LONG LONG AGO
LONG LONG AGO
This story is taken from ‘Thaku’mar Jhuli’, a collection of fairytales written by Dakhshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar long long ago.
LONG LONG AGO
BRAHMAN, BRAHMANI
Long long ago, a Brahman and a Brahmani lived in a village. Brahman was a very simple and foolish man. Brahmani on the other hand was very quarrelsome. When she shouted at the Brahman her big nose ring shook. They were very poor. Brahman did not do any work. So they hardly managed to eat two meals a day. One morning with a big smile on his face, Brahman asked Brahmani if she was making sweet dumplings.
LONG LONG AGOTHERE LIVED A BRAHMAN
Brahmani shook her nose ring and screamed at Brahman for being so greedy when there was no rice in the house. Brahman became very angry and left the house immediately. While leaving he told Brahmani that he would not return until he became a learned man. After leaving the house, Brahman roamed from place to place. On his travel he met a hermit. Brahman became his disciple and stayed with him in his cottage. He served the hermit and the hermit taught him to read and write.
BRAHMAN LEARNT TO READ LONG LONG AGO
He learnt only to read and write. This made him think he was now a very learned man. So he decided to leave the hermit’s cottage and go straight to the king. One fine morning he left the hermit’s cottage but didn’t think it necessary to take leave from the hermit. Brahman thought that before going to the king’s palace he would visit his wife once. He wanted to show her what a learned man he had become.
BRAHMANI LIVED LONG LONG AGO
When he reached the courtyard of his cottage it was evening. He heard the sound of frying coming from the kitchen. Brahman understood his wife was frying sugar palm fritters. He counted the sounds of frying. When Brahmani came out of the kitchen she was speechless seeing her husband. Brahman told her that now he was a learned man and would stay in the king’s palace.
BRAHMAN CAME TO MEET BRAHMANI LONG LONG AGO
So he had come to meet her once before leaving. Brahmani obviously didn’t take her husband seriously. Brahman said very seriously that Brahmani really didn’t know how learned he was otherwise she would have given him all twenty one sugar palm fritters to eat. Now this really surprised Brahmani. She asked her husband how he knew she was frying fritters.
BRAHMANI IS HAPPY LONG LONG AGO
Brahman smiled and said he has now got the power to know everything. Hence, Brahmani with respect gave her husband a plate full of sugar palm fritters. Brahmani was so happy that she told all the villagers about her husband. Every morning Brahman read his scriptures loudly and worshipped god. One such morning while he was busy reciting the scriptures, Moti, the washerman came to him. He fell on Brahman’s feet and cried that he could not find his lame donkey. He pleaded the Brahman to bring back his donkey with his power. Brahman told him to sit there while he would go into his room. There with his special power he would try to see where the donkey is.
MOTI LOST HIS DONKEY LONG LONG AGO
Saying this, the Brahmin went inside the house. He took his umbrella and quietly left his cottage through the back-door. In the scorching sun he searched every possible place for the donkey but could not find it. Hence, he returned and told Moti that Goddess Chandi is very angry with him. Hence, she has punished him. First Brahmin would appease the goddess and then find his donkey.
MOTI FOUND HIS DONKEY LONG LONG AGO
The same night suddenly Brahman and Brahmani heard a moaning sound. They thought a thief had entered into their cottage. Brahman was scared. But Brahmani forced him to see what the matter was. When they came out they saw a lame donkey in their courtyard. They understood it was Moti’s donkey. They tied it up and next morning when Moti came and saw his donkey his joy knew no bound. Brahman’s fame spread far and near.
THE KING SUMMONED BRAHMAN LONG LONG AGO
Now the fame of Brahman reached the king of the land. The queen had a beautiful diamond necklace which she had lost. No one could find it. Hence, the king summoned Brahma. Now Brahman was scared. He asked for two days. The king allowed him but kept him in the palace. Brahman at night was praying to goddess Jagadamba. Now Jagadamba, a maid of the queen was passing by. On hearing Brahman uttering her name she was scared. She quickly entered the room and fell on Brahman’s feet. Brahman was shocked. He asked her why she was behaving in such a manner. Jagadamba, however would not listen to him. She said that Brahman was a holy man and hence he knew everything. He knew that she had stolen the necklace. Hence, he could only save her.
JAGADAMBA IS CAUGHT LONG LONG AGO
Now everything was clear to Brahman. He told her to put the necklace in a pot and bury it in the pond behind the palace. Jagadamba did as Brahman had told her. Next morning Brahman went to the courtroom. Everybody was waiting eagerly for him. He gravely drew patterns on the floor and then ordered to search the pond at the palace backyard. The king sent his men accordingly. They searched the whole pond and at last found an earthen pot. On breaking the pot, the diamond necklace came out.
BRAHMAN IS REWARDED LONG LONG AGO
The king left his throne and fell straight on the feet of the Brahman. He rewarded him with land and money. He even made Brahman the royal priest. Brahman and Brahmani now live in the palace. Brahmani never shouts now. She is always polite and full of smile. Brahman now eats dumplings and fritters whenever he wishes.
