Twist In The Tale , livre ebook
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134
pages
English
Ebook
2005
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Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Publié par
Date de parution
18 avril 2005
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9788184758825
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
1 Mo
Publié par
Date de parution
18 avril 2005
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9788184758825
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
1 Mo
ADITI DE
A Twist in the Tale
More Indian Folktales
Illustrations by Uma Krishnaswamy
PUFFIN BOOKS
Contents
About the Author
Dedication
How the First House Was Built
With a Wave of the Wand
A Sweet, Sweet Dream
The Case of the Jealous Guru
Gangamma and the Nail Tree
How the World Was Born
Bharo s Lucky Dambris
The Monkey Monarch
Wisdom for Sale
The Golden Dream
The Frog Bridegroom
The Sun God s Gifts
Tiger, Tiger, Who Are You?
Gopal Bhar Measures the Earth
A Beetle to the Rescue
How Death Came to Earth
A Twist in the Tale
King for a Day
Sukhu and Dukhu
Who s the Greatest of Them All?
The Mind-reader
The Weevil s Fast
A Wealth of Wisdom
The Secret of the Magic Fruits
Justice for the Queen Cobra
The Mother-in-law s Blessings
The Heron That Grew
The Mystery of the Eighth Key
Tenali Rama the Painter
The Unusual Adventures of Chhura
A Pool School for Crocodiles
A Salty Love
A Gathering of Rogues
A Vision of Mecca
The Crocodile Meets His Match
The Tortoise Elephant
The Bag of Fortune
An Egg-citing Adventure
The Dealer of Death
A Story to End Them All
Acknowledgements
Copyright Page
PUFFIN BOOKS
A TWIST IN THE TALE
Aditi De is a freelance writer and editor based in Bangalore. She has worked at Indian Express and been Associate Editor of the children s magazine Junior Quest , which she launched for the Chennai-based Chandamama group. She later edited Open Sesame , the children s supplement, Sunday Herald and Articulations magazine pages of Deccan Herald . She has written children s columns for Chatterbox magazine, Deccan Chronicle and Young World . She is the author of Articulations , a collection of interviews with contemporary Indian visual artists.
For my nephews Ayan, Aditya and Abhimanyu, and my nieces Prateeti and Praatika, who recognize a good story when they chance upon it
How the First House Was Built
A Singpho tribal tale from north-eastern India
Long before man learnt to build cities or towns, or even villages, human beings lived under the trees or built themselves umbrella-like shelters of leaves when the rains lashed the earth. Some lived in caves, where wild animals often made a meal of them at night.
That s when there were two friends named Kindru-Lalim and Kincha Lali-Dam among the Singpho tribals in northeastern India. One afternoon, after they had eaten their fill of freshly plucked roots and leaves for lunch, washed down with sparkling stream water, Kindru-Lalim said to his friend, I don t enjoy sleeping under those dripping boughs, do you? It was especially damp and uncomfortable during the downpour last night. I couldn t sleep a wink. I wish we could make ourselves more comfortable. But how?
Kincha Lali-Dam scratched his head, settled his quiver of arrows more firmly on his back, then replied, Do you think we should build ourselves a shelter of some sort?
What shall we build it with? asked Kindru-Lalim. Can you show me how?
Kincha Lali-Dam shook his head, then suggested, Why don t we go into the forest? We could ask our friends, the animals
So they set off, cutting through the thick undergrowth, squinting in the sunlight to feast their eyes on the birds and butterflies that teemed overhead, until they met an elephant.
We long to build ourselves a house, but we have no idea how, ventured Kincha Lali-Dam. You re older and wiser than us. You ve lived in the forest for years before we were born. Could you tell us how?
The elephant swallowed the last of the large bunch of bananas he was snacking on. He swatted a fly with his long trunk, waving it high above the heads of his visitors, then began, Hmm. To begin with, just cut yourselves some wooden pillars. But they can t be as frail as bamboo shoots or as skinny as margosa branches when its leaves are shed. Make sure they are as sturdy as my legs.
That s a great idea. We d never have thought of it, said an excited Kindru-Lalim. But what should we do next?
At this, the elephant snorted, waved his visitors away impatiently with his trunk and said, I ve never lived in a house. How should I know? And he settled down under a sprawling tree for a nap.
Disappointed, Kindru-Lalim looked at his friend. Don t worry, some other creature will be able to tell us, Kincha Lali-Dam assured him, as they walked deeper into the tangle of vines and shadows that they loved so much.
Look! There s a snake. Shall we ask him? Kindru-Lalim said, pointing to a slithering creature whose scales flashed jewel-bright as it crawled past.
Just a minute, Kincha Lali-Dam said to the snake. We d like to build a house. The elephant has told us to cut wooden pillars as sturdy as his legs. What else do you think we ll need?
You ve survived in the forest for so long, added Kindru- Lalim. I m sure you ll be able to guide us.
Flattered, the snake dropped the bandicoot it had picked up for lunch, sighed, then hissed, I think I think I really think you ll need poles. Yes, you ll surely need poles that are as long and as thin as I am.
What else should we do? Kincha Lali-Dam asked.
I ve never lived in a house. I don t have a clue, spewed the snake, as he picked up the bandicoot and slithered out of sight into the maze of reeds and weeds.
Puzzled, the friends wandered on until they heard the gurgle of running water. By the banks of a forest stream stood a she-buffalo, mourning over the skeletal remains of her dead husband. The other animals had feasted on the carcass. She now mulled over what to do with the mere bones.
Ask her, Kincha Lali-Dam nudged his friend. I ve heard so many stories of buffalo wisdom. I ve no doubt she can help us. What do you think?
Sorry to intrude on a sad occasion like this, began Kindru-Lalim, assuming a mournful expression. But we re both keen to construct a house. The elephant has told us to cut wooden pillars as sturdy as his legs. The snake says we need poles as long and thin as his sleek being. What else should we do?
The she-buffalo looked at the two friends with her gentle eyes. Look at this skeleton, she said. Look at it carefully. Do you see how all the bones connect to make a structure on which the flesh can grow? Similarly, you need to place cross-poles closely, so that they lean against each other, then set a roof on it.
We d never have thought of that ourselves, confessed Kincha Lali-Dam to the she-buffalo. That s brilliant. But what should we do next?
The she-buffalo groaned. Leave me alone to bury my husband, she cried. Even if I knew, I don t have the time to tell you now
So, Kincha Lali-Dam and Kindru-Lalim continued to wind their way by the stream. Suddenly, a flash of silver in the sparkling water caught their eye. Why don t we ask a fish? said Kincha Lali-Dam.
His friend agreed, so Kincha Lali-Dam began, Fish, can you come closer to the bank if we promise not to catch you? We need to consult you about a problem.
With a splash, they found a large-eyed fish looking up at them from the stream. We need to build a house, Kindru-Lalim said. The elephant insists we need pillars as sturdy as his legs. The snake says we need poles as long and thin as his slithering self. The she-buffalo offered us tips on how to arrange them. But is that enough to complete our house? Do tell us, if you can.
Swimming closer to the bank, the fish explained with great patience, The silvery sparkle that caught your eye as I swam by came from the sunlight glinting on my scales. Look at how they are arranged, how they overlap over one another. Learn how to repeat their pattern. Gather plenty of leaves for your roof. Arrange them against one another, just like my scales. Even the rain won t be able to wet you then.
Then, the fish flipped backwards into the rippling stream and swam away.
Back in the clearing where they lived, Kincha Lali-Dam chopped trunks as sturdy as an elephant s legs and plastered them over with clay. Kindru-Lalim collected poles as thin as a sleek snake, which he arranged in a neat pattern over the trunks, just as the buffalo s skeleton had been. Together, they patterned a pile of leaves over the top, laying them out as closely as the scales of a fish.
Then they lived happily ever after in their newly constructed, cosy home. And that s how the first house ever was built.
With a Wave of the Wand
A tale from Maharashtra
It was a night as black as tar. Not a single star was out, not a soul stirred when the mouse crept stealthily past the tall fields of millet or bajra, past the stream that ran along its outer rim, right to the mouth of the wizard s cave in the thicket.
Aum, baum, gauuuuung ! The mouse heard strange sounds emerging from the cave. For half an hour, he trembled under a row of bamboos. Then, summoning up all his reserves of courage, he peeped in through a gap at the mouth of the cave.
What did he spy? A hollow-cheeked wizard clad in a magnificent magenta robe of zari-bordered Paithani silk brocade. He swished his wand through the air with his left hand, while he demolished a meal piled high on a silver platter. He tucked into bharla wangi or brinjal stuffed with spices, then a huge bowl of valache birda or split white peas, mopping up the gravy with four hand-flattened bhaakri or millet rotis.
He waved his wand, and another plate appeared before him as the empty one vanished. On it was a pile of golden puran poli, stuffed with jaggery and dal, topped with swirls of rich ghee. Before the eyes of the hungry mouse, the sweet rotis disappeared into the wizard s mouth.
The wizard rinsed his hands, twirled his fierce moustaches, settled his zigzag-edged turban on his head, and returned to his spells. Suddenly, his left eyebrow shot up. He sniffed the air. He paused.
What s this I smell outside my cave? the wizard said, rolling back a rock to reveal the unsuspecting mouse. Why are you spying on me, you scum-skimming, miserable rodent?
Too terrified to flee, the mouse s entire life flashed before his eyes at t
