Mee Amadi Lai

Mi ga Laiga samnarambagi warini.
Mioibana soibadagi laiyamna miobabu lapna enthoklakhibagi warini. Wari asi khanglaba eikhoina aranba amuk toukhigadra? Makhada samlappa wari leijare.
Mi amasung Lai punna leiminnarami. Awatpa amata leitana,aram-khourangba khangdana,awa ana mayoknadana nungaina leiminnarami.
Adugumlaba nungairaba mafamdugi mayai chabukta uhei amakhak panba panbi ama hourami. Palliba uhei adu mi amata chaba yaramde. Laising khaktana yennaduna charami.
Matam kaya houkhraba matungda miwoi anikhak uheidugi maramda watanarami<><>
Mi (1) laiyamsingsi mabuk fatte makhoina uhei amakhak panbasi mioiba amatasu pijade. Uheisi ei mahao khangningi,yamnasu haoramgadaba malli.
Mi(2) hoine eisu khallamlibani, laisingsina eikhoibu namthaduna thaningba malli.Eibani hektuna mahao khangdoksira?
Mi(1) yaine handakisidi eibanni chathoklasi.
Asumna makhoi ani changduna watanaraga amagi marengbanda amana tonglaga heidu lonna heklaga chathoklammi.
Mathang gi numitta hei leiramdabagi warina mafamdugi wari oikhre. Hei pannaba laisingna laiyam gi makokta hei mangkhibagi pao tamle.
Laiyamgi makokki yathang matung enna karamna hei mangkhibano thigatpa houre.laiyamgi wakhaldadi hei asi mioibasingna soidana heklamgani thajei, adubu kanagumba mi amatanasu hei adugi maramda haidoklaktre. Ahoinadum laina chaba oiramgani hairak ee.
Asumna matam kaya changna thirabasu fanglaktabadagi 'wayel kati' paiba mapuna wayenbinaba, heidubu huranba mi/Lai du wayel katina chaptuna mi,Lai khangna wayenbinaba wakat thang gatkhre.
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Mi,Lai suna tilllaba mafam amada wayel kati paiba mapuna magi thouraba kati paiduna aranba touba/ngangba ama hekta chapkadagi ngaikhre. Mising gi ningaidagi laiyamsing hanna wayel katigi mamangda pareng leptuna amamamta oinachangsinkhre. Kanagumba Lai amatasu maral leitabadagi wayel katina chapkhidre.
Mi oibasing amuk pareng pareng leptuna amamamta changduna wayel kati paiba mapuda asumna hairami------"wayel kati pairiba mapu o,nanaigi khut asina laigi mangfadraba hei adubu hek hekpa oiraba nanaigi khut asi khuwaigi mamangda chapthatpiduna cheirak pibiyu. Nanaigi punsina khut yaodana punshi chuppa hingjage." Asumna hainaraga mi kaya mathang mathang changsillakpana maral leitaba mioising wayel katina karisu toukhidre.
Ngasaigi hei huranba anidudi maning ethang thangna leppiboire. Makhoi anigi matang yourakpada-----Mi (1) "wayel kati pairiba mapu o nanaigi khutsina hei dubu hekpa makta oiradi nanaigi khutsi kakpiro" haiduna makhuttu tingthoupada makhuttu wayel katina chapkhidre.
Houjik aroiba mi amakhak ngaire laiyamna khalli------- "aroiba mi si wayel katina chaptuna soidana cheirak fanglani."
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Aroiba mi aduna asumna hairak ee-------Me(2)"wayel kati paibiriba mapu o,nanaigi khutti lairi kbong asina hei adugi makhongda hek changlamlaba khong asi kakpiro" asumna hairakpada laiyamna khalli "ashh nungaiteda khong yaodaba mi ama uragani"adubu wayel katina magi makhongdu kakhidre. Karigi kakte magidi makhongdu heidugi makhongda changkhide Mi(1) gi marengbanda tongduna heidu makhutna hekhibani.
Aroiba midusu hei huranbagi cheirak fangkhidabaduda mi lai pumnamak ngaknare. Kana kana mi/ Lai chithahouba leibra yengbadasu pumnamak sure. Matangsida mi singna asumna hairak ee. "Heidu laina chaba oiramgani" "Laina chakhre" " Laina chakhre".

Hei huranbasu faba fangdre, laiga migasu chinda paodanaduna marei yetnare. Azumna nungaina engna chikna leiramba mafamdu wayetnabana pumnil nille.
Mi amasu laigi chayetnaba hellakpadagi laiyam khundinnaduna waep khara loure. Warepsingdugi matung enna----mioibadagi siba naidaba louthoktuna, aram khourangba, ana ayek kaya faohallaga laisingdagi lapna thamkhiduna makhoina warakpa matamda lai eikhoibu kouduna tengthahansi. Masi natradi lai eikhoi engna leiba fanglaroi.
Asumna warepnakhibadagi mioiba eikhoigi hounik oiriba mawong azi oikhibani hai.
Wari asi chumba lanbana ama oiraga warisida yaoriba mioibagi wakhallon, chatnalonchat, kayasi neinaraga wakhal lousing oibra yengsi asoiba heinabising semdikminnaduna tungi mirolsingbu nungai hounaba sintha pangminnaramsi.

Human Turning into Parrot

Human Turning into Parrot
- Mee na Tenawa Onba -
- Animal Fables-

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

Once upon a time there was a boy named Yukokthong Yaimaba, the grandson of Koubru King. He was not willing to do the duty of man's work and farming so he chose to share his knowledge on business. On the course of his journey, when he reached Kabo valley he stops by a place of a lady named Haoningsang Poudongnu.

As time passes by, Poudongnu gave birth to a daughter. Her father had left home before she was born and never returned home.

On the other side, the daughter of Poudongnu was getting older and older day by day, she was the beau of a sight. Still her father didn't return home. Her mother named her Songri. She raised her daughter by going to each and every houses begging for their basic needs.

As Songri was a grown woman now, she started working in the farms, chopping woods so her mother stopped begging. Daily breads were easily maintained as they started farming.

The Farm land where Songri and her mother were farming was very fertile. The beautiful charms of paddy were giving a hearty looks to every person when they looked at it.

The beauty of the paddy fields were destroyed by many birds and when Poudongnu saw the scene, she told her daughter, ''Dear beloved, go and take care of the farm from the birds today''.

She went to the paddy field with eatables at her mother's command.

She was looking after the field from birds and simultaneously her father Yukokthong who was gone for 14 years for business was passing by the field and they came to meet with each other. He was mesmerized by the beauty of a lady who was standing by. He went to his place and took rest.

When Songri reached home she saw the same guy having traditional tobacco and she hurriedly asked her mother about him. Her mother told her that he is her father who had gone for long years in search of money.

She was ashamed of the truth and told her mother that she will give up her life by jumping in the Ningthi Turel. Her mother didn't know that she was really going to do it and she continued cooking and didn't follow her.

Even after she fed her husband still Songri wasn't home so she decided to look for her daughter. She wasn't able to find her, she asked her friends and still she was unable to seek her, She keeps looking for her child without eating anything all night.

In her dream, her daughter told her that she won't find her again, she had given up her life and now she turned herself to a small fish, if she wanted to see her daughter again she should catch her and cover her with six folded clothes and then she will born alive again.

Poudongnu woke up and as she was told by her daughter, she went to the river and called her daughter, she kept waiting and finally she started catching fish but it was of a different kind whenever she caught one. She let go all of them as she was looking only for her daughter. She kept throwing some small stones off the river, as she cannot find her daughter she returned home weeping in sorrow.

In her next dream, her daughter reminded her that she was in those stones she threw up the river bank, as soon as she heard it she rushed to the spot and found her, she returned home happily wrapping her in her warm clothes. She did as her daughter told her and kept her.

Pudongnu was so curious that she opened it before the time she mentioned. She found her as a bird and now they cannot be together and her daughter told her that she had to fly away to the mountains where birds are supposed to be. She agreed to her faith that they cannot be together and let her daughter free away to sing '' te te'' and they departed that way.

If we do things without thinking, it leads to false claim. Because of her mother's stupidity and doing things without thinking, now Songri was a Parrot and she flew sky high across the mountains and spent her life that way.

"The End"

A Manipur folk tale translated from a Book in Manipuri "Fungawari Singbul" compiled by B. Jayantakumar Sharma.

Prince and the wicked Friend

Prince and the wicked Friend

A long time ago, a Prince and a Minister's son lived together at a palace. They shared a strong friendship. Once the Prince and the Minister's son had to leave the Palace for their education and the duo started walking. As they continued walking they came across a two sided turn of the road "let's part our ways from here; we'll meet here at the same point after one complete year of our education" and both departed from there. After completion of one year of education the Prince and the Minister's son met there at the same point.

While walking in the Jungle on their way back to the Palace the Minister's son said to the Prince, "Mate, it's the right time to show each other in the Jungle what we have learnt." Since both agreed on it the Minister's son displayed his magical power first. The Minister's son lied down on ground, chanted something on his palm and rubbed them on his face. Immediately a golden deer came out of his mouth and after playing for sometimes the deer went inside his mouth where it came out from.

As soon as the Minister's son finished showing his magical power the Prince started showing his talent. The Prince lied down on the ground, rubbed his face after chanting on his palm and a beautiful golden Parrot came out of his mouth and flew off to a branch. At this time the greedy son of Minister thought, "If I disguise to a golden deer and get inside his body I can become the Prince. And later on I'll become King and live happily ever after." Having this thought on mind the Minister's son disguised himself to a golden deer and disappeared inside the Prince's mouth. The Minister's son got up as the Prince and chopped off his own body into seven parts and burnt them with some dry woods.

Looking at the greedy Minister's son's activity the golden Parrot thought,"Eh! Mate, you are so awful. You set your own body on fire because you are jealous of me. Dismay! I have to spend the rest of my life as a wild bird!" With tears on his face the Parrot flew off in the empty sky.

When the Minister's son returned to the palace pretending as the Prince the Minister asked him, "Where is your mate?" "I and my mate parted our ways." Thus the Minister's son lived as the Prince and after the death of the old King the Minister's son became King of its place and lived happily.

On the other hand, the real prince who had transformed to a golden Parrot came across various places and apparently flew inside a Palace. He came near where the Princess was making cloth by Yongkham (A traditional machine to make clothes) and stood on top the leather (Shambal). Looking at the beautiful golden Parrot the Princess fell in love with it.

The Parrot came everyday near the Princess and once she said, "Hey Parrot! I am in love with you. Come and stand at my Yongkham. I'll catch and keep you in a golden cage and own you as mine." The Parrot replied to this, "Dear Princess! If you want to own me you have to promise that you will not sell me off or give me away." The Princess promised him and the Parrot flew and stood at her Yongkham. The Princess caught the Parrot and put him inside a golden cage. Just to look at the gorgeous golden Parrot people from far off visited the Palace.

The Minister's son also heard the news. He was furious; he thought it must be the real Prince who turned into a golden Parrot and was thinking how to get rid of the enemy. He wrote a letter to the King of the place where the Parrot was living, "I want to buy the Parrot how much you'll charge." The King informed his daughter about the letter. The Princess furiously replied a letter. After reading the letter the Minister's son wrote another letter, "If you refuse to give the Parrot to me then be prepared for a war."

The King, father of the Princess who was taking care of the Parrot was very old to fight against anyone. If they fight a war the King will die hence to save her father's live the Princess broke the promise made to the Parrot and gave it away to the Minister's son. The Minister's son carefully brought the Parrot to its Palace and he decided to kill it in front of all the people as a grand event. When the time came, the palace compound was gathered by huge number of crowd.

The Parrot would be taken out for a stroll round the Palace by the King, its Ministers and its slaves and after the stroll the Parrot would be slaughtered to death. Before its death the Parrot, when the King was on a stroll, was crying. Leima, watching the golden Parrot cry, wife of the Minister's son who was once the Prince's wife also started crying.

Looking at the Queen, Leima, the Parrot said, "Dear Leima, I am the real Prince-your dear husband. Once, while returning home after completion of education with my mate, the Minister's son in a Jungle we showed our talents to each other. While I was turning into a golden Parrot the greedy son of the Minister turned into a golden Deer and went inside my body which was lying on the ground and he turned into Prince and now living as a King. He is not the real Prince." Leima and the Parrot discussed what they are supposed to do in front of the people.

When the King returned at the Palace after its stroll, Leima as discussed earlier with the Parrot in front of many people looked at the King and said, "Dear mighty King, you had gone outside to study magical power for one complete year, what all did you learn? Please show us today what you have learnt in front of many people gathered here."

The King resisted for long but finally he had to show. In front of the huge crowd a clean sheet of cloth was laid on the floor. The King lied down on top of the sheet, chanted something on his palm and rubbed them on his face. Then a beautiful golden Deer jumped out the King's mouth and played on the ground. Looking at this wonderful trick of the King people applauded and praised him.

Meanwhile, as discussed earlier Leima opened the golden cage and the Parrot flew off the cage and went inside the body of the King which was lying on the ground. When the golden Deer tried to get inside the King's body he found the body was alive and the golden Deer ran into a Jungle.

The real son of the King told the truth to all the people gathered and he lived as a King of the place happily ever after.

"The End"

** From Manipur folk tale Book called "Fungawari Singbul" by B. Jayantakumar Sharma**.

Eta Thaomei

"Ita Thaomei"
- The Clever Old Woman -

A Popular Manipur Fungga wari (folk tale).............

Once upon a time, there lived an old widow in a village. She lived alone. She worked hard. She used to weave on the loom during daytime and spin at night. In addition to her hard work, she was wise and witty.

One dark night, a thief entered her house silently. The old widow was spinning by the fireside.

There was a thaomei burning nearby.

The thief hid himself in a dark corner. He was waiting for the old woman to fall asleep.

A little later the woman realized that there was someone hiding in the corner behind the thaomei. She was scared but she did not shout.

Instead, she pretended as if she were not aware of the presence of the thief.

She went on spinning.

Clever Old Woman spinning

But she thought of a plan to catch the thief.

Suddenly she called out, "Ita-thaomei! Ita-thaomei!".

Since there was no reply from the thaomei, she went on, "It is strange that you have not replied today. Everyday we talk to each other. What has happened today? Are you not responding because you are feeling sleepy? Or is there a stranger in the house tonight?"

The thief was surprised. The woman talked loudly, "Ita-thaomei, if you don't reply, it means that there is a stranger in the house." thief thought deeply, "A wonderful thing! A thaomei responding to a human call. Perhaps it is not responding tonight because of my presence. I cannot let the woman know of my presence. I will answer her call this time. She will think that every thing is all right."

Soon, the old woman called again, "Ita-thaomei, can you hear me?" The thief replied, "Yes Ita, I can hear you."

The widow felt quite certain now. She knew that she could catch the thief easily.

She asked, "Were you asleep a little while ago?" "Yes, I felt so sleepy; I slept for some time," replied the thief. The widow continued, "As usual, let me tell you a story. Listen to it carefully." "I am listening, please go on," replied the thief.

The old widow began her story:
"Once upon a time, there lived an old woman in a village. She lived alone. One night, while spinning, she fell asleep. In her dream, she saw a thief breaking into her house. Actually a thief had already broken into her house and was trying to steal the utensils in the house.

The old woman woke up and saw it. Immediately, she began to shout, "Thief, thief. There is 'a thief in my house."

The old widow actually kept shouting at the top of her voice. Finally, her neighbours woke up and rushed to her house. The old widow told them of the thief hiding in the corner. The thief who was listening to the story of the old woman was caught by the villagers.

Thus, her wit and wisdom saved her. The villagers thanked the clever widow. She helped them catch the thief so easily.

"The End"

The golden Deer and the golden Parrot

"The golden Deer and the golden Parrot"
---Sanagi Saji amadi Sanagi Tenawa---

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

A long time ago, a Prince and a Minister's son lived together at a palace. They shared a strong friendship. Once the Prince and the Minister's son had to leave the Palace for their education and the duo started walking. As they continued walking they came across a two sided turn of the road "let's part our ways from here; we'll meet here at the same point after one complete year of our education" and both departed from there. After completion of one year of education the Prince and the Minister's son met there at the same point.

While walking in the Jungle on their way back to the Palace the Minister's son said to the Prince, "Mate, it's the right time to show each other in the Jungle what we have learnt." Since both agreed on it the Minister's son displayed his magical power first. The Minister's son lied down on ground, chanted something on his palm and rubbed them on his face. Immediately a golden deer came out of his mouth and after playing for sometimes the deer went inside his mouth where it came out from.

As soon as the Minister's son finished showing his magical power the Prince started showing his talent. The Prince lied down on the ground, rubbed his face after chanting on his palm and a beautiful golden Parrot came out of his mouth and flew off to a branch. At this time the greedy son of Minister thought, "If I disguise to a golden deer and get inside his body I can become the Prince. And later on I'll become King and live happily ever after." Having this thought on mind the Minister's son disguised himself to a golden deer and disappeared inside the Prince's mouth. The Minister's son got up as the Prince and chopped off his own body into seven parts and burnt them with some dry woods.

Looking at the greedy Minister's son's activity the golden Parrot thought,"Eh! Mate, you are so awful. You set your own body on fire because you are jealous of me. Dismay! I have to spend the rest of my life as a wild bird!" With tears on his face the Parrot flew off in the empty sky.

When the Minister's son returned to the palace pretending as the Prince the Minister asked him, "Where is your mate?" "I and my mate parted our ways." Thus the Minister's son lived as the Prince and after the death of the old King the Minister's son became King of its place and lived happily.

On the other hand, the real prince who had transformed to a golden Parrot came across various places and apparently flew inside a Palace. He came near where the Princess was making cloth by Yongkham (A traditional machine to make clothes) and stood on top the leather (Shambal). Looking at the beautiful golden Parrot the Princess fell in love with it.

The Parrot came everyday near the Princess and once she said, "Hey Parrot! I am in love with you. Come and stand at my Yongkham. I'll catch and keep you in a golden cage and own you as mine." The Parrot replied to this, "Dear Princess! If you want to own me you have to promise that you will not sell me off or give me away." The Princess promised him and the Parrot flew and stood at her Yongkham. The Princess caught the Parrot and put him inside a golden cage. Just to look at the gorgeous golden Parrot people from far off visited the Palace.

The Minister's son also heard the news. He was furious; he thought it must be the real Prince who turned into a golden Parrot and was thinking how to get rid of the enemy. He wrote a letter to the King of the place where the Parrot was living, "I want to buy the Parrot how much you'll charge." The King informed his daughter about the letter. The Princess furiously replied a letter. After reading the letter the Minister's son wrote another letter, "If you refuse to give the Parrot to me then be prepared for a war."

The King, father of the Princess who was taking care of the Parrot was very old to fight against anyone. If they fight a war the King will die hence to save her father's live the Princess broke the promise made to the Parrot and gave it away to the Minister's son. The Minister's son carefully brought the Parrot to its Palace and he decided to kill it in front of all the people as a grand event. When the time came, the palace compound was gathered by huge number of crowd.

The Parrot would be taken out for a stroll round the Palace by the King, its Ministers and its slaves and after the stroll the Parrot would be slaughtered to death. Before its death the Parrot, when the King was on a stroll, was crying. Leima, watching the golden Parrot cry, wife of the Minister's son who was once the Prince's wife also started crying.

Looking at the Queen, Leima, the Parrot said, "Dear Leima, I am the real Prince-your dear husband. Once, while returning home after completion of education with my mate, the Minister's son in a Jungle we showed our talents to each other. While I was turning into a golden Parrot the greedy son of the Minister turned into a golden Deer and went inside my body which was lying on the ground and he turned into Prince and now living as a King. He is not the real Prince." Leima and the Parrot discussed what they are supposed to do in front of the people.

When the King returned at the Palace after its stroll, Leima as discussed earlier with the Parrot in front of many people looked at the King and said, "Dear mighty King, you had gone outside to study magical power for one complete year, what all did you learn? Please show us today what you have learnt in front of many people gathered here."

The King resisted for long but finally he had to show. In front of the huge crowd a clean sheet of cloth was laid on the floor. The King lied down on top of the sheet, chanted something on his palm and rubbed them on his face. Then a beautiful golden Deer jumped out the King's mouth and played on the ground. Looking at this wonderful trick of the King people applauded and praised him.

Meanwhile, as discussed earlier Leima opened the golden cage and the Parrot flew off the cage and went inside the body of the King which was lying on the ground. When the golden Deer tried to get inside the King's body he found the body was alive and the golden Deer ran into a Jungle.

The real son of the King told the truth to all the people gathered and he lived as a King of the place happily ever after.

** From Manipur folk tale Book called "Fungawari Singbul" by B. Jayantakumar Sharma

The Python's Promise

"The Python's Promise / Lairen na washak ngakpa"

.........short folk tales of Meitei's.

Once upon a time there used to live a clever fox in a bushes. One day he was walking along a river singing in a very loud voice.

So loud and melodious was his voice that it woke up the Python King of the river.

The Python thought that it was such a good voice and surely he could teach my two kids singing lesson. He was very delighted.

So he came out of the river in search of the singer. After following the voice, he met the old fox.

He said, "You have such an enchanting voice, so I came searching for you. Please tell me where do you stay and what is your name?"

The fox replied, "My name is Kundopa, I stay nearby the river bank."

After a formal introduction, the Python told him his proposal.

The fox couldn't help imagining how tasty the baby python would be, and didn't want to lose the God sent opportunity. Both agreed to the idea of teaching singing lessons to the python babies.

The next morning, the Python King brought the babies to the old fox. As soon as he left, the fox killed the babies and ate them.

After ten days, the Python King came to visit his kids but nobody was there at the fox's place.

He search for a long period of time but couldn't find them so he returned home heartbroken. He wanted to know what had happen to his babies.

For days he searches for the fox and the fox hide from the python. Now he assumes that his babies must have been killed by the fox, so he took a vow to kill the fox the moment he sees him.

One day, the fox came out in search for food as he has not eaten properly for a while. Unfortunately, he met the Python. Seeing the python he ran away.

The python now believes that the fox must have killed his babies, so he ran after the fox to kill him.

As the fox ran, he stumbles and falls but fortunately he fell into a closed natural structure.

The python saw him there but couldn't reach him because he was big.

As he waited for days for the fox to come out, the fox was busing digging a way out.

The fox after finding a way out escapes by fooling the python and the python died out of starvation.

Moral: We should not just trust someone without knowing who they really are.

Sandrembi and Chaisra

"Sandrembi and Chaisra"
- The wicked Step-mother -

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

Once upon a time, there lived two stepsisters called Sandrembi and Chaisra. After the death of their father, they were brought up by their mothers. Chaisra was the lone child of her mother while Sandrembi had a younger brother. Chaisra's mother always thought of harming Sandrembi, her brother and mother. Sandrembi's mother never nurtured any ill feelings for Chaisra and her mother.

One day, the two mothers went fishing. Sandrembi's mother caught a large number of fishes. Chaisra's mother could not catch any fish. Instead she caught a number of snakes and she put all of it in her tungon. The tungon was full of snakes.

As dusk approached, they were tired. They took rest under a fig tree full of ripe fruits. Chaisra's mother climbed the tree and cried, "Sister, open your mouth. I'll throw down ripe figs." Sandrembi's mother opened her mouth. A ripe fruit was dropped.

"Sister, is it good? Close your eyes and open your mouth for more," cried Chaisra's mother again. This time, she took her tungon and poured all the snakes into the mouth of Sandrembi's mother. Immediately, Sandrembi's mother died. Chaisra's mother pushed the dead body into the water and came home alone.

Sandrembi was worried when she saw Chaisra's mother coming back alone. She asked about her mother. "Your mother is still fishing. She didn't want to return with me," was the only reply. As night fell, Sandrembi and her brother felt helpless.

She wept bitterly and went to sleep without eating. Late in the night, her mother came in her dream."Sandrembi, my daughter, I have been murdered by your step mother. I have turned into a turtle. Come and catch mc in the morning. Put me in a pitcher inside the kitchen and keep it there for five days. 1 will turn to my human form."

Sandrembi woke up and cried. At dawn, she went to catch the turtle. She caught many fishes but threw them back to the water. Finally, she caught the turtle. She carefully brought it home. Chaisra's mother was waiting for her. "How much fish did you catch?," she asked. "Mother, my tungon is empty. I couldn't catch any fish today," replied a worried Sandrembi.

"Then go to the kitchen and cook food," ordered the angry woman.

Chaisra saw Sandrembi putting the turtle in the pitcher. She told her mother about it and they hatched a plan. Chaisra started crying for water and her mother told her to drink water from the pitcher in the kitchen. The turtle was discovered. The wicked woman ordered Sandrembi to boil it in water.

A helpless Sandrembi had to obey her wicked step-mother. She started boiling the turtle in a pot. A voice cried, "Oh daughter! the heat has reached my feet." Sandrembi wept and pulled the firewood out. Chaisra"s mother shouted angrily, "Slap this disobedient girl." Chaisra slapped Sandrembi.

Then she started burning the firewood again. The voice kept crying, "Oh daughter! the heat has reached my waist. Now it has reached my chest. It has reached my neck". Finally, the turtle died. Chaisra and her mother ate it greedily. Then, they threw the bones near the house.

At night, Sandremi's mother came in her dream again and said, "My daughter! collect the bones. Wrap them and keep them in a basket for seven days. I will try to change to my human form". The girl did the same. Curiosity and eagerness tempted her. On the sixth day, she opened the basket. As the number of days fell short, a swallow flew out of the basket. The helpless girl wept bitterly.

Time passed. Sandrembi and Chaisra became full-grown girls.One day, they went out to fetch water. Sandrembi's clothes were old and torn while Chaisra wore beautiful new clothes. The king passing by saw them. He fell in love with Sandrembi because her beauty struck his heart.

He came closer and said, "O fair lady, I am thirsty. Please give me some water". Sandrembi was afraid of her cruel step-mother and said, "I am sorry, Sir, please drink water from my sister". The king quietly went away without drinking, Chaisra narrated everything to her mother at home.

Next day, the wicked woman gave the torn clothes to her daughter and she gave Chaisra" s beautiful new clothes to Sandrembi. As they came near the river, the king was waiting for them. Riding on his horse, he came near and said," O fair lady, I am thirsty."

He immediately caught Sandrembi by the waist, pulled her up on his horse and took her to the palace. There they got married and Saridrembi became the queen. The following year, she gave birth to a son.

Chaisra and her mother became very angry. Again they hatched a plot to kill Sandrembi. They came to the palace to invite her for a meal. The king agreed but did not allow her to take their young child.

Sandrembi came for the meal alone. After eating, she found Chaisra wearing her clothes. She said, "Sister, I am getting late. My baby must be crying. Give my clothes back." Chaisra took out the clothes and threw them under the bed. Sandrembi crept under the bed to collect her clothes.

As she came out, Chaisra and her mother poured boiling water over her. She died immediately. Her soul turned into a dove and flew away. Now, Chaisra put on the clothes and went to the palace. The king was surprised to see the ugly woman. He asked, "What happened! why are your eyes sunk, your heels are also cracked?"

"My lord, remembering my departed parents, I wept and my eyes sank. Thinking about my baby, I ran fast. Thus, my heels got cracked," came the reply. The king remained silent.

A few days later, the dove flew in to the garden of the palace. The gardener was cutting grass. The dove started singing:
"O gardener of the King,
Go, tell your queen,
Go, tell your king,
Don't harm my young child,
Sandrembi sitting on a tree Chaisra sitting on the throne O king forgetful of wife
Have you forgotten your real wife?"

The gardener was surprised to see a bird singing in human language. He immediately informed the king, who came out and said, "O dear dove, if you are my beloved Sandrembi, please come and eat the grains from my palm." The dove flew down and ate the grains. The king kept the dove in a small cage. In his dream, Sandrembi appeared and said, "My lord, keep me for seven days. I will change into my human form." The king woke up and hid the cage.

One day, the king went hunting. In his absence Chaisra killed the dove and cooked it. When the king returned, he was furious to find the cage empty. Chaisra said, "My lord, it tried to harm our child. I got angry and killed it. I have cooked it. Please eat it."

The king shouted angrily, "Throw it away immediately." She threw it near the palace. After a few days, a beautiful mango tree started growing on the spot. It grew into a huge tree. It bore only one fruit. The king kept a close eye on the fruit. One day, the gardener plucked it and took it home.

Next morning, the gardener looked for a knife to cut the mango. He could not find a knife. The following day, with knife in hand, he looked for the mango. He couldn't find the mango. Like this, it went on for seven days. On the eighth day, the mango turned into a beautiful woman. She cooked food for the gardener.

When the gardener came home, he was surprised to find delicious food. The woman hid herself in a dark corner. It went on like this for a few days. One day, the gardener decided to find out the mystery. He quietly hid himself near his house. When the beautiful woman came out to prepare food, he rushed in quickly. To his surprise, he found that she was none other than Sandrembi. She told him her sad story. The gardener went to the king and narrated everything. The king sent his men to escort Sandrembi to the palace.

Then, the king ordered Sandrembi and Chaisra to fight a duel in front of the people. Both were given a sword each. The swords were swords of justice. Chaisra first struck at Sandrembi but nothing happened.

The sword did not touch her body. Sandrembi's turn came. She struck at Chaisra. The sword struck Chaisra's body. She died on the spot instantly. Everyone rejoiced. Sandrembi became the queen once again. Thus, the king and the queen lived happily thereafter.