The Car and the Mice - Part Three

The cat was furious that the mice had found a way out. But she disguised her feelings and decided to give the mice one more chance.

The two mice Ambe and Rambe had however seen that the cat was frustrated. The two mice advised the other mice to be ready to run during the evening procession before the cat.

In the evening, when the mice came on a procession, the cat was beyond anger because this time too the two mice had called each other to make sure that all of them had crossed the cat without any incident.

The cat furiously pounced on the mice on seeing this.

But thanks to Ambe and Rambe’s advice, the mice ran from the place immediately.

The  mice were fast and the cat was old and unfortunately the cat could not catch any of the mice.

After that day, the mice realized that the cat was treacherous and did not venture out at all.

The cat meanwhile  died because of starvation, because the mice were very clever.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Car and the Mice - Part Two

The cat’s plan was very simple. Every day, the processing of mice came before her to wish her. They walked away in a line. The cat caught the last mouse in the line and ate that mouse.

So twice every day, the cat ate the last mouse in the line.

With this plan, the cat lived very comfortably for some time.

However among the mice there were two very clever and cunning mice. They were called Rambe and Ambe. 

Within a short time, the two mice realized that the number of mice kept decreasing. The two mice saw that the cat was not hunting any of the mice, but still their numbers decreased.

The two mice were more or sure that the cat was involved in this. 

So they came up with a plan to help them during the procession that they made before the cat.

Ambe would be the last of mice and Rambhe would be the first. They decided to call out for each other randomly while walking in the procession.

So when the next day, Rambhe first before the cat, he wished the cat and then shouted in a shrill voice. “Ambe are you there?”

The last of the mouse - Ambe - shouted back. “I am here.”

The cat was stunned when Ambe and Rambhe kept this up for the entire procession until Rambhe walked away from the cat.

The cat went hungry that time, because of this.

The cat thought about this and  hoped that this was an accident. The cat decided that the next time, she would catch the last fat mouse and make up for this.

Much to the cat’s dismay, the next time, Ambe and Rambe did the same thing again.

This time too the cat went hungry.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Cat and the Mice - Part One

In a huge farm-house, there was a cat and many mice. When the cat had been younger, the cat ate many of the mice and lived very happily. However, as it grew older, the cat found it difficult to chase the mice.

The cat wondered what to do and came upon a plan.

The very next day, the cat called all the mice to assemble and listen to its words. At first the mice all refused to come. But the cat promised the mice that it would not harm the mice when it came there because it just wanted to talk.

The mice finally agreed to this.

When the mice had gathered around the cat cleared its throat. “I have lived in this farm-house all my life and now during my old age, I have realized that I have been wicked. I have fed off your relatives, but now I realize that my way is wrong.”

The mice looked at each other surprised wondering what the cat was going to do when the cat continued. “The reason I have called all of you is that I want to make amends for my ways. I will not hunt any of you anymore.”

The mice were astonished and happy.

The cat nodded at the mice. “But because of my kindness, I wish that every day during the morning and the evening, you come towards me in a line and wish me and then go your way.”

The  mice was thrilled on hearing the words of the cat. They were glad that the cat was not going to hunt them anymore. So they happily agreed to the cat’s conditions.

This was all part of the cat’s plans.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Nine

 

Once, the king smashed the cowrie shell into pieces, each of the pieces changed into an armed man. Prince Baki also appeared among the armed men.

The courtiers in the king's court all ran all over the court.

The armed men were actually demons who were under Prince Baki’s power.

The armed men wanted someone to kill.

Prince Baki pointed at the king. The armed men attacked and killed the king.

After that the armed men disappeared.

The courtiers saw all this and were stunned. They realized that Prince Baki was a powerful magician and fell at Prince Baki’s feet and made Baki their king.

After that Baki married the young woman and lived with her for many years.

Baki’s mother returned to King Bacha and they both decided never to have any trivial disputes and together reigned over the kingdom for a long time.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Eight

Baki was determined to foil the king’s plans. But before that, he came back to his rented place and told the young woman everything that the king had done.

The young woman nodded on hearing Baki. “When I was with the ogre I learnt some magic spells. I think I can help you with it. I have a plan and using that, we can undo the king’s plan.”

Armed with the spell, Baki walked very near the palace where the king lived.

There, using the magic that the young woman had taught him, Baki turned himself into a cowrie shell and lay on a mountain rock.

One of the servants of the palace saw the large cowrie shell and picked it up. “This is a beautiful cowrie shell.”

The servant was shocked out of his wits when the cowrie shell spoke to him. “Yes, I am a very handsome cowrie shell.”

The servant was terrified. “What kind of a shell are you? How can you talk?”

“Not only can I talk,” the cowrie shell replied. “I even know a lot about Prince Baki that the king would not like to hear.”

The servant was shocked and ran to the Prime Minister with the cowrie shell.

The Prime Minister then went to the king and told him all that had happened.

The king brought the cowrie shell and placed it on the table before him. “What are you? And how do you know about Prince Baki?”

The cowrie shell replied immediately. “The only thing I can tell you is that if you try to marry Prince Baki’s mother, things will not turn out right for you.”

The king was furious when he heard this. He had one of his servants bring a huge hammer and using it he smashed the cowrie shell into many pieces.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Seven

The woman continued. “Behind the rock which you came in, there is another rock. Kick on the rock three times and then say ‘Great Raven open the door’. The rock will open into a large cave and in the centre of the cave you will find a red stone. On the red stone you will find a green parrot. If you destroy the parrot then the ogre will be destroyed too.”

Baki followed the instructions of the woman and destroyed the green parrot.

After that he came out of the other cave and he was shocked to find the ogre lying dead in front of the palace where he had seen the beautiful young woman.

The young woman was however overjoyed.

Baki led the young woman out of the kingdom and then the Baki and the young woman went to the king’s kingdom.

However, Baki did not take the young woman directly to the king.

Baki rented a house in the outskirts of the kingdom and asked the young woman to stay there. Baki wanted to change into something rich and then introduce the woman to the king.

After renting the house and placing the woman there, Baki went to the streets and there he learnt something that shocked him.

In Baki’s absence, the king had announced that he was going to marry Baki’s mother.

Baki’s mother had protested telling the king that she was the wife of another man, but the king did not hear it and he decided to marry Baki’s mother.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Six

Even as Baki had hid himself in the pillar, a huge ogre came into the place. The ogre asked the beautiful young woman to bring him food.

After his meals, the ogre played the guitar. 

Strangely, the pillars in the place started dancing to the music played by the ogre.

All except the pillar where Baki had been hidden.

No matter how much guitar the ogre played, that single pillar did not move.

The ogre was furious. He picked up a hammer to destroy that particular pillar.

However the beautiful young woman begged the ogre not to do anything. “The pillar is right in the centre and largest of all of them. Probably, this pillar does not want to dance because it wants to set itself different from the others. I am sure that tomorrow things will go back to normal.”

The ogre grudgingly let the woman convince himself not to harm the pillar.

Soon after the ogre left the palace.

After that Baki came out of the pillar.

“How can one destroy that ogre?” Baki asked the woman immediately.

“There is no use in hurting his body. If you wish to harm him you have to destroy the thing to which the ogre’s spirit is bound to.”

“To what is the ogre’s spirit tied to?” Baki was confused.

“To a special green parrot which the ogre keeps hidden from humans.” The woman told Baki.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Five

The four men chased the white doe. The horses of the three sons of the king tired even as they chased the doe. Baki continued the chase alone.

The doe looked like it was getting exhausted and Baki was sure that he would catch the doe.

That was when something very strange happened. The doe galloped on and touched a rock before it. The rock flew up and the doe walked into the place where the rock had been. That place where the rock hid showed the entrance to a huge cave.

The strangest thing was that once the doe went into the rock, the doe disappeared. In its place was a beautiful young woman.

The brave Baki followed the beautiful woman and he also entered a cave. The rock at the caves came back and the door closed behind.

Baki kept walking and followed the woman before him. 

The two of them came up to a huge and brilliantly lighted building and great glass pillars running down the centre.

The woman sat in the palace and turned to Baki. “Who are you?”

Baki smiled at her and told her about himself.

The woman looked at Baki and she was suddenly troubled. “This palace belongs to a dangerous ogre. The ogre kidnapped me when I was young. I learnt magic here and change myself to any animal for a short duration. I am worried because anytime now, the ogre may propose to make me his wife. I can escape this place only with the help of another human.” The woman looked worried. “Can you help me?”

A second later, the woman looked around and looked even more worried. “The ogre is coming and if he finds you here, he will kill you. So hide here, as the ogre comes back.”

The girl pointed to one of the glass pillars and hid Baki in the cavity of the pillar there.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Four

The queen thanked the magician and followed the words of the magician. 

On the top of the hill, she delivered a child. 

Just as the magician had predicted the child was able to talk and walk immediately on birth. 

The child walked through the jungle and the queen followed the child.

As they walked for some time, they came out of the jungle and came into a huge and powerful kingdom.

It so happened when Baki and the queen emerged into the kingdom, the king of that kingdom and three sons were out for a hunt.

When the king saw Baki, he stopped. He heard the story of Baki and the queen and then took both of them to his palace.

Since that day, the king ordered that Baki should be brought up along with his own sons and the queen was given an apartment in the palace where she could live.

Baki grew up along with the king’s sons and he became more handsome and strong. There reached a point in time when Baki became an expert in all sports and games.

Things were going well, when the king’s sons and Baki went out hunting.

It was at that time that snow-white doe appeared before them.

After that the doe ran into the mountains.

The king’s son and Baki chased after the doe, into the forest.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Three

The king was very happy with the decision of the council of ministers. According to the bet, the queen was placed on a log of wood and set adrift on the nearby river.

The wooden log with the queen waded on and soon the queen found herself far away from her own kingdom.

She reached shallow waters and soon reached the land of the new place. There was very high grass all around this place, making it difficult to see ahead. But soon the queen found a narrow path leading away from the rivers and she kept walking.

In the middle of the dense forest, the queen saw an old man with white beard that almost reached his waist. The old man had a fire going and was cooking food for himself.

When the queen requested some food, the old man immediately handed over the food to her.

After the queen had the meal the old man smiled at her. “I am a magician, my queen and I have to give you some instructions. You must follow these instructions clearly.”

The queen was surprised as the old man continued. “You are about to have a son in a few days.”

The queen was shocked as the old man continued. “You must walk up to the path of a small hill and give birth to your son. The son born to you is not ordinary but will have miraculous qualities. This child is Baki and can walk and talk as soon as he is born.”

The old man smiled at the queen. “You have to follow the child wherever he leads you.”

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part Two

The council of ministers called several farmers and asked them about the wild animals in the place. All the farmers were clear that they had never seen any tiger near the palace, but foxes came there regularly.

The council of ministers came to the conclusion that it was a fox that the King and the Queen had heard.

The council of ministers realized that the king was wrong.

However, an old council member came forward. “Ministers, we have to remember that if we tell the royal couple that the king was wrong, that would bring the next part of the bet. The king would be put on the plank of wood and let afloat on the river.” The council member shook his head. “That would mean that once we give our decision, we would no longer have a king.”

The old council member sighed “Is that what we want? Is that what our kingdom wants?”

The other council members realized the wisdom of the old council member and they realized that they would not mind not having a queen, but they and the kingdom needed a king.

The council members all went back to the king and told them their decision.

“We are sure that it was a tiger that you and the queen heard.” The main council member continued. “King you are right and the queen is wrong.”

Adapted from the Tibetan Folktales

The Story of Bacha and Baki - Part One

 

Once upon a time in the kingdom called Room, there ruled a king whose name was Bacha.

Bacha and his wife, the queen, were happy with each other for some time. However over time, the king and the queen became very quarrelsome and would fight over every single thing.

Soon, it so happened that one night after dinner, from their palace, they heard the howls of the fox on the other side of the river which flowed near their palace.

The king turned to the queen. “I think that is a roaring tiger.”

The queen frowned and shook her head. “That is a fox.”

That simple thing led on to an argument between the royal couple.

Soon it came to a stage that the king decided that he was going to place the entire argument before the council of ministers.

However, there was a caveat. It was decided that if the queen was right, the king was to be sent adrift on a log of wood on the river. However, if the king was right, the same was to be done to the queen.

The queen also agreed to this.

The next day, the king summoned his council of ministers and told them what had happened the previous night. The king also told the ministers of what would happen in case either of the royal couple were to be found wrong.

After telling the ministers all this, the king asked the council of ministers on who among the two of them was right.

Adapted from Tibetan Folktales