ROWDY BABY

WHAT A SONG- A BUNDELKHANDI FOLK TALE[1]

Bundelkhand is a region bordering UP and MP with concentration of tribal communities. Language spoken is ‘Mythili’ dialects. Movies and songs are taken from the folklore songs from these tribal communities. While those who made use of these tribals’ lifestyle and songs in making money for themselves through Movies and songs, most of these tribals still are living in abject poverty  (a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information).

I recently read a folklore tale, a popular one among school children studying in CBSE, or such high end schools. I shared a picture of a drawing made by me on the theme of the tale with my little knowledge in drawing  but passion for sketching and drawing pictures.

Here is the Folklore tale.

There once lived a woman who never sang. The women in her village would sing while grinding or going to the well but she remained quiet. She wanted to sing but just didn’t know any songs.

One day, she asked her neighbour, “Friend, how is it that you sing all the time? Where did you learn so many songs?”

“Oh dear,” her neighbour teased her, “it is easy. Songs are sold in the market, ready to use. I buy them all the time. Just go and get some.”

The woman was really pleased upon hearing this. As soon as her husband returned home she said, “Hurry! Go buy me some songs from the market.”

“I have never seen songs being sold there,” he said in amusement. “But I will go, look. Give me five rupees and I’ll get you a fine one.”

He walked to the market and went up to the first shopkeeper who sold grain. He held out the money and said, “I’d like to buy your best song.”

The shopkeeper winked at his son and replied, “Sorry, I’m sold out. Why don’t you try the vegetable shop?”

Off went the husband to the vegetable vendor, but “No Songs,” said he. So did the cloth merchant. “Try the jeweller,” he suggested.

And so the poor chap went from one shop to another all afternoon but couldn’t buy even one song. At last, he started for home sadly.

On his way back he saw a rat burrowing a hole and that gave him an idea. “I’ll make a song with the rat in it,” he thought and began at once:

Khode kharar kharar

(It digs kharar kharar)

Pleased with his wit, he walked along singing:

Khode kharar kharar

Khode kharar kharar

A little later he saw a snake creeping along and added more words:

Sarke Sarar Sarar

(It creeps sarar sarar)

Proudly, he went along singing:

Khode kharar kharar

Sarke Sarar Sarar

Then, he saw a rabbit peeking at him from behind a bush, and the words came to him:

Dekhe tagar magar

(It sees tagar magar)

Now his song is almost done. When he saw some deer leaping in the grass it struck him:

Koode dagar dagar

(They jump dagar dagar)

Here was the song, complete at last.

Happily, he walked home singing:

Khode kharar kharar

Sarke Sarar Sarar

Dekhe tagar magar

Koode dagar dagar

On reaching home, he gave the song to his wife and told her, “It was the costliest song in the whole market.”

She was delighted and started practising at once. The husband went to sleep but she sang and sang.

She was too excited to do any work or even close her eyes. Finally, around midnight, she began grinding corn. As she did, she kept practising the song.

At the same time, four thieves were quietly digging a hole in the wall of the house. They heard her sing:

Khode kharar kharar

Khode kharar kharar

They were startled.

After a few minutes they felt safe again and began to crawl in through the hole. Just then, the woman sang:

Sarke Sarar Sarar

Sarke Sarar Sarar

The thieves stopped in surprise. “How did the woman know ?” they looked around in alarm. Lost in her singing, the woman went on:

Dekhe tagar magar

Dekhe tagar magar

“Oh no! She must have seen us,” the thieves panicked. “We better quit.”

Frantically, they pushed and jostled. As they jumped away, the woman said the final line:

Koode dagar dagar

Koode dagar dagar

Hearing these words, the thieves ran for their lives. They vowed never to rob that house again.

As for the woman, she had no idea what her song had done. She was too busy singing and grinding. When her husband woke up with the morning light he noticed a hole in the wall. Then he saw the footprints. He checked the house. Nothing was missing.

“What were you doing last night?” he asked his wife. “It seems we had unwarranted guests.”

“Oh! Didn’t notice anything,” she replied. “I was too busy practising the song you bought me.”

“Wah!” said the husband proudly, “it must be a wonderful song, for it drove the thieves away.”

The woman smiled and said, “How amazing! You certainly brought me the very best song.”

The drank their morning chai and ran to tell the neighbours about the power of the right song sung at the right time!

Komacha/Santhanam

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[1] Reproduced from an Eklavya publication