In-Law’s House

Bholu came home and asked his mother, “Mom, where’ my in-law’s house?”

“Why do you ask such question today, Bholu?

“My friends are talking about In-Law’s house and dishes served there. So, I also want to go and enjoy there.”

What do they talk?”

“They say that they are served duck meat, pakauda curry and many more.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Well, in that case go straight as per the tip of your nose and whichever village appears in front of you, that is your in-law’s village.”

“Thank you.” Saying this, Bholu prepared for his in-law’s house.

He started his journey towards his in-law’s house. Unfortunately a coconut tree stood on his way. He was confused what to do? Eventually he decided to climb over the tree so that he would not miss the direction. As he climbed, he did not get another branch to climb down. He hanged himself catching a leaf of the coconut tree asking a help. Meanwhile a mahout comes there training a wild elephant. Bhola asked him for help. The mahout disagreed saying that that was a new elephant to be trained and if he shook the tree, viewing the shade move, the elephant would run away. Bhola promised not to irritate the elephant. The mahout came under him and caught Bhola’s hanging leg. Before the mahout caught Bhola’s leg, he shook the tree. Viewing the shadow move, the elephant ran away.

The mahout kept hanging by Bhola’s leg.

Bhola told him to play the flute praising mahout’s talent in it. The mahout denied. Bhola warned to release by leaving the leaf. The mahout agreed and played the flute with single hand. After mahout finished playing the flute, Bhola released both hands and clapped and both of them fell down. The mahout yelled in pain and burst at Bhola.

But Bhola asked some coin from mahout so that he would bring some oil to massage his body. The mahout gave him a coin and Bhola went to buy some oil with a small lidless bottle. The shopkeeper gave him full bottle of oil. Bhola asked for some thapani. The shopkeeper told him that the bottle was full. Bhola turned the bottle upside down showing the small curved place to add. The oil got spilt. With little oil he returned to the mahout. Bewildered mahout asked about the oil. Bhola told him that that was only thapani. The full oil was in the bottle and he turned up and the remaining oil also was gone.

Bhola escaped from the mahout and ran away.

As he took way again, he found another tree in front of him. This time, he decided to knock down the tree with his nose. He began to hit the trunk with his nose but began to bleed. Meanwhile a pedestrian asked what he was doing. Bhola told him that he was trying to drop down the tree. The pedestrian told him, “Why don’t you continue moving right or left?”

“Is that so? Well in that case, I will follow your instruction.” Bhola responded and moved uttering the words, “Left right! Left right! Left right! Left right!”

As Bhola moved ahead, he found a group of trappers trying the trap the birds but it flew from one direction to another. The trappers’ several efforts had failed. One of the trappers heard the boy uttering “Left right! Left right! Left right! Left right!” and thought that he was a bad luck. He approached to him and slapped. Bola began to cry and asked why he was hit. The trapper said that several efforts had failed to trap the birds. Bhola asked what he could do. The trapper told him to utter, “Let two be stuck in a trap.” Bhola moved ahead uttering the same line.

He reached in a village that was engulfed in an epidemic. Many persons had lost their lives. There were lacks of people for funeral procession. So, two dead persons were being taken in only one coffin. Hearing the boy utter the line, let two be stuck in a trap, one of them came to him and slapped. Bhola began to cry and asked what to do. He told Bhola to utter, “Let it never happen at any cost.”

Bhola moved forward uttering the same line. As he reached in a village, he saw some people were digging well they had given full effort but there was no sign of pure drinking water. Standing in one corner, he kept uttering the line. One of the members heard him say so. He approached to Bhola and slapped him. In tears, Bhola asked what he could do. The man told to enchant the line, “Let it be fast, and very quickly.” Nodding his head, Bhola moved ahead. He eventually reached his in-law’s village.

He noticed that some of the houses were in fire. People were in panic and trying to extinguish the fire. One of the villagers saw Bhola uttering the line standing in a corner. Approached to Bhola and recognizing he asked what he was doing. Bhola asked what to do. He advised Bhola to put ashes wherever he saw the smoke. He took Bhola to his in-law’s house. He was given a warm welcome by his in-laws. Due to the panic situation, the in-laws could not manage delicious food. They served him the bamboo shoot curry.

Next morning, as he got up, he saw his father-in-law smoking hookah and throwing the smoke. Remembering the advice of the person last night, he took a palm of ashes a dead fire and put on mouth of his father-in-law. He was very badly injured. Everyone scolded him. Bhola ultimately ran away. 

He remembered the lines his friends had uttered before and remembering the last night’s dishes, he decided to memorize so that he could tell his friends. He thought for a while and prepared a line. “Instead duck meat, bamboo shoot; instead pakaura curry, curry of shoot.”

Memorizing and uttering, Bholu moved towards his house. Continuous uttering made him thirsty. He searched for drinking water. Meanwhile he happened to see a small pond and decided to drink water from it. As he tried to drink, he forgot the line.

He dived into the pond uttering, “I got lost, oh God; I got lost.” At the same time a porter came asked what he was doing. Bholu did not respond instantly. Later he told the porter that he lost a piece of gold. The porter asked him for the share and he agreed. The porter followed Bholu uttering the same line, “I got lost, oh God; I got lost.” After some time, Bholu farted inside water producing a bad odor. The porter said, “Oh no! what did you have last night; fart inside and smells like bamboo shoot.”

Bholu remembered the line; came out of the pond and ran towards his house uttering, “I got it; I got it.” The porter asked for his share but Bholu ran faster and faster and later began to utter the line, “Instead duck meat, bamboo shoot; instead pakaura curry, curry of shoot.”

 

Bread Chapatti

 Once there lived a poor couple in a village. They were very poor. They ran their life anyway doing the manual works and the wage out of it. One day, they got paid some wheat. They were confused what to do with the wheat. Eventually they decided to grind flour and make bread chapatti. The wife kept it in son to dry it. After some time, as it got dried, she went in the neighboring house to grind it.

That evening, she was very excited to make bread chapatti. When her husband came, she told her plan. But she did not know perfectly how to make the chapatti. Both husband and wife began to make chapatti. After a long effort, they became able to make five chapattis. On the dinner time, both claimed for extra one. Husband told her that the wheat was a wage given to him. So, one extra should for him. The wife said that she had spent the whole day preparing it. They did not agree even for two and half and two and half. They just claimed for one extra.

They kept debating the whole evening keeping the chapatti in a dish. By the midnight, they agreed in one point proposed by the husband. He said, “Let’s sleep without having it. And whoever wakes up late tomorrow, three will be for the same one.” The wife agreed.

Both of them went to bed without having the bread.

Next morning, both of them squinted at one another expecting the opposite partner will wake up early and the one would have one less. With the greed of having one extra chapatti, both of them slept till mid-day. Villagers were surprised and even shocked as well. The whole village was under a epidemic and many persons had lost their lives. The villagers were very busy after arranging the funerals for the dead persons during the epidemic.

All the villagers were in tragedy due to the death of several people. They were very busy. As they heard about the couple, the villagers thought that the couple were dead and decided to take them for the funeral procession. Both husband and wife were taken to the crematorium for the funeral. Two pyres were made and they were set for the funeral. There were only five members at the spot. Others had already to collect other dead bodies.

Meanwhile, the husband rose from the pyre and told his wife, “Well, dear wife, you won. You eat three and I will take only two.” Hearing this, the five members ran away from the scene as fast as they could. Husband and wife got down from the pyre with astonishment thinking what was going on there.