July 15. Story of the Day: What Can I Do? (The Peacock's Story)

Here is another original story by Prof. Smita Pawaskar (more of her contributions here), and it features a long series of animals, but this time it is a series of wild animals, seen through the eyes of a peacock: flying birds, songbirds, squirrel, mice, tortoise, ducks, and a crane. The plot might remind you of Aesop's fable about the jealous peacock, with a dose of Andersen's ugly duckling.  The ending of the story is very sweet!

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

WHAT CAN I DO?

by Smita Pawaskar

(translated by Suniti Namjoshi)

Around a small pond near the outskirts of a town a number of birds and beasts lived happily together. One day a young peacock came through the bushes. They had never seen a peacock before, but as he had two feet, wings and a beak the other birds assumed that he must be like them. They gave him some of the grain they had gathered for themselves. He must have come a long way because he gobbled it up hungrily, and then he perched on a low branch and fell asleep.

The next day when he went for a walk he saw a number of birds flying about in the sky. He said to himself ruefully, ‘The most I can do is hop onto a low branch. What fun the birds are having!’ 

Then he heard birdsong. He cleared his throat and tried to sing, but it was no use. ‘How wonderful to be able to sing like that,’ he thought.

A little further on the peacock saw a squirrel scamper up a tree and down again. She picked up a fruit in her front paws and began eating it. The peacock was charmed, ‘It must be great to be squirrel. She can do ever so many things!’ He tried to imitate her, but it was beyond him.

Next he saw two mice running in and out of mouse holes and playing catch. He wished he could play the way they were playing, but he knew that he would never fit into a mouse hole.

Then he saw a tortoise. As soon as the tortoise saw him, it pulled in its head and feet and hid under its shell. The peacock thought this was quite a trick. He tried to tuck his long neck under his body, but he just couldn’t do it.

As he got nearer the pond he saw some ducks. They kept going into the water and coming out again onto the mud. The peacock put one foot into the mud and promptly withdrew it. He was afraid of getting stuck. He couldn’t help thinking though that the ducks were having a splendid time.

At the side of the pond there was a crane standing absolutely still on one foot. He looked like a sage meditating; but as soon as he caught sight of a fish, he would spear it with his beak and eat it up. The peacock tried standing on one foot and tumbled over. As for the fish, they were nowhere in sight. The peacock said to himself sadly, ‘And I don’t even eat fish! All I eat is grain and insects.’

The peacock returned to his tree. As the days passed, his crest grew and his tail feathers filled out. The peacock didn’t know what he was supposed to do with all these feathers. 

(photo by Suniti Namjoshi)

But then one evening dark rain clouds began to mass in the sky. The sunlight could barely filter through. There was a tremendous thunderclap and a flash of lightning. And an astonishing thing happened. It was as though the lightning had somehow sparked something in the peacock. His whole body trembled, even his tail feathers, and as they trembled he fanned them out and his feet began to dance. He danced and he danced as he gazed at the sky. 

The birds and the beasts gathered about and watched the peacock’s unearthly dance. They loved the way his neck glittered when the lightning blazed, the grace of his movements, the spread of his tail, and were altogether enchanted by his magnificence. They gazed at the iridescent blues and greens and purples of his plumage, his jewelled feathers, and thought he was a splendid fellow. And still the peacock danced. He danced and danced till he was exhausted. And that night his sleep was peaceful and untroubled.

Pawaskar. The Sparrows' Nest

This is another story from Prof. Smita Pawaskar about a chain of animal helpers; for another story about animals who cooperate, see The Naughty Monkey. This time the helpers are a more eclectic collection: mouse, horse, mynah bird, and bees.

Prof. Pawaskar remembered this as a traditional story, but she could not remember all the details, so she got some help from others at the gym in Pune to fill in the gaps; here is what Suniti Namjoshi told me about that:

Smita couldn’t remember the poem her story is based on properly, but she wanted to tell it anyway. So I called Sandhya, the young woman who is in charge of that bit of the gym in that bit of time, because she likes Smita’s stories and wouldn’t have wanted to miss out. The thing was Smita couldn’t remember anything beyond the horse and there we were having a mini-conference, oh well, a confabulation, well, a chat. So I suggested a crow as a helper after the horse. But Smita was quite sure it couldn’t be a crow. So I suggested a mynah (grackle). This was acceptable and Smita thought we could stop at that. I said, “No. There had to be at least 4 helpers if there was any hope of calling it a chain.” Sandhya laughed. I lost count of how many sidekicks I had done. And Smita thought. I then suggested a honey bee (Smita frowned). A whole swarm of honey bees? And that was that.

It's the collective storytelling tradition in action!

THE SPARROWS' NEST

(translated by Suniti Namjoshi)

(sparrow nest)

It so happened that a pair of sparrows built their nest in the fork of a mango tree from the choicest bits of grass and fluff and odds and ends. They were all set to raise their young, when a great gust of wind blew away their nest. They were distraught.

‘’How can I lay eggs without a nest?” wailed the mother sparrow.

“Don’t worry,” said a mouse, scurrying up to help. “I’ve just been gnawing at an old mattress, and I’ve stashed away some cotton wool and bits of thread. I’ll bring you some.”

Then a horse, who lived nearby, came up to them. “I’ll bring you some grass and some straw from the stable. In no time at all you’ll be able to build a brand new nest.”

He was a tall horse and as he looked across he saw a chink in a wall. He pointed it out. “That might be a good spot to be build a nest,” he told the sparrows. “It looks sheltered from the wind and rain.”

The sparrows set to work. As soon as the nest was ready, the mother sparrow laid two speckled eggs.

Everyone was pleased that the sparrows had a nest again. They all waited for the eggs to hatch.

The mouse and the horse visited every day, and in a couple of weeks the eggs did hatch. 

A mynah brought some rice for the sparrows, the mouse some wheat, and the bees honey. 

And then they had a party and felt lucky because they lived among friends.

Pawaskar. Naughty Monkey

This is another original story by Prof. Smita Pawaskar. For more from Prof. Pawaskar, see this story: The Absentminded Mum. This story is likewise translated from the Marathi, and I will share the Marathi text here later.

The way the animals cooperate in this story might remind you of the folktale type labeled ATU 210 Rooster, Hen, Duck, Pin, and Needle or of the animals allied in ATU 130 Bremen Town Musicians. This time, though, they are all barnyard animals: dog, cat, sheep, cow, and horse... plus the monkey!

NAUGHTY MONKEY

by Smita Pawaskar

(translated from the Marathi by Suniti Namjoshi)

In a small farmyard the cat, the dog, the sheep, the horse and the cow were all good friends and lived happily together. But one day a young monkey joined them. He couldn’t resist playing monkey tricks on them and teasing them.

(macaque in Andhra Pradesh, India)

For instance the dog always kept his bone in a particular place, but the monkey would hide it in different places. Or sometimes he’d overturn the cat’s milk, or jump on the sheep’s back and pull out her wool. As for the horse and the cow, he was always getting between their feet and tickling them and pulling their tails. 

He kept thinking of new ways to annoy them every day until their lives were made completely miserable.

The farmyard animals tried asking him once, “Now then, little monkey, why do you keep playing these tricks on us?” 

But the monkey just replied, “Because I think it’s great fun.” 

The animals were at their wits’ end. When the monkey had gone away somewhere to eat fruit, they got together and decided to teach him a lesson.

As soon as he got back, the dog snarled at the little monkey and chased him up a tree. 

The cat was waiting for him. She showed her claws. 

This frightened the monkey so much that he leaped off the tree and fell next to the sheep. 

The sheep butted him so hard that he flew into the air and landed between the cow’s feet, and there the cow's legs held him fast.

The monkey pleaded with them, “Please, please, please let me go. I promise I’ll never play tricks on you again.”

And so the cow let him go. 

As for the horse he rose on his hind legs and trumpeted so loudly that the naughty monkey almost fainted. 

He asked each of the animals to forgive him, and it was only then that things began to calm down. The farmyard animals made it clear to the monkey that he would have to live peacefully with them or else they would drive him out. And after that the naughty monkey became a good little monkey and lived happily with the other animals.

June 22. Story of the Day: The Happy Crow

Here is another Marathi story contributed by Prof. Smita Pawaskar. There is a version by Suniti Namjoshi here based on the story Prof. Pawaskar shared orally, and then a translation of Prof. Pawaskar's written Marathi text (you can see the Marathi text here).

I don't have a folktale type for this, but it is a wonderful series of tests, and the crow never fails!

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

THE HAPPY CROW

(crow in India)

Once upon a time a discontented king sent his minions in search of a creature who was genuinely happy. They looked everywhere, and were about to give up, when at last they found a crow who was always cheerful. They brought him before the king.

“Huh,” said the king, “let’s see how long his cheerfulness lasts,” and he threw him into a cauldron of oil. The crow wasn’t bothered. He began to sing:
Tum tum dee.
Let’s fry a pappadum
For you and me.
Tum tee dee.

frying a pappadum

The king then threw him into a saucepan of ghee. This time the crow sang.
Tum tum dee.
Let’s make a laddu
With this ghee.
Tum tee dee.

The king couldn’t believe that the crow was still cheerful. He threw him into a cistern of water. But the crow just sang.
Tum tum dee.
Now I can splash,
Happy as can be.
Tum tee dee.

The king snorted and threw the crow into a deep ditch filled with mud. The crow stayed cheerful and sang once again.
Tum tum dee.
Let’s slide in the mud,
You and me.
Tum tee dee.

In the end the king realised that the crow was always going to make the best of a bad situation. His contentment came from within. He let the bird go and decided to follow the crow’s example.

An Alternative Ending

By now the king was so exasperated with the endlessly cheerful crow that he threw him over a cliff. The crow soared into the sky, circled and flapped and landed beside the king. He sang:
Tum tum dee.
Come fly with me
For company?
Tum tee dee.

The king couldn’t believe what was happening, and then slowly he came to his senses. “You really are a cheerful creature,” he said to the crow. “It’s because you make the best of things.  I’m going to follow your example.” The king sang:
Tum tum dee.
Dance with me,
It’s two for tea.
Tum tee dee.

The crow and the king started dancing together. At first the courtiers didn’t know what to make of this; but it looked like fun, so they joined in. And eventually the entire kingdom became a happier place for everyone.

THE HAPPY CROW

(translated from the written text)

(photo by S. Namjoshi; crow in Pune)

Once upon a time there was a king who had a splendid kingdom and a palace which contained everything the heart could desire; but in spite of that he was unhappy. He just didn’t know how to be happy.

One day he called his Prime Minister and told him to find the happiest being in his entire kingdom and to bring this creature to him.

Well, the Prime Minister and the king’s soldiers searched everywhere for a contented being. But everyone seemed absorbed in their problems and difficulties. Whoever they asked, replied, “No, no, we are certainly not happy.”

The king’s soldiers didn’t know what to do. The king had commanded them to find a happy creature, and the king’s command had to be obeyed.

In their search for a happy creature they reached the outskirts of the town and came across a crow happily sitting on a tree and eating something. Every now and then he would fly about a little and then alight and swing on a branch. He would  make different noises, and sometimes even perch on the back of cow and play tricks on her.

“He’s a truly happy creature!” the king’s soldiers cried and they caught him and brought him before the king.

The king was surprised. “He’s just a crow!” the king exclaimed. “How can he be truly happy?”

The king decided to test him in various ways. To start with the king threw him into a cauldron of oil. The crow began to sing:  “Let’s fry papadum in oil. Let’s fry papadum in oil.”

The king couldn’t understand it. He threw him into a saucepan of ghee. The crow began to sing: “Let’s make laddus out of ghee. Let’s eat laddus made of ghee.”

The king really didn’t know what to do.  The king threw him into a cistern of water. He was sure that the crow would be in trouble now and would cry out. But the crow began to sing again: “Let’s swim happily in the water. Let’s swim happily in the water.”

The king was beside himself. “I’ve done my best to make your life miserable, but you continue happy. Let’s see how you stand the next test!”

And with that he threw him into a deep ditch filled with mud. The crow began to sing: “We’ll slide about in the mud. We’ll slide about in the mud.”

At last the king began to understand that the crow was a truly happy creature, and that his happiness came from within himself. External circumstances did not affect him. Having understood this, the king let the crow go and the crow flew away.

June 19. Story of the Day: Absentminded Mum

This is an original story by Prof. Smita Pawaskar, and you will find two versions here. First, there is a rendering by Suniti Namjoshi based on hearing Prof. Pawaskar tell a quick version of the story orally. Then there is a translation of the version which Prof. Pawaskar later supplied in writing; you can see the Marathi text here (click on images for larger view). It's fun to see how the story evolves!

This is not a folktale, but it does feature the same kind of "barnyard animal" series that you find in folktales. There are animals you will find in European and American barnyards (like in The Barnyard Song), along with a distinctively south Asian water buffalo.

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

ABSENTMINDED MUM
by Smita Pawaskar
(as told to Suniti Namjoshi)

A farmer’s wife, who was cleaning the attic with her child beside her, suddenly remembered she had left a pot of boiling water in the kitchen downstairs and went to turn it off. Then she noticed the kitchen was dirty and started to clean it. After a while she realized that her child wasn’t with her. She was frantic. She had quite forgotten she had left her in the attic. She thought the child must have wandered outside.

The anxious mum ran up to the nanny goat, “Nanny goat, nanny goat, have you seen my little girl?”

(pxhere)

‘Of course not,” replied the nanny goat. “I’ve been busy nursing my kids. I have twins, you know.”

The mum turned to the speckled hen.  “Speckled hen, speckled hen, have you seen my little girl?”

‘Of course not,” replied the mother hen. “I have a dozen chicks of my own to look after.”

The mother then asked the brown mare,   “Brown mare, brown mare, have you seen my little girl?”

“Sorry,” replied the brown mare. “My own little foal is still young and I have to keep an eye on him.”

A mother goose was swimming in the pond.  “Mother goose, mother goose,” the mum called, “have you seen my little girl?”

But the mother goose just shook her head and pointed to her own brood of goslings.

The poor mother was returning to the farmhouse sadly, when she saw her own dear, little girl coming out of the front door. The child had clambered down the stairs and was looking for her mum. The two ran towards each other and hugged and kissed and were as happy as can be because they had found each other.

And the nanny goat and her kids, and the speckled hen and her chicks, and the brown mare and her foal, and the mother goose and her goslings were happy as well.

~ ~ ~

THE MOTHER AND HER CHILD
by Smita Pawaskar
(translated from the Marathi by Suniti Namjoshi)

A mother and her two- or three-year-old boy lived in a small village.  Her husband used to go to work in the fields early in the mornings. She used to be busy with the housework all day long. And the child used to be busy playing!

One day the mother said to her boy, “Come let’s go and tidy up the room at the top of the house. I’ll get busy. You bring your toys.  Our food is in the cooker and will be ready by the time we finish.”

They went upstairs. After a while the mother remembered the food in the cooker. “Come, Raju,” she said to her son, “let’s go downstairs.” And with that she hurried downstairs and got busy in the kitchen. She was sure that Raju would have followed her downstairs. Once she’d finished all her kitchen chores, she called out to Raju; but Raju didn’t answer.

She decided that Raju must have wandered into the farmyard, so she went out to look for him. She said to the cat, “O pussy cat, have you seen my little Raju?”

The cat replied, “Of course not. How could I have? I was busy giving milk to my little kitten.”

A little further on the mother found a gentle cow in the cowshed. “O gentle cow, have you seen my little Raju?” she asked.

“How could I have had the time? I was busy licking my little calf,” the cow replied

The mother then came to the stables, and she said to the brown mare, “O brown mare have you seen my little boy?”

“No, oh no,” replied the mare. “I was busy running about with my little foal. How could I have?”

Just then she came across a dog with her puppy.  “O mistress dog, have you seen my little boy?” she asked. “I’ve been looking for him for so long now.”

“How could I have?” came the reply.  “My little puppy and I were busy with a bone. I was teaching him how to gnaw.”

(water buffalo)

And when the poor mother asked a water buffalo whether she had seen her little boy, the buffalo replied, “I was taking my little calf for a dip in the water.”

As for the nanny goat, she said she was teaching her little kid to pull down leaves to eat.

The poor mother sat down in despair on her doorstep, and just then Raju appeared stretching sleepily.

“Where have you been?” she said to him. “I’ve been looking for you for ever so long.”

“Oh Mum,” Raju said. “I fell asleep while playing. And that’s why I didn’t hear your cries.”

Then Raju’s mother held him close and gave him a big kiss.

The Cat who Ate the Kheer

This wonderful story is contributed from the Marathi by Prof. Smita Pawaskar. You can read about the delicious pudding called kheer at Wikipedia.

This would be classified as ATU 15, Stealing the Partner's Butter.

THE CAT WHO ATE THE KHEER

(kheer ingredients)

A sparrow, a monkey and a cat used to live together in a small hovel. They scrounged for food and were happy enough.

One day the cat said to the other two, “Let’s make some kheer. Monkey, you go get some jaggery. Sparrow, you bring the rice, even if you have to make fifty trips. And I’ll get the milk.”

The others thought this was an excellent idea. The monkey brought a lump of jaggery. The sparrow brought the rice even though it took her fifty trips.  The cat stole a cup of milk and the monkey brought some water in a large earthenware pot from a pond nearby.

Then the cat heated everything in a saucepan. As the kheer cooked, it smelled delicious. When it was nearly ready, the cat told the others to go and have a dip in the pond. The kheer would be ready when they got back.

As soon as they were gone, the cat gobbled up all the kheer. She couldn’t resist it. Then she put the lid back on the saucepan, covered herself with a blanket and pretended to be sick.

“What’s wrong?” the others asked when they returned.

“I don’t feel very well,” moaned the cat.

“Sorry,” said the others. “Where is the kheer?”

“In the saucepan,” replied the cat.

When they looked in the saucepan, they found that all the kheer was gone.

“What happened to the kheer?” they asked the cat.

“Someone must have stolen it,” groaned the cat, “while you were gone.”

“We were only gone a minute,” Monkey protested. He began to suspect that the cat had gobbled up the kheer and was only pretending to be sick.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he told the other two. “We’ll take this earthen vessel, and float it on the pond upside down. Then we’ll each take a turn at balancing on top.  Anyone who has eaten the kheer is bound to be heavy, and that will make the pot sink.”

The cat had to agree to the test.

The monkey went first. The pot floated, the monkey sat on it and then jumped off.

The sparrow stood on it next and flew off with no trouble at all.

It was the cat’s turn. She was afraid she would be caught. She did her best to balance on the pot; but she trembled and quaked so much that the pot overturned and sank and so did the cat.

And that was the end of the poor, greedy, kheer-eating cat.


Here is a video of the story told in Marathi: