This is another story from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton.
This is classified as ATU 1430 Air Castles. This story is different from the usual story in that the daydreamer builds himself up into a state of glee rather than anger... but things also turn out far worse for him than most of the other dreamers: watch out for that barley sack!
Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.
Once upon a time there was a beggar, with hair in twisted wisps, dirty, dirty face and hands and a few rags for clothing, who begged from the people of the village for his living.
On one lucky day he had succeeded in begging about a bushel of barley. He took it home with him, put it in a sack and tied it up to the ceiling to the cross poles of his little hut, so the rats couldn't get it, and then lay down upon his bundle of rags to sleep.
He began to count how rich he would be if he got a bushel of barley every day.
He could afford him a wife.
When he got a wife he would have a son, and he wondered and wondered what he should name his boy.
Toward morning the light from the moon fell upon his bed and wakened him and gave him a brilliant thought. He would name his son Däwä Dräbä, which means the light of the moon; he was so pleased he jumped up from his bed, dancing around the room, flourishing his beggar's staff in his glee.
But alas, he flourished it a bit too fiercely, for it struck his big bag of barley, which fell on him and killed him, and the father of Däwä Dräbä was dead.
Showing posts with label Source: Shelton-Tibetan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Source: Shelton-Tibetan. Show all posts
June 25. Story of the Day: The Two Little Cats
This story comes from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. I have used Shelton's text below, but I added a formula to the story (the bits in italics) to help you keep track of the accumulating characters.
Albert Shelton, who collected these folktales and recorded them in English, was a missionary doctor who lived in Tibet for two decades in the early 20th century; he died there in 1922, and his wife published this book in 1925 based on his notes. To learn more about Tibet of the time, see Shelton's 1921 article in National Geographic: Life among the people of Eastern Tibet.
This particular story is classified as ATU 210 Rooster, Hen, Duck, Pin, and Needle. This is a folktale type that you can find in Europe (Brothers Grimm) and also in Asia. For an example from India, see The Sparrow's Revenge.
Want more? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.
In the early, early days a very long time ago, there were two little cats going after some salt to put in their butter tea, for you must know that little cats in the early days didn't drink tea without salt.
As they trotted along they met a Handre, and a Handre is the worst thing you could meet anywhere, for he has great big teeth that he crunches up little folks with, and horrid big eyes and clawlike hands and feet.
So they were very much frightened and ran on faster than ever until they met a cow and the cow said, "Where are you going so fast, little cats?"
And they answered, "Oh, we just met a Handre and he is going to come to our house and eat us up."
"Never mind," said the cow, "I'll go with you and help protect you from the Handre."
So they all ran on together: cats and cow.
Soon they met a dog and he asked, "Where are you all going?"
And the little cats said, "We are running away from the Handre."
"Never mind," said the dog, "I'll go with you and help protect you."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, and dog.
They ran on and met a crow, and he said, "Stop a minute and tell me where you are going so fast."
"Oh, we are running away home as fast as we can," said the little cats, "for the Handre is coming to eat us."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, and crow.
Then they met a panful of ashes and it said, "Wait a minute and take me with you, for I can help too."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, and ashes.
Then they found a package of a hundred needles, who asked if they might go and help against the Handre.
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, and needles.
Then a snake all curled up by the side of the road called out, "Where are you going, little cats?"
"Oh, we are running home as fast as we can because the Handre is coming."
And the snake said, "Take me along and I'll bite the Handre."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, needles, and snake.
As they trotted along they saw on a bench a little bowl of hard black peas.
"Where are you going so fast, little cats?" asked the peas.
"Oh, we are running home as fast as we can, for the Handre is coming."
"Take me with you, little cats, and I'll help protect you from the Handre."
So in front of their gowns they took the bowl of peas and all together soon came home: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, needles, snake, and peas.
The cow they placed by the stair steps, the dog by the doorway, the peas on the stair steps, the crow in the water kang and the snake in the bread trough, the hundred needles in the bed and the pan of ashes on the ceiling and the little cats hid behind the door.
Soon the Handre came, I presume he flew in at the window, and he thought he would like to have a drink of water and when he went to get it the crow nipped him good and hard.
Then he thought he would make some bread, and when he went to the bread tray the snake gave him a bite.
Then he thought he would go upstairs and lie down on the bed and the needles stuck him dreadfully. He was getting madder and madder.
He looked up to the ceiling to see if the little cats were hiding up there and the ashes spilled on him and filled his eyes full.
Then he started to run down the stairs and he stepped on those hard peas and they hurt his feet dreadfully.
Then he fell on the horns of the cow and she tossed him to the dog, who ate him up immediately.
And the little cats came out from behind their door and had their supper in peace.
Albert Shelton, who collected these folktales and recorded them in English, was a missionary doctor who lived in Tibet for two decades in the early 20th century; he died there in 1922, and his wife published this book in 1925 based on his notes. To learn more about Tibet of the time, see Shelton's 1921 article in National Geographic: Life among the people of Eastern Tibet.
This particular story is classified as ATU 210 Rooster, Hen, Duck, Pin, and Needle. This is a folktale type that you can find in Europe (Brothers Grimm) and also in Asia. For an example from India, see The Sparrow's Revenge.
Want more? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.
In the early, early days a very long time ago, there were two little cats going after some salt to put in their butter tea, for you must know that little cats in the early days didn't drink tea without salt.
As they trotted along they met a Handre, and a Handre is the worst thing you could meet anywhere, for he has great big teeth that he crunches up little folks with, and horrid big eyes and clawlike hands and feet.
So they were very much frightened and ran on faster than ever until they met a cow and the cow said, "Where are you going so fast, little cats?"
And they answered, "Oh, we just met a Handre and he is going to come to our house and eat us up."
"Never mind," said the cow, "I'll go with you and help protect you from the Handre."
So they all ran on together: cats and cow.
Soon they met a dog and he asked, "Where are you all going?"
And the little cats said, "We are running away from the Handre."
"Never mind," said the dog, "I'll go with you and help protect you."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, and dog.
They ran on and met a crow, and he said, "Stop a minute and tell me where you are going so fast."
"Oh, we are running away home as fast as we can," said the little cats, "for the Handre is coming to eat us."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, and crow.
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, and ashes.
Then they found a package of a hundred needles, who asked if they might go and help against the Handre.
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, and needles.
Then a snake all curled up by the side of the road called out, "Where are you going, little cats?"
"Oh, we are running home as fast as we can because the Handre is coming."
And the snake said, "Take me along and I'll bite the Handre."
So they all ran on together: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, needles, and snake.
As they trotted along they saw on a bench a little bowl of hard black peas.
"Where are you going so fast, little cats?" asked the peas.
"Oh, we are running home as fast as we can, for the Handre is coming."
"Take me with you, little cats, and I'll help protect you from the Handre."
So in front of their gowns they took the bowl of peas and all together soon came home: cats, cow, dog, crow, ashes, needles, snake, and peas.
The cow they placed by the stair steps, the dog by the doorway, the peas on the stair steps, the crow in the water kang and the snake in the bread trough, the hundred needles in the bed and the pan of ashes on the ceiling and the little cats hid behind the door.
Soon the Handre came, I presume he flew in at the window, and he thought he would like to have a drink of water and when he went to get it the crow nipped him good and hard.
Then he thought he would make some bread, and when he went to the bread tray the snake gave him a bite.
Then he thought he would go upstairs and lie down on the bed and the needles stuck him dreadfully. He was getting madder and madder.
He looked up to the ceiling to see if the little cats were hiding up there and the ashes spilled on him and filled his eyes full.
Then he started to run down the stairs and he stepped on those hard peas and they hurt his feet dreadfully.
Then he fell on the horns of the cow and she tossed him to the dog, who ate him up immediately.
And the little cats came out from behind their door and had their supper in peace.
Shelton. Covetousness
From Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton with illustrations by Mildred Bryant.
Long ago, hidden in a deep valley in the mountains, was a pool where all the animals went to drink. Near the pool was a road, and across the road a hunter had set a big bow that would shoot a long spear into whatever animal loosed the taut string.
A bear coming along tripped over the string, the spear was loosed and it killed him instantly.
A fox came along and said, "Ah, here is enough meat to last me a year, but I guess I had better cut the string that holds the bow, for fear the hunter will return and set it again for me." So he chewed it and the bow sprang, striking him on the head and killing him instantly.
Near the place where the two lay dead was a gully, and in it lay an elephant asleep. A rabbit came along and saw the elephant lying still, played and hopped around, until finally the elephant opened his eyes and watched him.
"That's very queer that a little fellow like you can jump so far. I believe I'll try it," he thought. So he gave a big jump and his front feet caught and loosed a big rock that fell on his back and killed him. All three were dead now, the bear, the fox and the elephant.
Then seven robbers came along and exclaimed, "Just look at the meat, we will stay here a few days and eat." But they must have water too, and nobody wanted to carry it. Each wanted the other to go.
They finally got three to go and the four who were left said, "We will fix up three nice pieces of meat and put some poison in it for them when they get back, and we four will have all this meat, bones and ivory." So they fixed up the poison meat for the three men who were gone, for they had to go a long way over the mountain after the water.
The three who carried the water said: "Those four fellows are bad men, we are doing all the work carrying this water for them, so we will put some poison in it, then we can have all the meat."
When they got back the others were very thirsty and took a big drink, and in a little while they were all dead. "Now," said the three, "we will have all this meat and stuff ourselves." So the three took meat already cut and ate that, and in a little bit they were dead too.
Now the moral is, "First, people shouldn't be greedy when there is plenty for all (the fox wanted all the meat to eat for a year and tried to ruin the bow and got killed). Second, you mustn't do what you aren't fitted for (the elephant tried to do what the rabbit was doing and got killed). Then the four men begrudged the three and the three begrudged the four, so they all died.
Long ago, hidden in a deep valley in the mountains, was a pool where all the animals went to drink. Near the pool was a road, and across the road a hunter had set a big bow that would shoot a long spear into whatever animal loosed the taut string.
A bear coming along tripped over the string, the spear was loosed and it killed him instantly.
A fox came along and said, "Ah, here is enough meat to last me a year, but I guess I had better cut the string that holds the bow, for fear the hunter will return and set it again for me." So he chewed it and the bow sprang, striking him on the head and killing him instantly.
Near the place where the two lay dead was a gully, and in it lay an elephant asleep. A rabbit came along and saw the elephant lying still, played and hopped around, until finally the elephant opened his eyes and watched him.
"That's very queer that a little fellow like you can jump so far. I believe I'll try it," he thought. So he gave a big jump and his front feet caught and loosed a big rock that fell on his back and killed him. All three were dead now, the bear, the fox and the elephant.
Then seven robbers came along and exclaimed, "Just look at the meat, we will stay here a few days and eat." But they must have water too, and nobody wanted to carry it. Each wanted the other to go.
They finally got three to go and the four who were left said, "We will fix up three nice pieces of meat and put some poison in it for them when they get back, and we four will have all this meat, bones and ivory." So they fixed up the poison meat for the three men who were gone, for they had to go a long way over the mountain after the water.
The three who carried the water said: "Those four fellows are bad men, we are doing all the work carrying this water for them, so we will put some poison in it, then we can have all the meat."
When they got back the others were very thirsty and took a big drink, and in a little while they were all dead. "Now," said the three, "we will have all this meat and stuff ourselves." So the three took meat already cut and ate that, and in a little bit they were dead too.
Now the moral is, "First, people shouldn't be greedy when there is plenty for all (the fox wanted all the meat to eat for a year and tried to ruin the bow and got killed). Second, you mustn't do what you aren't fitted for (the elephant tried to do what the rabbit was doing and got killed). Then the four men begrudged the three and the three begrudged the four, so they all died.
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