Extra Reading Diary: Khasi Folktales Part 2

Khasi Folktales

What Caused the Shadows on the Moon
There was a family of deities. There was a mother, three daughters, and a son. The three daughters were Water, Fire, and the Sun. The son was the Moon. The Sun and the Moon possessed greater beauty than the two others. The Sun and the Moon were equal. The Moon acted differently as he grew up. He had wayward tendencies. He chose a life of pleasure and did not listen to advice of the elders. He stayed for a while with evil companions and low associates. When he returned home, he was amazed by his sister's (The Sun's) beauty. He went to his mother and demanded that he and The Sun get married. The Sun was angry with her brother and threw ash in his face. This caused marks on his face. The light of the moon has been pale marked by dark shadows ever since.

What Makes the Lightening
In earlier days, animals tried to imitate mankind and speak their language. There was a festival held every 13 moons. There were contests and dances. The animals would attend and wanted a similar carnival. After preparation, the thunder giant was sent to summon people to the festival. Everyone was enjoying themselves at the festival. The lynx did a dance with a beautiful silver sword. The thunder giant saw and thought that the sword was beautiful. The thunder god asked the lynx if he could see the sword, and the lynx wanted to say no. Everyone shouted at the lynx for not being courteous. The lynx gave the thunder god the sword. The thunder god was very forceful using the sword and it flashed everywhere. He leaped into the sky with the sword while beating on his drum. This is now known as thunder and lightening.

How the Cat Came to Live with Man
The cat used to live in the jungle with the tiger (its brother). The tiger was the king of the jungle. The tiger was not mindful of the well-being of his family. The cat was very proud of her family. Their household was very poor because of the tiger. The cat wanted to hide her poverty from her friends and neighbors. She tried to talk to her brother, but he was very angered. He got very sick one day and many people visited him. He told his sister to light the hookah, but she was disgraced because there was no fire to light the hookah. Her brother yelled at her and told her to go get a firebrand from the dwelling of mankind. Children were in the village and began to play with the cat. She loved playing with the children and did not want to return home. The tiger was angry with his sister and all the visitors left. He went to search for his sister and she heard him coming. She grabbed a firebrand and gave it to him, but her brother was abusing her. She returned to the village to live with man.

The cat

Week 7 Strorytelling: The Poor Mongoose

I live in a small town with my mother, father, and brother. My mother loves to take care of my brother and me. We are a poor family and my father has to always go search for food. All of my family members look different than me, but it has never bothered me. I am a mongoose. They are human.They treat me as if I am one of them, so it doesn't bother me. They are my family.

One day I overheard my mother and father talking. My mother thought that I was going to hurt my brother. I was appalled! I would never hurt my sweet, innocent brother! He is just a baby.
My mother asked my father to watch us while she went to get water in the water jar. My father stayed for a minute, but then he was hungry. He left the house to go beg for food. My brother and I were alone.

We had never been alone before. Mother would always watch us and now I know why. She does not trust me. I don't know what I did to make her feel this way. I have never hurt my brother before. I want to do something to make her trust me! Now I just have to think of something to do.

As I was thinking, a huge black snake crawled out of a hole. This was in my room! It was crawling toward my baby brother's crib! I need to stop it!

I ran toward the baby's crib and pounced on the snake. The snake did not like this, but I didn't care. I was not going to let it hurt my baby brother! It tried to fight back, but I was too fast for it. I used my sharp teeth and tore the snake apart. There were pieces of the snake all over my room. Blood was everywhere. But I stopped the snake from hurting my brother!

After my shock wore off from what I had just done, I realized my mother could trust me now! She would know that I wouldn't let anything happen to my brother, because I saved him! I must find her immediately!

I ran outside to search for her. I ran toward the well that she went to for our water. I saw her and ran up to her as fast as I could. She saw me and looked horrified. I don't understand why she looked that way. She should be excited, right? I tried to explain to her what I had done, but she can't understand me. She started screaming at me telling me to get away from her and that she couldn't believe what I had done. She was so angry. Shouldn't she be happy? Then I realized that she thought that I killed my brother.

I had no time to explain. She dropped the water jar on my head, killing me instantly.

Author's Note: The story that I based this story off of is The Loyal Mongoose. As I was reading the original story, a narrator was telling the story. This was so the whole story could be told. I thought it would be interesting to see the mongoose's side and how it was feeling. I stayed with the original story line. The only difference is the story being in the mongoose's point of view.

Bibliography: The Panchatantra of Vishnu Sharma, translated by Arthur W. Ryder (1925).

The Mongoose

Week 7 Reading Diary B: Ryder's Panchatantra Part 2

Ryder's Panchatantra

The Sensible Enemy
A prince was friends with a merchant's son and a son of a man of learning. All of their fathers told them that they show no aptitude for their profession (the profession of their fathers). The prince wanted them all to leave together because it was unmanly to remain their after being insulted. The merchant's son said that they needed money so they should go to Climbing Mountain. They all found gems, but didn't know how to guard them. The son of the man of learning suggested that they swallow them and carry them in their stomachs. A man saw them do this, so he decided to follow them. He was going to cut them open when they fell asleep. The man talked to them and they allowed him to travel with them. They passed a village and a bird sang. The bird's owner understood the bird. The bird told him that the travelers had gems. Robbers caught them and they were searched for the gems. The gems weren't found. They were set free only in loincloths. The bird continued to sing multiple times. The chief finally decided that he would cut them open. The fourth man with no gem in his stomach volunteered to go first. He wanted to gain glory by being generous. He died and the others were freed.

How the Rabbit Fooled the Elephant
Four-Tusk was the elephant king. There was a drought that lasted 12 years. The other elephants went to their king for a solution. He sent elephants in 8 directions to search for water. Those who went eat found a place of paradise. The king traveled with them to this place. They ended up crushing many rabbits that had made this their home long before. The rabbits that were still living got together to make a plan against the elephants. A rabbit named Victory had a plan. The rabbit spoke to the elephant and said they violated the Lake of the Moon. This was because they killed the rabbits that were there. The elephant realized that he had sinned against the blessed Moon. He asked where to travel to ask for forgiveness. The rabbit tricked him and said that the moon was angry because he touched the water. The elephant said it would never return.

The tricky rabbit

The Loyal Mongoose
A Brahman named Godly had a wife that mothered a son and a mongoose. She treated the mongoose like it was her son. She did not trust the mongoose. She thought he would hurt her child. One day the mother left to get water and told her husband to watch their son and protect him. He left to beg for food instead of doing what she asked. A snake crawled toward the baby. The mongoose wanted to protect his "baby brother" and stopped the serpent. He tore the snake to bits. He ran to his "mother" to show her what he had done. She thought that he ate her baby. She angrily dropped the water jar on him and killed him. She ran home to her baby and saw the baby safe and the snake torn to bits. She was sad because of what she had done. She yelled at her husband when he returned. She called him greedy and blamed the mongoose's death on him.

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Ryder's Panchatantra Part 1

Ryder's Panchatantra

The Ungrateful Man
There was a Brahman named Sacrifice. His family was poor and his wife bugged him about going to get food. He went on a journey and went into a forest. He came upon a well. He looked into it and saw a tiger, a monkey, a snake, and a man. The tiger convinced the man to pull him out. The other animals convinced Sacrifice that he should pull them out, as well. They told him not to pull the other man out because he was a shrine of every sin. The animals left and told Sacrifice to visit them one day. Sacrifice felt bad for the man in the well so he pulled him out. The man said he was a goldsmith and told him to bring gold to him. Sacrifice headed home, but then went to visit the monkey. Next he visited the tiger and the tiger gave him a gold necklace. Sacrifice took this back to the man for him to sell. The man took it to the king and the king had Sacrifice fettered. (The necklace was the prince's) The snake came to help Sacrifice. It ended with the goldsmith being arrested and Sacrifice and his family living happily.

The Duel between Elephant and Sparrow
A sparrow and his wife lived in a nest in a tamal tree. An elephant came under the tree in search of shade. He pulled at the branch with the nest on it and broke all the bird's eggs. The sparrow and his wife barely escaped their death. The mother was very upset and a woodpecker tried to comfort her. She wanted to kill the elephant. They came up with a plan and went through with it. The elephant died.  This was a story that was a part of The Plover Who Fought the Ocean

The Elephant under the Tree

Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind
Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind were sons of merchants and they were friends. They traveled to a different country and Right-Mind found a pot with 1000 dinars. They decided to return home. Right-Mind wanted to split the money and Wrong-Mind wanted to each take 100 dinars and bury the rest. Right-Mind agreed with his friend. Wrong-Mind blew through his money very quickly. They went back to their money and each took 100 dinars again. Wrong-Mind lost it all quickly again. This time he went back to the money alone and took it all. Later, Wrong-Mind took his friend back to the spot to get the rest of the money. He accused Right-Mind of stealing it all! They took their issue to court and it was decided that the goddess of the wood would reveal the guilty one. Wrong-Mind asked his father for help. His father told him the story of A Remedy Worse Than the Disease. The story ended with Wrong-Mind being found guilty and being punished.