A Human turning Harinongnang
- Taibang Meena Harinongnang Onba -
- Animal Fables-
Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma *
Art Work - Phurailatpam Banti
Animal Fables:
Funga Wari Singbul: Page 46
Mee na Tenawa Onba
Once upon a time there was a man named Haoku Pakhang. His wife left a daughter behind when his daughter was still very young.
He named her daughter Haoshi Namoinu. He was always away from home in the hills, in the fields, and because of his busy schedules she was left alone all the time.
Household chores and family problems were not maintain, nobody to accompany her, and her father married another woman named Lousigam Chanu.
Lousigam Chanu was a typical stepmother, her thoughts were evil. She made Haoshi Namoinu do all the household works by giving orders.
Chopping of woods, collecting vegetables, dishing, cooking, and on top of that she was sent to gather paddies from the field, and to gather many different vegetables, each and every work was forced to be done by her step-daughter. She only gossips going to every neighborhood, and even when she returned home she does the same.
One day, friends of Haoshi Namoinu came to have a feast with her but her stepmother insisted to get the household chores done first, and as she was scared of her arrogant stepmother and also wanted to have feast with her friends, she went in the very first morning to gather all the vegetables and crops from the field. She did manage to carry it back home sweating and tired.
The moment she put down the heavy loads, her stepmother told her to clean rice for cooking.
After hearing the order, Haoshi Namoinu started to get angry and replied in fury that she was very tired after carrying all the heavy loads straight from the farm, and she was not happy with her stepmother’s attitude.
But as soon as she said, her stepmother got furious and started beating her. She finished cooking in the fear of her stepmother.
Instead of praising for her hard work, her stepmother scolded her and beat her with kitchen utensils.
Haosi Namoinu's head was bleeding and she fell on the ground, her stepmother further replied that it was because of her nuisance attitude towards her.
Haosi Namoinu was crying and told her that she was very rude, evil, and didn't know how to love a child, she was better to die and be gone forever.
She said that it is better to turn herself to Harinongnang and hide herself in the trees, in their sounds of 'neng neng'. By saying this, she was turned to Harinongnang and flew towards the farthest hill.
Those people that don't have heart never cares about others. They never show sympathy and love. The poor Haoshi Namoinu cannot take any more hatred of her stepmother; she was at last turned into a Harinongnang.
* This is a Manipur folk tale translated from a Book in Manipuri "Fungawari Singbul" compiled by B. Jayantakumar Sharma. E-pao.net thanks B. Jayantakumar Sharma for giving permission to be reproduced in this website. Translation done by Team e-pao. This was webcasted on July 23, 2012.
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