A Buffalo and a Monkey

A Buffalo and a Monkey
Folklore from Central Kalimantan

IT was a very hot day. A monkey was walking by the riverside. He was very thirsty and hungry. He took some water and drank it. He was very happy. Then, he saw some banana trees. But they were across the river. The monkey could not swim so he was thinking very hard. Suddenly, "Aha!" said the monkey. He had an idea. Not far from him, a buffalo was drinking some water in the river. He came closer to the buffalo and told him his plan. "Hello, Mr Buffalo. Are you hungry?" "Yes, I am. I really want to eat some grass," said the buffalo. "I know a place where you can eat a lot of grass. It is across the river." "I know that place. It's a field. A farmer owns it. He will be angry if I eat the grass on his field," said the buffalo. "You are right. He is angry if he sees you eating the grass. If he does not see you, he won't be angry, right?" the monkey kept on persuading the buffalo. "Come on! Let's go now. We just have to be quiet and do not make noise," said the monkey. Actually, he wanted to trick the buffalo. He wanted to sit on the buffalo's back while they were crossing the river. "Ok then. But promise you won't be noisy," said the buffalo. The monkey immediately jumped to the buffalo's back. The buffalo's body was big. He did not have problem in crossing the river. After a while, they arrived at the farmer's field. Both of them immediately ate. "Mr Buffalo, I'm already full. Let's go back," said the monkey. "But I'm not full yet. Wait for a moment." The monkey was impatient. He was thinking how he could ask the buffalo to go back across the river. Then he had an idea. He made a lot of noise. It was very loud! The farmer heard the noise and he approached them. When he saw two animals were eating on his field, the farmer threw some stones. One big stone hit the buffalo's head. The buffalo's cried in pain. He immediately ran to the river. The monkey followed him and jumped on the buffalo's back. "Why did you make a lot of noise? You promised to keep quiet!" said the buffalo while they were crossing the river. "Now, I want to take a bath here. I want to clean up my wound." "But I cannot swim. If you take a bath here, I will be drawn," the monkey was panic."I don't care. You made me bleeding." The buffalo then rolled over his body. The monkey had to hold very tight. He was very scared. After the buffalo finished taking bath, then he crossed back to the riverside. The monkey was very wet. He was very weak and frightened. He apologized to the buffalo. And he promised not to do it again. (*)

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Earth Shake! House Break!

By Aaron Shepard

Once on an island far, far to the east—or maybe to the west—there were three brothers. In those days, everyone on that island lived in caves. But the three brothers were not happy about it.

“Why must we live in a cave?” the oldest asked their mother.

“It is because of the Earthquake God,” she told them. “If we built a house, he would come to wreck it.”

“What if we built a house he couldn’t wreck?” said the middle brother.

“No one knows how,” said their mother.

“Then we should try and find out,” said the youngest.

The brothers all agreed they should build such a house, but they could not agree how. So each set off to the valley to build one of his own.

The oldest brother built his house from stone and mortar. He told himself, “It is as strong as a mountain.”

The middle brother built his house from wood and pegs. He said, “It is as strong as a tree.”

The youngest brother built his house from bamboo and cord. He said, “It is as strong as the grass.”

One day, the Earthquake God came down the mountain. On legs like pillars, he strode up to the oldest brother’s house of stone.

“So!” he said. “They try to build houses, do they?”

The Earthquake God stamped his feet. And as he stamped, he shouted,

  “EARTH SHAKE!
  HOUSE BREAK!”

The earth shook and the house shivered. The mortar cracked and the stones fell down. The Earthquake God laughed.

Somehow, the oldest brother got out safely and ran to his brother’s house of wood. But it was not long before the Earthquake God arrived.

“Another one! Well, this one won’t last any longer.” He stamped his feet and shouted,

  “EARTH SHAKE!
  HOUSE BREAK!”

The earth shook and the house shuddered. The pegs snapped and the walls leaned over. The Earthquake God laughed.

The two brothers got out quickly and ran to their brother’s house of bamboo. But soon the Earthquake God arrived there too.

“Still another! But this one looks weakest of all!” He stamped and shouted,

  “EARTH SHAKE!
  HOUSE BREAK!”

The earth shook and the house swayed. The cord strained and the bamboo wobbled—but then it sprang back straight!

The Earthquake God frowned. He stamped harder, then harder still. But nothing he did could wreck the bamboo house.

At last, in a fury, he stamped back up the mountain.

The brothers were happy to see him go. But the oldest asked the youngest, “Why did your house stand when ours did not?” And the middle brother said, “Yes, why?”

The youngest brother answered, “You tried to make your houses stronger than the Earthquake God. But I made mine weaker. Whatever bends does not break.”

And that is why, forever after, everyone on that island built their houses from bamboo.

Poor Earthquake God!

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The Frog Prince

At a city there is a certain king; a widow lives at a house near his palace. She subsists by going to this royal palace and pounding rice there; having handed it over, she takes away the rice powders and lives on it.

During the time while she was getting a living in this way, she bore a frog, which she reared there. When it was grown up, the king of that city caused this proclamation to be made by beat of tom-toms: "I will give half my kingdom, and goods amounting to an elephant's load to the person who brings the Jeweled Golden Cock that is at the house of the Rakshasi (Ogress).

The frog took the bundle of rice, and hanging it from his shoulder, went to an Indi (wild date) tree, scraped the leaf off a date spike (the mid-rib of the leaf), and strung the rice on it. While going away after stringing it, the frog then became like a very good-looking royal prince, and a horse and clothing for him made their appearance there. Putting on the clothes he mounted the horse, and making it bound along he went on till he came to a city.

Hearing that he had arrived, the king of that city prepared quarters for this prince to stay at, and having given him ample food and drink, asked, "Where art thou going?"

Then the Prince said: "The King of our city has made a proclamation by beat of tom-toms, that he will give half his kingdom and an elephant's load of gold to the person who brings him the Jeweled Golden Cock that is at the Rakshasi's house. Because of it I am going to fetch the Jeweled Golden Cock."

The King, being pleased with the prince on account of it, gave him a piece of charcoal. "Should you be unable to escape from the Rakshasi while returning after taking the Jeweled Golden Cock, tell this piece of charcoal to be created a fire-fence, and cast it down," he said. Taking it, he went to another city.

The king of that city in that very manner having prepared quarters, and made ready and given him food and drink, asked, "Where art thou going?" The prince replied in the same words, "I am going to bring the Jeweled Golden Cock that is at the house of the Rakshasi." That king also being pleased on account of it, gave him a stone, "Should you be unable to escape from the Rakshasi, tell this stone to be created a mountain, and cast it down," he said.

Taking the charcoal and the stone which those two kings gave him, he went to yet another city. The king also in that very manner having given him quarters, and food and drink, asked, "Where art thou going?" The prince in that very way said, "I am going to bring the Jeweled Golden Cock." That King also being greatly pleased gave him a thorn. "Should you be unable to escape from the Rakshasi, tell a thorn fence to be created, and cast down this thorn," he said.

On the next day he went to the house of the Rakshasi. She was not at home; the Rakshasi's daughter was there. That girl having seen the prince coming and not knowing him, asked "Elder brother, elder brother, where are you going?"

The prince said, "Younger sister, I am not going anywhere whatever. I came to beg at your hands the Jeweled Golden Cock which you have got."

To that she replied, "Elder brother, today indeed I am unable to give it. Tomorrow I can. Should my mother come now she will eat you; for that reason come and hide yourself."

Calling him into the house, she put him in a large trunk at the bottom of seven trunks, and shut him up in it.

After a little time had passed, the Rakshasi came back. Having come and seen that the prince's horse was there, she asked her daughter, "Whose is this horse?"

Then the Rakshasi's daughter replied, "Nobody's whatever. It came out of the jungle, and I caught it to ride on."

The Rakshasi having said, "If so, it is good," came in. While lying down to sleep at night, the sweet odor of the prince having reached the Rakshasi, she said to her daughter, "What is this, Bola*? A smell of a fresh human body is coming to me."

Then the Rakshasi's daughter said, "What, mother! Do you say so? You are constantly eating fresh bodies; how can there not be an odor of them?"

After that, the Rakshasi, taking those words for the truth, went to sleep.

At dawn on the following day, as soon as she arose, the Rakshasi went to seek human flesh for food. After she had gone, the Rakshasa-daughter, taking out the prince who was shut up in the box, told that prince a. device on going away with the Jeweled Golden Cock: "Elder brother, if you. are going away with the cock, take some cords and fasten them round my shoulders. Having put them round me, take the cock, and having mounted the horse, go off, making him bound quickly. When you have gone, I shall cry out. Mother comes when I give three calls. After she has come, loosening me will occupy much time; then you will be able to get away."

In the way she said, the Prince tied the Rakshasa-daughter, and taking the Jeweled Golden Cock mounted the horse, and making it bound quickly came away.

As that Rakshasa-daughter said, while she was calling out, the Rakshasi came. Having come, after she looked about (she found that) the Rakshasa-daughter was tied, and the Jeweled Golden Cock had been taken away. After she had asked, "Who was it? Who took it?" the Rakshasa-daughter said, "I don't know who it was." After that, she very quickly unfastened the Rakshasa-daughter, and both of them came running to eat that Prince.

The Prince was unable to go quickly. While going, the Prince turned round, and on looking back saw that this Rakshasi and the Rakshasa-daughter were coming running to eat that Prince.

After that, he cast down the thorn which the above-mentioned king of the third city gave him, having told a thorn fence to be created. A thorn fence was created. Having jumped over it, they came on.

After that, when he had put down the piece of stone which the king of the second city gave him, and told a mountain to be created a mountain was created. They sprang over that mountain also, and came on.

After that, he cast down the charcoal which the king of the first city gave him, having told a fire fence to be created. In that very manner, a fire fence was created. Having come to it, while jumping over it, both of them were burnt and died.

From that place, the prince came along. While coming, he arrived at the Indi tree on which he had threaded the rice, and having taken off it all that dried-up rice, he began to eat it. On coming to the end of it, the person who was like that prince again became a Frog.

After he became a frog, the clothes that he was wearing, and the horse, and the Jeweled Golden Cock vanished. Out of grief on that account, that frog died at that very place.
•••••
Source: H. Parker, Village Folk Tales of Ceylon (1910), v. 1, pp. 59-62.
*"Bola" is a word without any special meaning in English, often used in addressing a person familiarly and somewhat disrespectfully. [footnote by Parker]

[H. Parker, Sri Lanka (Northwestern Province)]

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The Elephant and the Bees

Once a forest fire raged through the forest.
The elephants were terrified.
They did not know which way to go to escape.

Just then a cloud of bees buzzed over their heads.
“Oh Bees! Bees!
Help us escape!
You can fly high in the air and see where the flames are coming.
Tell us which way to go!”

“Bzzzz Bzzzz sure. We’ll help you.”

The bees flew high into the air.
They looked to the east.
FIRE!
They looked to the west.
FIRE!
They looked to the south.
FIRE!
They looked to the north.
Ohhhh. There was a river.
The elephants could be safe there.

“Come on elephants.
We will lead you to safety.
Follow us!”

And they led the way.
“Bzzzzzzzzz”
Up the hill.
“Bzzzzzzzz”
Down the hill.
“Bzzzzzzz”
Right over the river!

“Wade on in elephants!
You will be safe here!”

The elephants waded into the deep water until only the tips of their little noses were showing.
In those days the elephants had short, short noses....like a pig!

Just then the flames came over the hilltop and the smoke began to billow down the hill.

“Oh, HELP! HELP!” buzzed the bees.
“This smoke will kill US!
We saved YOU, elephants.
Now you must save US.
Open your mouths!
Open your mouths and let us come inside so we will be safe from the smoke!”

“What?
Open our mouths?”
But the elephants had to repay the bees.
So they opened their mouths wide.
“Bzzzzzzz.....”
The bees all went inside the elephant’s heads.
The elephants closed their mouths.
Now their heads sounded like “bzzzzzzzzzzz.....” inside!

But they kept their mouths shut to save the bees.
The flames roared down the hill.
When they came to the river the flames JUMPED the river
and roared up the other hill and away.

When the smoke had cleared away the elephants opened their mouths.
“Okay bees! You can come out now.”

“Bzzzzzzz.....never mind.....we LIKE it in here.” Said the bees.
“It is nice and warm and moist and dark.
We are going to stay here and make our honey!”

The elephant’s heads were going “Bzzzzzzzz.....”
They thought they would go crazy!

“Oh my goodness. We HAVE to get those bees out.
What will we do?”

“I know! We can WASH them out!”

“Good idea!”

The elephants each took a BIG mouthful of water and BLEW it out their NOSES!
“Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!”

It didn’t work.

“Try harder, elephants!”

“Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!”

“It isn’t working!
Blow HARDER!

“Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!
Prae Praen!”

“STOP STOP!
Look what is happening to our NOSES!”

Everytime the elephants blew...their noses got a little longer!
Now they were almost touching the ground!

“This isn’t working.
We have to think of something else.

The bees were afraid of smoke.
Maybe we could SMOKE them out.

The elephants built a little smokey fire.
They all leaned over it and each took a deep breath....and HELD it.

It worked!
Those bees couldn’t stand that smoke.
They flew right out of the elephant’s long noses.
But the bees had really liked living inside the elephant’s heads.
So to this day they make their homes inside hollow trees in the forest.
They look for a dark hole shaped just like the inside of an elephant’s head.
They are called Phung Phrong.

And the elephants...
sometimes they feel as if those bees are STILL crawling around inside their heads.
When that happens they just suck up lots of water and squirt it out their noses to WASH OUT ALL THE
BEES!

So if you see an elephant squirting water around, tell him “Don’t worry, Mr. Elephant.
The bees are all gone.
The bees are all gone.”
•••••
Notes on tale: This story is retold from The Elephants and the Bees in Thai Tales: Folktales of Thailand by Supaporn Vathanaprida, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald (Libraries Unlimited, 1994). The story was shaped by the Mahasarakham Storytelling Troupe through repeated tandem tellings, and especially by Prasong Saihong and Dr. Wajuppa Tossa.
•••••
Contributed by
Margaret Read MacDonald

[ Retold from Thai Tales by Supaporn Vathanaprida, Ed. by Margaret Read MacDonald (Libraries Unlimited, 1994). New telling copyright Wajuppa Tossa and Margaret Read MacDonald.]

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