September 4. Story of the Day: Old Woman and Crow

This story comes from the journal North Indian Notes and Queries. I have only included the English here; you can see the original verses online at Hathi Trust.

I have had to fill in the English blanks based on the preceding formula when the English is not provided; I am following the formula, not trying to translate the rhymes.

This is yet another example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE OLD WOMAN AND THE CROW 

(puri)

An old woman was one day frying rich cakes (puri) in a frying-pan when a crow came and said, "Mother, give me a cake!"

"Go and wash your bill first," she said.

So the crow went to the water and said, "Water, water, thou art water's slave! Give me water and let me wash my bill. Then I'll ogle the five cakes."

The water replied, "Bring an earthen pot from the potter and you can take water and wash thy bill."

So the crow went to the potter and said, "Potter, potter, thou art the potter's slave! Give me a pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

But the potter said, "Bring earth and I will make an earthen pot for thee."

So the crow went to the earth and said, "Earth, earth, thou art the earth's slave! Give me earth for a pot, I will take water, wash my bill and ogle cakes five."

The earth said, "Bring the deer's horn and dig the earth." So the crow went to the deer and said, "Deer, deer, thou art the deer's slave! Give me horn to dig earth, potter will make pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

But the deer said, "Go to the dog and he will fight me and break my horn; then I will give it to thee."

So the crow went to the dog and said, "Dog, dog, thou art the dog's slave! Fight with deer to get horn, horn will dig earth, potter will make pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

But the dog said, "Bring me some milk, and when I drink it I will fight the deer."

So the crow went to the cow and said, "Cow, cow, thou art the cow's slave! Give me milk, dog will fight deer, horn will dig earth, potter will make pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

But the cow said, "Bring me some grass, and when I eat it I will give you plenty of milk."

So the crow went to the grass and said, "Grass, grass, thou art the grass's slave! Give me grass, cow will give milk, dog will fight deer, horn will dig earth, potter will make pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

But the grass said, "Bring a spade, and you may collect as much grass as you wish."

So the crow went to the blacksmith and said, "Blacksmith, blacksmith, thou art the blacksmith's slave! Give me a spade, spade will dig grass, cow will give milk, dog will fight deer, horn will dig earth, potter will make pot, I will take water, wash my bill, and ogle cakes five."

The blacksmith said, "How will you take the spade?"

The crow said, "Put it round my neck and I will manage to carry it away."

So the blacksmith heated the spade and hung it round the neck of the crow, and when he tried to fly away with it his neck was burnt and his head fell off and that was the end of him.


NOTES

A nursery rhyme told by Brij Lai, Student of the High School, Bulandshahr. This is one of the cumulative rhymes on the model of "This is the House that Jack built." Mr. Clouston gives other examples in Popular Tales and Fictions, II., 389 sqq. - Editor.

July 16. Story of the Day: How to Please Everybody

This story comes from North Indian Notes and Queries; it is a  folktale told by Devi Prasad, Teacher of the School, Unao (in Madhya Pradesh).

This story is an ingenious version of the traditional story about a father-and-son with their donkey turned into a story about Shiva, Parvati, and Nandi! You can read more about Shiva Mahadeva and his consort Parvati at Wikipedia, and also about his bull Nandi. 

The story type is ATU 1215.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

HOW TO PLEASE EVERYBODY

One day Mahadeva and Parvati were travelling through the world together and Parvati asked her spouse, "How can a man so rule his life as to escape the blame of others?"

"No man," he answered, "can pass his life free of blame. If he does good or if he does evil he is blamed."

Parvati asked Mahadeva to illustrate this. So he said, "I will mount my ox Nandi and you can follow on foot."

Soon they met a party of men on the road who said, "What a knave this old man must be. He rides himself and lets his wife follow on foot."

Then Mahadeva dismounted and made Parvati ride the ox. Soon they met another company who said, "What a fool this old man must be. He lets his wife ride and trudges along on foot himself."

Then Mahadeva mounted the ox and took Parvati behind him. By and by some men said, "What a brute this old man is to ride with his wife on this unfortunate ox."

Then Mahadeva led the ox by the halter and both he and Parvati went on foot. Soon some people said, "What a stupid old man this is. He pampers his rascally ox and he and his wife march afoot."

Then Mahadeva said to Parvati, "You see now what an evil place this world is. Whatever you do you cannot escape the tongue of censure."

So they left this world and went to their abode in the Himalayas and were so disgusted that they never visited this world since.

(Shiva and Parvati on Nandi)

Manjhi. The Parrot and the Maina

From North Indian Notes and Queries. The story is from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh; see the article bits of the original Hindi.

The original leaves out the dialogue with the ocean and the elephant and the creeper, so I have filled that in, based on the earlier pattern.

This is yet another example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

THE PARROT AND THE MAINA

(mynah - parrot)

Once upon a time a parrot and a maina were friends. At that time famine raged in the land. They went into a field to pick up food, and they found a grain of gram which they wanted to divide, but when they tried to break it with a stone it got stuck in a piece of wood, and do what they would they could not get it out.

So they went to the Raja and said —
“O Raja, the post has eaten our gram.”

The Raja told the carpenter to break the post and take out the gram; but the carpenter would not do it.

Then the birds went to the snake and said —
“O snake, O snake, the post has eaten the gram, and the carpenter will not split it, so we have come to you."

The snake did not heed them, so they went to the stick and said —
"The post has eaten up the gram. The carpenter will not split it. The Raja will not punish him. The snake will not bite him. We have come to you to kill the snake."

But the stick paid no heed to them.

Then they went to the fire and said —
“The post has eaten up the gram. The carpenter will not split it. The Raja will not punish him. The snake will not bite him. The stick will not kill him. Brother, burn the stick. We throw ourselves at your feet."

But the fire paid no heed to them, so they went to the ocean and said —
“The post has eaten up the gram. The carpenter will not split it. The Raja will not punish him. The snake will not bite him. The stick will not kill him. The fire will not burn it. We have come to you to quench the fire."

But the ocean paid no heed to them, so they went to the elephant and said —
“The post has eaten up the gram. The carpenter will not split it. The Raja will not punish him. The snake will not bite him. The stick will not kill him. The fire will not burn the stick. The ocean will not quench the fire. We have come to you to drink the ocean."

But the elephant paid no heed to them, so they went to the creeper and said —
“The post has eaten up the gram. The carpenter will not split it. The Raja will not punish him. The snake will not bite him. The stick will not kill him. The fire will not burn the stick. The ocean will not quench the fire. The elephant will not drink the ocean. We have come to you to bind the elephant."

At last the creeper took pity on the birds and the elephant feared the creeper. and the ocean feared the elephant, and the fire feared the ocean, and the stick feared the fire, and the snake feared the stick and the carpenter feared the snake, and split the post which gave up the gram to the birds who went away happy.


NOTES

A folktale told by Setha Manjhi of Mahuli, Dudhi, Mirzapur.

This is the usual cumulative cycle “ This is the house that Jack built, etc.” See Clouston, Popular Tales and Fictions, I: 289.

Another version was given in North Indian Notes and Queries II, para. 181.

The Little Bird that Found the Pea

From North Indian Notes and Queries.

This is yet another example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig.

I have filled in the last part; the original article skips the resolution that walks back through the chain step by step.

THE LITTLE BIRD THAT FOUND THE PEA

Once upon a time a little bird, on its way through the woods, picked up a pea and took it to the grain-parcher (bharbhunja) to be split: but, as ill-luck would have it, one-half of it stuck fast in the socket of the mill-handle, and the bharbhunja being unable to get it out, the little bird went off to the carpenter and said, "Carpenter, carpenter, come and cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the mill-handle; what shall I eat? what shall I drink? And what shall I take to foreign countries?"

"Be off," said the carpenter. "Is it likely that I shall come and cut the mill-handle for the sake of a single pea?"

(carpenter, circa 1850)

Then the bird went to the king and said, "King, king, chide the carpenter: the carpenter won‘t cut the mill-handle: my pea is stuck in the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

"Be ofi with you," said the king. "Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am coming to chide the carpenter?"

Then the little bird went to the queen and said, "Queen, queen, speak to the king: the king won't chide the carpenter: the carpenter won't cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the queen said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to talk to the king?"

Then the little bird went to the snake and said, "Snake, snake, bite the queen: the queen won't talk to the king: the king won't chide the carpenter: the carpenter won’t cut the mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the snake said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to bite the queen?"

Then the little bird went to the stick and said, "Stick, stick, beat the snake: snake won’t bite queen: queen won't talk to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle:my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the stick said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to beat the snake?"

Then the little bird went to the fire and said, "Fire, fire, burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won’t bite queen: queen won’t talk to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won’t cut mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the fire said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to burn stick?"

Then the little bird went to the sea and said, "Sea, sea, quench fire; fire won't burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won‘t bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the sea said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to quench the fire?"

Then the little bird went to the elephant and said, "Elephant, elephant, dry up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won’t beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter, carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the elephant said, "Be off with you. To dry up the sea would take the whole host of elephants. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to assemble all the elephants?"

Then the little bird went to the bhaunr (a tangled, creeping plant) and said, "Bhaunr, Bhaunr, snare the elephant: elephant won't drink up the sea: sea won’t quench fire: fire won’t burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won't cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the bhaunr said, "Be off with you. Do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to snare the elephant?"

Then the little bird went to the mouse and said, "Mouse, mouse, cut the bhaunr: bhaunr won't snare elephant: elephant won‘t drink up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won't chide carpenter: carpenter won‘t cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

But the mouse said, "Be off with you: do you think that for the sake of a single pea I am going to cut the bhaunr?"

Then the little bird went to the cat and said, "Cat, cat, eat mouse: mouse won't cut bhaunr: bhaunr won't snare elephant: elephant won’t drink up the sea: sea won't quench fire: fire won't burn stick: stick won't beat snake: snake won't bite queen: queen won't speak to king: king won’t chide carpenter: carpenter won’t cut mill-handle: my pea is in the socket of the mill-handle: what shall I eat? what shall I drink? and what shall I take to foreign countries?"

And the cat said, "By all means: the mouse is my natural prey. Why should I not eat it?"

So the cat went to eat the mouse and the mouse went to cut the bhaunr, saying,

Hamko khao, a, o, mat koi,
Ham bhaunr ko kata loi.

"Oh! eat, oh! eat me no one. I will take and cut the bhaunr."

And the bhaunr went to snare the elephant, saying, "Oh! cut, oh! cut me no one. I'll take and snare the elephant."

And the elephant went to drink up the sea, saying, "Oh! snare, oh! snare me no one. I'll drink up the sea."

And the sea went to quench the fire, saying, "Oh! drink, oh! drink me no one. I will quench the fire."

And the fire went to burn the stick, saying, "Oh! quench, oh! quench me no one. I will burn the stick."

And the stick went to beat the snake, saying, "Oh! burn, oh! burn me no one. I will beat the snake."

And the snake went to bite the queen, saying, "Oh! beat, oh! beat me no one. I will bite the queen."

And the queen went to talk to the king, saying, "Oh! bite, oh! bite me no one. I will talk to the king."

And the king went to chide the carpenter, saying, "Oh! talk, oh! talk to me no one. I will chide the carpenter."

And the carpenter went to extract the pea, saying, "Oh! chide, oh! chide me no one. I will extract the pea."

And so the carpenter extracted the pea, which the bird took and went away rejoicing.

Punjab. The Valiant Weaver Bird

From North Indian Notes and Queries. After the first time the Podna gives the order, the original story only gives the Punjabi refrain, but I have added in the English, using the formula.

This is classified as TMI Z52. Bird avenges caged mate. For another version, see this blog post: Podna Podni - The Fight of the Weaver Bird.

This is a well-known folktale! Here is the cover of a modern children's version:

The Valiant Weaver Bird

A Podna, or weaver bird, and his mate, the Podni, once lived happily in a tree, but one day the King came by and had the Podni caught and put in a cage. The Podna was greatly angered, and set about making preparations to release his wife. So he set about building a cart for himself, which he made out of thin stalks of reed (sarkanda), and be constructed a kettle-drum, which he placed in the cart to which he yoked a pair of frogs. Then he took his seat, armed with a piece of reed, with which he began to beat his drum and proclaimed war with the king.

On the way he met a cat. She asked, "Where are you going, Mr. Podna?"

He answered, "My carriage is of reed with two frogs yoked thereto. The king has seized my Podni; I go to take revenge."
   Sarleandé ki to gári, domendak joté jáen, 
   Rája mári Podni, ham bair bisáhne jáen.

"Will you take me with you? I may be of some use."

"Shish! shish! get into my ear," was the answer.
   Hus! hus! meré kán men ghus. 

So the cat jumped into the ear of the Podna.

Further on he met some ants, and when they asked him where he was going, he made the same reply, and when they offered to join him, he said, "Shish! shish! get into my ear."
   Hus! hus! meré kán men ghus. 

Further on he met a rope and a club. They too got into the ear of the Podna. And so when he came to a river, the river too went into the ear of the Podna.

At last the Podna arrived at the King’s palace and desired the servants to announce him. But they all laughed and told the King, who ordered that the Podna should be admitted into his presence.

So the Podna drove his carriage into the courtyard and demanded that the Podni should be surrendered at once.

"I like the Podni," said the King, "and I refuse to surrender her. "

"Then, beware of the consequences," replied the Podna.

"Seize this insolent bird," said the King, "and confine him in the fowl-house, where the chickens will kick him to death."

The servants seized the Podna and shut him up in the fowl-house.

During the night the Podna said, "Come out, cat, it is your turn. Come out of my ear and hit them on the head."
   Nikal billi, teri bári.
   Kán chhor, kanpati máré. 

So the cat came out of the Podna's ear and killed all the fowls in an instant. Next morning the King said to his servants, "Go down and bring up the carcass of this insolent Podna, who must have been killed by the fowls during the night."

But when they went in they found the Podna safe and sound and all the fowls dead.

So they informed the King, who said, "Confine him in the stable, where the horses will kick him to death."

So he was shut up in the stable, and during the night be called to the rope and stick with the same words: "Come out, rope and stick, it is your turn. Come out of my ear and hit them on the head."
   Niklo rassi aur sonte tumhári bári,
   Kán chhor, kanpati máré. 

Out came the rope and club: the rope tied up all the horses and the club beat them till they died.

In the morning the King again sent for the remains of the Podna, but the servants found him safe and well and all the horses dead. Then the King fell into a terrible rage and ordered the Podna to be confined in the elephant house, thinking that the elephants would trample him to death.

But in the night the Podna called the ants as before. "Come out, ants, it is your turn. Come out of my ear and hit them on the head."
   Niklo chiúnti tumhári bári,
   Kán chhor, kanpati máré. 

The ants went out and entered the trunks of the elephants, and getting into their brains, killed them all.

In the morning the King said, "The Podna must be dead. Go and see if any part of his body or cart can be found." The servants went and found the Podna safe and well and all the elephants dead.

When he heard this the King was greatly grieved. "Well," said he, "I want to know how he manages to do this. Tie him tonight to the leg of my bed and I will see what happens."

So the Podna was tied to the King’s bed, and during the night the Podna ordered out the river. "Come out, river, it is your turn. Come out of my ear and hit them on the head."
   Niklo darya tumhári bári,
   Kán chhor, kanpati máré. 

Out came the river, and the King and his bed began to float in the water.

"For God’s sake, Mr. Podna," said the King, "take your Podni and depart in peace."

So the Podni was restored to the Podna, and they went home lived and happily ever after.


NOTES

A folktale told by Waziran, a Muhammadan woman, and recorded by Mirza Mahmud Beg. We have here the faithful animal, for whom Temple: Wideawake Stories, p. 4l2:and see the instances collected by Clouston: Popular Tales and Fictions, Vol. I, p. 223, sqq.