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 Five Brothers - Part Four

The fourth brother asked the villagers to increase the fire to increase the warmth of the oil.

The villagers realized the obvious that the man could not be killed by fire either. Water, sword and fire could not harm the man. So the villagers decided to smother the man inside a cream cake. The villagers all contributed money to make the flour and all the other ingredients from a giant cream-cake.

The cake was to be made on the plains outside the city walls.

Meanwhile the man was allowed to visit his mother and bid her farewell. This time the fifth brother came out.

The cake was done and the fifth brother was thrown inside it.

The fifth brother could survive without air and this was not a problem for him at all.

The fifth brother was in the cake till midnight and after that, he came out and returned home where he lived happily with his brothers.

Adapted from Chinese Folktales

The Five Brothers - Part Three

The villagers took the brother back to the judge and told the judge that his sentence could not be carried out.

The judge then held that the man had to be dropped into the sea and drowned to death.

The second brother studied the judge on hearing the sentence. “I have to go and tell my mother that I am now sentenced to be drowned to death.”

This was allowed and the second brother went to his brothers and mother and told them all that had happened.

The third brother who could stretch his legs as much as necessary went in place of the second brother.

The villagers carried the third brother and threw him in the water.

However, there the third brother extended his legs so much that he could touch the bottom of the sea. His face always let his face be above water. The villagers were perplexed and then carried him to deeper ocean and the same thing still happened.

The villagers were perplexed and then went back to the judge telling him that they could not carry out this sentence of the judge either.

The judge held that the man be boiled alive.

On hearing this the third brother asked the judge that he had to meet his mother and tell her the latest means of his execution.

The fourth brother came out and went with the villagers and everyone was ready to carry out the latest sentence.

The fourth brother was lowered into a kettle of boiling oil.

The fourth brother sighed because the oil was not even hot enough for a good warm bath for him.

Adapted from Chinese Folktales

The Five Brothers - Part Two

 

The boys who had accompanied the eldest brother were playing with the strange objects found at the bottom of the ocean. They did not pay heed to the eldest brother who was frantically signalling the boys to come back.

The eldest brother could no longer hold the water in and he let all the water back to where it had belonged.

Unfortunately, all the boys who had accompanied the eldest brother drowned in the water.

The eldest brother came back to the village alone. When the other villagers asked him what had happened to their boys, the eldest brother told them everything.

The villagers were furious and dragged the eldest brother before the magistrate. 

The eldest brother shook his head. “I had not asked the boys to come with me. I had agreed only after their parents forced me. After taking them along, I asked the boys to come ashore, but they refused to listen. That is why all this has happened.”

The magistrate held that the eldest brother was to be decapitated for his actions.

However, before being decapitated, the magistrate allowed the eldest brother to go and visit his mother for one last time.

The eldest brother went home and told his family all that had happened.

The second brother came out this time in place of the first brother.

The second brother knelt with bowed head and the headsman came with the knife and nicked the second brother.

Nothing happened to the second brother.

Better knives were brought, but still nothing happened.

The villagers then wondered what to do.

Adapted from Chinese Folktales

The Five Brothers - Part One

 

Once there lived an old woman who had five sons who looked alike. It was not just that, each of the five brothers had some special characteristics. The first brother could hold the entire ocean of water in his mouth for some time. The second brother’s skin was so hard that even steel could not damage his skin. The third brother could extend his legs as much as he wanted. The fourth brother was immune to fire and the fifth brother could live without breathing air.

The five brothers never told their neighbours about their peculiar characteristics and always maintained it as a secret from outsiders.

The eldest brother who could hold the entire ocean in his mouth supported the entire family by fishing. The eldest brother went to the sea and swallowed the ocean for some time and then brought back plenty of fish. After getting the fish, the eldest brother made sure that the waters in the ocean were back at its place.

Then the eldest brother took the fish back to his home.

The neighbours saw the rich haul that the eldest brother collected every single time and they all wanted the eldest brother to teach their children how to fish.

The eldest brother refused at first. But the neighbours were relentless.

Finally having no choice, the eldest brother took some of the boys from the neighbouring houses to the sea for fishing. 

When the eldest brother reached the sea, the eldest brother gulped the entire water and kept it in his mouth.

After that the eldest brother directed the other people to take the fish from the bottom of what had been the ocean.

Adapted from Chinese Folktales

The Evil One and the Rat - Part Two

However the Spirit of Creation refused after hearing the words of the people. “I will not destroy something that I have created.” The Spirit of Creation thought for some time. “However, I will create something that will help you in this war with the rats.”

So the Spirit of Creation created cats.

The cats waged a war on the rats.

Overtime, the number of rats came down.

The people rejoiced and were happy again.

After this, a wise old man reminded the people of something important. “We should never speak bad about the rats. We should not talk evilly about anything created by the Spirit of Creation. You must remember that the Spirit of Creation punished the Evil One for speaking bad about his creations.”

The people nodded as the old man continued. “Besides everything that is created has some use. Even the rat bit off the tongue of the Evil One.”

Adapted from Japanese Folktales

The Evil One and the Rat - Part One

 

The Spirit of Creation had finished the work and came to see what had been done. There were mountains, rivers, rice fields and beautiful valleys. The trees danced in the wind and beautiful flowers all over.

The Spirit of Creation was very happy.

The Evil One suddenly appeared before the Spirit of Creation. “You do not have to be so happy.” The Evil One sneered. “There are many things that you have created that are neither useful nor beautiful. This thistle is ugly. The bramble is not useful either.” The Evil One studied the Spirit of Creation. “If I had created things, I would have done it much better.”

The Spirit of Creation became very angry on hearing this. From the anger of the Spirit of Creation, a rat was created.

The rat looked huge and fierce.

As soon as the rat had been created, the rat jumped into the mouth of the Evil One and bit off the tongue of the Evil One.

The Evil One screamed in pain. But then the Evil One realized it. If the rats are here, they can torment all of earth.

So the Evil One increased the number of rats until the rats overran the Land of Ainu.

After this the people were very unhappy. The rats carried off their grains and gnawed the huts that people made and also frightened little children. 

So the people went to the Spirit of Creation. “Please take these pests away.”

Adapted from Japanese Folktales