Once upon a time the hen and the wild cat were good friends. They used to live together peacefully. One day, they passed through under the raised floor of a certain house where chicken was being cooked. As the house owners were having their meal, they dropped the bones of chicken through the hole of the floor. The wild cat picked up the bones and ate them, they were so tasty. From that time onward, the wild cat wanted to kill the hen and eat her.
One night, the wild cat said to the hen, “In which coop will you sleep tonight?” The hen replied, “I shall sleep in the oval cdoop.” The wild cat searched for the hen at the oval coop that night. But he could not find the hen because the latter slept in the round coop. The next night, the hen told the wild-cat that she would sleep in the round coop. At midnight, the wild cat searched for the hen in the round coop. But the hen slept in the oval coop. On the following night, the hen said that she would sleep in the oval coop. The cat now relised the game of the hen and went straight to the round coop. He found her and ate her up.
After sometime, Artuite came to know the tragic death of his mother. He mastered all his courage and deecided to avenge the death of his mother. He started rolling towards the house of the wild cat. On the way, a group of red ants met him and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” Artuite replied: “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the fencing of the wild cat.” The ants then said, “Wait, we are also following you.” Artuite rolled on followed by a group of ants. After sometime, chicken-drop stopped them and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing,” replied Artuite. “Then I shall join you”, said the chicken-drop. Artuite went on rolling, followed by the ants and the chicken-drop. Before they went too far, Tlaihnat* stopped them and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing,” Replied Artuite. “I am also joining you”, said Tlaihnat. Soon artuite and his party met Mankkhawng** and the latter asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing”, replied Artuite.
Mankhawng said to them, “I am also joining you.” Lastly, a swarm fo bees also followed Artuite and his party. Now, Artuite commanded a very powerful band of warriors and felt quite confident.
When they reached the house of the wild cat, the cat had gone out to look for food. They lost no time to take their positions. Artuite was a good strategist. Each of them took positions at strategic places. Artuitehid himself inside the ash in the hearth, the ants at the mouth of bamboo tube, the chicken-drop at the handle of the broom, Tlaihnat on the wall, Mankhawng at the exit of the door and the swarm of bees under the blanket on the bed.
Soon the wild cat returned hime, weary and tired. As he was so hungry, he made himself to prepare at evening meal. The moment he scratched the ash in the hearth to make fire.Artuite exploded all of a sudden and splashed all over the wild cat’s face. Knowing not what to do, the cat went to get water for wash. Just then a group of red ants at the mouth of the bamboo-tube began to attack him. In order to get rid of the ants, he took the broom on the floor and his fingers were stained with the chicken-drop. To remove the smelly chicken-drop, he wiped his hand on the bamboo-wall and Tlaihnat on the wall cut his fingers. Out of despair, he went up to the bed to hide himself under the blanket. Then, the bees under the blanket began to sting him all over his body. The cat felt so helpless. He thought it would be safe if he could run out of the hosue. As he was trying to go out at the exit of the door, he was immediately trapped under Mankhawng and died. In theis way, the death of the hen was at last avenged. The innocent, when provoked, are no less. Do not provoke the innocent goes the Hmar proverb.
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Source: Prof.(Dr.) Lal Dena,Hmar Folk Tales, Scholar Publishing House, New Delhi, 1995
One night, the wild cat said to the hen, “In which coop will you sleep tonight?” The hen replied, “I shall sleep in the oval cdoop.” The wild cat searched for the hen at the oval coop that night. But he could not find the hen because the latter slept in the round coop. The next night, the hen told the wild-cat that she would sleep in the round coop. At midnight, the wild cat searched for the hen in the round coop. But the hen slept in the oval coop. On the following night, the hen said that she would sleep in the oval coop. The cat now relised the game of the hen and went straight to the round coop. He found her and ate her up.
After sometime, Artuite came to know the tragic death of his mother. He mastered all his courage and deecided to avenge the death of his mother. He started rolling towards the house of the wild cat. On the way, a group of red ants met him and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” Artuite replied: “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the fencing of the wild cat.” The ants then said, “Wait, we are also following you.” Artuite rolled on followed by a group of ants. After sometime, chicken-drop stopped them and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing,” replied Artuite. “Then I shall join you”, said the chicken-drop. Artuite went on rolling, followed by the ants and the chicken-drop. Before they went too far, Tlaihnat* stopped them and asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing,” Replied Artuite. “I am also joining you”, said Tlaihnat. Soon artuite and his party met Mankkhawng** and the latter asked: “Artuite, where are you going?” “To avenge the death of my mother and to destroy the wild cat’s fencing”, replied Artuite.
Mankhawng said to them, “I am also joining you.” Lastly, a swarm fo bees also followed Artuite and his party. Now, Artuite commanded a very powerful band of warriors and felt quite confident.
When they reached the house of the wild cat, the cat had gone out to look for food. They lost no time to take their positions. Artuite was a good strategist. Each of them took positions at strategic places. Artuitehid himself inside the ash in the hearth, the ants at the mouth of bamboo tube, the chicken-drop at the handle of the broom, Tlaihnat on the wall, Mankhawng at the exit of the door and the swarm of bees under the blanket on the bed.
Soon the wild cat returned hime, weary and tired. As he was so hungry, he made himself to prepare at evening meal. The moment he scratched the ash in the hearth to make fire.Artuite exploded all of a sudden and splashed all over the wild cat’s face. Knowing not what to do, the cat went to get water for wash. Just then a group of red ants at the mouth of the bamboo-tube began to attack him. In order to get rid of the ants, he took the broom on the floor and his fingers were stained with the chicken-drop. To remove the smelly chicken-drop, he wiped his hand on the bamboo-wall and Tlaihnat on the wall cut his fingers. Out of despair, he went up to the bed to hide himself under the blanket. Then, the bees under the blanket began to sting him all over his body. The cat felt so helpless. He thought it would be safe if he could run out of the hosue. As he was trying to go out at the exit of the door, he was immediately trapped under Mankhawng and died. In theis way, the death of the hen was at last avenged. The innocent, when provoked, are no less. Do not provoke the innocent goes the Hmar proverb.
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Source: Prof.(Dr.) Lal Dena,Hmar Folk Tales, Scholar Publishing House, New Delhi, 1995
