The rivalry of tiger and cat

It was a very cold night in the month of December in the northern hemisphere. All the animals both the wild and domestic were feeling of vey cold. They could not make even a nap because of the winter night. On that cold night, all the animals gathered at a jungle. They wanted to make worm their bodies. So they were considering for making a fireplace. All the animals contributed their mites. The elephants and monkey collected dried woods. When all the materials to make the burning fire were arranged, there was missing an important one. They were again considering from where the fire could be made available. The king of the jungles – lion, the powerful bear had hunk their faces on the ground. Though, they were powerful they couldn’t collect the fire which would be made available from the fireplace in the house of human being. After throughout discussion, they made a plan. Under the plan, at last the animals asked the cat to collect the fire from a dwelling house from a nearby village. The cat was given the errand because of his close relation with man. All the wild animals told the cat that if they trespassed into the house of the human being, they were attacked and killed. But the car was fond of by the human being because of its eating the mouse, rat and mice. The rat, mouse and mice had often eaten the food stored by the man. After pressing the cat by all animals, the tiger has last made a special request to cat to bring the fire for the happiness of the jungle animals. The cat, one of the domestic animals belongs to the family of the tiger. Ta as a small body covered with soft fur. Its head is around and its ears are pointed upwards. Its tail is long and bushy. It has a loose skin, sharp claws and sharp teeth. Human being reared cars as pets. They guard the man against mice and insects. Mice bite the clothes and food of the mankind.
The cat finds out snakes which enter our house. Thus the cat is very useful to man, though sometimes they eat up our food and milk. The sole of the cat is covered with pad so that it can go without a noise. The cat lives on rice, fish, mice, meats and insects. It is very found of milk. After a long and tedious journey in the far village, the cat entered a house having fireplace. The owner of the house was boiling milk into a jug by the time the cat was trying to collect the fire on a torch. On seeing the milk, the cat started watering in his mouth. The cat was waiting the man to sleep to fulfil his thirst for milk. While waiting, the cat slept. When he awake, the man had gone to sleep. After having drunk plenty of milk, the cat returned with the torch of burning fire in a small stick. On his way to the jungles, it becomes dawn.
In the meantime, unable to wait the long winter night, all animals except, tiger had left the place. All the animals had gone out to search their foods. The tiger was waiting the coming of the cat on errand. The tiger is the largest cat’s family with its long body and covered it with yellow skin with black stripes. The skin is loose. The tiger is very wild and ferocious and it has a round head, bright eyes, sharp teeth and long whisker. It is 5 to 10 feet in length. The tiger sleeps by day and wakes at night. It can swim and climb trees. It hides behind a bush and jumps upon its prey and even men. They roar in many ways. They gives birth two to six cubs at a time. The tiger mad with rage threatened to kill the cat. The tiger said, “If you are not becoming in our family, I will pounce upon up, kill you, tear you into pieces and eat the pieces to fill my hungry stomach.” The cat felt fear but he said that he was a bit late in waiting the sleeping of man. But the tiger did not believe what the cat had told. In fact, the tiger had seen small pieces of butters on the whiskers of the cat which indicated that cat had drunk milk that made in delaying to collect the fire. Then, the tiger started rebuking the cat asking him not to join with the animals in forests. The angry words given by the tiger was taken seriously by the cat. He rather whispered that he can live at the house of the human being. It will be the better rather than staying with the wild animals in killing each other in the law of jungles. Before leaving the place, the cat told the tiger, “you had expelled me from joining your wild animal groups so that from today’s onwards I would hide my excreta under the chaff, ashes and dust.” Since then there is believe that the cat has put their excreta hiding under the cover of chaff, ashes and dust.

Ita Laiphadibi (My Dear Doll)

Long ago, there was a little girl who treasured and cared for her one and only doll. She considered the doll as her most affectionate friend. The doll was her all time companion. She used to play with her doll and always carried it wherever she went. In this way, the girl passed her childhood days and later grown into a lovely big girl. A day came when her parents decided for her marriage. When she came to know about her parents’ decision she was upset because of the fear that she would be parted from her lovely doll forever. Realizing this, she held her doll tight and cried a lot.

When only a day was left for her wedding, she took out her doll and said “Dear Friend, tomorrow I’ll go away from you. Even though I want, I can’t take you along. Please forgive me”. Saying this, she caressed her doll and kept weeping. At the very moment, the doll transformed into a beautiful girl and said “I’ll miss you dear friend, you have loved me a lot and cared for me all these time. I am blessed to have a friend like you. Ask me anything you wish to have”. The girl startlingly replied “My Dear Doll, I don’t have anything particular to wish for myself. Whether birds, animals or any other living beings, all I want is to know and understand whatever they are communicating with each other. After hearing this, the doll said “Okay my dear friend, I bestow your wish. It’s time for me to leave now. Goodbye!” Saying this, the doll disappeared.

Next day, the girl got married and she went to her husband’s place. Few months later, her father-in-law died. Relatives and people of their locality gathered to mourn over the deceased person whereas she went to a corner of the place and kept laughing. Her weird behaviour made her husband very upset and he even thought that his wife has gone mad. Time passed by and they continued to live together. Some days later, one very late night while everyone was asleep she went out from her house. Her husband got suspicion about her wife and he secretly followed her where she was going. She gradually went near to a calm dark river and stood there still. Her husband watched her hiding behind the bushes and kept noticing. After a while, a dead body was seen floating in the river. Then she jumped into the river and tried to take out a ring from the finger of the dead body. She failed to do so with her hands so she tried again with her teeth. This bizarre behaviour made her husband so terrified and he hurriedly run back home. She took out the ring, left the dead body in water and returned back home. When she came home, her husband was shivering in fear and shouted at her “You are a witch. You are man-eater and I can’t live with you any longer. Go back to your parents’ home”. Then she calmly replied “What are you saying? This is not a way to marry a woman when you like and throw out when you don’t want. I am not going to follow your command. I won’t ever leave this house”. He couldn’t understand what to do now. He repented of marrying her. Later, he decided to put this matter towards the King.

The next day he took his wife to the palace and narrated the whole story to the King. The King asked her “Lady, is it true whatever your husband has told me”. She replied, “Yes your highness, everything is true”. The King again asked her, “Why did you laugh when your father-in-law died?” She said, “The reason is that when he died, the departed soul scolded the dead body very badly. The soul said, ‘You wicked fellow, you never ever served good food to me. Never made me wear good clothes. I am leaving your body. I can’t tolerate to stay with a stingy person’. The soul then kicked at the chest of the dead body thrice and left without even looking back. This very incident made me laugh”. The king listened to her calmly and asked again, “Why did you eat the flesh of the dead body?” She replied, “My lord, it is not right to blame me that I ate flesh of dead body. The real story is – That night when I was sleeping, one crow was shouting, ‘Everyone, Wake up! One dead body is floating in the river, which has a powerful ring in the finger. Take that ring for your own benefit’. That’s why I went to the river and tried to take out that ring. It failed to come out so I grabbed the ring with my teeth and took it out. Please see the ring which I am wearing right now”. After hearing the whole story the King thought to himself, “This lady is not an ordinary lady. If she becomes my wife, she will bring prosperity to my land”. The king asked her husband, “Man, now what do you think after hearing the whole story”. The man replied, “My Lord, I can’t live with this lady anymore”. Then the king turned towards her and asked, “What do you think?” She replied, “Your Highness, being a married lady I can’t go back to my parents’ home”. The king now said, “Al right Man! If you refuse to stay with your wife then I have to accept her as my bride. What do you think in this case?” The man happily replied, “My Lord, if your highness is willing to accept my wife as your queen, I am the happiest person. My problem is solved. My worries are gone. Please let me go”. The king commanded him to leave and man left happily.

The king told her, “Don’t worry now; be my wife, you will stay happy here”. She replied, “My lord, I am not guilty of anything. It’s fortunate for me to be accepted as your bride when my own husband left me”. In this way, she became the queen and the land grew its prosperity like never been before. People were happy. By the blessings of the doll, she continued to live the rest of her life with the king happily ever after.

The magic of Jackal

Once there lived a little Jackal in a jungle in the kingdom of Manipur. One day, he came out of his hiding and found a coin slipped from the hands of a traveller who passed through the jungles on his way to Burma. The little one had hid the coin. He then jumped and danced merrily. He was in no mood to stop. “What is the matter, master jackal? It seems you have conquered a kingdom!” observed a Hoolock Gibbon (Yongmu in Manipuri) whose arms are exceptionally long more than double the length of the legs. “I have not yet conquered any kingdom but I can conquer one any moment now. I have the secret by which I can conquer a kingdom, build a castle, eat anything I like, command men, horses and elephants!” the little jackal announced. Yongmu (Hoolock Gibbon), having black and white bank across the eyebrows thought that it rather strange but he could not dismiss the jackal’s claim as nonsense. Of course, no jackal could jump like that unless he had really achieved something fantastic. Immediately, Yongmu gave the news to a deer who later told about it to a boar. Several other animals and birds heard about it. At last they all came to meet the jackal in happy mood. The jackal was so proud that he greeted none. He said that he had a magic by which he could win a kingdom and could do everything. Elephant had told the jackal to tone down his shouting and said, “O little one, will you please prove what you say?” The bear also asked jackal could he command everything.

After laughing heartily, the jackal said, “I will show you what I can do! What a mere elephant before me?” The elephant, largest land animal got angry with the question. He came closer to the jackal who took position on a spot which would come on the elephant’s way. Seeing the situation, the animals stood at some distance with bated breath. The birds perched on the tree tops. They wanted to see the miracle the little jackal promised to perform. The jackal sat on his hind legs and managed to lift the coin with his forepaws. Then producing the coin he asked the elephant to pay attention and said, “Look at my money! Yes, this is genuine money. Now I command you to stop!” The elephant did not pay attention to his command. Pacifying his anger, he strode on. The jackal shouted at the top of his voice but in vain. The elephant noticed him and took hold of him by his trunk and threw him aside. The jackal was hurt and limped as it tried to run away. In the very act, the coin has also been lost. The animals and birds took pity on the jackal. At the same time, they could not help laughing. The beautiful red flying squirrel with its distinctive limbs connected by a membrane of parachute leaving onto a branch of the tree said, “The cunning jackal must have got that shining stuff from some silly human beings.”

The monkey sitting on a banana plant said there were fools among the men who believed that the thing called money could fetch them anything. He continued, “A kingdom can be lost. No money can save it. A castle built can be destroyed by men or earthquake, no money can save it. A man can suffer from a disease and lose his capacity for eating; no money can help him. He can command men and horses and elephants, but if they decide not to be commanded, no money can help him!” The cunning jackal came to know his silly and remained silent. When he came to his common senses, all the animals and birds had dispersed from that place.

The intelligent monkey king

Once there lived a monkey king, named ‘Yongningthou’ in the forest of Mahabali near the bank of Imphal River, the present day river of sorrow in Manipur. He was a wise and able monkey king and lived with his subjects. One day, he said, “Folks, let’s go on a trip tomorrow.” Yongningthou and his followers never went out of the forest for long time in the veil threat of a large python lurking to gulp the small monkey species. The python was always waiting his opportunity for its prey at the Imphal Riverbed located near the forest. Next morning, the monkey folks set off the rare trip. The monkey king said, “Be cautious of what you eat or drink. I’ve heard of strange monsters roaming and queer things happening there. So, be alert.”

On their journey, Yongningthou, “the green covers at the Mahabali are disappearing at an alarming pace due to negligence and lack of initiative to replenish it. Along with the imminent danger on the forest cover, our monkey species taking refuge at the same location are today on the verge of extinction with their numbers decreasing by the day. Reason is not far off. Due to decaying trees whose leaves and fruits also serve as vital food supply, we are facing starvation, forcing the animal population to live in a hapless situation. Scarcity of food not only forces the monkeys to foray into nearby hamlets in search of food for sustenance which result in direct confrontation with the people living nearby.” A few monkeys reached the destination early. Everybody was thirsty after the tiresome journey. One baby monkey said, “I am tired.” Another said, “And I’m thirsty!” They went further and sighted the River. One of the monkeys who felt thirsty suddenly said, “O my god look water in the River.” Though very thirsty, they remembered Yongningthou who told them to be taken extreme care about the menace of the python lurking under the water. The young monkeys were afraid of their lives. Soon the monkey king arrived with the rest of the group.

He asked the young monkeys taking rest in group, “Why didn’t you drink the water in the river?” “We were not sure whether it is safe,” Said another monkey. But the monkey king told them that what they had done was quite right. “First of all, let me check about the matter.” The king went around the river bed and found footprints leading to the river. But there were none coming out of it. On seeing and observing it, the monkey leader said, “Oh no! The river must be under a spell.” He continued, “You did right thing, folks! I suspect a large python lives in this place of the river.” The monkeys sighed in relief. What the monkey king had said was indeed right. A large python was lurking under the water of the river to take his opportunity. Very long time, the python had been waiting. When he saw that the monkeys were not entering the river into the water, he lost his patience. He rose from the water. Then he asked, “Why aren’t you quenching your thirst?” The monkey king was ready with a question, “Do you want us to end dead in your belly?” “This is the only river here which is shortest distance from the forest where you lived. If you don’t drink here, you’ll die of thirst.” To the surprise of his folks, the monkey king threw a challenge at the python. “No way. You may watch us drink from this river water without entering it.” The python sniggered. “Yes let me see.” The monkey king ordered the monkey folks to pull out the long bamboos on the banks of river. “Now let’s use these to suck water,” he said. The monkeys sat around the river bank sucking water through the hollow bamboos. The outwitted python realized that might is not always right. There is indeed the way of wise and intelligence.

The foolish brother (Apangba mayamba)

A long time ago, there was an old man. He had two sons. The elder son was very foolish and the younger one very wise. The old man was dying. At his death bed the old man called in his two sons to share the properties equally. Saying these words, the old man passed away. The two brothers had shared the father’s properties in equal shares. After having shared other major properties, both the brothers started looking their eyes towards petty matters. The two brothers have to share a milking cow, a mango tree and a mosquito net. This time the younger brother had given his arguments over these three properties. The properties would have to share in its half. The younger said, “Being an elder brother, you have to take upper portion of these three properties.” The elder brother had given his consent over the matter. According to the sharing, the younger had taken the back portion of the milking cow. They had also agreed that the portion of the mango tree would be divided into two. The part from the ground up to the middle of the tree would be for the elder brother and remaining parts including branches and leaves in the sky would be for the younger brother. But for the mosquito net, it would be used by the elder during the day time and during the night; it would be used by the younger. One day, the neighbours came into the house of the two brothers. They made complaints to the two brothers about the trespassing of the milking cow towards their gardens stating that the cow had eaten away several standing crops apart from destroying ground corns. This time, the younger brother told the elder that the upper part of the cow belonged to the elder brother. The mouth of the cow was the responsibility of the elder brother. The elder brother had given compensation of the destroying garden. After working hard in the field and collecting grasses from the grazing ground, the elder had also fed the cow every day. Not a little drop of milk was getting from the younger brother. When the cow gives a birth, the younger had taken the calf on the ground that the cow had given her birth on its back portion which belonged to him.

When the mango tree was in its fruit bearing season, the younger brother had taken all the fruits. When the elder complaint to his brother, he was told that upper part of the mango tree was his share. But the elder had been watering the mango tree on its ground every day. The mango leaves scattered on the ground were also collected by the elder who got the share of the tree on its lower part. During the night time – which was the time of menacing the mosquito, the younger had used the mosquito net. During the day time, the elder had used it. But the mosquito net was not useful during the day time. Thus, days, weeks and months passed. The elder brother, being foolish one said nothing. The younger was becoming the richer and the richer day by day. On the other hand, the foolish was on the wane. On seeing the foolishness of the elder, the local neighbours had taught lessons him how to take the proper shares from the properties of his wise younger brother.

After getting many persuasions from thee locals, one day, the foolish brother had come at the residence of his younger brother and said, “Oh! My lovely brother, I am very poor now, I could not feed up properly on the portion of my cow. I want to cut off my portion of the cow and I want to sell my share soon.” The wily younger brother knew that the foolish brother was getting instigation from the local elders. The younger said, “My elder, if you sell out your portion, the cow will be no more, so from today’s onwards, let us do equal share of the milk available from the cow. Moreover I will also extend my help in collecting the straws and other eatable items for the milking cow.” On hearing the replies the elder was very happy. The next morning, the elder brother was coming out with an axe in his hands. After meeting with his younger brother, the elder said, “I want to cut off my share.” The younger brother worried but he requested the elder don’t be cut off the tree. If it had been cut off in its lower part, my share will also be dried out automatically. The younger brother again requested to share the fruits of the trees, its dried branches and its dried leaves. The elder had also agrees the requests. One day, the foolish brother had put the mosquito net under the water in the day. During the day time it was his share to use the mosquito net. When the younger brother had tried to use it in the night, the mosquito net was wet. So it could be used on that night. The next morning, the younger brother again requested the older to share the net on the alternative day. Later, the foolish and wise brothers happy lives.

The magic wand

In the far village of Manipur, there once lived a sixteen year old boy named Chaoba. After the dead of his mother a long time back, he was brought up by his father who had married a beautiful woman a couple of weeks back. The step mother hated Chaoba. She always complained against her step son to get him punished at the hand of her husband. The father was always worried about his son badly treated by his second wife. As Chaoba’s father was getting older day by day, he couldn’t do anything to his second wife. One morning, Chaoba and his father went into a deep forest. The teenage boy was given a lovely kiss on his forehead by his father before his going to fetch water from a nearby pond in the forest. The father left after saying that he would be coming back soon. While waiting his father, Chaoba got deep sleep because of tire in the long journey. Till late evening, the father didn’t return. Chaoba began to weep bitterly. With tears on his eyes he slept on the lap of the mother earth in the deep forest. Meantime, the Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati were happened to pass through the skyline of the forest. They saw the pitiable condition of the boy. Ma Parvati requested the Lord to extend help to the helpless boy. Next early morning, Chaoba walked from place to place in search of food and shelter. At last he saw a lovely palace in the far corner of the forest.

He was surprised to see it. A pretty young lady was among the guards, servants and birds in their cages taking sound sleeps. He entered a chamber inside the palace. Suddenly he was shocked by a terrible thunder. Ah! The roar of the giant! In a moment of his fear, he wished to become a tiny creature so as to save his life and not to see from the eyes of the giant. Chaoba miraculously changed into a tiny fellow as soon as he was thinking what he wanted. He was hiding under a royal bed. He thanked the Almighty for giving kind cooperation to him. From his hiding place, he saw the giant coming and touching the young lady sleeping on the royal bed with a magic wand lying nearby. After touching on her body, the lady woke up. Of course, all the servants, guards and other people inside the palace got up and started performing their normal duties. As the giant eating too much food, he saw the life was back to normal in the palace. After taking up heavy foods, the giant turned his face towards the young lady and asked whether she would marry him. The lady made hatred reply and said how a princess could marry to an ugly giant. Never! The giant got angry. He used the wand again. And then he went away. Interestingly, men and woman had taken asleep in the palace. Taking the advantage, Chaoba who had hidden power, transformed into normal position – a youth of strikingly handsome. Collecting the magic stick what woke up the princess along with all the living things in the palace where all kinds of works had started carried out. The princess was amazed at the first sight of Chaoba. The handsome youth told the whole story to the beautiful princess.

Then Chaoba broke the magic stick into pieces in presence of the princess. With his all might, he immediately called the soldiers and sent them to guards at the palace gate. When the normalcy restored inside the palace, the giant was coming back. He was mad with rage and tried to attack the royal soldiers. He was killed instead in the fight when the guards attacked him with bows and arrows. After seeing the activities, the princess proposed her getting married with Chaoba. In the small kingdom, Chaoba became a King and lived happily with his Queen.

Shandrembi and Chaishra

Once upon a time in a far village of the princely state of Manipur, there lived a man who had two wives and three children. The first wife had two children – a female girl named Shandrembi and a boy. The second wife had also a girl named Chaishra. After some time, the man had died of his prolong illness. The co-widows had maintained their families by fishing in the nearby lake and by collecting beet, sorrel and red spinach in the nearby fields. The second co-widow and her daughter Chaishra had always plotted to harm the elder co-widow and her daughter Shandrembi. One day, the two co-widows equipped with fishing baskets and nets on their hands went out to catch a basketful of fish. But Chaishra’s mother caught a basketful of poisonous baby snakes.

When the sun set on the western sky, tired from their tedious works, they took a rest under a large fig tree. After taking a brief rest, Chaishra’s mother climbed up the fig tree and offered her elder sister to eat the ripe fruits. Chaishra’s mother sitting on a branch of the tree said, “Open you mouth I will drop delicious ripe of fig”. The widow under the tree opened her mouth and closed her eyes awaiting the fruit dropping. After eating one ripe fig, the widow atop the tree asked the co-widow under the tree to open her mouth again widely so as to drop more delicious fruits. This time, the second co-widow on the tree turned her basket upside down and shook it well dropping the poisonous baby snakes into the widen mouth of the first co-widow who was awaiting to eat the ripe fruits with her eyes closed. Shandrembi’s mother died instantly. Chaishra’s mother had placed and hidden the dead body under the lake water. Chaishra’s mother, the second co-widow had come back to her house alone with the basketful of fish caught by the deceased widow. Shandrembi saw her step mother returning home alone. She was feeling a lot of anxiety about her mother. She asked her step mother where her mother left out.

“Your refractory mother was persistently going on her fishing even in the late hours despite my repeated requests to end her works”, the step mother said with a false replies. The night was far advanced but Shandrembi’s mother didn’t return home. Shandrembi and her younger brother had nothing but to cry in the wilderness. The step mother had scolded them for breaking the silence of the night. At the late hours, Shandrembi took a sleep. In her dream, her mother told her that she was killed by Chaishra’s mother by dropping the poisonous snakes from the top of the fig tree with her trick of dropping the ripe fig. Her body was hiding under the lake water. Her soul was in the form of a tortoise. Her daughter was instructed to get up early in the morning and catch the tortoise which would be cultured for five days in an earthen pot filled with water. It would be hidden in the secluded place of the house. On the sixth day, the mother further told her daughter that she would be revived transforming into the human being from the tortoise.

In the morning, Shandrembi did what her mother had instructed in her dream. In her attempts to catch the tortoise, some fish were trapped in her fishing basket and net. But she released them all in the lake. Upon her returning home, her step mother asked her how many fish were caught, Shandrambi replied negatively. But she had hidden the small sized tortoise into her fishing clothes. While the tortoise was trying to preserve into the earthen pot, her half sister Chaishra had got the scene of it. Next day, Chaishra dipped her left hand into the pot water and caught the tortoise. She later handed it over to her mother who asked her step daughter Shandrembi to boil the four footed water animal for a nice dish. Fear from the possible torture of her step mother, Shendrambi with tears in her eyes reluctantly took the tortoise from the hands of her step mother and dropped it into a pot filled with water. She began burning the pot under its lower portion at the fireplace. When the water getting heat from the burning fire, the tortoise inside the cauldron said, “Shandrembi, I am getting warm on my foot”. Hearing the shocking words, Shandrembi pulled out the burning fire woods from the fireplace and continued her crying. On seeing it, her half sister Chaishra informed about it to her mother. The step mother instructed her daughter to give slaps across the face of Shandrembi. Shandrembi in fear of the step mother resumed her unwanted works. When the temperature of the water increasing degree by degree inside the cauldron, the tortoise under the water of the cauldron said, “Oh My daughter Shandrembi, I am getting the degree of hot water up to the waist, chest, and neck and at last, I am finished.”

The tortoise at last died inside the boil water of the cauldron. Despite instruction from her step mother, Shandrembi refused to eat the tortoise dishes. She remained cried. The step mother and her daughter had taken the tortoise dish. The skeletons and bones remained from the tortoise were dumped at the cesspool located on the backyard of the house. On that night Shandrembi dreamed yet another dream. In her dream, her mother advised her to collect the bones and skeletons remained from the tortoise dishes and put them into a basket for seven days. If so, on the 8th day, the remains of the tortoise will transform into human being as your mother. Anxious to see the remains of the tortoise bones and skeletons inside the basket, Shandrembi opened the basket on the sixth day. Upon her opening the basket, a swallow had flown away from inside the basket. Shandrembi cried on seeing it.

The two girls grew up day by day. They were ripe for seeking bridegrooms. One day, Shandrembi and Chaishra with one pitcher each on their hands were going to fetch water. Shandrembi attired in old clothes and her half sister Chaishra dressed in new and beautiful clothes were going on road side. The king Tukaoba guarded by his royal guards was riding on his horseback. The king was attracted by the beauties and graces of Shandrembi although her attires were old and rags. The king approached towards Shandrembi and requested her for having a mouthful of water.

Shamdrembi refused the request in fear of her half sister who would be informing the situation to her mother. Shandrembi, however, requested the king to drink the water from her half sister. On hearing the replies, the king in disgraced face drove away without fulfill his thirst of water. Chaishra, upon reaching her home, told the details to her mother. Under the instruction of her mother, Chaishra, attired old and rag clothes and Shandrembi, new and beautiful clothes were going on the roadside the next day to fetch water. As expected, the king was waiting Shandrembi. This time, the king was madly in love when he saw the beauties of Shandrembi who wore the new clothes. He began and again requested Shandrembi for water. Unable to bear the pressure of the king, Shandrembi lifted down the pitcher from her head and offered it to the king. The ling had lifted his love heart and drove along with her away on the horse towards the royal palace. Chaishra’s dream for becoming the sweetheart of the king was broken. As usual, Chaishra had told her mother about the incident in details. She and her mother were disheartened. After having lived in the royal place in peace and prosperity, Shandrembi got a son next year. The disheartened Chaishra and her mother invited Shandrembi for taking a grand feast in the former house. After taking permission from the king, Shandrembi had come alone for the feast. She did not accompany her son at the instigation of the king. In the evening, Shandrembi was ready for returning to the royal palace. To her surprise, her beautiful clothes were thrown out under the bed stamp of her half sister.

While trying to collect them, her step mother had thrown boiling water on her head and face. Shandrembi died on the spot. Her soul transformed into a dove. The dove was looking on dead body of Shandrembi and crying. The step mother had tried to kill the dove but it flew away. Chaishra wore the beautiful royal clothes and came to royal palace. On seeing the ugly face of Chaishra, the king with suspicious asked, “Hey Shandrembi! What had happened? Today your face us disgrace, your eyes shrunken and your heels with full of cracks!” Chaishra in disguise of Shandrembi replies, “My lovely heart, in thinking of my lovely son, I am running fast thereby cracking up my heels, my eyes shrunken in crying for remembrance of parenets.” On hearing the false replies, the king was full of suspicious. One day, the dove transformed by the soul of the Shandrembu flew down the royal palace and perched at a branch of a tree grown there. Under the tree, a royal grazier was cutting grasses for feeding the king’s horse. The dove sings
Ah! Coo, coo
The poor man
Tell your King,
Tell your disguised Queen
Cause trouble not
To my son in the palace,
Unless you inform the King
The weapon used in cutting grasses
And horses in the royal stable
All will be in peril.
Oh! The King Tukaoba
Have you forgotten your genuine Queen?
Shandrembi changed in the form of a dove
Sitting on the top of a tree branch and
Wicked Chaishra, on the Queen’s thrown
Ah! Coo, coo
The poor man…..

The grazier was surprised when he heard voice of the dove cooing-cooing in communicable language. He rushed and informed the whole story to the king. While the king and his grazier were talking, the dove perched near them. On seeing the dove, the king felt pity for the bird and said, “If you are transformed from the soul of my lovely queen Shandrembi, come and perch on my hand. And take the rice from my palm” The king trapped the dove while perching on his hand and kept it into a cage. In his dream, the king was told by his queen Shandrembi that the dove would be kept secretly for six days. On the seventh day, it would be transformed into human being… Shandrembi. The king was further told that her queen Shandrembi was still in love for her son. She wanted to take care of her lovely son.

While the king and his trusted guards were out for hunting expeditions in the far forests, Chaishra had had killed the bird kept secretly in the king’s secret chamber and she had made the bird a nice dish. The king was very angry when he knew that the dove was made into dish. He rebuked Chairsha for killing and using bird into a dish. The king ordered Chaishra to throw the dish on the cesspool. After some time, a mango sapling grew up at the spot where the dove dish was thrown away. When the mango plant was at its full growth, it bore only one mango. The king had well protected the mango and its tree. One day the grazier wanted to eat mango. At his request, Chaishra plucked off the mango. The grazier had brought the mango to his house. Upon his reaching home, the king had ordered the grazier to come to the royal palace immediately. The grazier went ot the palace after keeping the mango inside a rice pot. After returning to his house, the attendant tried to eat the mango. He searched out a knife to splint the mango. But he did not find the small weapon. Next day, he got the knife and tried to eat the mango. This time, he had forgotten the location of the rice pot containing the mango. Thus for seven consecutive days, the attendant had faced either forgotten the location of the rice pot or missing of the knife. On the night of the seven day, the mango tree changed into a beautiful girl. On the 8th day, while the royal grazier had gone to do his royal duties, the girl came out from a corner of the house and cooked a nice meal.

Then she had gone to her hiding inside the house. Thus, the girl had prepared meals for four days. The grazier who was informed by the neighbours on being inquired about the meal arrangement was surprised and wanted to know about it. So making a trick of going out his royal duties, he slipped into his house. He saw a beautiful girl coming out of a corner of his house and preparing for the meal. The grazier tried to hold her hands. But the girl said, “Oh! Grandpa, I am Shandrembi”. She disclosed the attendant of her past histories in details. The attendant rushed and informed the king who had immediately called Shamdrembi in his royal palace. The King organized a public function where Shandrembi and Chaishra were given one knife each and asked them to fight. The winner would be the Queen. At first Chaishra using her knife stabbed her half sister. But the knife didn’t make a cut on the body of Shandrembi. Then Shandrembi chopped to death her cruel half sister in presence of the king and his subjects. Then the king Tukaoba and his queen Shandrembi ruled their land and lived in peace and prosperity.