The golden Deer and the golden Parrot
Sanagi Saji amadi Sanagi Tenawa
Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma

Translation by Nganthoi Lourembam *

An illustration of Folk tale 'Sanagi Saji amadi Sanagi Tenawa' by Nganthoi Lourembam

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