India : The Story of A Blind Vulture, Some Birds and A Cat

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , Tuesday, 4 May 2010 6:26 am

.Folktale from India.

here was once a hill that sloped down to the banks of a river.

 At the foot of the hill, there grew a tree and in the hollow of this tree, lived a blind old vulture.

 Many other birds lived in the same tree and out of kindness shared their food with the vulture.


In return, he looked after their young whilst they were away.

 One day, a cat came to the foot of the tree with the hope of catching and eating the baby birds.

 But when the little birds saw her coming, they raised an alarm. The blind vulture heard them and shouted, "Who's there?"

 When the cat saw the vulture, she got frightened and said to herself; "Heavens! I am as good as dead. But I must be brave and face danger. I must try to gain his confidence."

 "I….I….I just came to pay my respects, oh wise one," said the cat loudly. "Who are you?" asked the vulture.

 "I am only a poor cat," she replied.

 "Go away or else I'll eat you up," shouted the vulture.

 "Sir, listen to me first," said the cat, "then you can kill me. But do you kill someone just because he belongs to a particular race?"

"All right," said the vulture. "I am willing to listen to you. But tell me why have you come here?"

 "I live nearby on the banks of the river Ganges," said the cat." I don't eat meat. I have a bath everyday in the river and I am doing great penance for my sins.

 When the birds there came to know about this, they told me, "You must learn more about religion from the old vulture who is famous for his knowledge and wisdom." "They all praised you. That is why I have come to pay my respects to you. But what do I see? That you're ready to kill me, a poor cat.

You should treat me as well as a guest ought to be treated. Even if you haven't any food to offer me, at least say something kind to me."

 "But you are a meat-eater and young birds live here. So how can I trust you?" said the old, blind vulture.

 The cat touched the ground and her ears as a mark of her sincerity and said, "I've read all the holy books and learn that's wrong to kill. The entire forest is full of herbs and vegetables. So why should I sin by killing birds?"

 Thus the cat won the confidence of the old blind vulture and the latter allowed her to stay in the hollow of the tree.

 As the days passed, the cunning cat started eating the young birds one by one and the vulture did not know what was happening.

 But the birds saw that their young ones were missing and started looking for them.

 When the cat saw that her game was up, she quietly slipped away.

After a few days, the birds found the bones of their young ones not far away from the tree.

 "Ha!" said the birds, "the blind, old vulture has eaten our dear young children." The birds got together and killed the vulture. As for the cat, once a rascal, always a rascal.

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India : The Story Of a Crow, a Deer and a Jackal

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 6:20 am

.Folktale from India.

In a big forest, there lived a deer and a crow. They were great friends. The deer had grown plump and roamed about the forest without a care in the world.
One day, a jackal caught sight of the plump little deer.
"Hmmm!" said the jackal. "What a tasty dish the tender flesh of this young deer will make for me. Well, to begin with, I'II try to win his confidence."


The jackal thought it over and went across to the deer.
"Hello," he said. "How are things with you?"
"Who are you?" asked the deer.
"I am a jackal and I live in the forest here all by myself. I have no friends. Now that I've met you, I'd like to be your pal and will do anything you say to please you."
"Well, all right then," said the deer.
Afterward, when the sun had set, the two walked to the deer's home.
The deer's friend, the crow, lived nearby on the branch of a tree.
When he saw the jackal, he called out. "Friend deer, who is that you're with?"
"It's a jackal. He wants to be friends with us and so he has come along with me," said the deer.
"Do you think it's wise to make friends so quickly with someone you know nothing about?"Said the crow.
"You don't know what his family is like or what sort of a character he has. How can you invite him to stay with you without knowing all that?"
"C-r-o-w!" shouted the jackal angrily, "When you first met the deer, did you know anything about him, his family or his conduct? Then how is it that you are such great friends today?"
"Oh please, let's not argue," said the deer. "Let's all be friends. You can only know a friend from an enemy by the way he behaves."
"Oh all right," said the crow," as you wish."
And so they all started living together...
In this way, some time went by.
One day, the jackal took the deer aside and said to him, "Friend! In another part of the forest, there's a field full of corn. I'll takes you there and shows it to you."
The jackal took the deer along and showed him the field.
The deer began to go there every day and eat to his heart's content.
When the owner of the field noticed that someone was eating his corn, he set a trap and the deer was caught.
"Oh no! I must now count on my friend He will surely free me from this trap," the deer thought to himself.
Meanwhile, the jackal arrived on the scene and thought to himself, "This is what I have been waiting for. When he is killed by the owner of the field, his flesh will last me many, many days."
When the deer caught sight of the jackal, he shouted, "Oh friend! Please help me out! Only a friend like you can save me from such a dreadful plight!"
"But buddy," said the jackal, "the noose is made of skin, so how can I touch it today, on my day of fasting? Please don't misunderstand me! I will bite it off first thing tomorrow morning!"
At sunset, when the deer had not returned home, the crow got worried. He set out looking for him until he reached the corn field.
Suddenly he spotted him. "Friend deer! What has happened to you?" said the crow in anguish.
"This is what happens when you don't listen to a friend's advice," replied the deer.
And then he told the crow how the jackal had shown the corn field to him to get him trapped.
"Where is this villain?" asked the crow angrily.
"He's hiding somewhere in the vicinity, waiting for an opportunity to kill me for his food," answered the deer.
"I had warned you never to trust strangers but you took no notice!" said the crow.
Then the crow sighed and shouted, "Jackal! Cheat! Rascal! What have you done? How could you trick someone who trusted you?
The crow decided to stay on to keep his friend company.
In the morning, the farmer returned with a stick in his hand.
When the crow saw him coming, he said to the deer, "Quick! Do as I tell you! Lie still without moving and pretend to be dead. When I caw, jump up and run for your life."
The deer lay down motionless on the ground and pretended to be dead.
When the farmer came very close to the deer, his face lit up with joy and said to himself," How nice! The deer is already dead."
Then, he set him free and started picking up the noose. At this moment, the crow signaled to the deer who jumped up and ran away as fast as he could.
The farmer taken by surprise, immediately aimed the stick at the deer but missed him. Instead, it hit the jackal who was hiding close by and killed him on the spot.
The deer learns that it is better to have an open enemy than a false friend.

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India : The Story of An Old Tiger and A Greedy Traveller

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 6:09 am

.Folktale from India.

Once upon a time, there was a tiger who grew so old that he could hardly go about hunting. So he thought of a plan.

One fine morning, he stood in a lake and holding a blade of holy Kusha grass in one paw and a gold bracelet in the other, shouted out, "Here you are, Ladies and Gentlemen! A gold bracelet! Yours for the asking."


A traveler passing by liked the look of the gold bracelet. He stopped and said to himself, "This looks like a piece of good luck.

However, when there is a risk involved, one must play it safe. So I'll be wary."

Then the man said to the tiger, "Where is this gold bracelet?"

The tiger opened his paw and showed it to him.

"But how can I trust you," asked the man, "Knowing that you are a killer?"

"Listen traveler, "said the tiger, "I admit, in my youth, I was wicked and killed many cows and human beings.

My wife and children died because of my evil deeds. Then I consulted a holy man who advised me to give alms.

So now I take a bath and give things for the sake of charity. Besides, I've gone old. My teeth and claws have fallen off. So what have you to fear from me?"

The traveler was taken in by this clever talk and went into the lake, but got struck in the deep mud.

When the tiger saw this, he comforted him. "Oh! Don't worry. I'll help you," he said, and slowly waded towards the traveler and seized him.

As he was being dragged out, onto the bank, the poor man gasped, "Ah! This Villain's talk of holiness completely took me in. A rascal is always a rascal. Like a fool I believed him and now I must pay for it."

Soon after that, the tiger killed the traveler and ate him up.

The traveler should have known that one's nature never changes.

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India : The Story of A Crow, A Hunter, Some Doves and A Mouse

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 5:58 am

.Folktale from India.

On the banks of the river Godavari, stood a huge silk-cotton tree. At night, the birds from all around used to come to this tree and rest there.

Once at dawn, when the moon was setting over western mountains, a crow woke up and saw a hunter coming towards the tree.

He looked like Yama, the God of Death...

When the crow saw him, he was frantic and thought to himself, "This looks grim. I don't like the look of this at all."

Thinking thus, he started following the hunter.

After some time, the hunter stopped and looked around. He took out some grains of rice from his bag, scattered them on the ground and then spread out his net over the grains

When he had done this, he hid himself behind the tree.

Just then, the king of doves with his courtiers was flying around in search of food.

He saw the grains of rice and said to his followers, "How strange! Grains of rice in an uninhabited forest? Let's see what this is all about. I smell a rat!"

But being greedy, the doves didn't listen to their king and flew down to pick up the grains of rice. Whoops! In a trice, they were all caught in the net.

A terrific commotion broke out amongst the trapped doves.

Then the king cried out, "Friends, we are in great danger. Unless we pull ourselves together immediately and think of a way to get out, there's no doubt that we shall all be dead.

Now I propose that we all catch hold of the net at the same time and fly upwards together."

The birds agreed. They caught hold of the net and together flew away with it. When the hunter saw this, he was spellbound and didn't know what to do.

But he soon came to himself and began to run after them, thinking, "These birds have managed the escape because they are united. But when they come down, I'll have them in my power!"

However, the doves flew very fast and were soon out of sight. They then asked their king," What shall we do now?"

"I have a very dear friend," he said, "a mouse who lives on the banks of the river Godavari. We'll go to him. I know he will find a way to free us!"

So, they all flew to the place where the mouse lived. When the mouse saw the birds flying down towards him, he got frightened and ran inside his hole at the root of a tree.

But the king of doves called out, "My friend! Don't you know me? Come and set us free."

When the mouse heard this, he recognized his friend's voice and came out quickly. The king of doves told him all that had happened and the mouse immediately started nibbling at the strings of the net and set the birds free.

The crow, which had flown along and had been watching this from a nearby tree, was full of admiration for their friendship and said to himself, "Well, it's true what they say, a friend in need is a friend indeed".

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"Told in India"

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , Wednesday, 28 April 2010 10:31 am

.Folktale from India.

The Valiant Chattee-Maker--an ordinary man captures a tiger and makes a fortune; Little Jackals and the Lion--the lesson is, cleverness can be more powerful than strength; The Cat and the Parrot--the lesson is, one cannot eat all one sees; The Blind Man, The Deaf Man, and the Donkey--friends defeat a demon and give each other a great gift; The Alligator and the Jackal--the lesson learned, it is difficult to find a meal through trickery; Sir Buzz--a tiny impudent man helps a soldier's son and his beloved; The Tiger, The Brahman and the Jack--a man is saved from death by a clever act; and The Banyan Deer--an act of mercy earns a beautiful creature his life.
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Folktale from India : Cherry Tree

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 10:29 am

Cherry Tree


Rakhi at the age of six buys cherries from the local bazaar and marvels at the color and taste since there are few fruit trees in the Himalayan foothills. Her grandfather, Rakhi, suggests that she plant one seed in the corner of the garden and watch it grow. Time passes and the little plant endures being nibbled by a goat and a catepillar, is run over by a runaway cart, and experiences the cold winters and the heavy spring rains. Through it all the tree grows as well as Rakhi. Years pass before the cherry seed grows into a tree that produces fruit. Rakhi whisfully remarks, "How it changed!" and Grandfathers responds with "Just like you."

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India : The People Who Hugged the Tree

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 10:26 am

The People Who Hugged the Tree




Amrita Devi, centuries ago inspired an entire community to protect their trees. Amrita lived in a mud village on the edge of a forest and each day she ran to her favorite tree and threw her arms around it. She knew the importance of trees in her life; they provided shade from the desert sun, buffered them from great desert storms, and helped them find sources of water. She grew up loving this particular tree, often daydreaming while sitting in its shade, and after she married she continued to visit this tree with her family. One day the mighty Maharajah sent his soldiers into the forests to cut trees for his new fortress. When Amrita heard the soldiers in the forrest she ran to them begging them not to cut down the trees. To no avail! Soon the sound of crashing trees could be heard. Amrita saw her own tree come crashing down! She kneeled and hugged the dying tree. The people of the village heard the soldiers chopping away at the trees and they ran from their homes to the forest and stood by the trees forcing the soldiers to leave in disgust. Word was sent to the Maharajah; he was furious! He gathered his entourage and headed for the village where he met the villagers gathered at the well. He demanded that the soldiers again begin to cut down the trees. The people begged the Maharajah to leave the trees, but their pleas were ignored. The people ran to hug the trees as the soldiers began to chop again. Suddenly a storm came whipping across the desert in its fullest force. After the storm passed the Maharajah saw the damage that had been done to the houses and the fields. Now he understood the importance of the trees to the villagers. He told the villagers he admired their courage and promised them that their trees would not be cut. The villagers rejoiced. The place of Amrita's tree became a special place so the people would never forget the tree's sacrifice. Some believe that even today Amrita comes to visit the spot of her special tree.
*The Indian government named the first National environment Memorial for the village of Rajasthani.

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India : The People Who Hugged the Tree

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 10:26 am

The People Who Hugged the Tree


Amrita Devi, centuries ago inspired an entire community to protect their trees. Amrita lived in a mud village on the edge of a forest and each day she ran to her favorite tree and threw her arms around it. She knew the importance of trees in her life; they provided shade from the desert sun, buffered them from great desert storms, and helped them find sources of water. She grew up loving this particular tree, often daydreaming while sitting in its shade, and after she married she continued to visit this tree with her family. One day the mighty Maharajah sent his soldiers into the forests to cut trees for his new fortress. When Amrita heard the soldiers in the forrest she ran to them begging them not to cut down the trees. To no avail! Soon the sound of crashing trees could be heard. Amrita saw her own tree come crashing down! She kneeled and hugged the dying tree. The people of the village heard the soldiers chopping away at the trees and they ran from their homes to the forest and stood by the trees forcing the soldiers to leave in disgust. Word was sent to the Maharajah; he was furious! He gathered his entourage and headed for the village where he met the villagers gathered at the well. He demanded that the soldiers again begin to cut down the trees. The people begged the Maharajah to leave the trees, but their pleas were ignored. The people ran to hug the trees as the soldiers began to chop again. Suddenly a storm came whipping across the desert in its fullest force. After the storm passed the Maharajah saw the damage that had been done to the houses and the fields. Now he understood the importance of the trees to the villagers. He told the villagers he admired their courage and promised them that their trees would not be cut. The villagers rejoiced. The place of Amrita's tree became a special place so the people would never forget the tree's sacrifice. Some believe that even today Amrita comes to visit the spot of her special tree.

*The Indian government named the first National environment Memorial for the village of Rajasthani.

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China : The Magic Boat

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 10:07 am

The Magic Boat




A little boy named Chang, a name which means honest, lived with his mother and white cat. He spent each day cutting firewood for his mother. One day he saw an old man fall from a single log bridge into the river. Chang rushed to save the old man. The old man was impressed with Chang's courage and selflessness and gave him a small dragon boat. When the old man said, "Grow bigger! Grow bigger! May you brave the wind and water!" the boat turned into a large vessel . When he said, "Grow smaller! Grow smaller! May you be a toy again!" the boat became a toy again. The old man left Chang with the toy boat and told him that if he ever needed help he was to call to the east, "Grandfather! Grandfather!" The old man disappeared. Soon the rains came. It rained for ten days and ten nights. The water began to rise. Chang brought out his boat and speaking the magic words turned it into a mighty vessel that he, his mother, and cat boarded. As they sailed on the rising sea they spied an ant, a bee, and a crane that were drowning. They rescued each of them and once a board the boat they began to help row and steer the boat. They spied a man struggling in the water and rescued him. His name was Ying, which means tricky. Once aboard the boat he refused to help. He stretched out on the deck and gave orders to the others. Once the rain stopped and the water receded, Chang returned to his village, and saying the magic words changed the boat into a toy. Ying saw this and wanted this magic boat. Chang set about rebuilding his house that had been destroyed in the flood. His mother, the cat and the other animals they rescued helped Chang. Ying did nothing but give orders. One day he suggested that Chang give him the magic boat so he could take it to the Emperor who would give a lot of money for the boat. This money could be used to rebuild the house. Being a trusting person Chang gave the magic boat to Ying. Time passed and Ying had not returned. Chang went in search of Ying and the boat. He searched for days. One day he heard a large procession coming and the announcement that the Prime Minister was approaching. The Prime Minister was none other than Ying. Chang was furious at Ying for stealing his boat, and Ying was fearful of Chang, knowing he had cheated him. He had Chang arrested. When Chang did not return home the animals went searching for him. They found him hungry, dirty, and bruised. They returned home with hime and restored him to health. They decided to return to the Emperor and tell them their story. But first they had to find a way to enter the palace. Word was that the Emperor's daughter was ill and any one who could cure her would be given one wish. Chang disguised himself as a doctor and went to the palace. Chang was taken before the Emperor. Seated next to him was Ying who recognized Chang and wanted him arrested. The Emperor anxious to find a cure for his daughter decided to allow Chang an opportunity to cure her. Chang pulled out his little red bag of magic medicine and cured her. The Emperor very happy and gave Chang one wish. His wish was for the return of his magic boat. The Emperor was reluctant. Ying and the Emperor decided to trick Chang. If Chang could select the Princess from her seven maids when they were all disguised then he could have the boat. The Princess and her maidens were brought before Chang. The queen bee buzzed around the head of the Princess so he made the right selection. The Emperor again refused to give him the boat. The Emperor told Chang that he had to prove to him that the boat was his. Chang remembered the words of the old man and called to the east, "Grandfather! Grandfather!" The old man appeared riding a golden phoenix and told the Emperor that he had given the boat to Chang. The Emperor and Ying refused again. The animals began to chant, "Turn Ying into an old gray wolf and the Emperor into a big wild pig." And the old man did! Chang retrieved his boat and returned home with his friends. He used the boat to help other in times of need and to bring joy in times of peace.

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China : Lon Po Po

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:45 am

Lon Po Po






A woman lived with her three children, Shang. Tao, and Paotze, in the country. One day she left to visit their grandmother leaving the three children alone. She would not be returning until the next day. The old wolf had been watching the house and saw the mother leave. He went to the door, knocked two times and told the children that he was their grandmother, their Po Po, coming to visit them. The wolf tricked the children into letting him inside the house and into their bed. They questioned his low voice, his foot with a bush on it, his hands with thorns on them. The eldest child recognized the wolf and devised a plan to get him. They ran from the house and climbed the nearby gingko tree. They convinced the wolf to tie a rope to a basket, climb into a basket, and throw the rope up to them so they could pull him up the tree and he could sample the ginko nuts. As they pulled the wolf up the tree they let go of the ropes so that he fell to the ground. They did this several times until he was finally dead and no longer a threat to them. The children climbed down the tree and ran into the house where they waited until their mother returned. The next day she arrived from the real Po Po's house with baskets of food.

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China : Lon Po Po

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:45 am

Lon Po Po



A woman lived with her three children, Shang. Tao, and Paotze, in the country. One day she left to visit their grandmother leaving the three children alone. She would not be returning until the next day. The old wolf had been watching the house and saw the mother leave. He went to the door, knocked two times and told the children that he was their grandmother, their Po Po, coming to visit them. The wolf tricked the children into letting him inside the house and into their bed. They questioned his low voice, his foot with a bush on it, his hands with thorns on them. The eldest child recognized the wolf and devised a plan to get him. They ran from the house and climbed the nearby gingko tree. They convinced the wolf to tie a rope to a basket, climb into a basket, and throw the rope up to them so they could pull him up the tree and he could sample the ginko nuts. As they pulled the wolf up the tree they let go of the ropes so that he fell to the ground. They did this several times until he was finally dead and no longer a threat to them. The children climbed down the tree and ran into the house where they waited until their mother returned. The next day she arrived from the real Po Po's house with baskets of food.

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China : The Journey of Meng

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:31 am

The Journey of Meng

Meng Jiangnu's husband Wan, a scholar, was taken from their home and carried away to help with the building of the Great Wall. Meng, saddened by the loss of her husband, waited for news of him. Much time passed without hearing of his whereabouts. One night in her sleep he came to her and told her he was freezing to death. She awoke and made the decision to travel to the area where she thought he was working and take him clothes she had made for him. During her journey she almost froze to death in a snow storm. A crow flew down next to her as she slept in the snow, and upon her awakening showed her how to flap her wings so she could join the crows and fly to her destination. Upon her arrival at the Great Wall she learned that her husband had died. She learned that he had been buried with many other workers in a section of the Great Wall. She searched the wall but couldn't locate his body. Anger arose from within her and poured out of her causing lightning to split the sky and rain to pour from the heavens washing away whole sections of the Great Wall. As the bones of the workers swirled about Meng pricked her finger and asked that her blood penetrate the bones of her husband, Wan. She located his bones and wrapped them in the clothes she had brought for him. The cruel Emperor, Qin shi Huangdi, was furious with her but taken with her beauty. The Emperor gave her a choice of coming with him or being beheaded. Meng responded by asking for three wishes: to have her husband buried in the style of a prince, to have the kingdom mourn him for 49 days, and give him a public funeral. The Emperor granted her the three wishes. After Wan's funeral she thanked the Emperor ...and then threw herself into the sea for she could not stand the thoughts of being with the Emperor. The Emperor commanded that her body be drug from the sea, cut into pieces, and her bones ground into dust. As they threw her dust into the sea thousands of little silvery fish filled the waters. So today if you visit the Great Wall next to the Eastern Sea you and others in China will remember the story of Meng and Wan.

Rappaport's telling of the story and the beautiful watercolor pictures by Yang Ming-Yi make this tale one that will touch your heart.

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China : The Magic Tapestry

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:20 am

The Magic Tapestry



This is the story of a poor widowed woman who had a special gift for weaving beautiful tapestries. Her three sons supported the family by cutting wood while she spent all her time weaving a beautiful tapestry with flowing streams, fish, animals and flowers. Her work on the tapestry was finished at the end of three years. One day as the sons were arguing about the tapestry a gust of wind carried it out the window and off into the eastern sky. One by one the three sons journeyed to retrieve the tapestry. At a mountain pass each son had to choose between completing 4 difficult tasks or taking a box of jewels. The first two sons took the jewels and went off to the city. The youngest son completed the dangerous tasks and was whisked to a palace at the top of Sun Mountain. There he found three fairies weaving copies of his mother's tapestry that hung from the wall. He stayed the night and woke to find the fairies gone and the tapestry rolled up next to him. Soon he started for home, again completing the 4 difficult tasks, carrying the tapestry and thinking of one particular beautiful fairy. His mother was overjoyed at seeing him and the tapestry. As he rolled it out on the grass it surrounded them and became their environment. At that moment the animals and flowers came to life and the beautiful fairy he desired stepped out of the tapestry. And you know the rest.....the young couple became man and wife.

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China : Two of Everything

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:15 am


Two of Everything


Old Mr. Haktak found a large brass pot while digging in his garden. He drug the pot home to show Mrs. Haktak. They are excited over finding this brass pot for they are poor and have few worldly possessions. Before returning home with the newly found pot Mr. Haktak had placed his purse with their last 5 gold coins in the pot so as not to drop it on the way home. When he arrived Mrs. Haktak leaned into the pot to take a closer look and dropped one of her hair pins. As she reached for it she found another pin and two purses with 5 gold coins in each.They then began to drop items into the pot and soon had two of everything. One day Mrs. Haktak leaned too far into the pot and on pulling her out by her legs, Mr. Haktak found that he had two Mrs. Haktaks. This presented a problem. In his excitement he fell back into the pot and soon there was a second Mr. Haktak. The two new Haktaks became man and wife and friends with the original Haktaks. Soon the two couples built identical houses next to each other with identical teapots, rice bowls, embroideries, and bamboo furniture.

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China : Mr.Chang and the Yellow Robe

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:13 am

Mr.Chang and the Yellow Robe



Each day Mr. Chang went about his business dressed in his plain colored clothes, black hat and black shoes. One day he decided he was tired of looking like everyone else and wanted to dress in bright beautiful colors. While on the street the governor, Mr. Mo, passed by in his sedan chair. He was wearing a bright beautiful golden robe, and all the towns' people stopped to bow to him. Mr. Mo held his head high and ignored them. Mr. Chang loved the yellow robe and was impressed by the governor's importance. He went to the tailor and asked for a mandarin's yellow robe for himself. The tailor was shocked at such a request for only the most important people were allowed to wear such a robe. Mr. Chang insisted. The tailor happened to have one in a trunk and sold it to Mr. Chang, but again warned him not to wear it in public. Each day Mr. Chang would arrive home, put on his golden robe, look at himself in the mirror and feel important. When he went out he put his plain clothes over the golden robe to conceal it. He soon took on a haughty air, not speaking or looking at his neighbors, just walking alone with his head held high. One day as he was resting on a river bank wearing his golden robe he heard the screams of two little girls. They had been playing badminton and their shuttlecock was in the river. Mr. Chang jumped up to help them. They saw his golden robe and told him not to bother for he was too important to help with such a small task. Mr. Chang ignored the comments of the little girls and retrieved their shuttlecock. After returning the shuttlecock to the girls he hurried away to cover his golden robe. As he was returning home a dog grabbed the hem of his plain clothes exposing his yellow robe hidden underneath. The people saw this, had him arrested and taken before Mr. Mo. The governor was furious at Mr. Chang for wearing the golden robe and wanted to punish him. The two little girls Mr. Chang had helped were hiding behind a pillar and heard their father speaking in harsh tones to Mr. Chang. They rushed to Mr. Chang's rescue. The girls told their father how Mr. Chang had helped them. Mr. Mo was grateful and invited Mr. Chang to the palace the next night for a fireworks display. He would be permitted to wear the golden robe for one night. Mr. Chang did not go to the palace but stayed home wearing his plain clothes. After the fireworks he gazed at the stars and decided that he was like them, "not as bright as the sun or moon but special just like each of the stars."

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Folktale From China : Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 9:06 am


Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story


During the time of the Ch'in and Han dynasties, a cave chief named Wu married two wives and each gave birth to baby girls. Before long Chief Wu and one wife died leaving one baby, Yeh-Shen, to be reared by her stepmother. The stepmother didn't like Yeh-Shen for she was more beautiful and kinder than her own daughter so she treated her poorly. Yeh-Shen was given the worse jobs and the only friend she had was a beautiful fish with big golden eyes . Each day the fish came out of the water onto the bank to be fed by Yeh-Shen. Now Yen-Shen had little food for herself but she was willing to share with the fish. Her stepmother hearing about the fish disguised herself as Yen-Shen and enticed the fish from the water. She stabbed it with a dagger, and cooked the fish for dinner. Yeh-Shen was distraught when she learned of the fish's death. As she sat crying she heard a voice and looked up to see a wise old man wearing the coarsest of clothes and with hair hanging down over his shoulders. He told her that the bones of the fish were filled with a powerful spirit, and that when she was in serious need she was to kneel before the bones and tell them of her heart's desires. She was warned not to waste their gifts. Yeh-Shen retrieved the bones from the trash heap and hid them in a safe place. Time passed and the spring festival was nearing. This was a time when the young people gathered in the village to meet one another and to find husbands and wives. Yen-Shen longed to go to the festival but her stepmother wouldn't allow it because she feared that someone would pick Yeh-Shen rather than her own daughter. The stepmother and the daughter left for the festival leaving Yeh-Shen behind. Yeh-Shen wanting desperately to go asked the bones for clothes to wear to the festival. Suddenly she was wearing a beautiful gown of azure blue with a cloak of kingfisher feathers draped around her shoulders. On her feet were beautiful slippers.They were woven of golden threads in a pattern of a scaled fish and the soles were made of solid gold. When she walked she felt lighter than air. She was warned not to lose the slippers. Yeh-Shen arrived at the festival and soon all were looking her way. The daughter and step-mother moved closer to her for they seemed to recognize this beautiful person. Seeing that she would be found out, Yeh-Shen dashed out of the village leaving behind one of the golden slippers. When she arrived home she was dressed again in her rags. She spoke again to the bones, but they were now silent. Saddened she put the one golden slipper in her bedstraw. After a time a merchant found the lost slipper, and seeing the value in the golden slipper sold it to a merchant who gave it to the king of the island kingdom of T'o Han. Now the king wanted to find the owner of this tiny beautiful slipper. He sent his people to search the kingdom but no ones foot would fit in the tiny golden slipper. He had the slipper placed on display in a pavilion on the side of the road where the slipper had been found with an announcement that the shoe was to be returned to the owner. The king's men waited out of site. All the women came to try on the shoe. One dark night Yeh-Shen slipped quietly across the pavilion, took the tiny golden slipper and turned to leave, but the king's men rushed out and arrested her. She was taken to the king who was furious for he couldn't believe that any one in rags could possibly own a golden slipper. As he looked closer at her face he was struck by her beauty and he noticed she had the tiniest feet. The king and his men returned home with her where she produced the other slipper. As she slipped on the two slippers her rags turned into the beautiful gown and cloak she had worn to the festival. The king realized that she was the one for him. They married and lived happily ever after. However, the stepmother and daughter were never allowed to visit Yeh-Shen and were forced to continue to live in their cave until the day they were crushed to death in a shower of flying stones.

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The definition of Folktale (Pengertian Folktale)

Posted by dea.diar.rensy.auL , , 8:09 am


In this part, we will explain you about the definitions of folktale from many sites around the world.
Pada bagian ini, kami akan menjelaskan kepada anda definisi - definisi atau pengertian - pengertian Folktale dari berbagai situs di seluruh dunia - dalam bahasa Inggris.

# a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

# 1. Folklore culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions (including oral traditions) of that culture, subculture, or group.
2. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folktale

# A tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/folktale


# folk tale - Alternative spelling of folktale
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/folk_tale

# a traditional tale.
www.louisianavoices.org/edu_glossary.html

# A story originating in oral tradition. Folktales fall into a variety of categories, including legends, ghost stories, fairy tales, Fables, and ...
www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/glossary/glossary_fh.htm

# folk tale - An account, legend, or story that is passed along orally from generation to generation. Folk talks are of unknown authorship.
library.thinkquest.org/23846/library/terms/index.html

# a narrative form, as an epic, legend, myth, fable, etc., that is or had been retold within culture for generations and is well known through repeated storytelling, as an Anansi tale.
www.nde.state.ne.us/READ/FRAMEWORK/glossary/general_f-j.html

# a simple, timeless story that deals with the customs,traditions, and beliefs of ordinary people.
www.daffodil.ca/english/glossary_of_literary_terms_dir/glossary_of_literary_terms_3.html

# folk tale - A traditional story with a moral or lesson handed down by people of a region from one generation to the next
www.thinkport.org/5d8dadfd-d99a-4295-88ce-ca8a39e449ff.asset

# folk tale - A short narrative passed down to generations through the oral tradition.
mrmacconnell.com/Documents/GuidetoLiteraryterms(new).doc

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