Narrated by Yumnam Vedajit Singh
Once upon a time there lived husband and wife without issue at the outskirts of a village. In consultation with maibas and maibis and pandits, they offered prayers and offerings to deities to have a child of their own. Pleased with ceremonies of offerings, deities blessed them that the wife had got pregnant. The couple were overjoyed. The husband went to lakes to make his living. Sometimes he went up the hills to gather in firewood as a woodcutter. As her pregnancy reached maturity with the days passing by, the wife very often said to her hard-working husband:
“My delivery is going to take place. But I don’t know the exact hour. Please come home a bit early. ”
While her husband was out, it came to her knowledge that essential foodstuffs had run out. She thought that her husband would get tired if he went to the market after his return from the hills where he was working hard to gather in firewood. She sauntered to the market to buy the foodstuffs.
In the middle of an uninhabited meadow the wife heavy with child staggered and could not step forward. All of a sudden her pregnancy was lying heavy on her. Concerned for the baby in the womb she lay down over the soft grass. She breathed her last, as destined, after she had given birth to Python, Tiger, Bull and a baby son. Python, the first son and Tiger, the second son lamented over their mother’s death and bad luck that they could not look after their brothers Bull and the child because as wild animals they could not mingle with human beings. However, they promised that they would help their brothers in hard times. Entrusting the child to Bull, they went away.
On his return from the hills, the husband, the wood cutter found his wife absent. Thinking that she might have gone to the market, he hurried along. On the way he saw his wife lying dead on the ground. Shocked at it, he lamented like a convulsing earthworm. Unaware that bull was his son, he took pity on him for looking after his baby son.
Once upon a time there lived husband and wife without issue at the outskirts of a village. In consultation with maibas and maibis and pandits, they offered prayers and offerings to deities to have a child of their own. Pleased with ceremonies of offerings, deities blessed them that the wife had got pregnant. The couple were overjoyed. The husband went to lakes to make his living. Sometimes he went up the hills to gather in firewood as a woodcutter. As her pregnancy reached maturity with the days passing by, the wife very often said to her hard-working husband:
“My delivery is going to take place. But I don’t know the exact hour. Please come home a bit early. ”
While her husband was out, it came to her knowledge that essential foodstuffs had run out. She thought that her husband would get tired if he went to the market after his return from the hills where he was working hard to gather in firewood. She sauntered to the market to buy the foodstuffs.
In the middle of an uninhabited meadow the wife heavy with child staggered and could not step forward. All of a sudden her pregnancy was lying heavy on her. Concerned for the baby in the womb she lay down over the soft grass. She breathed her last, as destined, after she had given birth to Python, Tiger, Bull and a baby son. Python, the first son and Tiger, the second son lamented over their mother’s death and bad luck that they could not look after their brothers Bull and the child because as wild animals they could not mingle with human beings. However, they promised that they would help their brothers in hard times. Entrusting the child to Bull, they went away.
On his return from the hills, the husband, the wood cutter found his wife absent. Thinking that she might have gone to the market, he hurried along. On the way he saw his wife lying dead on the ground. Shocked at it, he lamented like a convulsing earthworm. Unaware that bull was his son, he took pity on him for looking after his baby son.
Bull, no owner claimed, played with the child, taking care of the latter. He breast-fed the child in secret and affectionately licked him with his tongue. The wood-cutter named his son Apanba.
Later on the wood cutter had a second wife. Initially, she brought up Apanba affectionately. Having given birth to her own son, she began to hatch step-motherly intrigues against Apanba. She talked to her husband to stigmatize and expel Apanba from the house. Always away from home in the day- time, the woodcutter considered his wife’s account to be true. The step-mother would severely beat Apanba up after his father had gone to work if Apunba disclosed to his father that whatever his mother had told him about Apanba was made-up. Apanba did not try to refute his step-mother’s false story in fear of the severe torture from her.
His father saw bruises on Apanba’s body. In fear of his step mother Apanba pretended that he had got bruised when he had played with his friends. Day by day, Apanba and his step-brother grew. Apanba could not stand being ill-treated by his step-mother. He was made busy with the household chores like the cleaning of the cowshed and cutting of the straw. Though it was as hot as the roaring fire, she would make Apanba gather firewood in and fetch water. she would tell her husband that she had done all these things. Apanba asked her mother to cook food with the firewood collected by his father. His step mother said: “It is for sale. Will your dead mother drop down from heaven the full dishes taken by you if it is not sold.”
She mercilessly heaped reproaches on his dead mother as she pleased. Lamenting over his step mother, Bull bore with such verbal abuse. One day while Apanba was making food for his brother, Bull in tears said:
Later on the wood cutter had a second wife. Initially, she brought up Apanba affectionately. Having given birth to her own son, she began to hatch step-motherly intrigues against Apanba. She talked to her husband to stigmatize and expel Apanba from the house. Always away from home in the day- time, the woodcutter considered his wife’s account to be true. The step-mother would severely beat Apanba up after his father had gone to work if Apunba disclosed to his father that whatever his mother had told him about Apanba was made-up. Apanba did not try to refute his step-mother’s false story in fear of the severe torture from her.
His father saw bruises on Apanba’s body. In fear of his step mother Apanba pretended that he had got bruised when he had played with his friends. Day by day, Apanba and his step-brother grew. Apanba could not stand being ill-treated by his step-mother. He was made busy with the household chores like the cleaning of the cowshed and cutting of the straw. Though it was as hot as the roaring fire, she would make Apanba gather firewood in and fetch water. she would tell her husband that she had done all these things. Apanba asked her mother to cook food with the firewood collected by his father. His step mother said: “It is for sale. Will your dead mother drop down from heaven the full dishes taken by you if it is not sold.”
She mercilessly heaped reproaches on his dead mother as she pleased. Lamenting over his step mother, Bull bore with such verbal abuse. One day while Apanba was making food for his brother, Bull in tears said:
“My dear brother, I can’t stand the way our step- mother have ill-treated you. Let us go away.” Where shall we go, brother? Don’t worry. Let us go and live happily and freely somewhere in the forest.
Apanba agreed, saying that he would slip out of his room at an apportune time one day.The step- mother who pretended to be asleep had overheard the two brothers talking to each other. It had taken her by surprise that Bull could speak like human beings .She thought that Bull would have noticed the ill-treatment meted out to Apanba. Determined to kill Bull. she pretended to be affectionate towards Apanba from that day onwards. she began to clean the cowshed and bath Bull.
“My son, let me cut the straw and prepare Bull’s feed. Go and play with your friends”.
While she was letting Apanba go and play with his friends in the locality, she poisoned the food for Bull and tried to feed him. Aware of the motive , Bull did not even smell it. He tried to charge at her instead. The step-mother began to work out other strategies to kill Bull, keeping an eye open for him at the thought that Bull might run away.
The step-mother related to her husband that Bull and Apanba had planned out how they would run away. She went to the extent of colouring the talk that Bull was a villainous animal and he had refused to eat anything she had fed. The woodcutter overlooked her account saying: “ Stop taking care of Bull.” It did not deter the step- mother. Assuming the form of a maibi in a trance, she acted to prophesy that her husband would die. If he wanted to save his life, he had to sacrifice Bull to Kali. On hearing his wife’s prophesy, the woodcutter got worried. Taking advantage of the circumstances, his wife said: “It’s no good worrying about this. Let us sacrifice Bull in your place. She insisted on his buying other requirements for the ceremony of sacrifice from the market as soon as possible. Complying with his wife’s instructions, the woodcutter went to the market. Apanba overheard his parents. Overwhelmed, Apanba narrated the whole story to Bull. At Bull’s suggestion they ran away. On his return from the market, the woodcutter found that Bull had gone missing alongside Apanba . His wife discerned her husband’s worry, saying that a bull made of mud could substitute for Bull.
At Dusk Apanba and Bull reached the forest where their eldest brother Tiger lived. At dawn they built a nice cottage. They led a very happy life living on salvine fruits Bull called Apanba Tolhemba. Tol means youngest and henba supreme. With the passage of time Tolhenba reached manhood. One day, Tolhenba saw beautiful seven girls perching on the branches of the trees in the pond. It came as a complete surprise to him. In the course of the conversation, the eldest sister said to Tolhenba : “Let us play hide and seek. If we win, you must be our servant. If you win , we‘ll give you whatever you want.”
Apanba alias Tolhenba accepted her proposal. After his return, he told it to Bull. Bull said, “They are not human beings but salvine fairies. Play the game. I bet you’ll win.”
Bull took Apanba along with him and walked down to the pond where their brother Python lived. In accordance with his brother’s advice Apanba called his brother Python. Python emerged from the water. Then and there he narrated the entire story from his childhood to why he had come to see Python. Python condemned his step-mother and got angry with their father (the hen-packed husband). He taught Apanba how to play hide and seek with the fairies. Apanba won the game and got the youngest fairy’s ring having divine and magical powers. By means of the ring, Apanba and his brother Bull had everything whatever they wished for. They lived in peace in the forest.
A king imprisoned Apanba for sending his men to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The two elder brothers Python and Bull heard that Apanba would be dumped into the royal pond which abounded with pythons and other water creatures(flesh eaters).In the night Python descended into the pond in secret telling his friends not to hurt his brother. When Apanba was thrown into the pond the next day, the pythons and other water creatures played with him. Emerging from the water, Apanba prostrated before the king, paying obeisance to him. A crafty minister proclaimed that Apanba must come alongside a bull to the pologround the next day, milking it and offering 20 liters of milk to the king. If he could not carry out the order, he would be hanged. If he could, the king would give his daughter in marriage to him .
Bull came to know of it from Apanba who got grieved at the core of his heart. He disclosed that he breast-fed Apanba in his infancy, saying that he would help him out. In accordance with the king’s order Apanba milked Bull and offered more than 20 liters of milk to the king. Some ministers who wanted the princess to be their daughter-in-law proclaimed that Apanba must come herding 700 tigers towards the pologround the next morning. Besides this, 1hojang , 2yaongsang as large as his palace,s3wangolsang and northern and southern outhouses must be built. If Apanba could not, he would be sentenced to life- imprisonment. People who assembled over there harboured a grudge against the ministers for the order. Apanba was worried about 700 tigers. It came to Bull’s knowledge. Bull consoled him:
“Don’t worry. Our eldest brother Tiger lives in the forest. Let’s go and consult him.”
Bull began to tell Apaba that their mother had delivered four sons: Tiger, Python, Bull and Apanba. Tiger and Apanba had lived in the forest. Having told the story, Bull led Apanba to Python and Python called Tiger. Python introduced his younger brothers to Tiger. Tiger came to Know from Apanba why he had come to him. Tiger licked Apanba lovingly and said:
“I’ll help you out. I’ll come along with 1000 tigers rather than 700 tigers. Don’t worry.”
At dawn the pologround was packed with people. It was getting late. But Apanba had not turned up yet. The enraged king ordered Apanba’s arrest. After a while, horsemen returned puffing and panting. The sweat was running off their bodies. One of the servants, trembling like a winnowing fan, panted out that having seen Apanba herding 1000 tigers on the way to the palace, he had fallen off the horseback out of fright. People were eagerly waiting for Apanba. Meanwhile, there stood Apanba along with 1000 tigers in the middle of the pologround. So stunned at the spectacle that confronted them, the royal dignitaries and people were unable to move, paralyzed with amazement. On seeing the roaring tigers in front of them, people clinged to each other out of fright while some innocent children were gleefully playing. Apanba announced:
“Your majesty, I have been put to the last test. If your Majesty doesn’t keep the promise, I’ll have tigers...”
The clever tigers stood up posing a threat to all the people over there ; and looking at the royal dignitaries, they were pawing at the ground with their tongues licking their bodies before Apanba completed his words.
Overawed and so frightened, they acknowledged that Apanba was a godson. Further, they said that the princess must be married off to him. Meanwhile, the king asked Apanba whether hojang, yaongsang, wangolsang and the outhouses had been ready. Apanba spoke quite humbly that everything had been ready and the king could check it out if he wished. On inspection the king and his dignitaries found that everything had been ready beyond all their expectations. After his return to the palace, the king made arrangements for the marriage ceremony. Apanba called in his parents, step-brother and step-sister. The King gave his daughter in marriage to Apanba. Apanba ruled and lived happily alongside his parents and brothers and sister in his kingdom thereafter.
Apanba agreed, saying that he would slip out of his room at an apportune time one day.The step- mother who pretended to be asleep had overheard the two brothers talking to each other. It had taken her by surprise that Bull could speak like human beings .She thought that Bull would have noticed the ill-treatment meted out to Apanba. Determined to kill Bull. she pretended to be affectionate towards Apanba from that day onwards. she began to clean the cowshed and bath Bull.
“My son, let me cut the straw and prepare Bull’s feed. Go and play with your friends”.
While she was letting Apanba go and play with his friends in the locality, she poisoned the food for Bull and tried to feed him. Aware of the motive , Bull did not even smell it. He tried to charge at her instead. The step-mother began to work out other strategies to kill Bull, keeping an eye open for him at the thought that Bull might run away.
The step-mother related to her husband that Bull and Apanba had planned out how they would run away. She went to the extent of colouring the talk that Bull was a villainous animal and he had refused to eat anything she had fed. The woodcutter overlooked her account saying: “ Stop taking care of Bull.” It did not deter the step- mother. Assuming the form of a maibi in a trance, she acted to prophesy that her husband would die. If he wanted to save his life, he had to sacrifice Bull to Kali. On hearing his wife’s prophesy, the woodcutter got worried. Taking advantage of the circumstances, his wife said: “It’s no good worrying about this. Let us sacrifice Bull in your place. She insisted on his buying other requirements for the ceremony of sacrifice from the market as soon as possible. Complying with his wife’s instructions, the woodcutter went to the market. Apanba overheard his parents. Overwhelmed, Apanba narrated the whole story to Bull. At Bull’s suggestion they ran away. On his return from the market, the woodcutter found that Bull had gone missing alongside Apanba . His wife discerned her husband’s worry, saying that a bull made of mud could substitute for Bull.
At Dusk Apanba and Bull reached the forest where their eldest brother Tiger lived. At dawn they built a nice cottage. They led a very happy life living on salvine fruits Bull called Apanba Tolhemba. Tol means youngest and henba supreme. With the passage of time Tolhenba reached manhood. One day, Tolhenba saw beautiful seven girls perching on the branches of the trees in the pond. It came as a complete surprise to him. In the course of the conversation, the eldest sister said to Tolhenba : “Let us play hide and seek. If we win, you must be our servant. If you win , we‘ll give you whatever you want.”
Apanba alias Tolhenba accepted her proposal. After his return, he told it to Bull. Bull said, “They are not human beings but salvine fairies. Play the game. I bet you’ll win.”
Bull took Apanba along with him and walked down to the pond where their brother Python lived. In accordance with his brother’s advice Apanba called his brother Python. Python emerged from the water. Then and there he narrated the entire story from his childhood to why he had come to see Python. Python condemned his step-mother and got angry with their father (the hen-packed husband). He taught Apanba how to play hide and seek with the fairies. Apanba won the game and got the youngest fairy’s ring having divine and magical powers. By means of the ring, Apanba and his brother Bull had everything whatever they wished for. They lived in peace in the forest.
A king imprisoned Apanba for sending his men to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The two elder brothers Python and Bull heard that Apanba would be dumped into the royal pond which abounded with pythons and other water creatures(flesh eaters).In the night Python descended into the pond in secret telling his friends not to hurt his brother. When Apanba was thrown into the pond the next day, the pythons and other water creatures played with him. Emerging from the water, Apanba prostrated before the king, paying obeisance to him. A crafty minister proclaimed that Apanba must come alongside a bull to the pologround the next day, milking it and offering 20 liters of milk to the king. If he could not carry out the order, he would be hanged. If he could, the king would give his daughter in marriage to him .
Bull came to know of it from Apanba who got grieved at the core of his heart. He disclosed that he breast-fed Apanba in his infancy, saying that he would help him out. In accordance with the king’s order Apanba milked Bull and offered more than 20 liters of milk to the king. Some ministers who wanted the princess to be their daughter-in-law proclaimed that Apanba must come herding 700 tigers towards the pologround the next morning. Besides this, 1hojang , 2yaongsang as large as his palace,s3wangolsang and northern and southern outhouses must be built. If Apanba could not, he would be sentenced to life- imprisonment. People who assembled over there harboured a grudge against the ministers for the order. Apanba was worried about 700 tigers. It came to Bull’s knowledge. Bull consoled him:
“Don’t worry. Our eldest brother Tiger lives in the forest. Let’s go and consult him.”
Bull began to tell Apaba that their mother had delivered four sons: Tiger, Python, Bull and Apanba. Tiger and Apanba had lived in the forest. Having told the story, Bull led Apanba to Python and Python called Tiger. Python introduced his younger brothers to Tiger. Tiger came to Know from Apanba why he had come to him. Tiger licked Apanba lovingly and said:
“I’ll help you out. I’ll come along with 1000 tigers rather than 700 tigers. Don’t worry.”
At dawn the pologround was packed with people. It was getting late. But Apanba had not turned up yet. The enraged king ordered Apanba’s arrest. After a while, horsemen returned puffing and panting. The sweat was running off their bodies. One of the servants, trembling like a winnowing fan, panted out that having seen Apanba herding 1000 tigers on the way to the palace, he had fallen off the horseback out of fright. People were eagerly waiting for Apanba. Meanwhile, there stood Apanba along with 1000 tigers in the middle of the pologround. So stunned at the spectacle that confronted them, the royal dignitaries and people were unable to move, paralyzed with amazement. On seeing the roaring tigers in front of them, people clinged to each other out of fright while some innocent children were gleefully playing. Apanba announced:
“Your majesty, I have been put to the last test. If your Majesty doesn’t keep the promise, I’ll have tigers...”
The clever tigers stood up posing a threat to all the people over there ; and looking at the royal dignitaries, they were pawing at the ground with their tongues licking their bodies before Apanba completed his words.
Overawed and so frightened, they acknowledged that Apanba was a godson. Further, they said that the princess must be married off to him. Meanwhile, the king asked Apanba whether hojang, yaongsang, wangolsang and the outhouses had been ready. Apanba spoke quite humbly that everything had been ready and the king could check it out if he wished. On inspection the king and his dignitaries found that everything had been ready beyond all their expectations. After his return to the palace, the king made arrangements for the marriage ceremony. Apanba called in his parents, step-brother and step-sister. The King gave his daughter in marriage to Apanba. Apanba ruled and lived happily alongside his parents and brothers and sister in his kingdom thereafter.
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