The Human Python

"The Human Python"
- Taibang mee na lairen onba -

A manipuri short Folk tale....................

Once upon a time there lived a father and a son. After seasonal work in the field, they always go to the hills to cut woods from the nearby forest.

One fine day, they went to collect the chopped wood from the forest.

On reaching a perfect spot for cooking lunch, the father started preparing to cook and the son went in to carry out the woods.

The father started making preparation for cooking.

He found a piece of wood nearby to cut the Sareng that they brought while suddenly he with a fearful voice called out his son's name.

The son on hearing his father's voice rush to the spot and was shocked to see his father's position.

Half the body from the knee of his father had turned into a python. The son asked how all of that has happened.

The father replied that as he cut the Sareng into pieces on the wood, his body turns into python, so the son told him to stop cutting the fish.

The father told him that he cannot live as half man and half python forever so he insisted on turning into a full python and started cutting the fish.

The son cried and tried to stop him but in vain.

Now the father has turn into a python lay in front of his son. The son cried a lot and seeks his father's blessing.

The father told his son that now as he has turned into a python, he can no longer be with them but he will return every year to visit him and to guard his land and he was advised to leave out his share of food. Saying this, the father left.

"The End"

Motto: Parents always loves their children. Even though the father had turned into a python, he was willing to guard his son's land visiting him every year.

Art Work - Phurailatpam Banti.
A Manipur folk tale translated from a Book in Manipuri "Fungawari Singbul" compiled by B. Jayantakumar Sharma