In the good old days, the tales were told in a different and spellbinding environment. In the long and dark nights of winter when electricity was not provided to most of the village, and all the members of the family would sleep together in one large room, which was called Kota in the local vernacular, in the dim light of oil lamps with the calm snow and pattering rain outside, the eldest of the family who used to be the grandmother started the tale with the children huddled together in their blankets from tip to toe except their heads out like a kangaroo’s Joey from its pouch, would listen keenly to every word uttered by her. They used to be very inquisitive and would ask several questions if they did not go with the rhythm of the story. Moreover, answering and responding to the narrator i.e. ha (yes) carry on, was an essential requirement for the listener which assured the narrator that they were listening properly and were not asleep. The moment the Ha sound stopped, the grandmother would realize that her grand children have stepped into the world of dreams where impossible and unbelievable happened all night long. Such was the life of the children of the recently past generation. These bedtime tales and stories were narrated in each household and not even a single kid would sleep without listening to a story from his weak and frail but loving grandmother.
some popular stories are:
The Good Guy and The Bad Guy (Nekay Aw Baday)
Long, long ago, two brothers and their old mother were living in a village in a far-off place. On was called Nekay because he was a very kind and merciful person always ready to help others. The second brother was called Baday because he fought on petty issues with everyone and nobody loved him in the society. Nekay used to work for the sustenance of the family. Baday would sometimes bring firewood from a nearby mountain after his brother and mother coaxed him to do so. One day when he was back from the hill with his bundle of logs on his back, he shouted, “mother, where should I put it”. His mother replied in an agonizing voice to put it near by the fireplace but he constantly asked her to where he should put it again and again. When his mother got enraged at his behavior, she shouted in anger, “put it on my head, you scoundrel”. Baday instantly did so and the poor woman died not bearing the load of the heavy bundle of firewood on her head. When Baday observed that he has killed his mother, he sought for a pretext to show his brother how their mother died. He quickly prepared some popcorn and put some of it in the mouth of his mother to show his brother that some popcorn stuck in her throat and suffocated her to death. When his brother came from the fields and saw that his mother was dead, he started mourning and wailing and prepared for her last rituals to bury her with dignity. After the burial ceremony was over, Neakay arranged for a feast, as it was the custom to help the departed soul in the next world. When Baday came to know that his brother is inviting people for the feast, he got infuriated and devised a plan to mock and embarrass the people. He smeared a sticking substance on the carpets the people were to sit on. The people of the village came for the feast on appointed time and sat on the carpets without noticing what was in store for them. When they were finished and rose to leave, the carpets also rose with them sticking to their behinds. Baday laughed and ridiculed them but Nekay was very offended on this behaviour of his brother and sought the forgiveness of everyone at this embarrassing trick devised by his manner less brother.
Later on, Nekay went to a priest for employment. The priest promised him employment on one condition, which was that if any one of them regretted the decision and broke the bond; his nose will be chopped off as a punishment. Nekay agreed with the condition and it so happened after a few days that Nekay felt repented for his employment with the priest and in the end the priest as a punishment for violating the bond chopped off his nose. When Baday came to know of it, he decided to avenge his brother and went to the priest for employment. He was given employment according to the earlier bond. The priest was happy that he will also receive the same punishment one day but Baday has strongly resolved that he will inflict the priest so much that in the end he will entreat him to leave and so his mission would be accomplished.
Baday used to follow the orders of his master but was searching for an opportunity to fulfill his mission. One-day priest ordered him to go for hunting and bring some fresh hare meat. Baday took the priest’s pet dog that was named Lachai by the priest for the hunting and in the forest killed the dog and brought its meat for the priest pretending that it was the meat of a freshly hunted hare. The priest and his family relished the juicy meat and when the bones were left, the priest called for his pet dog to eat the bones, but there was no sign of the dog in the house. Later on, Baday exposed his trick and asked the priest that did he feel sorry for employing him. The priest remembered the punishment and said, “no, absolutely not”. But he was devising a plan to get rid of him as soon as possible.
The time rolled on and one day when the priest could not anymore bear the troubles created for him by Baday, he decided to steal away from the village without telling anyone and settles somewhere else. Baday somehow came to know of his master’s secret flight and when his master was storing food and other essential items for his journey in a huge basket made of sticks, Baday secretly set inside it and concealed himself with breads (paratay) that were prepared in Ghee (oil) for the journey. The priest and his wife left early in the darkness of dawn and when the sun rose, the priest could not bear the burden of the basket, he requested his wife to rest for some time in the shade of a nearby tree. In the mean time, Baday who was hiding in the basket felt an urge to pee and urinated in the basket. When the urine drenched the back of the priest, he scolded his wife for frying the bread (paratay) in such a huge amount of ghee that it spoiled his white clothes. The priest and his wife were sitting under the cool shade and as he was tired, he wished that if Baday would be there, he would have carried the heavy basket for him. Suddenly and from nowhere Baday jumped out of the basket like Jake in a box and offered his services. The priest was shocked to death and decided to go back to their village with Baday carrying the basket on his back.
One night, when Baday was performing watchman’s duty, he overheard the priest and his wife that when Baday will sleep the next night, we will tie him to his bed and throw him to the nearby river. Baday chalked out his plan and on the appointed night exchanged his bed with the priest’s wife when they were sound asleep. He dressed himself like priest’s wife and woke him up to throw Baday to the river. The priest tied his wife on her bed, covered her mouth, as he could not see whether she was his wife or their servant in the dark night and together they took the bed to the river and threw it. When the priest realized in the morning that he has thrown his wife to the river instead of Baday, he started wailing and cursing his servant. Baday asked him again that did he regret his decision of employing him, the priest after a moment’s thinking about the punishment said, “no, I am not”. But inside, he was imploding with rage and decided that he will avenge his wife’s death one day.
The priest was very gloomy and grief stricken due to the death of his wife therefore Baday suggested him to marry again. He liked his suggestion and together they went to a nearby village to seek wife for him. They went to a household of another priest where they explained their purpose of visit. The priest extended traditional hospitality and requested some time to discuss and think over the matter with his wife. As it was almost dark, the priest took them to a nearby mosque to spend the night and asked Baday about the favorite dish of his master for the dinner. He replied that his master relished boiled beans and it would be a great favour if they prepare this dish for tonight. The house owner prepared the dish and both Baday and his master ate it but Baday sprinkled chili in his master’s plate, which resulted in his excessive consumption of water with beans that caused him diarrhea in the night.
When they were retiring for sleep, Baday placed his bed in front of the door of the mosque and during the night the priest woke him up to open the door as has to answer the call of nature. Baday told him that there is an earthen pot in the mosque and the priest should empty his bowels in the pot. The priest had no other choice due to the severity of the bout but to conform to the order of his servant and in this way the story was repeated all over the night.
Early in the morning the priest took the pot secretly to throw it away without letting anyone to know about it. When he left the mosque, Baday gathered some people and told them that the priest has stolen the pot from the mosque. All of them started following him and when the priest observed it, he started running. The people also ran after him and suddenly the priest stumbled upon a rock and the pot slipped out of his hands and broke to pieces on the ground exposing the contents. When the people realized the real situation, they started mocking the priest and his act. The children hooted at him and the elders laughed at his condition. His plan of marrying again was ruined. Slowly the tears rolled down his cheeks and drenched his long beard as his reputation and respect mingled with soil. When Baday saw this, his joy knew no bound and he asked him again whether he repented his decision of accepting his services. Miserable and dejected, he nodded in affirmative. Baday quickly took a sharp knife out of his pocket and chopped off the nose of the priest and in this way took revenge of his brother.
The Red Lame Goat (Sra Gwada Beza)
Once upon a time, in a certain place there lived a red lame goat with her two kids. Their names were Angak and Mangak. The goat advised her young kids not to open the door of their dwelling to any one except her when she is out for grazing. She also explained them the code words that she would utter when she comes back from grazing which were “Angak, Mangak, open the door, my mammary glands are overflowing with milk”. The kids assured their mother that they would follow her instructions.
One day when the goat was out for feeding, a wolf knocked at their door. The kids had forgot the words of their mother and in curiosity opened the door. When they saw a wolf standing there, they huddled in their dwelling with fear. The wolf entered and swallowed both of them alive. When their mother arrived and saw that the wolf has eaten her kids, she got enraged and pierced the belly of the wolf with her razor sharp horns. The wolf died instantly and the kids jumped out of its belly safe and sound. Later, they promised their mother that they would never again act against her advice. Later they lived happily everafter.
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