Behram Chor - The Prince Thief

Tale Bearer : Gyan Mama

Once when times were old and coughing, there was a young prince looking for a girl to marry. Courtiers and soldiers set out in all directions to search for his bride-to-be and the prince also went accompanied by one such group. After travelling through many different places they came to a huge mansion, a beautiful girl stood in the balcony, eating paan.

Amir Khusro Dehlawi - Riddles

Sourced (with edits) - thinkloud65.wordpress.com

Amīr Khusro Dehlawī ,was a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, was a notable poet but also a prolific scholar and a seminal musician. He wrote poetry in Persian for the court and Hindi for the common man.

Khusro’s riddles are witty and interesting. They have been orally transferred from generation to generation.

Two way riddles (Dosukhna)
Dosukhna, (literally meaning a two-liner or a two-verse-thing) is a smart form of riddle in which one has to find one answer for two completely different questions – though that answer could have different meanings for both questions. Interesting part is that the answer is not simply one word or a noun – it has to be a two or three word explanation, since the questions are always asked in ‘Whys’.

Rishi Jabali - The Sage of Jabalpur

In a small jungle of India, the wayfarers were used to see sitting in stem and harsh silence a yogi, with hands crossed upon his breast and his eyes closed for hours at a time, while he meditated in deep concentration upon the laws of Nature within the universe and within himself. The good peasants of the neighboring village passed him with bated breath and rarely stopped to look upon him save with eyes of fear, for the lines of love were not stamped upon this yogi’s face, nor was he full of that sweet humanity or humility which the holy ones who dwelt in the jungles were apt to display in their silent and ardent quest for illumination.

How the Tiger wooed the Traveller

From: Hitopadesha (Braj)

One day in the forest  when an old tiger took a bath in the river, he found a gold ornament. He took it in his hand, came and sat down on the middle of the road. And after some time, on that road there came a traveler. When he saw the tiger, sitting on the road he trembled with fear.

The Woodcutter and Ganeshji : God's sense of humor

Tale Bearer : Papa/Aaji

There was once a poor woodcutter who used to go to the forest to cut trees, then sold the wood to buy food for his family. Near his house there was a big mansion in which lived a rich zamindar (landowner/farmer) who did nothing to help his neighbor. Once the woodcutter while cutting wood went deep into the forest, he found his way to a Ganeshji temple, something happened and he thought -"I am hungry, it would be great if I put my hand on Ganeshji's tond (belly) and I get a laddoo."

Tulsidas and Shri Krishna : Which God to Love

Tulsi Jape to Ram Jap Aur Naam Mat Le
Ram Nam Shamsher hai Jam Ke Sir Men De 

Tulsi will take God Rama's name and nobody else's
Rama Name is a mighty sword which can defeat all troubles 

Tulsidas (author of Ramacharitmanas) was an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Rama. Once when he went to Mathura where he noticed everybody there was a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna, seeing this he was very surprised and said the following -


Tulsi Ya Brij Bhumi Main Kaha Ram Se Bair
Radha Krishna Ratat Hain Ak Dhak Aru Kair

Tulsi (to himself) this land of Brij has something against Lord Rama
Every leaf leaflet calls out only the name of Lord Krishna

He entered a Krishna temple which had no end, and there was a splendid image of Lord Krishna, in his full glory, with his peacock crown, flute, half yielding, half retiring, Tulisdas ji was greatly moved seeing the image yet he said to Lord Krishna

Kya Baranau Chabi Aap Ki, Bhale Bane Ho Nath
Tusli Mastak Tab Nave, Jab Dhanush Baan Lo Haath

Dear Lord, I have no words to describe your beauty, but though you have assumed the form of Sri Krishna (Nath), Tulsidas will only pray to you when you have a bow and arrow in your hand.

The idol immediately transformed itself to Lord Rama holding a bow and arrow. Tulsidasji greatly rejoiced and bowed down to God saying -

Kit Murali Kit Chandrika, Kit Gopin ka saath
Tulsi Das ke Karane Nath Bhaye Raghu Nath

Where is your flute? Where is the crown, Where are the milk maids who are your companions?
It is for the sake of Tulsidas Nath (Sri Krishna) became Lord Raghunath (Sri Rama)

Thus God who is unassuming and benevolent did not mind accommodating the wish of his devotee and changing his appearance for him.

Scaring the Tiger Story

Tale Bearer: Malti Aaji (Aaji’s sister)

Substantial Editing - Stuti

There were once two brothers Eera and Beera making their way through the forest, when came a tiger. The tiger said he would not eat them if they answered a riddle –

“Harad Ubtan Deh malkar, Teeka Kajal Ka Lagwaya”

“Golden skin marked with black”

Old Indian : All City Song

Tom O Jerry : The Cat Mouse Stories

Adapted from: Ambrose Bierce 

Hearing that the Birds in a village were ill, a Cat went to them and said that he was a doctor, and would cure them if they would let him see them.

Amar Ayyar and Wizard Silver -Tan (Mukarnis Jadoo) in the Land of Most Magic (Tilism – E- Hosruba)

Tradition Bearers - Dastangos
Translator – Stuti

The story so far - Amar Ayyar has been asked to rescue a Prince who is trapped in the magical realms of ‘Land of Most Magic’ what the Prince did how he got caught will come later. The Prince in question is a relative of Amar’s childhood friend Amir Hamza (details here)

Amar Ayyar entered the Land of Most Magic in the company of his four tricksters, Burk the Turk, Mehtar Kiran, Jansoz and Zirgham

They went different ways but kept track of each other. They changed their appearance to that of wizards and started wandering about in the land. At times they saw beautiful gardens, in other places they saw snow-capped peaks, at some places they saw wizards had created magical hailstorms of fire and stones, so they made their way carefully. At last, Amar reached a place which had a very weird landscape instead of grass, silver strands grew on the ground for many miles around. Amar thought to himself –“This is an entire forest made of silver, if it was possible I would have stuffed all of it in my bottomless purse zumbeel (Amar's personal dumpyard which could carry anything), but what do I do? how do I pick the forest up?” But then he decided maybe it was just better to carry away some silver grass. He brought out a cutter, and started cutting furtively, he stopped at times, to see in case there was anybody else around, when suddenly there came a voice –“Freeze O Thief!!” Amar heard the voice and thought – “Oh what bad luck!” He looked up to see a wizard making his way towards him, whose entire body was made of silver and silver hair strands grew on his head, he carried with him magic pills and potions and a scepter loudly challenging him, Amar started to run but the wizard blew a spell and his feet got stuck to the ground, he couldn’t move a bit. The wizard drew a sword came to him and said –“You are the one called Amar, the emperor of this land is anxious to get you caught, I will take you as my prisoner to him and get a big reward in return”. Amar said in a very weak voice –“I am not Amar but a poor grass-cutter, troubles have plagued me”. The wizard who by the way was called Silver –Tan (Muqarnis) said –“Don’t you dare try to deceive me, the emperor has already intimated me of your presence”. While these conversations happened they heard another voice –“Brother hold on” Silver – Tan saw that another wizard who had purple hair with red streaks, wore geeky glasses, yellow shirt and a green shorts was coming towards them. He came near and said –“Sir, this guy is a thief, He plundered my house. I beg you to first help me recover my belongings and then take him away. I only have this one pearl left with me, he took away its pair” and so saying brought forth a pearl the size of an egg. Silver-Tan’s eyes almost popped out seeing it, he said –“Friend, this is some valuable treasure that you have, give it to me so that I may see it properly” the owner of the pearl suggested “Blow a little air on it and then see its sheen and beauty”

So Silver – Tan blew air, on it and the pearl burst open like a firecracker and rendered Silver-Tan unconscious. The purple – haired wizard cried out –

“There once was a silver wizard

Who will now weep like a lizard

My name is trickster Mehtar Kiran

And I am like a blizzard”

He then took a slingshot and aimed for the head, the wizard Silver-Tan vanished and the forest of silver disappeared with him. A little bird flew out from the wizard’s body fast as lightning screaming –“Oh I had a silver body which I lost” the purple-haired wizard resumed his original form of trickster and freed Amar Ayyar and both continued moving in separate ways. And thus Amar Ayyar with help from Mehter Kiran won the first battle

Eir Bir Phatte aur Hum : Poor Dumb Me

Ik rahin Eir ik rahin Bir ik rahin Phatte aur ik rahin hum

Eir kahis chal bans katte, Bir kahis chal bans kate, Phatte kahis chal bans kate
Hum Kahe chalo humun bans kate

The King's Secret : He Had Two Horns

Tale Bearer : Papa

There was once a Raja (king) on whose head two horns grew. He hid them under a turban and nobody knew about it, till one day he called for a barber to get his hair cut. Then the barber found out about it, the Raja warned him to not tell anybody. But just as

“Adh ser ke patra main ser nahin samat”

“A 500 ml cup cannot hold a litre”

The barber could not keep the secret to himself so he went and told it to a tamarind tree. Now there were certain musicians who were passing by the tree and they cut it down to make a drum. They went to the city and played the drum, when they played the drum it said -

Gopala and Cowherd : God and his devotee

Tale Bearer: Aaji
Reference: Sister Nivedita (Cradle Tales of Hinduism) 

There was once a child called Gopala who lived with his mother. His father had passed away when he was quite young. When Gopala was four or five years old, his mother felt that it was time he went to school. The times where Gopala lived, little boys went to a 'gurukul', which was in the middle of the forest and where all the pupils from nearby villages used to study.

Bhukkoo : The Name Changing Game

There was once a man, whose name was Bhukkhoo or “always hungry” His wife thought this name was of evil omen, so she told him to change it. Finally he said:—“Since you persist in asking me to change my name I will take a journey and look out for a better one.”

Story of Great Indian Poet' Marriage - Kalidas and Vidyotma

Tale Bearer : Papa

There was a king who had a very learned daughter Vidyotma, in her knowledge she surpassed all the scholars of the kingdom. She declared she would only marry the person who would defeat her in a battle of wits. The scholars of the kingdom decided to take their revenge from the princess by marrying her to a fool. They went looking, and in the forest saw a man sitting on a tree who was cutting the branch he was sitting on. On seeing this, they decided they had found their man, and they would marry him to the princess, and they told him "Come with us, we will take you to the palace and you will be given good food to eat, but do not say a word when you are there, only use hand gestures."

So he went and the scholars said to the king - "Maharaj (Your Majesty), we have chanced upon a great scholar who would like to challenge your daughter, but he won't speak anything". The fool was presented before the princess. The princess Vidyotma showed him one finger of her right hand, the fool thought she intended to blind him in one eye. He showed up two fingers signaling that if she would blind him in one eye, he would blind her in both eyes. Next the princess showed the open palm of her hand, now the fool took this to mean she would slap him. He showed a fist to signal he would box her in return.

The scholars who were accompanying the fool explained the actions this way. The princess's one finger means there is only one God Almighty, but the scholar means that there is one God Almighty, but there is also the human soul (which as per Hindus is considered as a part of God). Next the five fingers of the princess's palm signify the five human senses, but according to the scholar the fist means when the five senses are kept under control one can attain greatness. The princess conceded defeat and was married to him.

After the marriage when Vidyotma discovered her husband had no knowledge and was in fact a big fool, she insulted him and left him. At this the fool was very upset and he decided he would attain wisdom. The scholars who had got him there all left him alone. It is said that he went to the temple of Garhkalika in Ujjain and prayed to the goddess for the gift of knowledge. He prayed and offered to the goddess his tongue as sacrifice and when was about to cut it off with a sword the goddess appeared before him and blessed him. Because of being blessed by the goddess, words of wisdom started flowing through his mouth and he began to write poetry and prose in Sanskrit language. He then created works like 'Shakuntala' and 'Meghdoot' and the beauty of his expression made him very renowned.

Trivia:

Kalidasa (Goddess Kali's das (servant)) was a renowned Sanskrit Scholar and dramatist, his famous works are "Meghdoot" (Cloud Messenger), "Abhijanashakuntalam" (The Tale of Shakuntala). He is known as the 'Shakpeare of India'

The painting on the right by Raja Ravi Varma is of Shakuntala a character from Kalidas's play. The painter belonged to the Travancore kingdom, there are beautiful frescoes in the temple of Lord Padmanabhaswamy in Trivandrum said to be done by him. It is in this temple a vast temple treasure has recently been unearthed.

The temple Garhkalika (garh(fort) of Goddess Kali) in Ujjain is known to be Kalidasa's place of worship, its an ancient temple, part of the plinth recovered is from first century B.C, 4th century A.D and 10th 12th century A.D

कालिदास और विद्योत्मा 
बहुत पहले एक राजकुमारी थी । यह राजकुमारी बहुत विद्वान थी , वह तर्क वितर्क  में अच्छे अच्छों को परास्त कर देती थी, उसका नाम विद्योत्मा था । जब उसकी शादी कि बात चली तब उसने घोषणा कर दी कि वह सिर्फ और सिर्फ उसी इंसान से शादी करेगी जो उसे ज्ञान चर्चा में हरा सके । उसके राज्य के विद्वान राजकुमारी से परास्त होकर वैसे भी जले भुने बैठे थे उन्होंने मिल कर योजना रची कि राजकुमारी का विवाह एक ढोर से कराएँगे तभी उनको चैन मिलेगा| भले ही वो एक राजकुमारी थी पर ऐसी भी कौन हो सकती थी जो पुरुषों को हराकर चैन से जी पातीं और ऐसा वो कैसे होने दे सकते थे, उन विद्द्वनों के अहंकार को चोट लगी थी और वे अपना बदला लेना चाहते थे  ।
पर कहाँ मिलता इतनी होनहार राजकुमारी के लायक का महामूर्ख? वे ढूंढने निकले तो कुछ दिन बाद उन्हें एक आदमी मिला बड़ा ही विचित्र, जिस पेड़ कि डाल पर बैठा था, उसी को काट रहा  था । उन्होंने सोचा इससे बड़ा मूर्ख कहाँ मिलेगा , इन्होने उस आदमी को नीचे बुलाया और उससे कहा - " चलो हमारे साथ हम तुम्हें महल मैं बढ़िया भोजन करवाएंगे , बस एक ही शर्त है महल मैं जाकर तुम्हें कुछ भी नहीं बोलना है , जो कुछ बताना चाहते हो सिर्फ इशारे से बताना ।" वह आदमी राज़ी ख़ुशी उन लोगों के साथ चल पड़ा ।
विद्वान राजा के सामने उपस्थित हुए और उन्होंने कहा कि हमें राजकुमारी के लायक एक बहुत बड़े विद्वान मिले हैं उन्हें राजकुमारी का प्रस्ताव स्वीकार है परन्तु उन्होंने चर्चा कि शर्त यह रखी  है कि वे अपने मुंह से कुछ नहीं बोलेंगे ।
राजकुमारी और मुर्ख आमने सामने बैठे , राजकुमारी ने मुर्ख को अपनी खुली हथेली दिखायी तो मुर्ख को लगा वे उसे थप्पड़ दिखा रही हैं , उसने बदले में एक अपनी बंद हथेली यानी  एक घूँसा दिखा दिय। विद्वानों ने इस विचित्र प्रसंग का यह निष्कर्ष निकल  कर प्रस्तुत किया कि राजकुमारी ने खुली हथेली से पाँचों इंद्रियां दिखायी पर विद्वान कि मुट्ठी का मतलब यह है कि इंद्रियों को हमेशा नियंत्रण में  रखना चाहिए ।
राजकुमारी ने यह बात सही मानते हुयी अपनी हार स्वीकार कि और उसकी मुर्ख से शादी हूई । शादी के पश्चात जब राजकुमारी को पता चला कि उसके पति एक बड़े विद्वान नहीं एक बड़े मुर्ख हैं तो वो बहुत आहात हुयी और उसने अपने पति को बहुत कोसा । मुर्ख को उसके इस व्यव्हार का काफी दुःख हुआ उसने सोचा वो ज्ञान प्राप्त करके ही रहेगा । उजैन कि गढ़ कलिका मंदिर में उसने देवी से प्रार्थना की कि वह उसे ज्ञान दें बदले में वह अपनी जीभ तक काटने को तैयार था । जब उसने अपनी जीभ काटने के लिए तलवार उठायी देवी प्रकट हुयी और उन्होंने उसे आशीर्वाद दिया । देवी के आशीर्वाद से उसके मुख से ज्ञान प्रवाह होने लगा और संस्कृत के उच्चतम कोटि कि साहित्य कि रचना करने वाला, वह जो पहले एक मुर्ख था विद्वान कालिदास के नाम से मशहूर हुआ ।

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tale Bearer : Ajju

This is an Ajju Story. 

Bird Poem

Chunna Munna do chuze the,
Ik din dono ghar se nikle
Daana chugne, wahan phir pahunche
Chunne ne ik keera dekha,
Chunne ne Munne ko bola
Dono ne fir zor se kheencha, zor se kheencha
zor se kheencha, zor se kheencha

The Dog and the Bread

Tale Bearer : Ma

Kutta roti ek chura kar, bhaaga munh main usse daba kar

Adventures of Lalkamal and Neelkamal

Tale Bearers: Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar
Translator : Stuti

"Waung Moung Khaun
Monisshe Gandhe paung
Dhore dhore khaung"

How Amar Ayyar Got His Gifts (the Zumbeel, the Invisible Cloak, The Piece of Bread and Water) - Part 2

Tradition Bearers - Dastangos

Translation - Stuti

There had been some thunderstorms, but by the grace of Amar’s prayers (as he declared to everybody) to Hazrat Ilyas they all cleared, and the weather cleared up, the merry wind carried forth the ships

How Amar Ayyar Got His Gifts of Ayyari (the Zumbeel, the Invisible Cloak, The Piece of Bread and Water) - Part 1

Tradition Bearers - Dastangos

Translation - Stuti

Long ago in the city of Mecca, there lived three childhood friends. None of these three, was an ordinary mortal. Amir Hamza was a great warrior and champion of mankind whose birth had fulfilled the prophecy of a dream which the King of Persia dreamt. Mukbil Vafadar, one of Amir’s closest friends was an expert archer. The remaining of the trio was a master trickster and perpetrator of terror through his vile cunningness Amar Ayyar. However both Amar and Mukbil were devoted to Amir and his noble cause and nobody dared lay a finger on him while they were around.

The Yogi and the Hunter

A soft, brown fluttering thing— a bird with a shaft caught fast in its blood-spread breast fell at the feet of the Yogi, who for hours had sat in deep meditation at the foot of a broad- branching tree in the green heart of a jungle. The hunter, following the path of his flying arrow, found himself confronted by the Yogi, who, rudely awakened from his trance-like attitude, looked upon him angrily.

The Jackal and the Monkey

A monkey once made itself a throne of mud, a necklace of conch shells and sat down by the river-side. He didn't let animals who came there drink any water, till theysaid these words:

Dastan - E - Amir Hamza

Tradition Bearers: Dastangos
Translation : Stuti

People of the past will tell us, that once in the fabled land of Iran, which was once the heaven on earth there lived a ruler called Kvaadkaamran, the best of the kings, extremely just and very benevolent.

The Sparrow and her Grain – Main Chabbon Ke

Once there was a bird, she went into a field to pick up food, and found one grain of gram which
she wanted to break, but when she tried to break it with a stone it got stuck in a piece of wood,
and she could not get it out.

The Sparrow Tale - Baghau Baba Ho..

Tale Bearers: Papa, Aaji

During harvesting season, the birds get a lot of grains to eat, there was one such sparrow who was eating grain behind a cow when the cow dropped dung on her and she got stuck. She wriggled and struggled but she couldn't get out, so she scraped off the dung with her beak and peaked through it. The day had passed and it was dusk, when everybody makes their way home. In some time she saw there was a tiger passing by. On seeing him the sparrow called out as loudly as she could-

The Story of Murdan Khan and the Daughter of the Jinn,

There was once the son of a soldier who fell into poverty and said to his mother:—“If I had Rs. 50 I would go somewhere in search of service.” His mother gave him the money out of her savings.When he had gone some distance he saw a corpse lying near the road and a grave ready dug.

The Brahman, The Tiger and the Six Judges

Tradition Bearer: Papa, Aaji
.
Once upon a time a Brahman, who was walking along the road, came upon an iron cage, in which a great tiger had been shut up by the villagers who caught him.
As the Brahman passed by, the tiger called out and said to him, ‘‘Brother Brahman, brother Brahman, have pity on me, and let me out of this cage for one minute only, to drink a little water, for I am dying of thirst.’’ The Brahman answered, ‘‘No, I will not; for if I let you out of the cage you will eat me.’’