali Raman went home thinking about his answer to his king’s inquiry.
Raman was not willing or interested in parting with anything he had amassed, but he had promised to the king that he would gift a portion of his wealth.
So, he placed a notice board in front of one of his houses, which read:
“ This house will be given to any person who is satisfied with what he has!”
All those who passed by the house read the notice, but for many days, nobody came forward to claim the gift.
Then, one day, one person came to Raman, requesting for the gift of house. He said:” Raman, you have decided to give away your house. If you give it to me, it will be a great help.“
“You have no house of your own?” Raman asked.
“I have a house, but it is very small. And very old! My family is not able to live in it,” he explained.
Raman asked him: “ Have you read the notice before this house?”
“Yes.”
“What is written there?”
“This house will be gifted to any person who is satisfied with what he has.”
“You are not satisfied with what you have?”
The person was unable to answer Raman’s question. Raman would not give the house if he said he was not satisfied. So he replied: ”I am satisfied with what I have!”
“So you are satisfied with the house you have?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you come asking for my house?”
The person could not answer that direct question from Raman. He left, totally disappointed.
Next day Tenali Raman told the king that he could not give his house to some needy person as there was no one who was not satisfied with what he had.
Tenali Raman answered: “Yes, my lord, what you said is right. I will arrange to give the gift of a house tomorrow!“
The king was very happy with Raman’s reply. Tenali Raman went home thinking about his answer to his king’s inquiry.
Raman was not willing or interested in parting with anything he had amassed, but he had promised to the king that he would gift a portion of his wealth.
So, he placed a notice board in front of one of his houses, which read:
“ This house will be given to any person who is satisfied with what he has!”
All those who passed by the house read the notice, but for many days, nobody came forward to claim the gift.
Then, one day, one person came to Raman, requesting for the gift of house. He said:” Raman, you have decided to give away your house. If you give it to me, it will be a great help.“
“You have no house of your own?” Raman asked.
“I have a house, but it is very small. And very old! My family is not able to live in it,” he explained.
Raman asked him: “ Have you read the notice before this house?”
“Yes.”
“What is written there?”
“This house will be gifted to any person who is satisfied with what he has.”
“You are not satisfied with what you have?”
The person was unable to answer Raman’s question. Raman would not give the house if he said he was not satisfied. So he replied: ”I am satisfied with what I have!”
“So you are satisfied with the house you have?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you come asking for my house?”
The person could not answer that direct question from Raman. He left, totally disappointed.
Next day Tenali Raman told the king that he could not give his house to some needy person as there was no one who was not satisfied with what he had.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
When monkeys go on a fast - a folktale from Karnataka, India...
A group of monkeys decided to go on a day's fast to celebrate a religious festival.
“Before we begin, I think we should keep the food with which we’ll break the fast ready,” counselled the old monkey chief.
The monkeys nodded their heads in agreement. The youngsters were sent in search of food. They returned with huge hands of delicious-looking bananas.
“I think each of us should keep our share of bananas with us before we begin our fast, so that we don’t spend time distributing them after we break our fast. You can imagine how hungry we all will be by then!” said the chief minister of the monkey tribe.
The monkeys liked the idea and they all immediately collected their share of the bananas.
“Why don’t we peel one banana and keep it ready to eat? ” said one of the youngsters.
“Yes, let’s do that,” shouted a fat monkey in agreement. Just looking at the bananas was making him hungry.
“All right,” said the monkey chief. “We shall peel the bananas but under no condition should we eat them.”
So the monkeys peeled their bananas and carefully kept them ready for eating in the evening.
“Can I keep the banana in my mouth? I promise not to eat it till evening. Please!” a little monkey asked his father.
“Why don’t we all put a banana in our mouth? That way we can chew it immediately when we break the fast,” said his father, who had agreed to go on the fast only because his wife had not given him a choice. “As long as we don’t eat it, it should be fine,” he added.
So, the monkeys put the bananas in their mouths. One by one they eyed each other uncomfortably as they began their fast — and as you can imagine, within no time at all, the bananas disappeared down their gullets. And that was the end of their fast!
“Before we begin, I think we should keep the food with which we’ll break the fast ready,” counselled the old monkey chief.
The monkeys nodded their heads in agreement. The youngsters were sent in search of food. They returned with huge hands of delicious-looking bananas.
“I think each of us should keep our share of bananas with us before we begin our fast, so that we don’t spend time distributing them after we break our fast. You can imagine how hungry we all will be by then!” said the chief minister of the monkey tribe.
The monkeys liked the idea and they all immediately collected their share of the bananas.
“Why don’t we peel one banana and keep it ready to eat? ” said one of the youngsters.
“Yes, let’s do that,” shouted a fat monkey in agreement. Just looking at the bananas was making him hungry.
“All right,” said the monkey chief. “We shall peel the bananas but under no condition should we eat them.”
So the monkeys peeled their bananas and carefully kept them ready for eating in the evening.
“Can I keep the banana in my mouth? I promise not to eat it till evening. Please!” a little monkey asked his father.
“Why don’t we all put a banana in our mouth? That way we can chew it immediately when we break the fast,” said his father, who had agreed to go on the fast only because his wife had not given him a choice. “As long as we don’t eat it, it should be fine,” he added.
So, the monkeys put the bananas in their mouths. One by one they eyed each other uncomfortably as they began their fast — and as you can imagine, within no time at all, the bananas disappeared down their gullets. And that was the end of their fast!
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Hello! I'm Joygopal Podder...
