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.

The rivalry of tiger and cat

It was a very cold night in the month of December in the northern hemisphere. All the animals both the wild and domestic were feeling of vey cold. They could not make even a nap because of the winter night. On that cold night, all the animals gathered at a jungle. They wanted to make worm their bodies. So they were considering for making a fireplace. All the animals contributed their mites. The elephants and monkey collected dried woods. When all the materials to make the burning fire were arranged, there was missing an important one. They were again considering from where the fire could be made available. The king of the jungles – lion, the powerful bear had hunk their faces on the ground. Though, they were powerful they couldn’t collect the fire which would be made available from the fireplace in the house of human being. After throughout discussion, they made a plan. Under the plan, at last the animals asked the cat to collect the fire from a dwelling house from a  nearby village. The cat was given the errand because of his close relation with man. All the wild animals told the cat that if they trespassed into the house of the human being, they were attacked and killed. But the car was fond of by the human being because of its eating the mouse, rat and mice. The rat, mouse and mice had often eaten the food stored by the man. After pressing the cat by all animals, the tiger has last made a special request to cat to bring the fire for the happiness of the jungle animals. The cat, one of the domestic animals belongs to the family of the tiger. Ta as a small body covered with soft fur. Its head is around and its ears are pointed upwards. Its tail is long and bushy. It has a loose skin, sharp claws and sharp teeth. Human being reared cars as pets. They guard the man against mice and insects. Mice bite the clothes and food of the mankind.

The cat finds out snakes which enter our house. Thus the cat is very useful to man, though sometimes they eat up our food and milk. The sole of the cat is covered with pad so that it can go without a noise. The cat lives on rice, fish, mice, meats and insects. It is very found of milk. After a long  and tedious journey in the  far village, the cat entered a house having fireplace. The owner of the house was boiling milk into a jug by the time the cat was trying to collect the fire on a torch. On seeing the milk, the cat started watering in his mouth. The cat was waiting the man to sleep to fulfil his thirst for milk. While waiting, the cat slept. When he awake, the man had gone to sleep. After having drunk plenty of milk, the cat returned with the torch of burning fire in a small stick. On his way to the jungles, it becomes dawn.

In the meantime, unable to wait the long winter night, all animals except, tiger had left the place. All the animals had gone out to search their foods. The tiger was waiting the coming of the cat on errand. The tiger is the largest cat’s family with its long body and covered it with yellow skin with black stripes. The skin is loose. The tiger is very wild and ferocious and it has a round head, bright eyes, sharp teeth and long whisker. It is 5 to 10 feet in length.  The tiger sleeps by day and wakes at night. It can swim and climb trees. It hides behind a bush and jumps upon its prey and even men. They roar in many ways. They gives birth two to six cubs at a time. The tiger mad with rage threatened to kill the cat. The tiger said, “If you are not becoming in our family, I will pounce upon up, kill you, tear you into pieces and eat the pieces to fill my hungry stomach.” The cat felt fear but he said that he was a bit late in waiting the sleeping of man. But the tiger did not believe what the cat had told. In fact, the tiger had seen small pieces of butters on the whiskers of the cat which indicated that cat had drunk milk that made in delaying to collect the fire. Then, the tiger started rebuking the cat asking him not to join with the animals in forests. The angry words given by the tiger was taken seriously by the cat. He rather whispered that he can live at the house of the human being. It will be the better rather than staying with the wild animals in killing each other in the law of jungles. Before leaving the place, the cat told the tiger, “you had expelled me from joining your wild animal groups so that from today’s onwards I would hide my excreta under the chaff, ashes and dust.” Since then there is believe that the cat has put their excreta hiding under the cover of chaff, ashes and dust.

The magic pet parrot - Angakpa Tenawa

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. They had a pet bird – parrot. The old couple had not children. So they cared the parrot as their own child. Being taken great care for him, the parrot had also thought in his mind that the old couple was his own parents. The couple taught the pet bird how to communicate with the human beings. With the passage of time, the parrot could communicate with the couple. The bird can also mimic the couple perfectly. The parrot was very wise indeed. While the couple was in the field for their working there, the parrot had taken care of the house. If someone had taken any household articles while the couple was out, the parrot had told everything to the couple upon theirs’ returning home. One day, a flock of wild parrots were perching on the branches of a mango tree growing at the edge of the courtyard of the couple’s house. The domestic parrot requested the wild parrots not to eat the ripe mango from the mango plant. The wild parrot had flown away without taking the mango. The pet bird said that they had left the mango tree without touching a mango fruit upon his request to them.

The other day also, a flock of the wild parrots flew down the courtyard of the couple and later they perched on the bamboo poles and invited the pet bird to fly along with them so as to eat sweets and tasty fruits grown in wild. The domestic birds refused the invitation saying that without the permission of the couple he could not go out of the house. When inquired by the old woman, the parrot said that they had invited him to fly in the far flung area for eating sweets and fruits. The parrots further said, if the old couple gives permission to fly away with them, he would bring back magic fruit. Those who had eaten good fruit, he or she would be restored the ages of his or her youthful. Besides, that good fruit would be making a longer life. On hearing the replies, the old woman was very happy and asked the pet bird to associate with the wild parrots and bring back the good fruit for having a longer and freshly life. The next day, the domestic parrot had gone out along with his friends. After taking good companionship with the wild parrots, the pet parrot had departed for the day from the flocking parrots and started flying down towards his master’s house.

However, on his homewards journey, a hawk had given him a wild chased in the sky. The hawk was trying to kill and eat the pet parrot. Before reaching his home, fear for his life, the pet parrot in his loud voice cries for help. While crying for help, the magic fruit in his mouth fall down on the house top. But the hawk had also flown away on seeing the old couple. The magic fruit on its falling down had hit upon a poisonous medium size reptile on the house top.  The reptile died instantly. The blood oozing out from the reptile had again dropped down on the magic fruit. The old women asked the parrot, “Do you bring back the magic fruit”. The parrot disclosed what had happened on his journey. At the request of the old woman, the old man climbed up the roof of the house and brought back the magic fruit partly stained with poisonous blood. The old man splints the good   fruit into two pieces. Giving a share to his wife, the old man was ready to eat it. But the old woman suspected the fruit and asked her husband to give a taste it to the cat. Upon eating the magic fruit, the cat died instantly. On seeing it, the old woman requested her husband to kill the pet bird. But the old man  refused to obey the wife’s request. The pet parrot was set free and asked to leave the house soon. The parrot that had been associated with the couple for many years was shocked. With tears in his eyes, he flew away from the house.

Griping fear of the fruit that killed the cat, the old woman had buried the magic fruit in her courtyard. After some time, a fruit bearing tree germinated at the same spot where the magic fruit was buried. The tree bore two fruits in its first fruit bearing season. One day the couple picked up a quarrel over the trifling matter. The woman lost her temper and wanted to commit suicide. So she plucked off one the magic fruits hanging on a branch of the tree. Surprise, surprise, after eating that magic fruit she was transformed into her younger age – of course, very beautiful. While the old woman was trying to make her suicidal move, the old man was taking his afternoon nap. She refused to her husband and told everything. Then old man had also eaten the remaining fruit. Oh! Both of the old man and woman were young, tender, beautiful and handsome. They restored their strikingly handsome and beautiful ages.

The couple now started feeling of repentances for expelling the lovely parrot. They wanted to come back the parrot because of his innocent nature. Every day, the couple stood in their courtyard and looked up in the sky whether there was flying of parrots in group. One day, a flock of parrots were flying across their courtyard. The couple asked them whether there was accompanying of their pet parrot. The flying parrots replied, “No”. Every day, the couple asked the same question to the parrots flying in group across their courtyard.

The other day, the couple gave information to the flocking parrots about their restoration of young age after eating the good fruit brought in by their pet parrot who was, now, out of their house. One day, a flock of parrots were flying across their courtyard. Their pet parrot slipped away from their groups and returned back to the old house. The couple’s happiness knew no bound. Since then, the couple and parrot started living happily. Next year, the couple got a son. The son grew up day by day. He was in the stage of toddling. One day, the couple was out of their house. The old man had gone out in the field. The woman had gone to the nearby river to fetch water. Before her leaving, the woman asked the parrot to take care of the toddler who was playing in a large bucket with full of water. Meantime, a male snake approached near the toddler playing inside the large bucket. The snake felt thirsty. 

He wanted to drink water from the bucket. Upon his reaching near the bucket, the child had made a hit on the snake’s head. The snake went away. Then female snake come in fill her thirst. Again the toddler hit upon the snake. This time the female got angry and bit the child. She split her poisonous venom to the hand of the child who died after a few moments later.

The parrot had seen everything. But he was helpless against the snakes. Upon returning to their house, the couple was shocked. They cried and blamed the parrot for the dead of their son. The woman wanted to kill the parrot. She asked her husband to kill the bird. In a movement of anger, the man threw a stick to the parrot that was perching on a bamboo pole with green leaf in his beak. Incidentally, the stick hit directly on the head of the parrot. He died on the spot. The parrot was returning to his house after bringing back leaf of the medicinal plant. The leaf was still in his mouth. Incidentally, the couple found the medicinal leaf on the beak of the killed parrot. They thought that it would not be any ordinary one. So the leaf was squeezed. It was mixed with water. The mixed water was poured into the mouth of the dead child. Upon pouring the mixed water, the child revived like an awaking from sleeping. The man poured the remaining mixed water to the parrot which was lying with head injuries. The pet bird never woke up.

The magic of Jackal

Once there lived a little Jackal in a jungle in the kingdom of Manipur. One day, he came out of his hiding and found a coin slipped from the hands of a traveller who passed through the jungles on his way to Burma. The little one had hid the coin. He then jumped and danced merrily. He was in no mood to stop. “What is the matter, master jackal? It seems you have conquered a kingdom!” observed a Hoolock Gibbon (Yongmu in Manipuri) whose arms are exceptionally long more than double the length of the legs. “I have not yet conquered any kingdom but I can conquer one any moment now. I have the secret by which I can conquer a kingdom, build a castle, eat anything I like, command men, horses and elephants!” the little jackal announced. Yongmu (Hoolock Gibbon), having black and white  bank across the eyebrows thought that it rather strange but he could not dismiss the jackal’s claim as nonsense. Of course, no jackal could jump like that unless he had really achieved something fantastic. Immediately, Yongmu gave the news to a deer who later told about it to a boar. Several other animals and birds heard about it. At last they all came to meet the jackal in happy mood. The jackal was so proud that he greeted none. He said that he had a magic by which he could win a kingdom and could do everything. Elephant had told the jackal to tone down his shouting and said, “O little one, will you please prove what you say?” The bear also asked jackal could he command everything.

After laughing heartily, the jackal said, “I will show you what I can do! What a mere elephant before me?” The elephant, largest land animal got angry with the question. He came closer to the jackal who took position on a spot which would come on the elephant’s way. Seeing the situation, the animals stood at some distance with bated breath. The birds perched on the tree tops. They wanted to see the miracle the little jackal promised to perform. The jackal sat on his hind legs and managed to lift the coin with his forepaws. Then producing the coin he asked the elephant to pay attention and said, “Look at my money! Yes, this is genuine money. Now I command you to stop!”  The elephant did not pay attention to his command. Pacifying his anger, he strode on. The jackal shouted at the top of his voice but in vain. The elephant noticed him and took hold of him by his trunk and threw him aside. The jackal was hurt and limped as it tried to run away. In the very act, the coin has also been lost. The animals and birds took pity on the jackal. At the same time, they could not help laughing. The beautiful red flying squirrel with its distinctive limbs connected by a membrane of parachute leaving onto a branch of the tree said, “The cunning jackal must have got that shining stuff from some silly human beings.”

The monkey sitting on a banana plant said there were fools among the men who believed that the thing called money could fetch them anything. He continued, “A kingdom can be lost. No money can save it. A castle built can be destroyed by men or earthquake, no money can save it. A man can suffer from a disease and lose his capacity for eating; no money can help him. He can command men and horses and elephants, but if they decide not to be commanded, no money can help him!” The cunning jackal came to know his silly and remained silent. When he came to his common senses, all the animals and birds had dispersed from that place.