The Langmeiton bird (Uchek Langmeiton)

Once upon a tim there was a girl named Heiyainu. Her mother died when she was in her tender age. Her father got married a second wife who born a son. The father had left the house and had gone for his business trip in the interior hills. Before his leaving, he had asked his second wife to take care of Heiyainu and his son.

Everyday, Heiyainu worked hard to extend help to her step mother. She went to the field and collected red spinach, sorral and mint. She also went down in the lake and river and caught fishes. After returning to her home, she had given the fish and vegetable items to her step mother who sold them in the market. The money gotten from selling the items had purchased rice for the family. While the step mother had gone out in the market, Heiyainu rendered household duties. She also took care of the step brother. When the step brother cried for his hungry, she along with the crying brother had gone to the neighbours and fed the boy with breast milk from women who had also child in her arms.

With the step brother grew up day by day, and able to mix with the local children in their playing, she felt happy. The step brother had not eaten his rice and meal if there were not his step sister. He also paid great respect to his step sister. Both the sister and brother loved each other. The neighbours had envied on their lovely nature. However, Heiyainu afraid of her step mother who always took strict vigil upon her step daughter. The step mother always asked Heiyainu to stay her indoor in the home while she was away in the market. Sometimes, she scolded her step daughter without any reason.

The step mother was feeling happy whenever she used her step daughter’s bad name. Sometimes, the step daughter was beaten without finding any mistake. One day, the step mother along with her son had taken the afternoon nap in her bed. Thinking that her step mother was sleeping, Heiyainu took her bath along with her friends. When the step mother got up, she saw cattle trespassing inside their garden. The cattle had brokenthe old bamboo fence and eaten the vegetables grown inside the garden. To see the unhappy scene, the step mother called her step daughter in harsh words. Without completing the proper bathing, Heiyainu ran soon towards her house. Having come to know that her step daughter would be mixing with her friends for bathing in the pond, the step mother drew Heiyainu by her hands up to the pond and beaten her step daughter in presence of her friends. Besides, Heiyainu wa pushed down into the water of the pond by holding head. Heiyainu’s friends had intercepted the step mother when their friend was beaten black and blue by a stick laying there. However, the step mother had rebuked the Heiyainu’s friends for interfering in the family matter. Heiyainu had nothing but crying. The step mother had not only rebuking her step daughter in harsh manner, but also blamed Heiyainu’s late mother. When the name of her late mother was mentioning without any reason, Heiyainu requested her step mother, not to mention any more of her late mother.

Heiyainu said, “Please be not dispraised the name of my late mother. Oh! My step mother, you can make physical torture upon me whatever you like.” The step mother started beating Heiyainu until blood oozing out from her mouth. The step mother left Heiyainu without taking care even though he suffered bleeding injuries. The disheartened Heiyainu came towards the backward of her house and looked up in the sky. She prayed to the soul of her late mother and said, “Oh! My lovely mother don’t you see what I am facing troubles.” Surprisingly, the step mother came out from the house in haste and again beat the step daughter, pulled her down the ground. Later, the step mother closed the door of the house from inside. Heiyainu left alone outside the house all the night. She was not given any meal. She felt hungry. The other day, after beating seriously, Heiyainu was kept indoor all the day long while the step mother had accompanied with her son gone to the market. On their returning from the market, Heiyainu was seen crying at the courtyard of the house. On seeing it, the step mother had closed the door from outside. On that night, Heiyainu cried bitterly and prayed to the Almighty to live her with her late mother. Hearing the woes of her child,  Heiyainu’s mother in the form of dove flew down and perched at a bamboo pole near the countyard of her house.

The bird in her chirping vocal consoled the crying child. Heiyainu did not know the dove was transformed into from the soul of her late mother. So she said to the dove don’t make coo coos. After crying the whole night, she took a sleep in the early hour at the doorstep of her house. In her dream, her mother came and said, “Oh My lovely child, if you are in distress and full of woes in the human life come and follow me. Transform into a bird so as to love a free live. I will send a bird king – Langmei – for becoming what you like.” To follow what her mother said in her dream, Heiyainu at last decided to transform her soul and body into the bird – Lanmei. The next morning Heiyainu with basket went out to search vegetables in the field. While she was collecting the vegetables, flock of birds, Langmei were seen flying across the sky. The bird flock was led by Langmei king. On seeing the birds, Heiyainu at the top voice said, “Oh! Langmei king, oh bird, I am Heiyainu in woes and distresses. My late mother told me she had given responsibility to your king for transforming my body and soul into the Langmei bird. Oh please drop some of your feathers.” On seeing the plight of the girl, the birds had dropped several feathers. She gathered the feathers and hidden in her house without giving any knowledge to her step mother. The other day, while in the field, Heiyainu sought the help of the same birds. She said, “I want to join your flocks. It is better to join in your flock than to live with the step mother. Please drop some feathers.”  Everyday, Heiyainu had done in the same manners. So the collections were large enough to make a large feather for flying. One day, while she was collecting the feathers at her courtyard, his step brother had seen. Her step mother had also gone to the market. On seeing the collection, the step brother asked what to do with the feathers. Heiyainu disclosed what she would like to her step brother. She lovely made a sisterly kiss to her younger step brother and said, “Oh! My lovely brother, I am very distressed and full of woes. On this life would not be meeting again. I would transform my soul and body into the life of bird – Langmei from this day.”

The step sister and step brother cried. While they were crying, the flock of the Langmei birds led by its king flew across their courtyard. On seeing the flocking birds flying, Heiyainu said, “Oh King Langmei from today’s onwards I will join your flocks. Please be received my warmly.”

The flock of the birds and its king had flown down the courtyard. The king of the bird said, “If you decide to join our flocks, you may join today”. Saying this, the king who had a magic diamond inside his beak was handed over to Heiyainu. Before leaving the courtyard, Heiyainu bade a tearful goodbye to her step brother. She said, “Oh! My lovely brother, you stay alone, I am leaving the house.” Saying this, she placed the diamond inside her mouth. With the full supports of the bird flocks, and with the support of the feathers arranged beautifully life the feathers of the birds, Heiyainu flew up from th courtyard. While she was flying into the sky along other birds, she saw her brother a following her on the ground.

Heiyainu told in her loud voice, oh my lovely brother you could not be able to chase us. You are human being. Flying over the sky, Heiyainu saw her step mother was full of surprise but looking upon the flying bird flocks. After some time, Heiyainu’s father who gone the business trip in the interior hills had returned to his house. He also purchased clothes and eatable items for his daughter. Upon reaching home, he made a lovely kiss to his son and distributed sweet meat to him but he asked his second wife where had gone his daughter. The wife was trying to give evasive replies. But the son had informed his father that his step daughter had transformed into the bird – Langmei because of the excessive tortures of his step mother. After inquiring to the neighbours, the man also came to know that his second wife had not given proper meal and treatments to her step daughter. He was full of angry and scolded his wife. The man was unable to take a proper sleep in thinking of his daughter. Next day, the holding his day’s meal was standing and waiting at his courtyard to see flying of birds. Whenever, there were flying bird flocks, the man asked, “Is there my lovely daughter Heiyainu in your flock”?  The bird flock said, “No”. Everyday, the man was doing in the similar manners. One day, a flock of Langmei birds were flying across the courtyard of the man. The man asked the same question. After knowing it was the Langmei bird flocks, the man soaked with tears in his eyes said, “Oh my lovely child Heiyainu, I am returned, let us take food together.”

On hearing the voice of her father, Heiyainu slipped away from her flock and flew down near her father. Amid crying and tears in the eyes, the father said, “Oh my love child, I have purchased your clothes, come again at my house, eat whatever you like.” Hr also asked his daughter, “Have you not a sense of feeling for your father?” Though, she had joined the bird flocks, Heiyainu did not forget her father and step brother. Seeing the tearful face of her father, Heiyainu had not any means but to cry aloud. She said, “My life is full of tears, my fate is to separate with lovely father, I could wait till the full grown of my step brother.”

Oh! My flock birds are far away from me. I would have to miss them. Oh! My lovely pa, I am flying to join my flocks.

Old couple’s aroid plantations (Hanubi-Hanuba pan thaba)

Once there lived an old man and his wife. Theirs’ family was a very small one. While the old man worked in the field, his wife did household chores. They had not any children. They also sometimes worked together in their vast field located near their house. They had good relations with the monkeys who were living in the adjoining jungles. The old man dug earth making well prepared raised beds for cultivation of aroids – Colocasia antiquorim variety in his field. A few days later, the old couple started aroid plantation after preparing ridges and furrows in the fertile field. While planting, some monkeys came in and saw the style of aroid plantations. After looking a few minutes, one of the monkeys told the old couple, “Your style of planting would not produce good results particularly in the production of underground rhizomes. If the aroids were panted in those manners, it will take long time to grow up its underground root stocks.” The old couple felt hesitation in rendering their works. At last they asked the monkeys to give their suggestions for early growing up and yielding good variety of underground rhizomes and its petioles. The leader of the monkeys giving his suggestions said, “first at all, the aroids – rhizome root stocks – supposed to be planted should be washed in neat and clean in the water, then its outside layers would be scratched off. The well prepared aroids should be boiled, covered it with the leaves of the banana plants and then those items should be planted in a row. In that style of plantation, the planted aroids would be tall enough the next morning. The well ground up aroids with its rhizomes and petioles could be served as vegetable curry like potato after cooked or boiled, baked or roasted them well. ”

The couple believed the monkeys’ suggestions. They followed what the monkeys had suggested. After hard working in the field, they made happy talks and then they took their sound sleeps on that night. However, during the dead of night, the monkeys came out in group. They were very happy to see the plantations. Then they had dug out the soil on the earth and they found the boiled aroids. They had eaten all rhizomes.

Before their leaving the field, the monkeys have rooted out the tall and wild aroids plants from the nearby filth filled ditches. They later planted wild plants at the dug out ridges and furrows. The next morning, the old couple was very happy then they saw the tall plants grown overnight. They uprooted some of the plants and its roots were scratched off and washed them in fresh water. Then the old woman had used the roots in the vegetable soup. Both old man and woman had taken the aroid soup. After taking the first bowl of aroid soup, the old man looking at his wife and said, “Oh! Tasty.”

The old man had taken for the second time. Then he felt prick this tongue and throat causing irritation which was created by the acridity caused by calcium oxalate crystals of fresh aroids. The old man couldn’t bear the itching upon his throat. The old man suddenly said on the top of his voice, “Hey old woman, give me hentak – seasoned dry fish to cure the irritation inside the throat.”  Unbelievable what had happened, the old lady also had tasted the dish. After eating, she also felt similar symptom of the itching inside her throat. She also demanded hentak. The couple shared the hentak in the day. On that night the couple spent by eating dried peas. They later know that all were the monkey tricks. The monkeys had planted the wild plants in place of the boiled and eatable aroids. The couple got angry very much. They were planning a plot to teach lessons to the monkeys. They tried to kill the monkeys.

The old man pretended to be dead/ a long stick was also lying near him for hitting and killing the monkeys. The old woman made crocodile tears and was pretending to be cried aloud. All the monkeys rushed in at the spot. When the monkeys were near body of the old man, the old woman cried aloud and later mourned, “Oh My lovely heart, you die of eating aroids, be made rebirth a human being by eating pumpkin”. On seeing the pathetic scene, the monkeys also joined the old woman’s crying aloud and mourning. The old lady further mourned that you the old man died after eating too much aroid soup. The aroid plants grew up overnight.  The plants were planted according to the suggestions made by the monkeys.

As she was crying, she told the monkeys, “I am very old so I could not make a lift the dead body. I need your help for lifting the body up to the outhouse.” Some of the monkeys were feeling pity for the old couple and they started crying in masses. Other monkeys tried to lift the body of the old man, when the man made a spring of surprise by getting up alive. There was a stampede at the door of the couple’s house. In the melee a few monkeys were dead and some of them badly injured. The old man picked up the stick and hit some of the monkeys running on their back. Some monkeys were also killed and some of them got injuries. The injured monkeys ran towards their king and informed the matter. All the monkeys lived in the jungles under the command of their king had approached towards the residence of the old couple. They were trying to attack and kill the couple. To escape from the clutches of the monkeys, the old couple took their shelters inside a large earthen jar lying at the corner of their house. The monkeys searched out the old couple. Some of them looked out atop of the house and some of them inside the kitchen. They also searched the old couple under the bed. However, still they didn’t find out the whereabouts of the old couple. At last found the large earthen jar. Thinking that the old couple would be taken shelter inside the jar, the monkeys using all their forces had lifted the pot up to the courtyard.

Because of the noisy in doing their hard jobs, the monkeys did not hear what the old man and woman were talking the jar. The old woman told his husband, “My stomach is full of air because of heavy eating of peas, I want to break wind.” The old lady broke her wind in a low sound. So the old man also said that he wanted to fart. The old lady said, “Don’t make in loud sound.”  Instead, the old man broke his wind in loud sound. On hearing the loud sound of the breaking wind, the monkeys were afraid of and dropped the large jar. They hurriedly left the place and had taken helter-skelter for their safety. Incidentally, the couple still survived. Theirs hands had been pressing on their waists and said each other feeling of pains in the back.

They got angry each other because of their attempts to kill the monkey were fruitless. Instead they got injuries themselves. After some hot arguments, the old lady consoled the old man. Finally they replanted high yielding variety of aroids on their field. Theirs’ efforts got good successes. Later, they spent happy lives.

My lovely lantern (Ita Thangmei)

Once upon a time, there lived a very hard working old woman. Her husband died a long time ago. She has not children. She lived alone in peace and prosperity. In the early morning she got up and worked till the late night everyday. During the day time, she worked in handloom works and in the night she rendered her duties in cotton works.  She was very wise and had witticism. With her hard working, she became the richer day by day. Her hard works and wealth had spread from her village to another. On hearing the news of her wealth, a thief from another village had kept his eyes on the old woman. The thief who was trying to steal goods from the house of the old woman had bee waiting opportunity to go inside the house. Every night, the thief tried to enter the house of the old woman but in vain. One day, the thief while trying to enter the house, had heard the voices of two persons talking inside the house. The thief was thinking that the old woman was not still taking to her bed. He immediately left the house. The other day, the thief attired in black dresses and covered his head with mask entered the house while the old woman was going out to fetch water for using it in the cooking. The thief was waiting the old woman to take rest to her bed. From the corner of the house, the thief saw the body of old woman by the light of the lantern. Taking with great care, the thief was approaching towards a place for comfortable in his hiding. At last he was hiding behind lantern which was hanging near the fireplace. The old woman was working in the late night. She didn’t know the thief was waiting his time.

Nor did she see the thief was hiding behind the lantern. In a surprise movement, the old woman smelt theft inside the house. If course, there was a sound of bated breath behind the lantern. While doing her works half heartedly, the old woman was thinking that how to trap the thief in an ideal manner. She was alone and old. She thought that if she cries for help at the top of her voice, the thief may either kill her or ran away. So she at last found a well thought plan to overpower thief. But it would not an east task. As the night was far advance, the old woman started her yet another trick. As if in her usual tone of having conversation every night, she started calling, “Oh! Lantern, Oh! Lantern, my lovely friend.” The lantern did not give any reply. There was silence. The lantern was giving light in and around the area as usual. The woman again said, “Oh! Lantern, Oh! Lantern, my lovely friend. Everyday,  you always made replied. Why you remained silent today. Do you want to take a rest? ” The lantern still remained silent. But the woman continued. Every day in the late night, before I am going to my bed we had been talking and discussing on any matter. “Oh! Tonight you remained silent, I know there is something behind it”, the old woman said. What happened tonight? Are you feeling ashamed before someone who was inside our house?

Why you feeling ashamed when a stranger was entering and hiding inside the house. Don’t be ashamed. Give you reply just as we talked every day. The woman was inviting the man hiding in her house and giving a thought provocation idea. The wise woman again said, “Oh! Lantern, Oh! Lantern, my lovely friend, Oh! My lovely friend, Lantern. Everyday, you always made replied. Why you remained silent today.” This time, if you did not give your response,  I would presume that a stranger was inside the house. Seeing and hearing what had happened inside the house, the thief was thinking that the old woman was talking with the lantern every day. He also thought that the old lantern would also not be an ordinary one. It would have the power to take conversation. Indeed, the thief delved in deep thought, “when I take a hide behind the lantern, the lantern is feeling of ashamed her before me. So she did not made her replies. If the old woman continued to talk to the lantern, I would give the replies in place of the old lantern.” The old woman again said, “Oh! Lantern, Oh! Lantern, my lovely friend, Oh! My lovely friend, lantern. Every day, you always made replies. Why you remained silent today.” This time, the thief made a reply ,”Yes, lovely friend”.

On hearing the terse reply, the old woman confirmed that the thief was near the lantern. She thought herself that this thief could be trapped easily. And then the old woman continued, “Why not you speak when I call you several times? Are you sleeping a bit earlier?” The thief behind the lantern again made his replies, “I have taken nab, I don’t hear what you had said earlier.” The old woman said, “I am now feeling of sleeping but I have to complete my day’s work. Until the works complete, let us take our conversation”.  The woman further said that she would tell a story before completion of her day’s works. The thief said, “I would be very happy, I want to hear your story”. The old woman began to tell her story. Once in a far village there lived an old woman. One of her eyes lost its sight. Besides, she was also a deaf person. There was a lantern hanging over the post near the old woman working every night. In the light of the lantern, the old woman worked hard every night. One day, because of her overworks, she took sleep. While taking her sleep, a thief entered the house of the old woman. The thief had collected all the household articles and tried to leave the house along with the booty. To her surprise the old woman opened her one eye and came to know that a thief was trying to collect all the materials from her house. Suddenly, wanting to catch the thief, the old woman at the top of her voice cries out for her help of the neighbors. “Oh! There is a thief, Oh thief inside my house.” The thief was hearing the story attentively. Surprisingly, on hearing loud and sound of the seeking help of the old woman in the middle of the night, the irate neighbors equipped with good weapons rushed into the house of the old woman. The thief was easily overpowered. Thus the old woman had easily trapped the thief.

The swallow couple

A long time ago there were a male swallow and his wife. They made their nest on the top branch of a tall tree grown at the bank of the Iril River. After having lived around two years at their nest, the couple got two babies. The named the first male baby as Shoriya and second female baby Turibi. The couple lived happily in peace and harmony. Everyday, the male bird took his wings from the early morning till early afternoon while his wife searched out her foods in the afternoon. They had been nourishing the babies with great cares after flying and picking up foods in and around the nest. While the male was out of the nest, the female had taken care of her babies. In turn the male bird had taken care while lady bird was out. The couple were discussing inside the nest that their children had grown up now and they could be taught flying lessons. On hearing the talks, the two children were happy. They also want to fly across the lake, rivers and sky to search out their own foods.  The maintain the diets of the baby birds, the couple could  not take proper foods for the past many days. Whatever, they had gotten the foods, they fed up the birdies. With the growing up their birdies, one early morning, while their babies were still in their sleeps, the couple flew out at the far village to search out good foods. They returned to their nest with mouthful of foods. But to their surprise, their lovely children were not seen. Everyday, whenever, they were perching near the nest after bringing the foods for them, the young birds had made sounds of the chirping. But on that day, there were not such lovely sound.

One that fateful, while couple set out for their nice foods across the far village, Ekheirel Namungbi – a sylvan goddess lived under the water of a lake had emerged out from the water level. She climbed up the tree up to the bird’s nesting branch and abducted the two birdies in their sleeps. Then the goddess along with the two birdies in her arms had gone under the water. Then she disappeared. Having not found their children, the two birds flew from a branch to another and they called their babies. They said, “Oh! Lovely birdies – Shoriya and Turibi come out, we have brought  out good foods for your good health.” But only the long silence had given the reply. The couple was unable  what to do. They started inquiring about their missing children to the other birds. The other birds had also told them, “We don’t know anything about your children.” At last, the two birds cried for help from the other birds. They requested the other bird flocks to extend their helps in finding whereabouts of their missing birdies. Upon their repeated requests, the birds started flocking near the nest of the male and female swallows. The flocking birds perching on the trees hung their heads expressing grief and sorrows for the couple. While all the birds were in the state of anxiety, Urit, a humming bird flew and perched on a branch of the tree and said, “I have seen the abduction of the two birds. Ekheirel Namungbi has abducted the birdies in their sleeps.”

The humming bird had also mention how the birdies were emerged into the water. All the birds gathering there had given a pressure to the swallow couple to put the matter to Pebet, the king of all birds. The king’s palace was located at a foothill of the Engel Lake. Near the lake there were growing several trees. Atop the tallest tree, the king Pebet lived there. Upon their reaching at the palace, the king was piping a hookah. The couple immediately flew at the royal palace of the king Pebet and made an oral complaint about the abduction of their children. The couple was followed by several birds that were getting angry about the abduction of the children and supporting the causes for the parents of the abducted children. The couple soaked with tears in their eyes requested their king to launch an operation for early rescuing their children. The king took pity of the couple and ordered his trusted attendant – Uthum, a water cock to beat the large drum. Upon beating the large drum three times, all the birds residing in the hills, jungles, lakes, rivers and in the valley had flew in as soon as possible at the royal palace. The drum was beaten three times when there were public issues.
Among the newly arriving birds, the crow forwarded with respectful manner, prayed to the king and said, “Our Lord, please tell us, what happen to our land? The king told the gathering birds about the abduction of the birdies. He said, “Whereabouts of the two birdies are still unknown?” The king further said, “We the bird flocks need cooperation for early rescue works.” Suddenly falcon get up from his seat and said, “I can follow the brave birds like hawk, vulture, heron and others in the rescue works.  I can flex my power in the air. But this time I could do nothing due to water related issue.”
Then the king asked four powerful water birds – Heron, Uthing, Wathit and Tingli to carry out the rescue operation from four directions. The king directed Heron lead the team. Before their leaving the palace, the king further said that they must bring back the birdies safety. The king said, “In your efforts, you may bring back the birdies by way of requesting to Ekheirel Namungbi or by forces.”
If she refuses, the king said, tell her that water of the lake she is residing underground would be emptying out. Besides, the water course of the Moingba River which is at present running towards the lake would be diverted to the other rivers and lakes. The lake she is taking shelters would be dried out. Then automatically, Ekheirel Namungbi will be no more.” The four member rescued team dived into the lake and launched all out rescue operations. After searching several hours, at last, Heron met Ekheirel Namumgbi at a secluded place with the abducted birdies in her hands.

Heron approached towards the goddess and prayed to her and said, “Oh! My goddess, please hand over the birdies to me. The parents of the birdies are full of shocks.” With full respect the Heron told the goddess in details what the king Pebet had said. She was also told that the parents of the birdies were not taking anything since missing of their children. The Goddess was please to the salutation of the messenger of the king Pebet. She smiled and handed over the abducted children to Heron. After  successful operation, the birdies were handed over to the king who later handed them over to their parents.
The swallow couple amid tears in their eyes kissed their children in the full view of the gathering birds. Happy was the king Pebet and his subjects. The king ordered for big festive joy. All the birds were dancing and singing as a mark of respect to Ekheirel Namungbi and cooperation among the birds. The insects of  all kinds had also joined the festival expressing their solidarity to the exultant of the birds. When the festival was concluded, the king Pebet announced that a new palace would be constructed for which special pillars would be requiring. The pillars would be made of from tall and big trees. The king ordered the birds to find out where the said trees were growing. Some birds had flown out as soon as possible and returned to the royal palace. They told the king about the location of the trees that would be required for the pillars.

The said trees were growing at the bank of the Yongmu river. In this river bank, there were several black monkeys. It would be difficult to collect the trees from there. However, the king ordered his trusted birds to uproot the said trees despite heavy odds. With the permission of the king, some birds flew down the bank of the Yongmu river and they started uprooting the trees. As expected earlier, on their halfway to uproot the tree, the black monkeys attacked upon them. Some of them lost their lives in the bloody actions of the monkeys and some had returned with severe injuries in the royal palace. The king was in disgrace.  He didn’t know what to do. By this time, grass hopper, the leader of the insects came forward and prayed to the king. He said, “Our insect families will fight it out against the black monkeys. With the help of the birds, trees would be uprooted anjd it would be used for construction of the new royal palace.” Under the command of the grass hopper, all the insects including hornet, wasp, bee, drone, black bee, bumbled bee, fly, gnat, mosquito, fire fly, cricket, cockroach, locust, and tick attached the monkeys. The monkeys were taking their position standing in a row and holding a weighted and long stick each on their hands. But the tactic used by the insects in the attack was very interesting. The insect commander, grasshopper flew out and took his seat on the bald headed monkey who was their leader. While the grasshopper was trying to bite on the head, a young monkey told the leader that insect was on his head.  The leader was told to stay motionless. Then the young monkey using his stick hit the insect. But the grasshopper flew out before the hitting upon him. The stick rather hit on the head of the leader. The leader died instantly. Several monkeys lost their lives in similar fashions. The insects made yet another attacks with its flying in swarm towards the enemies. They used their stings and bit. Almost the monkeys died. Some of the surviving monkeys managed to their good escape into the thick jungles.

After defeating the monkeys, the birds uprooted the trees. Later the trees were dumped into the river water and floated it down the river current. Finally the trees were used as pillars for construction of the new royal palace at Kangla. The happy birds sang songs.

The magic wand

In the far village of Manipur, there once lived a sixteen year old boy named Chaoba. After the dead of his mother a long time back, he was brought up by his father who had married a beautiful woman a couple of weeks back. The step mother hated Chaoba. She always complained against her step son to get him punished at the hand of her husband. The father was always worried about his son badly treated by his second wife. As Chaoba’s father was getting older day by day, he couldn’t do anything to his second wife. One morning, Chaoba and his father went into a deep forest. The teenage boy was given a lovely kiss on his forehead by his father before his going to fetch water from a nearby pond in the forest. The father left after saying that he would be coming back soon. While waiting his father, Chaoba got deep sleep because of tire in the long journey. Till late evening, the father didn’t return. Chaoba began to weep bitterly. With tears on his eyes he slept on the lap of the mother earth in the deep forest. Meantime, the Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati were happened to pass through the skyline of the forest. They saw the pitiable condition of the boy. Ma Parvati requested the Lord to extend help to the helpless boy. Next early morning, Chaoba walked from place to place in search of food and shelter. At last he saw a lovely palace in the far corner of the forest.

He was surprised to see it. A pretty young lady was among the guards, servants and birds in their cages taking sound sleeps. He entered a chamber inside the palace. Suddenly he was shocked by a terrible thunder. Ah! The roar of the giant! In a moment of his fear, he wished to become a tiny creature so as to save his life and not to see from the eyes of the giant. Chaoba miraculously changed into a tiny fellow as soon as he was thinking what he wanted. He was hiding under a royal bed. He thanked the Almighty for giving kind cooperation to him. From his hiding place, he saw the giant coming and touching the young lady sleeping on the royal bed with a magic wand lying nearby. After touching on her body, the lady woke up. Of course, all the servants, guards and other people inside the palace got up and started performing their normal duties. As the giant eating too much food, he saw the life was back to normal in the palace. After taking up heavy foods, the giant turned his face towards the young lady and asked whether she would marry him. The lady made hatred reply and said how a princess could marry to an ugly giant. Never! The giant got angry. He used the wand again. And then he went away. Interestingly, men and woman had taken asleep in the palace. Taking the advantage, Chaoba who had hidden power, transformed into normal position – a youth of strikingly handsome. Collecting the magic stick what woke up the princess along with all the living things in the palace where all kinds of works had started carried out. The princess was amazed at the first sight of Chaoba. The handsome youth told the whole story to the beautiful princess.

Then Chaoba broke the magic stick into pieces in presence of the princess. With his all might, he immediately called the soldiers and sent them to guards at the palace gate. When the normalcy restored inside the palace, the giant was coming back. He was mad with rage and tried to attack the royal soldiers. He was killed instead in the fight when the guards attacked him with bows and arrows. After seeing the activities, the princess proposed her getting married with Chaoba. In the small kingdom, Chaoba became a King and lived happily with his Queen.