Arakan Library - Folk Tales Of Arakan.

Arakan: - One Who Preserves and Takes Care of Their Own Nationality.

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Arakan Library was founded by a group of Arakan Action Association (AAA) in exile in Thailand from Burma in 2007 doing to voice for the knowledge, the people democratic and human rights.

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Folk Tales Of Arakan.

IV. Ngan-daw-shay Wathtu or The Story of the Hamadryad

J.B.R.S Vol. XIII, Part 3. 1923

Long, long age there lived a window whose worldly possessions consisted of three beautiful daughters. Although she was very very poor she would not permit any of her daughters to do any form of manual labour, for she considered it far too rough for the girls who were in every way suited to become the brides of grandees and princes. So allowing them to idle away their time at home, the woman used to set out alone everyday, either firewood in the forest or to catch fish in the river. Life was indeed hard for her, but she felt it not. For her sole care was to promote the comfort and happiness of her daughters in whose high destiny she had the utmost confidence.

One day she took down her wicker basket to the river to catch fish. After several hours of patient toil she did not succeed in catching any. But on the last attempt, instead of a fish, a hamadryad entered the basket. She cursed her had luck and the snake at the same time. So intending to kill the reptile later on she carried it home. When she got there placed the basket in a corner and went about her other business. Meanwhile the snake silently slid out of the basket and got into a large earthen jar of condiment. When the woman returned to the basket later on she could not find the snake and thinking it had left the house she dismissed it altogether from her thoughts.

Some days afterwards the woman went up to the jars with the object of taking out some condiment, and as she dipped her hand into it, the snake coiled itself so tightly round the hand that she could not pull it out again. So in her extreme fear and pain she thus spoke to the snake:

Worthy snake, if you desire

To wed my eldest daughter,

Loosen your coils!

In reply the snake tightened its coils more than before. Again she spoke:

Worthy snake, if you desire

To wed my younger daughter,

Loosen your coils!

In reply the tightness all the more. Then for the third time she said:

Worthy snake, if you desire

To wed my youngest daughter,

Loosen your coils!

Immediately after this the coils fell off and she was free. Night having set in, the good woman prepared a room and told her youngest daughter to sleep in it with the snake who, from that time forward, should be looked upon as her legitimate husband. So the poor girl entered the bridal chamber in fear and trembling, and awaited the coming on her reptilian husband with resignation. After a little while she saw him gliding into the room; but to her great joy and astonishment she saw that as soon as she neared her bed the snaky skin peeled off from his body, transforming him into a marvelous handsome youth. Now, as a matter of facts, he was no snake at all, but was in reality a very powerful nat who went disguised as a snake. Every night in the privacy of his own room he became a young man, though form early morning till the following night he roamed about the house as a snake.

Meanwhile the girl appeared to be perfectly satisfied and happy with her nat. She neither complained nor uttered a word of protest. Her elder sisters wondered a great deal as to how she could possibly put up with a husband who was a loathsome, slimly reptile. Unable, therefore, to restrain their curiosity any longer, they one day asked the girl the cause of her apparent happiness. “You think,” she answered, “that my husband is a snake. You are quite mistaken. When he is with me in the night he is a very handsome youth. I love him very much, and as he loves, me in return I am very very happen indeed.” The eldest then said, “My dear sister, if such be the case you are really most fortunate. Would it not be better for you and all of us as well, if he remained a human being the whole time? If you will faithfully carry out my instructions your husband need never be a reptile again. He will always be a handsome youth to be loved, honoured and obey. So follow me closely. To-night when he was cast off his skin you must suddenly roll about the bed with a bad stomach-ache. The uttering deep groans you must ask him to make up a fire in the room. And when you have succeeded in sending him out of the room on some excuse you must quickly get out of bed and throw the cast-off skin into the fire. If you act as I tell you, you will secure a husband to be proud of always.”

The time for action having arrived, the girl carried out her instructions faithfully. She had the fire made up and then on same excuse she asked her husband to leave the room. As soon as he was well away she quickly threw the discarded skin into the fire and destroyed it completely. No sooner had she done this than her husband ran into the room, breathing heavily. At the same time he kept on repeating these words, “Oh I am burning, I am burning,” and rolled about in bed in great agony. But as soon as the fire subsided his pain ceased altogether. His wife then told him what she did with the snake skin and the reasons which actuated her to it. For his part, though he had suffered great pain, he was extremely glad at all that had happened, both for the sake of his wife as well as for the sake of her relatives.

Finding himself now an all-time human being so to speak, he began to think a great deal about his future home and family. He determined to move out of his mother-in-law’s house as soon as possible. So, being a nat, he caused a beautiful palace to be built in the course of a single night. He then fitted it up with all sorts of provisions so as to last for several months. When these were complete he told his wife that he was setting out on a long voyage to distant lands for purposes of trade. She was requested to occupy the house and never to leave it for a moment during his absence, lest some harm should befall her and the child to be born a few months hence. All the necessary arrangements being made, he set sail on a great ship filled with merchandise.

Meanwhile her good fortune aroused the envy of her sisters who, from the day she occupied the palace, thought of nothing else but how to accomplish her ruin and then occupy her position. So one day they went to her and said, “Dear sister, we are going to the river to catch fish. It will be a good thing for you to accompany us, for it will provide you with amusement and profit.” will provide you with amusement and profit.” “I have plenty of fish in the house,” she said, “and I do not wish to go out with you.” A few days later they went to her again and said, “Dear sister, will you come with us to riverside to break firewood? We are informed that there is plenty to be had there at this time of the year.” But she again told them that she already had a great quantity in store and that she did not care about accompanying them. Baffled in their attempt to entice the girl away from the house, they left her in peace for a few days. Then for the third time they approached her again: “Dear sister,” said they, “when you were young you used to be very fond of the swing. Come let us amuse ourselves again just to remind us of old times. There is a very nice one down by the river side, placed beneath shady trees. The gentle breezes blow regularly there during the day and we ought to have a very enjoyable time of it.”

Having these words the poor girl entirely forgot her own condition. Gone also were her husband’s parting instruction in the childish eagerness to amuse herself on the swing and to receive the pleasant memories of days gone by. She readily fell in with the proposal of her sisters and accompanied them to the riverside. Each sat on the swing in turn, which the other two pushed from the back. When it came to the youngest’s turn to take the seat, her elder sisters pushed it so vigorously from behind that the poor girl was flung out from it to a distance of about half the river’s width.

But fortunately for her, when this event was taking place, a great big stork and his wife were watching it from their nest which was on a large tree on the opposite bank. And just as the girl was about to fall into the water the swooped down and caught her upon their interlaced wings. She was then gently carried to their nest and watched over by the birds with all the loving care and attention they were capable of bestowing. As for her two wicked sisters, they were thoroughly convinced of the girl’s death and accordingly they returned to the palace and duly installed themselves as its mistresses.

In due course the girl gave birth to a son. The stork and his wife were very happy about it, and they even went so far as to regard the child as their own. One day the child became unusually restless and he would not sleep at the proper time. He cried so much that the mother could not quiet it by simple devices which only a mother knows how to employ. So in order to make the child fall to sleep she began chanting these simple words.

Son of the Hamadryad,

How beautiful thou art!

Sleep, beloved, sleep!

When the stork heard this he became very angry. “If you do not say,” said he, “that he is my son I shall surely kill him by digging my beak into his body.” So the poor frightened girl had to appease the bird by changing her words to this effect,

Son of the mighty stork,

How beautiful thou art!

Sleep, beloved, sleep!

The bird was very pleased at this, and from that day used to fly away in search of food with a lightness of heart it never felt before. But all the same whenever the birds away she took good care to repeat the original lullaby, for she derived much solace from even the bare mention of her absent husband.

Several months passed away with unchanging routine in this simple household. One fine morning a beautiful white ship entered the harbour and cast its anchor close to the bank where the tree was situated. It contained the merchant, the girl’s husband, who had just returned from his successful trading venture. Just then the birds happened to be away, and the girl being eager to put the child to sleep began her lullaby as usual,

Sone of the Hamadryad,

How beautiful thou art!

Sleep, beloved, sleep!

The merchant heard, and thrilled at the voice which the distinctly recognized as that of his wife, he wondered how she could ever had got there, sitting on the nest on the top of the great big tree. So he quickly had himself rowed ashore in order that he might investigate for himself.

Meanwhile the girl was sublimely ignorant of what was taking place around her and beneath her; and she went on with her consoling lullaby. As the merchant approached the tree he felt certain of his wife’s voice. To climb it and to sit on the rim of the nest next to his beloved was the work of a few moments only. In his eagerness and surprise he questioned her very closely as to how she happened to be there and what really took place during his absence. With tears in her beautiful eyes she told him everything, reproaching herself not a little for her disregard of his whishes which enjoined her not to leave the house under any excuse. He comforted well as he could and said that she was not to blame as she had been the victim of a foul plot. Just as he was about to come down to make arrangements for conveying her home, the birds returned and angrily demanded of him the reason for his presence there. The merchant told them about his having cast anchor near the bank and how he heard a familiar voice from the tree-top, which on investigation proved to be that of his own dear wife. He further said that he was taking her home in his ship on the following day.

At this news the birds were horrified; they could not even bear thought of the temporary separation from their beloved ones, leave alone this suggestion to take them away for good. So the male bird said, “I have not the slighted doubt that this girl is your legitimate wife. But since we have cared for her and her baby as though they were our own children, our affection for them has become very deep and lasting. Can you therefore blame us if we should now raise any objection to your taking them away? However, strong as our claims to them are, we fully recognize them to be subordinate to yours. So to compensate us for the trouble of caring for them and for the pain of separating from these dear ones, you must give us such a pile of fish as will be equal to the weight of this very tree. You may then take your wife and child away. Otherwise I shall see that they do not move out of this nest.”

When the merchant heard these words he rapidly promised to perform this task. Of course he was a nat, and as such he had resources at his command to accomplish things which to an ordinary mortal would be quite impossible. The first thing he did was to dry up the river by his merest wish. The fishes thus left exposed were then collected together by the sailors who piled them up alongside the tree. As soon as the required height was reached he caused the water to reappear, and the river flowed on as usual in its tranquil course. Having completed this task to the entire satisfaction of the stork and his wife, the merchant transferred his own family to the ship and sailed for home at the first favourable opportunity.

During the journey he put his wife and child into a large wooden box, so as to conceal them from her sisters, who he heard were now occupying the house. When he reached home he had this large box taken into his own room and ordered the sisters to fetch him his meals every day. As soon as he was left alone he used to let his wife out and share the meal with her. Them he used to put them back when the time came for her sister to retire for the night.

In this way several days passed. Meanwhile the sisters told him a very wild story of how their dear sister, his first wife, lost her life; and how they were now trying their best to console him for his loss. But whenever the merchant and the two sisters were found conversing together, a crow used to alight on a near by window-still and say:

Fools and knaves are men and women born;

Their like who ever saw?

Him they stole, and her they left forlorn

Caw! Caw!

When at last these cries became too frequent the merchant made up his mind to punish the culprits and to teach them a severe lesson for their wickedness. To bring this about he ordered a feast to be prepared consisting of rare and costly delicacies. Several people, with their families were then invited to it. In the evening when the guests were all seated round the table the merchant in pretence loudly bemoaned the absence of his dear lost wife. Of course, naturally, his friends simpathised with him for fuller details of the sad bereavement.

Then turning to his sister-in-law he addressed them thus, “My dears, since both of you were present at the time of the accident to my late wife, you will be more competent than I to relate the whole story in all its details. Will one of you therefore kindly oblige the company? As for myself I cannot bear to hear it again; so by your permission I shall leave the room for a little while.” So saying, he immediately went up to its bedroom and opened the box. He hastily explained everything to his wife and told her to follow him with her child in her arms.

When they reached the threshold of the banqueting hall the story was almost finished; the whole company mutely attentive; only the speaker’s voice rose and fell in pleasing modulation. Then as the story ended, husband and wife abruptly entered the room. When the guests saw the girl in flesh and blood, the men rose from their seats in astonishment; the woman shrieked. But the effect on the two sisters was most disastrous. For as soon as they saw their sister alive and well, and standing by the side of her husband, they were so overcome with grief and shame that they died in their seats. From this time forward husband and wife lived happily in mutual love and sweet fellowship, blessed by numerous children, who, they fondly hoped, would one day be the solace and support of their old age.

But my story is not yet ended. Just have a little more patience and listen to what happened to another party. In the same town there also lived an old woman with an only daughter. When she heard that a snake became a human being on marrying a poor girl on whom he was able to shower untold riches, she immediately thought of trying the same experiment on her daughter. So after searching for several days she managed to find a large snake which was a real boa-constrictor. This she took home and placed in a room prepared for the occasion. In the night she sent in her daughter to sleep with it; fervently praying for the same good fortune as that of her fellow townswomen.

A few hours later the boa, in obedience to its own natural instinct, began to swallow the girl. When the process reached as far as the ankle the poor trembling girl shouted out these words to her mother, “Oh mother, what have you done to me? My ankles are imprisoned by the snake.” The foolish old woman replied. “My daughter, have patience, your husband is only putting on your anklets.” Then after a little while the girl again cried out, “Oh mother he has come as far as my waist. Do come and help your daughter.” To this the mother replied, “My daughter I am sure he is only putting on your Htamein (skirt). So don’t be frightened.” After this there was silence for some time. Then in the stillness of the night an agonizing cry rang out again. “Oh mother, he has come right up to my neck. For pity’s sake save me before it is too late.” The mother’s only reply was, “Keep quiet, my girl, he is only putting on your necklace.”

The next morning there was profound silence in the bridal chamber. The old woman could not make out why it was so. The sun having risen somewhat high, she felt a little anxious because of the continued stillness in the room. So with a heavy heart she went to find out things for herself. On entering the chamber the old woman was horrified to find that her daughter was no more, and on the bridal couch she saw the snake fully stretched out, with a bloated stomach, calmly sleeping off the effects of the full meal it had enjoyed the night previous. Then and then only did she feel sorry for what she had done. And the thought of her evil deed continued to oppress her heart till the end of her life.

This story is a fit lesson for all those who are cursed with an envious disposition. So that for such people, whenever they are assailed by the longings of avarice, it would be well to think of this envious and greedy old woman and her son-in-law the boa-constrictor.