From Sarat Chandra Mitra in Man in India, volume 10 (1930, online at Internet Archive), and The story was offered in a presentation to the Anthropology section of the Indian Science Congress in January 1926.
This is an example of ATU 2031. Stronger and Strongest.
The Cockroach regretted that, though they possessed wings, nobody ever called them birds. They therefore made up their minds to enter into matrimonial relationship with animals who were superior to them in status.
Thinking the Flittermouse to be superior to them, the Cockroaches, in a body, went to him and said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Flittermouse refused to marry her, saying, "I am not superior to you; you know that I am the servant of the Musk-rat and get from him a salary of three and a half rupees. As the Musk-rat is my superior, be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to the Musk-rat and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Musk-rat refused to marry her, saying, "I am not superior to you. You know that I am preyed upon by the water-snake who makes a meal of me. Therefore the Water-snake is my superior. So be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to the Water-snake and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Water-snake refused to marry the girl, saying, "I am not superior to you. You know that I possess but little renown, and cannot inflict any mortal bite upon the hairy Mongoose. Therefore the Mongoose is my superior. So be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to the Mongoose and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Mongoose refused to marry the girl, saying, "I am not superior to you. You know that I serve the tiger's maternal uncle -- the Jackal -- in a menial capacity. Therefore the Jackal is my superior. So be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to the Jackal and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Jackal refused to marry the girl, saying, "I am not superior to you. You know that we are inferior to the Dogs; for, on hearing their yelping, we skidaddle with headlong rapidity. Therefore the Dog is superior to us.So be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to the Dog and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Dog refused to marry the girl, saying, "I am not superior to you. You know that the Chamars (leather-curriers) manufacture the leather collars which are tied on our necks. So we are mortally afraid of the Chamars. Therefore the Chamar is our superior. So be good enough to go to him and request him to marry your girl."
Thereupon the Cockroaches, in a body, went to a Chamar and, addressing him, said, "We have got a very beautiful-looking girl of marriageable age; we possess wings and are, therefore, called Cockroach-birds, but you are superior to us. So be good enough to marry our girl."
But the Chamar refused to marry the girl, saying, "I am not superior to you. We Chamars are mortally afraid of you because you seriously damage our leather, clothes, and various other articles of domestic use by gnawing them. You do not even spare the oil which we use for anointing our bodies, for you suck the same up. Can there be more destructive vermin than you? You have made our lives intolerable. Under these circumstances, you are our superiors. So be good enough to look out for a suitable bridegroom from amongst yourselves, and marry your girl to him."
On hearing these words of the Chamar, the scales fell from the eyes of the Cockroaches who now realized that no tribe was superior to them, and that by going in search of a suitable bridegroom from among those other tribes, they had gone on a wild-goose chase. Thereafter, they selected a suitable bridegroom from amongst themselves and married the girl to him.
NOTES
This folktaleis current in Bengal. It does not appear to have been published ever before. But the Bengali text of this story has been very recently published in a Bengali monthly magazine (Bengali Monthly Magazine Sishu Sathi publish by the Ashutosh Library for Oct-Nov 1924). The title of this tale is Arsolar Kutumba, or The Cockroach's Relatives. As this story is very interesting and has not been translated into English before, I give below an English translation therefore for the benefit of European and American storislogists.
No comments:
Post a Comment