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Folk stories
have a long tradition here in Cambodia. There is hardly any pagoda, place or mountain that is not linked to an enchanting but also teaching tale. Many of these originated in the monasteries of the country and were used as gentle reminders for the common people.
Morals, ethic and wisdom are mirrored in sagas and fable tales which were passed on only orally for a long period. By the 20s of the last century such sagas were published in a local buddhist magazine called "The Sun of Cambodia" and a good collection of these printings are located in France today. In times of the former DDR a publishing company provided translations into German and published even a few books. Some of these stories we have made accessable online, unfortunately it is only available in German.
Banteay Chhmar Temple (Battamang Province)
Hanuman And Sovann Macha (the Monkey And The Mermaid)
Moni Mekhala And Ream Eyso (the Goddess And The Giant)
Neang Neath - One Of Battambang's Folk Story
Phnom Bayongkour (takeo Province)
Phnom Borey Phnom Da (Takeo Province)
Phnom Choeung Prey (Kompong Cham Province)
Phnom Vorvongs Sovongs (Kompong Speu Province)
Phome Poun Temple (Sorintr Province)
Sdech Toek Sdech Phnom (Kampuchea Krom)
Svay Ang Temple (Svay Rieng Province)
The Female Crocodile Who Wanted To Eat The Monkey's Heart
The Ghost That Entered The Jar
The Tiger, The Toad And The Tortoise
Wat Norkor Temple (Kompong Cham Province)
by Judy Ledgerwoord
Dept. of Anthropology
Northern Illinois University
Aksar roluat jeat roleay Aksar ponnareay jeat thlai thla.
If letters disappear, the nation will disappear
If letters are brilliant, the nation is excellent.
The Khmer word, aksarsastra, generally defined as "literature", comes from the
base, aksar, meaning letter or script. In addition to what we would think of as
literature, the study of texts, the word also has the connotation of the study
of writing, of "letters". Thus studies of Khmer aksarsastra generally begin with
the study of Khmer stone inscriptions. Rather than a complete review of all such
works, what follows is only a brief glimpse of some of the different genres of
Khmer literature and a sense of change over time. The earliest inscriptions in
Khmer date from the 7th century AD The "classical" works of Khmer literature
were written between the 16th and 19th centuries. Nepote and Khing write of
these works:
For centuries, classical Cambodian literature followed a
well-defined
pattern. Comprised mostly of verse, its language is characterized
by symmetry and circumlocution, with the rhythm of the sentence
prevailing over punctuation. Its vocabulary was carefully selected and
comprised archaism, borrowed terms and metaphors, the hallmark of
"appropriate" language. It was partly inspired by Indian literature and
was linked to two institutions: the palaces of princes and mandarins,
and the Buddhist monasteries (1981:56).
The stylized language, the use of complex rhyme schemes, and archaic language
means that these works are extremely difficult to read. Jacob writes for example
of the Ramakerti (the Cambodian version of the Ramayana) that, "with its early
pages full of archaisms, obsolete vocabulary and unfamiliar words spelt in a
variety of ways, the printed text looked formidable even to Cambodians and was
not much read or studied until the 1960's" (1986: xii).
But we know that these texts were set to memory by professional storytellers who
would then often travel doing performances. Such was the case with the man that
Bizot interviewed in 1969, Ta Chak . Ta (grandfather) Chak had memorized the
Ramakerti in 1920 at the age of 23 from palm leaf manuscripts. "He quickly
became known," Bizot writes, "and was called to perform at village festivals and
then on the stage in the monastery theaters during the big people's celebrations
lasting several days" (1981: 263). The entire performance, given five hours each
day, lasted about 10 days. It is through such performances that most Khmer would
have known classical literary works.
The whole body of these works is little known. Few of then have been published,
and many exist only as palm leaf manuscripts. Given the large number of deaths
over the last thirty years, and the disruptions to Khmer society, perhaps no
storytellers survive who can give complete performances like Ta Chak .
But the entire body of work has not been lost; rather, some of these stories,
such as Neang Kakey and Dum Deav, are among the best known of Khmer works. This
is due first to what Nepote and Khing refer to as a "renaissance" of classical
Khmer literature in the mid-20th century. Scholars began to collect and study,
and then to publish these works. With changes in the education system in the
late 50's and early 60's, those works became textbooks in the classroom.
"Modern" versions of these stories began to appear in prose. Nepote and Khing
write,
owing to the development of printing, which was cheap and
popular,
classical literature, formerly oral (folk) or handwritten, took on a new
dimension. An enormous amount of classical literature was soon being
produced, ranging from traditional publication to the progressive adaptations
using modern audio-visual techniques, including comic strips and television
films; all this proved very popular with the Cambodian public (1981:57).
Piat (1975) also writes about the popularity of this new popular literature. She
says that prices were extremely low. The classical poems had all been done in
"film strips". These "comic books" used film strips with "bubbles" drawn in with
dialogue. Piat points out that these served the extra purpose of acting as
advertising for the movie, though they were more expensive to produce than
hand-drawn cartoons (1975:251-252).
But still, buying books or attending movies, even attending school, was the
realm of a limited percentage of the population. One of the final major factors
in the revival of classical stories was radio. They were regularly read on the
air, and potentially, Khmer throughout the country could hear them.
A second genre of Khmer literature that virtually all Khmer would be familiar
with are the Jataka tales, tales of the previous lives of the Buddha. While the
body of Buddhist religious literature is extensive, unless a man remained in the
monkhood beyond the brief stay common to most young men, his exposure will be
limited to the memorization of a few oft-repeated prayers. The greater depth of
knowledge of the vinaya, sutras, and discourses was the exclusive realm of
monks. But this is not the case with the Jataka tales. While both enjoyable and
useful for conveying religious messages, these stories were and are a popular
medium for preaching, and standard pictorial adornment on Khmer temple walls.
Of all these 547 stories, by far the most popular with the Khmer is the Moha
Vessandar Jataka . It is regularly recited in its entirety in Pali, with Khmer
translation and commentary at religious festivals. The entire performance can
take several days. Khmer may not know that a particular story is from the Jataka
collection, and may just call it one more reuang preng, folktale, or simply a
reuang or story.
A third genre is the chbap, or didactic codes. Composed in verse, these works
provide specific advice for daily living to several different and overlapping
groups. For example, there are chbap kaun cav, grandchildren's chbap; chbap srey,
women's chbap; chbap bros, men's chbap; as well as the chbap peak cas; chbap of
ancient advice; and the chbap ker kal , or safekeeping of the heritage chbap.
These works are generally of unknown authorship and are undated. Thierry points
out that besides a couple of works that are known to be of more recent origin,
these works have generally been passed on from the 14th to the 18th centuries
without ceasing to be copied, and without ceasing to be memorized (1978:18-19).
She also notes that it is clear that the authors had knowledge of Sanskrit
texts, the Niti Castra or "texts of conduct", which are cited in inscriptions
and known to be part
of an intellectual inheritance from Angkorian times (1978:18).
The chbap are meant to be memorized and chanted according to particular bat or
rhyme schemes. They were learned in temples and later in state schools. The
chbap srey was often passed on at home from grandmother to granddaughter or
mother to daughter. As Thierry points out, the memorization of the chbap
accomplished many goals at once: "the students gained in the same blow the
acquisition of religious ideas, of wisdom of experience, and thus of reading and
writing itself: a
simultaneous apprenticeship of the text and of the language, of good manners and
of tradition" (1978:19-20). The goal was to shape young people who would fulfill
proper familial obligations, act according to certain religious precepts, and be
good subjects/citizens.
Reuang Preng, folktales, make up the fourth genre. These stories have been told
and retold for centuries by all types of individuals. These include a wide
variety of storytellers, often travelers who accompanied the telling with a
chabey (a two-stringed guitar), sometimes blind men who positioned themselves at
a temple or along a main path. But Thierry points out that the notion of
"professionalism" with regard to telling these stories is misplaced. Although
some, gifted with an exceptional memory, have made a living at it, "old people"
would likely be the ones to tell stories in any given village (1978:90). Thus
the common reply to the question of where people learned a story is "from my
grandmother" or "from my grandfather."
Some of the stories may have been written as early as the fifteenth century on
palm leaf and then recopied, but generally they were not written until the early
20th century. The folktales received specific attention in the 1920s and 1930s
when the Commission des Moeurs et Coutumes du Cambodge, a research organization
begun by the French, and the Buddhist Institute collaborated to collect stories
from around the country. The Brachum Reuang Preng Khmaer, collected Khmer
folktales, was published by the Buddhist Institute as eight separate volumes
between 1967 and 1971. In 1926, the magazine Kambuja Suriya began publication
and included some folktales as well as proverbs, Buddhist commentaries, and
serialized novels.
The final genre I will mention here is the modern novel. The first novels
written in prose appeared in the late 1930's. Since it was difficult to get
books published and the author often had to bear printing costs in advance, many
works were first published as series in newspapers. Among the most popular were
Phka Srapon by Nu Hac, 1940, Sophat by Rim Gin, 1938, and Koulap Pailin by Nuk
Thaim, 1936. All three were used as texts in state schools, and all three were
made into popular films. Between 1950 and 1975, nearly 1,000 novels were
published; in the early 70's they appeared at a rate of about 50 books per year
(Nepote and Khing 1981:64).
During Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979), nothing of significant literary
importance was produced within the country, but a few works were published by
Cambodian refugees in France (see Khing Hoc Dy 1994). During these horrific
years, much of Cambodias literary heritage within the country was destroyed. The
national library was used as a storage facility and the grounds were used for
raising pigs. The library at the Buddhist Institute was destroyed, though many
publications from their presses have survived. It has been estimated that 80
percent of the books and manuscripts in Khmer in the country were destroyed
during the Khmer Rouge period (see Ledgerwood 1990b for a discussion of the
National Library).
Since 1979 Khmer literature has begun to revive, both abroad and in Cambodia. In
Cambodia in the 1980s, under the Vietnamese backed Peoples Republic of
Kampuchea, literature was specifically used for state propaganda, and stories
often related the heroic acts of soldiers serving the revolution (Khing Hoc Dy
1994). During this time much of the Khmer works published in the refugee camps
along the Thai-Cambodian border and abroad were reprintings of classic works of
literature, including folktales and chbap. This same process occurred in
Cambodia after the UN sponsored elections in 1993. Classic stories, folktales,
novels and other pre-revolutionary literature began to appear in re-printings.
The Buddhist Institute has also begun to reprint Buddhist texts. The publication
of new works was hindered in the 1990s by a lack of funding, authors generally
had to front the money to pay for the printing, without any guarantee that their
books would turn a profit. There is also the issue of slowly rebuilding a
literate reading public, since a new generation is only now reaching adulthood
after the death and destruction of the Khmer Rouge period.
Bibliography
Bizot, Francis
1981 "The Reamke," IN Asian Variations in the Ramayana, Iyengar K.R. Srinivasa,
ed. Pp. 263-275. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
Jacob, Judith
1996 The Traditional Literature of Cambodia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
____________
1986 "The Deliberate Use of Foreign Vocabulary by the Khmer: Changing Fashions,
Methods and Sources," IN Context Meaning and Power in Southeast Asia, Mark
Hobart and Robert H. Taylor, eds. Pp. 115-129. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University
Southeast Asia Program.
Khing Hoc Dy
1994 "Khmer Literature Since 1975," IN Cambodian Culture Since 1975: Homeland
and Exile. May Ebihara, Carol Mortland and Judy Ledgerwood, eds. Pp. 27-38.
Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Ledgerwood, Judy
1990a Changing Khmer Conceptions of Gender: Women, Stories and the Social Order.
Ph.D. Dissertation, Anthropology, Cornell University.
______________
1990b "A Building Full of Books" Cultural Survival Quarterly. 14(3): 53-55.
Nepote, Jacques and Khing Hoc Dy
1981 "Literature and Society in Modern Cambodia," IN Literature and Society in
Southeast Asia. Tham Seung Chee, ed. Pp. 56-81. Singapore: Singapore University
Press.
Piat, M.
1975 "Contemporary Cambodian Literature," Journal of the Siam Society. 63(2):
251-259.
Thierry, Solange
1978 Etude dun Corpus de Contes Cambodgiens Traditionnels. Thesis.
University
of Paris.
Banteay Chhmar Temple ( Battamang Province )
Unknown author
Banteay Chhmar temple is in Banteay Chhmar commune, Banteay Chhmar district. It
is about 12 kilometers north of Battambang town. The tale related to it as the
following:
Once upon a time, there was a king, who reigned in Chambark Borey ( Banteay
Chhmar at the moment ), named Preah Bat Yosker. This king was merciful and
indulgent and never had trouble with neighboring countries. His people lived
peacefully and happily. His name was well-know by king Hou Lou who throned in
Prao temple. At that time, king Hou Lou wanted to use his authority to invade
Chambark Borey by selling a letter for taking the throne of Preah Bat Yosker.
Being always fond of quietness, Preah Bat Yosker did not wage a war against him,
he escaped from the royal palace in order not to cause a war and casualties.
From that time on, Banteay Chhmar in the region of Chambark Borey was under the
control of king Hou Lou. Later, king Hou Lou attempted to enlarge his territory
with the afraidness of previous king's taking the throne back, he announced
publicly, " Nowadays, king Yosker is about to gather forces to recontrol
Chambark Borey, therefore, if anyone can find out his residence, I will give a
thousand Tamloengs ( Unit of weight equivalent to 37.50 grams ) of gold as a
reward.
The hunters found Preah Bat Yosker, his wife Bortom and his son, royal boy
Vibolker staying at Ta Moan temple on Dangraek mountain range. Wanting to get a
thousand Tamloengs of gold, the cruel hunters caught Preah Bat Yosker and
brought him to king Hou Lou while he was taking meditation alone in the quiet
forest. And king Hou Lou ordered the executioner to give severe punishment. As
for princess Bortom and her son, they were very sorrowful because of losing
husband and hearing that king Hou Lou was punishing her husband severely. She
brought up her lovely son until he was 12 years old.
Royal boy always asked her about his father that she could no longer keep and
told her son the problems. The royal boy, Vibolker missed his father all the
time and wanted to revenge immediately but his mother often warned and reminded
him of forgetting. Although she warned, the royal boy was not peaceful in mind.
Some time the royal boy said goodbye to his mother to find his father. He found
him in the march to execute the prisoner in Banteay Chhmar. The boy looked at
and recognized his father, so he got through the crowds into the place in front
of king Hou Lou who sat watching the march, too.
The royal boy said loudly, " The prisoner is my father. He is innocent. It is
not reasonable to have him executed so release him now. If you want to kill
please kill me " King Hou Lou heard and was very surprised. He asked " Where are
you from? Why did you say like this? I will ask executioner to kill you " " I am
the son of Preah Bat Yosker who is the prisoner " the royal boy replied, " I am
not afraid of dying of unjustice, I can die for my father. " " The brave boy! Is
he your real father? " King Hou Lou continued, " If so. Please come in. I will
punish you. "
The royal brave boy walked in to get punishment at once. Then, the king ordered
executioner to put an end to the boy's life in front of the crowds so as to make
a sign of warning. By power of his gratitude to the father, the sharp sword of
the executioner became blunt and rolled up which could not harm the royal boy at
all. Having seen that, King Hou Lou asked the executioner to pile up bonfire and
put the boy on the fire. But it was useless, the fire became cold and got no
heat. The royal boy walked out of the bonfire with smiling face to king Hou Lou
and all people.
King Hou Lou told the body guards to take a number of cruel elephants to step on
the boy. The elephant keepers galloped the elephants very fast towards the royal
boy, the elephants did not run on when they arrived in the front about two steps
from the royal boy, they knelt there. They not only knelt in front of the boy
but the head elephant of the herd also carried the boy and put him on the head
with good care of him. By seeing the power of the royal boy, king Hou Lou
escaped from the crowds who were in chaos.
After that the royal boy asked his father to get on the elephant back to Ta Moan
temple on the Dangraek mountain range peacefully to visit Bortom. But it was not
so long, Preah Bat Yosker died because of the suffering. The royal boy, Vibolker,
offered the fire and buried the ashes of his father traditionally. Later the
residents of Banteay Chhmar such as royal officials prepared a march to bring
him for crowning as a monarch legally in the royal palace in Banteay Chhmar. As
for Princess Bortom, she stayed with her son forever happily.
Unknown author
There was a man called CHAU CHAK SMOK whose name means the man who weaves boxes
with palm leaves. One day he went to weave boxes at the top of the palm tree. He
cut strips of the leaves and then he planned to make the boxes. While he wove
the boxes, he thought " When I make a lot of boxes, I will sell them to the
store, then I shall buy a hen. Later the hen will give chickens, then I will
sell the chickens. So I will get five hundred riels. With, this, I will buy a
pig.
When the pig has young ones, I will sell them, I will thus earn two hundred
riels, then I will buy a colt. When I sell it, I will make a lot of money, about
two or three hundred riels, then I will buy fields and cultivate them. When the
field crops, I will sell them and I will have a good deal of money, then I will
find a pretty girl to be my wife. Later I will became a rich man and I will buy
slaves to toke care of my children. When my slaves cannot take care of my
children I will hit them. "
While the man was daydreaming, he kicked at the palm leaves. The leaf was broken
so the man fell, but he caught himself under the palm leaves. When the wind
blew, he swung like a swing, but he could not climb up to the top of the tree.
Meanwhile, there was a man who rode on an elephant coming near the palm tree,
then Chau Chak Smok asked the man for help " Please save me. Please take me
down. I will serve you all my life. "
When the elephant-driver brought the elephant to the palm tree, he stood up on
the elephant's back, his toes seemed to let the elephant go, so the
elephant-driver was hanging under the man, then the elephant-driver begged the
man not to let go of the palm leaf and he said " Please do not let go of the
leaf and I will be your servant all my life. "
The man's hands were very weary, then he told the elephant-driver to let go of
his legs, but the elephant-driver did not let go, and then he said again " If
you do not let go of my legs, I will fall from the leaf and drop my body on your
and kill you. " The elephant-driver begged the man to hold the leaf very
strongly, and he said " I fear to let go and drop my body down. Please hold on.
If you save my life, I will be your servant. "
While they spoke to each other, there were four bald men who came by that way,
and brought a large net. When the men who swung under the palm branch saw them
come by, they called for help, but they told the two men " How can we help you
down, because you are swinging below each other " then they begged them to help
and said " If you save us, we will serve you all our life. Please spread your
net and tie it around your necks, and we will drop in the net. "
The four bald men spread the net in a square, then they said " Please drop one
after one. " But the men did not drop one after one, they dropped at the same
time into the net, so the four bald men were dragged to hit each other's heads
and crushed their skulls.
When the two men were saved, they saw four bald men die, then they discussed
with each other about burning them, but one said " If we burn them at the same
time, some one will think that we killed the men, and the government will put us
in jail. So we had better bury them, and we will pardon them, because they died
for us.
"
Unknown author
Once there were an old man and woman who had a pretty daughter. They would never
accept a boy to marry their daughter if the boy called someone names. One day, a
smart, handsome boy went to ask for their daughter in marriage. They said " Yes!
we accept you but must abstain from calling anyone names and serve us as we
order you. If you can't abstain I won't give my daughter to you. I have to tell
you first because I do not want you to think later on that I am very severe and
wicked. "
The boy said " Yes! I can abstain from calling anyone names and do everything
for you as you order. " The father told him " If you can abstain from calling
anyone names, you had better go home, but you must come back in the morning
early. " The boy said good bye to him and came back home. In the morning, the
boy came to serve his future parents-in-law. The father told his daughter to
give him some food to eat, then he told him " Son! you go plowing in the field
and plow until a stone near the field cries. When you hear the sound of the
stone crying you take the yoke off the oxen. "
The boy yoked the oxen and went plowing from dawn until afternoon. But the stone
did not cry. The oxen could not pull the plow and the stone was still quiet. The
boy was very hungry. He could not work without eating anything, so he called the
stone names " Mother stone! why don't you cry? " The boy called the stone names
and the father appeared from the bush near the stone. He told the boy " I break
your betrothal with my daughter, because you can't abstain from calling the
stone names. " The boy took off the yoke from the oxen and went home
sorrowfully.
Later there was another boy who came to ask for the hand of daughter and the
father ordered him as he did the first boy. But this boy was not handsome. He
was very clever. When his father-in-law asked him to plow the field, he brought
some food with him to eat. He worked until he was hungry, then he stopped for a
while to eat and kept working until afternoon. The oxen could no longer walk.
When he directed the plow near the stone, he talked to the oxen " Oh, stone!
Please cry! The oxen can not pull the plow! Take pity on the oxen! For myself, I
do not care! I have some food to eat, and I can plow until night! If you do not
have pity on me, please have pity on the oxen because they are animals"
That boy begged the stone, but the stone still did not cry. He did not call the
stone names because he knew that his father-in-law was hiding behind the stone.
He begged many times for the stone to cry until the father saw his oxen so
tired. The father had pity on his oxen, then he cried behind the stone to mimic
the sound of the stone. The boy let the oxen to pasture in the field and came
back to his future father-in-law. The father asked his daughter to prepare food
for him. That night the father told him to go to his house and come back in the
morning. The boy said " Good bye " to the family and went home.
At night, when the future parents-in-law went to bed, the boy came stealthily
and hid under their house to listen to what plan they made. The father went to
bed with his wife and made plans
" Hi dear! That boy can abstain from calling the stone names, but he is not
handsome, so we had better make plans to make him angry, then he won't abstain
from calling someone names " His wife said " It is very easy to find out his
mistakes. Tomorrow you hid in one sack and I will put some rice in the other
sack, In the morning when that boy comes, I will tell him to carry them on his
shoulder for you, who will have gone to cut wood at the top of the mountain.
He will not able to carry them because they are so heavy. So he will be angry
and then he will call them names. As you are in the sack you will hear very
well. When you come back we will break him with our daughter. " The husband and
wife made this plan and slept. The boy who was hiding under their house already
knew their plans and went back home. In the morning, the boy came to serve his
future parents. His future mother-in-law showed him two sacks and told him "
Son! Your father has gone to cut some wood at the top of the mountain. He wanted
me to tell you to carry these two sacks for him and to cook for him. Do not be
late. "
The boy carried the two sacks near the foot of the mountain, but they were too
heavy for him to go up the mountain. Some distance from home, he dropped them on
the ground and said " Oh, father! I am hungry, I can not carry these sacks up
the mountain. They are so heavy. Who can carry them up the mountain? If father
has no pity on me, he will hit me, but I will submit to this punishment. " Then
he carried them down and put them on the dry grass. He left them for a while.
When he came back to these sacks he put the dry grass on fire around them. When
the grass was burning the fire went to the sacks.
The father who was in the sack felt hot and moved the sack, because he was
afraid that the fire would burn his sack, but he could not get out. That boy
came running from somewhere and exclaimed " Gee! who burn my sacks? How can I
come thought because the fire is burning around like this? " Then he stood
outside of the fire and exclaimed until the fire was burning the father's sack.
The boy jumped into the fire and dragged the sack from the fire. As the fire was
burning the tie of the sack, the father appeared from the sack. His body was
plotted, his hair was scorching.
The son coaxed him " Hi ! Father! Why didn't you tell your son! If I hadn't
saved you from the fire maybe, the fire would have burnt you alive and mother
would have been a widow. " The man was so angry, he could not say anything, then
he went home without saying anything. He was weary, because his future
son-in-law had dragged him from the fire and as well, the fire had burned his
body and scorched his hairs. At home, he told the boy to go to his house and
come again in the morning. The boy went back and came at night to hide under the
house to listen to his parent's plans.
At night, his parents-in-law went to bed and made another plan. The husband
asked his wife " How can I find the trick to break him off from our daughter?
This boy is very clever, but we cannot give our daughter to him, because he is
not fit for our daughter. Yesterday, he knew that I was in the sack, he swung
that sack in which I was against the stone and set a fire to burn me alive. Now
how can we make another plan? " The wife told him " Now I have a plan, tomorrow,
you will pretend to be a master and tell him to be a dog. Then you and he go
hunting tortoise in the bush. But you make him creep like a dog. If he cannot
find the tortoise or cannot crawl after you, we will break off his engagement
with our daughter. "
The husband agrees to her plan and said " It is fine! Tomorrow, I will do as you
say " They slept. The boy under their home knew their plans and went home and
bought some tortoise. He put all the tortoise in the bush everywhere, then he
went back home to sleep. At dawn, he went to serve his future parents-in-law.
They asked their daughter to give him some food to eat and said to him " Son!
Today I want to hunt tortoise, but we do have any dog. Now you are a dog, I am
your master and we will go hunting some tortoise for dinner. " The boy said
cheerfully " Yes! "
The father carried the food and water. The boy crawled after him. When they
arrived in the bush where the boy tied the tortoise, the dog boy ran in front of
him and barked for tortoise. The father ran towards the place where his dog was
barking. He saw his dog bring a tortoise in his mouth. He caught seven
tortoises. At the afternoon, the father was hungry, sat down and ate lunch. His
dog crawled looking at him. His master did not give him anything to eat, so the
dog saw a herd of oxen near by and he ran and bit them.
When the oxen came into the field and ate the vegetation, the father ran towards
the herd of oxen and called them off from the field. The dog returned to eat all
the food and ran away. The father did not have anything to eat, so he was very
hungry, because the dog had eaten up his food. He was very angry with his dog.
He beat his dog, but the dog ran so fast, he could not beat him anymore. The
father was very hungry, his home was very far away, he was too weary to walk
home. He did not punish his dog because this was the way of the dog.
They arrived home together. After dinner, he told his future son-in-law to go
home and come again in the morning. At night the boy came and stayed under the
house to listen to their plans for the next day. At night, the parents-in-law
went to bed. The husband told his wife that his son had maltreated him and asked
for another plan from her. His wife answered " Today, you are his master, now it
is your turn to be a dog and make him your master. Tomorrow, you and he go
hunting tortoise again. " They slept. The boy under their house knew everything
and went back home.
In the morning, the boy came to serve them. His father asked his daughter to
give some food, then he told him " Yesterday you were my dog, today I am your
dog and you are my master to go hunting tortoises again. " " Yes! " the boy
answered and they left home together. The dog, his father, crawled after him.
Some distance from home, the boy walked at full speed, because he did not want
his dog father walking near him. His father could not crawl well, because he was
too old, and he stopped after him.
The boy looked back at him " Dog! Do not waste the food! Work for me! Why don't
you run before me! Don't walk after the master! How can you find the tortoise? "
His father could not run in the bush and could not find tortoises. The boy beat
him almost to death. The father crawled wearily, but he did not say anything,
because he was ashamed before his son. In the afternoon, the boy ate food and
gave some fish bones to his father to eat and said to his dog father " I never
saw a dog like you run after the master, how can the dog run after the master
and catch tortoise? I don't waste food on you! Eat the fish bones! "
His father could not eat bones, because he was toothless. He was so hungry, that
he crawled looking at him eating food until he had finished. His son beat him
with a stick and told him to crawl home.
His father was very tired. He could not crawl, so he walked after his son. His
son told his mother-in-law " Mother! I did not catch any tortoise because this
is not a good dog. " His father was very hungry. He told his son to go home and
come back in the morning. He went home and came at night to listen to their
plans under the house.
At night when the old ones went to bed, the husband told his wife about how his
son had maltreated him and not given him any food to eat. His wife said " So,
give our daughter to him, we can't break him from her. This boy is so clever, he
know all our plans. He maltreated you almost to death. Why are you not afraid of
death? " The husband said " I don't want to give our daughter to him because he
is not handsome, and he is not fit for our daughter. When we played tricks with
him, he was never angry, he did not call anyone names. So can you make another
plan to break him from our daughter? "
His wife told him " Yes! Now in the earliest morning you wash your face eat and
smoke, then you get in the sack again and I will put some rice in another sack.
In the morning he will come and I will tell him that you are going to the town
to buy something. " She added " I will tell him to carry these sacks at lunch
time. Perhaps, he cannot carry them, because they are heavy and it is a long
way. If he cannot get there on time we will break him from our daughter. " After
making the plans, they went to bed. And the boy who was under their house, knew
their plans and went back home.
In the morning, the boy came to serve them again. His future mother-in-law asked
her daughter to give him some food. After breakfast, his mother gave two sacks
to the boy to carry to the town for her husband as they had planned the night
before. The boy carry the two sacks on the way to town, thinking " This time, I
will terribly maltreat my father-in-law until he cannot play another trick and
will have to give his daughter to me. " He carried the two sacks on his
shoulder, about half way from home to town, he dropped them down and put them
near the edge of the bridge, strongly tying the sack in which his father was.
He said " Oh, it is too late. My father will call me names. I cannot carry the
sacks on my shoulder, because they are so heavy. I cannot not be there on time.
If my father will call me names, I will not care. I had better put them here and
go somewhere for rest, then I will carry them on. " For a while he took a stick
as long as an elephant's leg and stepped on the bridge. The sound was like an
elephant's walk. He went across the bridge and said " Who put two sacks on this
bridge? My elephant will step on them. Please move them. " he warned and stepped
toward the sacks.
The father in the sack thought it was an elephant and afraid of death, he moved
the sack away from the "elephant" over the bridge and fell down into the water.
His father's nose was full of water. His son saw his father's sack fall into the
water, but pretended not to see, because he wanted his father to drink some
water in the sack and wanted him not to make another plan. Then exclaimed
fearfully " Who rides the elephant to kick my sack into the water? oh, my rice
will be spoiled! oh, my father may call me names, the sun is high, my rice is
spoiled. "
The boy saw his father struggling in the sack " Oh, there are some fish come
beating in my sack, I had better lift it. " Then the boy lifted it to land and
said " If it gets wet, I have to dry it, then I will carry it back for my mother
to make cake for my father. " When he untied the sack, he exclaimed sorrowfully
" Oh, father! Why didn't you tell your son. If I had not lifted you, perhaps,
you would have died. Some one has ridden from somewhere and he let his elephant
kick you into the water. "
The father heard, stood up and went back home silently. He arrived home, could
not find another plan, so he prepared the wedding for his daughter and the
clever boy.
Hanuman And Sovann Macha (the Monkey And The Mermaid)
Retold by Toni Shapiro
The monkey general Hanuman was a very close aid of the Prince. When the Prince's
lovely wife Sita was kidnapped and taken prisoner, the Prince asked Hanuman to
help him rescue her.
Hanuman didn't hesitate. He called the monkey army together and devised a plan.
First they would construct a bridge across the ocean. Then they would cross
waters to the land where the Princess was being held, fight off her captors, and
bring her safely home.
One-by-one, the monkeys started lifting heavy boulders, and placing them on the
sea. They would heave one huge stone after the other, and put them all down
close together to form a causeway. But, as they were working, they noticed
something strange. After struggling to move a big stone into place, the monkeys
turned around to get another boulder. When they returned with the next stone,
the one they had just left had disappeared. This happened again and again,
until, finally, they went to inform Hanuman, their leader.
How unusual, thought the monkey general. "Don't worry," he told the soldiers.
"We'll get to the bottom of this." He ordered them to fly with him into the sea
to try to discover what the problem might be. Down and down they swam until,
from a distance, they noticed mermaids moving in the water. But the mermaids
weren't just swimming. They were holding huge stones. In fact, it was these
mermaids who were removing the monkey's boulders, and disrupting the progress of
their bridge construction.
Slowly, the monkeys crept up on the mermaids. They swam around and around,
trying to catch them. Off to the side Hanuman spotted Sovann Macha, the leader
of the mermaids. He figured that if he could catch her, he could convince her to
tell the others to stop destroying the bridge.
He tried to reach her without letting her see him. From the back, from the side,
he attempted to grab her. But she kept swimming in her beautiful, graceful
style, oblivious to his antics. Eventually, he knocked her down. She was not
only surprised; she was angry. She swam away. He swam after her. He did
somersaults and cartwheels; she kept her balance and never stopped moving.
But while they were involved in this struggle, Hanuman realized that he had
fallen in love with Sovann Macha. So he tried to woo her rather than attack her.
For her part, she eventually realized she shared his feelings. And she told the
other mermaids to not only stop interfering with the monkey soldiers' work, but
also to help them complete the bridge.
Thus, in the end, the Prince was able to cross the bridge with the monkey army,
and rescue the Princess.
This story is an excerpt from the epic talk the Ramayana (with origins in
India), known in Khmer as the Riemker. The dance of Hanuman and Sovann Macha is
often performed on its own. It can also be one scene in the longer Riemker
dance-drama.
Moni Mekhala And Ream Eyso (the Goddess And The Giant)
Retold by Toni Shapiro
There is a Cambodian legend that, once, a long time ago, there lived a goddess
and a giant who were studying with the same teacher. A wise and powerful hermit
who lived deep in the forest, the teacher possessed a magic ball, which he
wanted to present to one of his devoted students. However, it was difficult for
him to judge which of his star pupils, the goddess Moni Mekhala or the giant
Ream Eyso, both of whom were just completing their studies with him, was more
deserving of the ball. He decided to offer his pupils a challenge: The two were
told to collect the morning dew. The first of them to present the hermit with a
glassful of this liquid would be the winner. And the winner would receive the
magic ball.
Ream Eyso, the giant, had a clever idea which he thought would surely bring him
the honor of the best student. Early the next morning, Ream Eyso gathered as
many leaves as he could, and one-by-one, let the droplets of dew slide from each
leaf into his glass.
Moni Mekhala approached her task differently. She spread a handkerchief on the
grass and left it there overnight. By morning the handkerchief was damp, and it
took just a moment to squeeze the dew out of the cloth and into the glass. She
arrived to present her full cup of dew to her teacher before the giant did. As a
reward for her ingenuity, the hermit bestowed upon Moni Mekhala a glittering
ball. Ream Eyso received a magic ax as a consolation prize.
But instead of being the end of an isolated contest, this was just the beginning
of an eternal struggle for the small ball that Mekhala now carried was very
powerful, much more so than the ax that Ream Eyso wielded. The giant was
jealous. He had to have that ball!
Ream Eyso stalked Moni Mekhala. He taunted her and threatened her. He crept up
behind her and tried to grab the object of his desire. He even flirted with the
goddess. But the goddess was not at all bothered. Indeed, she was aware of all
of his tricks and teased him in return. In desperation and anger, Ream Eyso
flung his ax at Mekhala, barely missing her. Moni Mekhala finally tossed the
ball into the air, creating a bolt of lightning that blinded the giant. Down he
fell, defeated, as Moni Mekhala gently flew away. But moments later, wiping the
sweat off his brow, the giant regained his composure and stood up. Realizing
that his foe had escaped he pranced around in fury and disappeared into the sky.
In this tale we find the origin of thunder and lightning. Ream Eyso's ax flying
toward the goddess creates the thunder. And Mekhala's sparkling ball lights up
the heavens. Together they bring rain, the symbol of renewed life as it imparts
fertility to Cambodia's farmlands.
The confrontation between the giant and the goddess reoccurs every year, around
the time of the Cambodian New Year in mid-April. This is the height of the dry
hot season, just before monsoon rains wash away the dust and bring nourishment
to the fields. When Cambodians see dark clouds forming in the sky, they know
that Ream Eyso and Moni Mekhala will soon be engaging in their eternal battle,
and the rice fields will soon be flooded. They also know that the giant will be
vanquished, but only temporarily. Sooner or later he will reappear.
This legend has been enacted for centuries at least once a year as part of a
sacred ceremony known as the "buong suong." Held under royal patronage, buong
suong is a way to ask the deities for blessings in exchange for offerings of
elaborately presented fruits, meats and other foods, incense, flowers, and most
importantly, sacred music and dance. Swathed in velvet and brocade, with a
golden tiara or fearsome mask on their heads and delicate flowers over their
ears, the dancers personifying Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso recreate this most
essential of battles. In reenacting this legend, the dancers serve as messengers
between the king and the gods, asking for fertility of the land and well-being
for the people.
The classical dance of Cambodia has a long history interwoven with that of
religions and kings and, more recently, modern nation states. The dancers, whose
poses of extraordinary suppleness and flexibility are immortalized in stone
carvings that grace the walls of the 12th-century temple complex of Angkor Wat,
have variously been messengers between the royalty and the gods, symbols of the
independent country of Cambodia and entertainers. In all these guises they have
remained vehicles for the maintenance and passing on of tradition. Just like
Moni Mekhala who guards something so precious and potent (her sparkling ball),
the dancers have been granted possession by their spiritual teacher of a
priceless jewel: the dance.
Neang Neath - One Of Battambang's Folk Story
Neang Nath was known as the most beautiful lady in her village. A
lot of men liked her but she loved only her husband. He was in the army and one
day, he was sent to the frontline.
After a few month later, a letter came from home asked him to come back as Neang
Nath will give birth to her first child. Neang Nath was waiting eagerly for her
husband, but due to long journey, he couldn't reach home on time. By having
difficulty in giving birth, Neang Nath and her baby died.
Still waiting for her husband to be home, her spirit didn't go away and she
become "Kmorch tai horrng". Every day, she waited for her husband and every
night, the villagers heard her singing for her baby (Bom'pay koan).
Finally her husband reached home and they were so happy to meet each other.
After a few days, the husband found out that both his beloved wife and his baby
was already dead. First, he didn't believed what was told by the villagers.
One day, the spoon felt down to the ground and without knowing that she was
observed by her husband, Neang Nath lengthened her tongue to pick up the spoon
and fed her baby with some worms.
All the love to his wife couldn't win his fear of his wife, the husband rushed
to get help from the ghost catcher who was invited by other villagers to catch
Neang Nath. By a magic spell from the ghost catcher, Neang Nath cried in pain
and asked for help from her husband but she got none from him. By all her anger,
she killed the ghost catcher and willing to take her husband home but then she
got caught by the monk. By all his advices, she finally agreed to leave her
husband. With the help of the monk, she was able to get a reincarnation and a
new life.
retold by Toni Shapiro
A long time ago, there lived a great king who ruled over a rich Kingdom. He had
a wise and beautiful Queen, four Chief Ministers, a Royal Astrologer, who always
helped the king make decisions, and a whole class of Mandarins and great
Officials to perform all the honors for the king.
But unfortunately, neither the King, nor the four chief Ministers knew anything
of magic practices, which were so necessary for victory in battle. Because of
this the king was very worried about his kingdom. As he got older, he worried
that if an army should invade his Kingdom, it might be easily overrun.
One day, early in the morning, the King, accompanied by the Queen, went to his
Throne Room. The Royal Astrologer, all the Mandarins and Officials, and the four
Chief Ministers were prostrated for the Royal Audience. It was then that the
King formed the idea of going to learn magic with a great and famous teacher
called Tisabamokkha, who lived in the far-off kingdom of Takkasila. There they
found Tisabamokkha and asked him to instruct them in magic, which the great
teacher did.
So the King and his whole retinue were taught magic practices. They learned how
to change themselves easily into all kinds of animals and heavenly beings.
When they had learned all that their teacher could tell them, the King decided
it was time to return to their own Kingdom. He set out on his journey again
accompanied by the Queen, the Royal Astrologer and the four Chief Ministers.
After they had traveled for three whole days from Takkasila, they got lost in a
huge forest. They had eaten all the food they had brought with them and they
began to eat all the roots and berries they could find. The king began to worry
that perhaps he would die so he called all the other members of the group
together. "Our end may be near because we have no food to keep us alive, what
should we do?" The Royal Astrologer suggested to the king "perhaps we should use
the magic which we learned to turn ourselves into a tiger, then we could catch
other animals to eat. We could wait until we got back to our own Kingdom to turn
ourselves back into humans again. The other members of the group all agreed with
the Astrologer's idea. Which part of the tiger's body do you each wish to be?"
the king asked. The four Chief Ministers wanted to turn into the four legs of
the tiger, the Astrologer into the tiger's tail and the Queen into the tiger's
body. The tiger's head was left for the king himself.
So they all recited the magic formulae to transform their bodies and . . . there
stood a Royal Tiger. Soon the Tiger felt quite hungry and bounded off to catch
deer and antelope to eat. After a time, the Tiger was so happy that he forgot to
return to his own Kingdom. He did not regret his wonderful new life.
This is how there came to be tigers in the world which are stronger than any
other animals. When the tiger goes off to hunt for his prey, the tail, waving
from side to side and guiding him on is the Royal Astrologer; the supple, pliant
body is the Queen, that wise woman; the four strong feet of the tiger, with
their sharp claws, are the four Chief Ministers; and the head, awesome and
majestic as it looks around, is the King greater and more powerful than all the
other kings.
"The Origin of the Tiger" in Cultural Context
The word Tisabamokkha is a word of Pali origin, which means "great teacher."
Also Takkasila is a district in north-west India. The use of such words shows
the Indian influence in Cambodia.
This story is a famous Cambodian folktale because it explains the origin of the
tiger and also emphasizes the idea that people must cooperate together for the
common good. However, it is also meant to teach the audience that people should
not turn their backs on their country or community when they experience
increased wealth or great happiness. Many Cambodian proverbs warn people not to
forget their responsibilities. In this tale, the King and his entourage
originally wanted to help the people of the kingdom. However, in their
excitement of being able to transform themselves into tigers they forgot the
original reason that they wanted to learn such powerful magic, which was to
assist the people of the Kingdom.
Phnom Bayongkour (takeo Province)
Unknown author
Once upon a time, there were a king, Preah Bat Bayong, in Cambodia, who had a
royal residence on Dangrek mountain and a queen, Preah Neang Sakkro Oub because
she had fragrant hair which was fragrant for about a Yojana ( ancient unit of
measurement equivalent to about 16 kilometers ). And the beauty of herself was
the most beautiful which famed to the king of Siam. Siamese king sent persons to
find out the truth that she was full of all appearances.
Siamese king found a trick to take the princess for his own-country honor. King
Bayong knew the case so he lead his wife, woman servants and forces into the
sailing junk and left the royal residence at night to wards south-east. Before
he left, Preah Bat Bayong prayed for Gods and spirits looking after the
territory that he would succeed in three wishes " 1. Safe-sea journey. 2. Please
do not let Siamese thieves reach. 3. Meet a suitable place. If I succeed I will
shave my hair. "
The king sailed the junk days and nights without stopping. When they had sailed
for long way the king looked for a place to land the junk for resting. At that
time. The wind blew heavily which caused the junk to circle and break the helm
of the junk. That place was called Bak Changkot village and now it is Bak Kot
village. Seeing so, the king was very fearful and he prayed that the wind would
not blow more, he would offer things for the spirits of water. Then there was no
more wind.
The junk went on a bit to cast anchor in order to land. That place was called
Kanlaeng Chot ( landing place ) until now. The landing was made in order to give
offerings to the spirits of water and repair the helm. The area where offerings
were offered was named Saen Bon village until nowadays. These three places are
in Leay Bo, Tram Kok district, Takeo province. When finishing the work, the king
continued the trip towards south-east. While they were traveling their junk
broke open, the king ordered people to repair.
This place was called Sampao Thleay till nowadays. They went on and saw an area
with a lot of thatch. They took the thatch to close the broken parts of the
junk. The place was called Prek Sbao until now. The junk went on and reached a
place where Preah Neang Sakkro Oub worried about a lot of things. One thing was
that the junk continued and they could not find a place and the Siamese groups
would reach them or not: Princess lit the candles to worship the spirits of
water, land, and the guardians of all places to meet a peaceful place and the
Siamese thieves to be eliminated in the sea.
The place where princess worshipped was called Anlong Tien village till now. The
ceremony of her worship was succeeded that was the junk of Siamese king which
was sent to look for the princess went past one another. The junk of king Bayong
went by the lower way on the east and the Siamese junk went by the upper way on
the west. After worshipping, the junk of king Bayong turned towards the
south-west. After that there was a violent storm blew towards Siamese junk and
caused them all to die.
This place was called saenlung village. Now it is called Sanlung. As for
Bayong's junk went ahead quickly, the king landed the junk near an island. He
went to look for resting place and then he ordered forces to bring things out of
the junk. The king asked the queen to go to the forest, suddenly it rained very
heavily. After king, princess and royal servants got on the land the lightning
made the junk to sink at the port. That place was named that Phnom Runtah until
now.
Then king Bayong looked for a place to build a royal resting place. After that
the king had a chat with the queen about the pitiful journey from the beginning.
At that time, Princess reminded the king of shaving his hair for worshipping the
spirits of water. So the king had to shave in order to fulfill the pledge. Since
king Bayong worshipped and shaved his hair for the spirits of water, he was
called king Bayongkour. And the high hill where he shave was called Phnom
Bayongkour till nowadays.
Phnom Borey Phnom Da (Takeo Province)
Unknown author
Phnom Borey Phnom Da is located in Angkor Borey commune, Prey Kabbas district,
Takeo province. The tale related to this Phnom is as the following:
At that time there was a king who took the throne in Champasacc or Basacc where
is the upper part of Mekong River and had a daughter, Princess Ak Or. The
princess was the most beautiful no one could be compared with. Because of
delirium of love, she fell in love with a pitiful man without thinking about
honor of king relatives. That was why the king ordered to have the princess and
her lover exiled on the raft on the river and large sea.
The king also ordered the arrangement of unhusked rice, husked rice, corns,
beans, sesames, salt and fish cheese with that raft. The raft drifted for days
and reached a mountain, Phnom Borey ( Borey mountain ) where nobody lived. Ak Or
and her husband felt very happy that they arrived at the shore which survived
them. So, they brought all things to live there. Both of them earned a living by
planting and entering the forest to look for wood and build a cottage.
After constructing a comfort residence, Ak Or was very worried about her pain
and happiness. She missed her homeland as well as being sorry about her
reputation which was always prosperous. That was why she often burned incense
sticks and candles every night before going to bed for praying for the spirits,
mountain guardians, and Mrinh Kongviel ( forest ghost, kind of ghost which is
believed to take care of wild animals in forest ) who looked after lakes, and
hill to care and give them happiness with no shortage in earning a living.
Because of the power of everyday prayer, not for long, there was an honest man
coming to make her dream, " Don't worry from today on. Don't be frightened. I am
an honest man who keeps truth will help you to be famous and wealthy in this
place. But I do not have to show you my face. " Right after listening to the
honest man, she woke up and told her pitiful husband. From that day, she told
the husband to find wood in the forest. As for the husband, he went to cut
firewood which all was aloe-wood with fragrance.
He put it in piles for using only because he did not know that it was valuable
firewood. One day, Ak Or went to see firewood piles, she knew all of firewood
was aloe-wood. She told her husband smilingly to bring more this firewood. The
husband took more due to his wife's advice. Some time he went into deep forest,
he saw bright red pieces of gold. He thought, " these rocks have different color
from others. So, I will take three of them for my wife in order to set up a
fireplace. "
The man took those rocks and put them in small shallow basket and carried home
without knowing that they were pieces of gold. When his wife saw those pieces of
gold. She knew clearly but she did not tell her husband. She only said, " If you
see these kinds of rocks please bring them all home. " The husband always took
her advice.
One day , she thought, " My aloe-wood firewood and gold are increasing. So, I
think I can place a high flag as the sign. There may be ships sailing from other
countries that can see and come to land the ships to contact.
" Not for years, it was only 5-6 years, there were more and more outsiders
coming and earning a living there. As for the long-living residents, they
produced children and grandchildren, too. That was why the villages and
districts were bigger and all local people respected princess Ak Or and her
husband by nothing that, they both were the owners and merchants of that place.
That was a reason why princess Ak Or lead her husband to declare himself that he
was a king who throned there with the name, Preah Bat Songkh Chak and Princess
Ak Or as the queen.
At that time, Preah Bat Songkh Chak appointed the ministers in groups and
parties between the people living there. He also managed to have fort made of
stones and bricks built to surround a large area and he called that surrounded
rampart as Borey. The word " Borey " means the city with people and residence in
the area which is considered as the belongingness of the city dwellers and
property of the city. That was why mountain was called Phnom Borey ( Borey
mountain ) till now.
When finishing constructing Borey with the wanted honor, Preah Bat Songkh Chak
and the queen ordered people to build a beautiful, small, stone temple on the
eastern top of the mountain which is now called Prasat Phnom Da in order to pay
gratitude to the honest man who promised them previous day.
Phnom Choeung Prey (Kompong Cham Province)
Unknown author
There are two mountains, about one hundred meters from each other, in Choeung
Prey district, Kompong Cham province, which are located on the north of National
Route 6, west of Pa-ao market, about three kilometers and the way to the north
is about one thousand and five hundred meters. The mountain on the east is Phnom
Srey or Phnom Thom the other on the west is Phnom Pros or Phnom Preah Bat. The
two mountains are together called Phnom Choeung Prey.
Calling like this because of tale saying that women and men on building Phnoms (
hills ) which are the same as Phnom Pros Phnom Srey in Kompong Cham but Phnom
Choeung Prey is only a bit different because of the ground hole of Phnom Srey
where the women digged became a large pond, with water in raining and dry
season, which is called Srah Toek Preah ( Toek Preah Pond ).
As for the ground hole near Phnom Pros where the men digged to build Phnom
became a large pond without water in wet and dry season which is called dry
rampart. This dry rampart pond does not have water in wet and dry season even
though it is raining heavily in wet season. The water does not stay in the pond.
When the rain stops, there is no water in the pond right after that as if it has
big pipe to drain water.
It is strange. The two ponds, the women's pond and men's pond are not over one
hundred meters from each other. Why does the women's pond have water in all
seasons while the men's pond is dry? According to the old people living nearby
the pond, they said, " The reason why it is dry because of the curse of women at
the men. " There are a lot of antiques on the top of Phnom Choeung Prey but they
are almost damaged. The things that have remained until nowadays are a statue of
Buddha attaining nirvana, a statue of Buddha in standing position and Buddha
foot prints.
There is clear inscription on the top of the east and west doors of the cavern
in which the objects of worship are kept the inscription can be seen from far
distance and it is thought that the inscription was written in Khmer. When it is
near it cannot be read by those who know present Khmer language because it is
ancient Khmer language. The other antiques are stone sheets which are called Kei
Neang Teav. But, nowadays, they are round things because of the damage and being
worn out. There is a stone sheet with human foot print which was called Ta
Preng's foot print on the front of Phnom Srey.
There is a good, smooth area on the north-east of the mountain, too, where it
was called shuttlecock playing place of Khun Chharng.
There is a stone hole on the west of cavern which is as big as the former regime
riel coin, that is, the hole is big enough to put riel coin. The hole was called
the hole of Ta Preng where he played in the after noon. According to the
residents belief, when they go and arrive at Phnom Choeung Prey for pleasure or
business, they have to be careful for two things:
1. There is a small cottage on the mountain under the Samrong tree which is the
cottage of red-neck spirit. This spirit is very powerful and he was called Phnom
spirits. In the past, the magical persons, pregnant women, government staff, and
high-ranking persons could not walk past. If they dared to walk past, they would
have no magic, a miscarriage, and lost their positions. It is less powerful now
but they still have to be careful.
2. They dared not chase the monkeys on Samrong tree that are the sons, grandsons
of red-neck spirit. If they chased, they would have accidents in severely
swollen arms, feet and body. Phnom Choeung Prey now becomes an attractive place
for various tourists especially, Cambodian people who are living in Choeung Prey
district and Prey Chhor district, always pay a visit during Khmer New Year.
Especially they go there at the end of Khae Chaet ( March-April ) which has been
their habit for a long time.
Phnom Vorvongs Sovongs (Kompong Speu Province)
Unknown author
The tale " Phnom Vorvongs Sovongs " is marked by the long mountain range from
Kompong Speu province to Koh Kong province. It is as the following:
Once upon a time, there was a king, Preah Bat Sorya, who took the throne in
Krosonn country. The first wife was, Vongs Thyea, had two sons, Vorvongs and
Sovongs. The second wife, Montea, had a son, Vey Vongsa. At the time, the three
royal sons were mature, princess Montea, the second wife, was jealous of the
throne which she thought it would be help by the first wife's sons. Because of
that she made trouble and provoked enmity in order to break everyday.
One day, the royal children, Vorvongs and Sovongs went for a walk together in
the area. Princess Montea caught them and squeezed them between her thighs and
she shouted loudly accusing the two royal children of being brave to catch her
and do improper things aggressively. As for the king, he got furious when seeing
that and he ordered executioners to bring the royal children to be killed
without considering.
Because of their power, when the executioners were about to kill princess Vongs
Thyea, the mother, arrived and asked the executioners not to kill. The
executioners helped the two royal sons with escaping from the country. At that
time the mother gave royal rings to both of them and sent a verbal message, "
When you are ten, please come back to our country " The two royal boys took the
message, left the country, and wandered in the forest. They both got asleep in
the quiet forest because of tiredness.
When Indra understood them he transformed himself into a while rooster and a
black rooster walking and eating near the two royal boys. The two roosters
talked to each other. " I am the black rooster. If someone eats me, they will
become king in 7 years, " said the black rooster. " As for me, I am a white
rooster, " the white rooster said " If anyone eats me, they will be king in 7
months. " The two chicken fought against each other until they both died in
front of the royal children.
As for the royal boys, they both wondered very much but with great hunger
Sovongs picked up the white rooster and Vorvongs took the black one to be
cooked. The two royal boys went on after they had eaten the chicken. They
reached a rest hall in the forest in Kunthop Borey country and they rested
there. It was then 7 months. After the death of the king in Kunthop Borey
country, the royal officials and ministers prepared an adventure for the honored
person to hold the throne.
The march of the adventure arrived at the front of the rest hall in which the
two royal children were staying. Suddenly, the elephant with throne ( richly
ornamented and reserved for the king ) stopped steadily in the respect manner.
The officials, ministers, and soldiers appointed a person to see the rest hall
and saw two royal boys sleeping. They decided to ask a royal boy, Sovongs, to
hold the throne in Kunthop Borey. The royal boys refused but the soldiers did
not agree and they carried him to the throne on elephant's back to the capital.
Sovongs missed Vorvongs very much. He asked those officials to bring his brother
along but they did not. When arriving, they arranged to marry the royal boy,
Sovongs to princess Sar Bopha, the daughter of this country king and to crown
him a monarch with happiness. The royal boy, Vorvongs could not find his brother
and he cried and called in the forest when he got up. He was hopeless so he
walked along the elephants footprints until he got to the palace of his brother.
The boy asked for permission from the guards to see his brother but they did not
allow. Then, the royal boy turned away and ventured on. He walked in the forest
for five days and nights when he arrived at the old lady's house near the royal
palace of king Thoraneth, he asked her to stay for a night. The old lady saw the
royal ring at that night and she thought the boy stole royal property so she
went to inform the king. The king got very furious when he heard. He told the
soldiers to bring the royal boy to be questioned.
Although the royal boy answered that it was his mother's heritage he was still
accused of being a thief and he was kept in the iron jail. One day, King
Thoraneth wanted to go to Chey Borey country which was proposed by king Soutoth,
his friend. He ordered the soldiers to launch the junk for his place in the
journey. The soldiers could not launch the junk so they called for powerful man
to launch the junk into the water. The royal boy, in the iron-bar jail,
guaranteed that he launch it.
The king said to the boy, " If you can launch I will release you as free man and
I will give you a lot of rewards " Because of the honor and luck from the past,
the royal boy, Vorvongs was able to launch the junk easily. The king stepped
down into the junk and left for Chey Borey country with Vorvongs and his
daughter Princess Keskesey as well as soldiers. Arriving in Chey Borey country,
the king told the soldiers to prepare tent near the royal palace of king Soutoth
and went to contact with king Soutoth in the palace.
As for Princess Keskesey, when she was asleep she dreamed of an old man who told
her that the royal boy was her former-life husband. Then she got up, she always
thought of the royal boy that she fell in love with him. After having discussed
with king Soutoth, king Thoraneth knew that there was a cruel giant entering the
palace and chased to eliminate the spirit who guarded there and wanted to eat
the flesh of king Soutoth, too. The giant went to live in the cave of the
spirit.
Preah Bat Thoraneth thought of means to get rid of that cruel giant so he asked
a person to bring royal boy, Vorvongs to be told. He told the boy to kill the
giant. " If you can kill the giant I will give you a lot of rewards, " said the
king. The royal boy took the royal order but in order not to make the giant
recognize him as a simple person, he asked for the equipment of king Soutoth to
be equiped with him so that he really looked like king Soutoth and he went to
fight against the giant until the giant died.
Preah Bat Thoraneth offered throne and princess Keskesey to the royal boy as his
queen when he saw that the royal boy Vorvongs was such a powerful person. As for
king Soutoth, he thought that the killing of giant was the help which kept him
from death. So he offered his daughter, Princess Vorvatey to be the queen and
the throne to the royal boy, too. The royal boy had to reign two countries and
had two queens, Princess Keskesey and Princess Vorvatey and spent pain and
happiness in Chey Borey country.
The spirit that always looked after Chey Borey country escaped when the giant
took control of the cave. He returned back to look after Chey Borey country with
Keo Monirath ( precious stone ) which could fly to give to Preah Chao Vorvongs,
the new king. When Princess Keskesey had 3-month pregnancy, Preah Bat Vorvongs
wanted to visit his father due to his mother's message " When it is 10 years,
return back to the country " So king Vorvongs said goodbye to his father-in-law.
Princess Keskesey asked to go with. Preah Bat Vorvongs and Preah Neang Keskesey
waved Keo Monirath and flew. When arriving at a hermitage, they landed and went
for a walk with each other. At that time, the hermit took Keo Monirath secretly
to fly in the sky for pleasure. Because of extreme wind, the head was cut off
and the hermit died. As for Keo Monirath fell down in Kunthop Borey, the country
of his brother. The soldiers took that precious stone to give to Preah Bat
Sovongs.
Preah Bat Vorvongs and Preah Neang Keskesey continued their journey to the
parent's country on foot when they knew that the hermit took Keo Monirath. The
journey was of many obstacles and difficulties and they met the elder brother,
Preah Bat Sovongs. From then, the two royal decided to go back to native country
due to their mother's message. When they arrived in Kroson country, their
parent's country, the two kings told soldiers to surround that country.
Preah Bat Sorya, their father, kept Preah Neang Vongs Thyea in iron jail by
accusing of being a bad woman and gave the throne to the royal boy Veyvongsa
after he had ordered executioners to kill the two royal boys. When Preah Bat
Veyvongsa knew that there were enemy troops surrounding the country he was very
frightened. Preah Bat Vorvongs told the royal servant to inform Preah Bat
Veyvongsa to give this country to Preah Bat Vorvongs otherwise there would be
fighting.
" I am not afraid, " Preah Bat Veyvongsa replied, " If your boss wants my
country. I agree to give but ask your king to have elephant fighting. If I lose
I will give this country to your king. If I win I only want to reign this
country. " The royal servant went back to tell things to Preah Bat Vorvongs.
Preah Bat Vorvongs agreed. King Veyvongsa and elephant forces were killed by
Preah Bat Vorvongs and Sovongs. Preah Bat Sorya, the father, whose son was
defeated, went to confess and surround.
When he arrived he did not recognize them as his sons because he thought his
sons were killed by the executioners. But he believed they were his sons because
of the royal rings as the recognized things. When he knew they were his sons, he
asked about things which previously happened. He understood that Princess Montea
was a shrew who stirred up trouble to separate royal sons and Princess Vongs
Thyea from him.
Then, the king ordered executioners to take Princess Montea to be killed and he
released Princess Vongs Thyea, the legal wife and offered the throne to the two
royal sons to reign instead of him with peace and happiness since then. This is
the folk tale about Phnom Vorvongs Sovongs which is recognized by a female-stone
statue without head as the figure of Neang Montea who was a mean and greedy
person. This statue is in Chambok commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu
Province.
Phome Poun Temple (Sorintr Province)
Unknown author
Khmer kings built a capital located in the jungles for keeping royal family from
other people's eyes when there was emergency or when the war occurred. That city
was called Prasat Phome Poun where it was the place of victory to maintain
happiness and it was far from other main cities. That capital did not have ponds
as well as roads. They only created paths and made a clear-cut of grass for
walking so that they could hide temple and capital from enemy.
Then, the ancient Kingdom of Cambodia was of chaos because the enemy invaded the
capital. In order to keep royal family safe, the king sent his daughter,
princess Serichan but most people called her big-breast girl, with one hundred
and one soldiers and women servants. The chief of soldiers named Bun Chan who
was most faithful to royal family accompanied her.
At that time, there was a king who reigned in a country away from Phome Poun
city ordered seven hunters and a number of elephants to hunt and catch wild
animals which were scare and beautiful for feeding in the royal palace. The
seven hunters walked and reached a pond which was on the south of Tapriem
Village. Suddenly, three hunters saw human trace traveling everyday in the
middle of jungles.
With suspicion, the hunters followed the trace and saw a temple in the woods
where the soldiers were on duty around it. They put their bows, crossbows and
hunting tools and entered to contact with guardians in order to spy on princess
Serichan clearly. Having seen her beauty, they returned back to their country to
inform the king. When his Majesty the king heard from them he ordered forces
prepared to travel to bring the princess to be his wife.
As for princess Serichan, when having a wash in the pond she did not know the
hunters hid themselves and looked secretly at her. She felt restless at that
night. When she got asleep she dreamed that if she wished herself, all soldiers
and her woman servants happiness she had to make a leaf-made bowl wandering for
a fiancé. There had to be a picture of her, a letter written about her wish for
a fiancé and cosmetic that she applied to her body and her seven hairs in that
cosmetic container.
She had to bring that bowl and float in the pond in front of the temple. When
the morning came, she asked her woman servants to prepare that leaf-made bowl.
Before floating it, she prayed for meeting the person with power to control and
take care of her. After praying, she floated the leaf-made bowl on the water.
The bowl disappeared after for a while from her eyes. Princess Serichan or
big-breast girl has another name called Neang Sork Kro-Oub ( Fragrant hair girl
) or Phum Ham.
At the same time, there was a country with a king who was on throne named
Haknuman. This Kingdom was powerful and famous through out all directions. There
wasn't any invasion from the enemy. The king had a prince who was a slim,
beautifully-dark man with thick lips and kinky hair but he had good virtue and
loved the truth more than his wife. One day, the son of king Haknuman went to
take a wash in the pond in the royal garden with his soldiers. Then the prince
saw the leaf-made bowl in the pond and he went to take and had a look at it.
He saw a picture of princess Serichan. He fell in love with her immediately that
he got light-headed. He walked quickly back to royal resting place without
washing himself. This happening spread out to his father to order soldiers to
arrange a praying ceremony for the owner of the bowl. After praying ceremony
finished, the prince and soldiers were transformed by powerful magic to hide
themselves and fly in the sky with so loud sound that shook the sky.
But no one could see them and they landed on the west of the temple of princess
Serichan. As for princess Serichan, she was very frightened when she heard very
long, loud sound but she could see nothing. So she ran to the temple and locked
the door firmly. The son of king Haknuman after seeing the princess gathered
those who came along to return back to his country in order to inform his
parents everything so that they went to ask princess Serichan for marriage
traditionally.
This time the price went to find her by getting into the earth. That was why the
earth, shook and made roaring sound when traveling it was like a march of
thousands of soldiers but nobody could see. The princess of Prasat Phome Poun
and soldiers entered the temple to hide by making a firm lock of the doors.
Inside the temple, the princess ordered close soldiers, woman servants about one
hundred and one to keep themselves, but only three could show faces.
After closing the doors, the walking out or into the temple had to be done
through the secret entrance door that was on the north west. The son of king
Haknuman showed his face in front of the temple with his left and right body
guards, the others were not allowed to show their faces. The prince begged the
princess to open the door but she refused. At last, the prince asked her to set
a door ajar so as to pass the leaf-made bowl back to the princess who prayed for
controller or fiancé.
In fact, the strength and power of the prince could break the door to meet her
but did not want to do that because he had virtue. After that the princess set a
door ajar to get the bowl. She saw the picture, fragrant box, seven hairs and
the article describing about praying for a fiancé. Then she agreed to open the
door and went out to salute to the prince and she wept with sorrow and remorse.
As for the son of king Haknuman when seeing her with such sorrow and remorse he
comforted her and he said " Oh princess! Do not be afraid of me. Although we
have faces that are different from common people or not the same as yours we
will keep the truth, honesty and passion forever. If you do not want to live
with me or to be my wife I cannot force you. If you need something and wish
something I can give you. "
Princess Serichan or big-breast girl was no longer afraid when she heard the
prince. " How many of you are coming here? Because I heard the tumult sound but
I did not see. I just saw you and your two body guards " she asked the prince.
Having heard this, the prince showed the princess the one hundred and one
soldiers who stayed in front of the temple. When seeing the power of the prince,
princess Serichan decided to accept the prince as her husband.
Sdech Toek Sdech Phnom (Kampuchea Krom)
Unknown
author
There was a king who reigned in the kingdom of Norkor Phnom and did not have
clear name. That king had a daughter with unclear name, too. A lot of men fell
in love with her because she was the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. The
famousness of her beauty spread to two young men of marriageable age who had
just returned from studying magic.
The two men went together to ask the princess for marriage. At that time, the
king said that the two men had to take a test of magic if anyone won he would
marry his daughter to him. They both accepted the king's purpose. The first man
showed the knowledge of magic to make flood over the area. The second man showed
his power to build high mountains to save the lives of human and animals from
the flood.
The deeper water was the higher mountains were. Finally, the second man won and
was married to the princess by the king and reigned the country. That was why it
had names names Sdech Toek ( King of water ) Sdech Phnom ( King of mountains )
until nowadays.
Svay Ang Temple (Svay Rieng Province)
Unknown author
In Svay Ang commune, Svay Rieng district, Svay Rieng Province, there is a hill
where it is not flooded, the ancient people called Svay Ang hill.
There was an ancient tower made of bricks and laterite on the hill with 83
meters long and 44 meters wide. In the central part of the hill there was a big
Jrey tree ( a kind of tree ) and a Sivalinga at the front part. As for the body
of the temple, it almost broke down only ruins of rocks and bricks are left. The
tale connected with the name Svay Ang is as the followings:
When the city was in Longvaek, there was a man, Samrith, who was a powerful and
strong person live on that hill. At the time of waging war with Siamese, the
king called on all people living in all provinces that if anyone was strong and
powerful, please join in the army in order to fight against Siamese who invaded
provinces along the border such as Battambang and Siem Reap Provinces.
Samrith volunteered to serve the country and prepared weapons and left from home
land for Longvaek on foot to join the armed services. As for the Khmer military
officer in that regime appointed Samrith as a chief of soldiers to march to
Battambang and Siem Reap provinces to break the enemy. Samrith and all forces
defeated Siamese and then Samrith asked the king if he could return to his home
land, Svay Rieng Province.
As he arrived home he untied the package and knew that the package was not his
because there were a sampot and only a few mangoes in it. So, it must have been
taken by mistake when returning back from the battle because he spent a night at
Angkor. The mangoes were brought from Angkor. Then his wife took them to be
transplanted along the fence.
Not so long, the mango-seeds grew up with flowers continuously. The residents
called Angkor mango trees because they were taken from Angkor. After that the
words was contracted into Ang. When Samrith and his wife died, their children
were married and moved to different places until no one stayed on that hill. The
villagers built a monastery called Wat Svay Angkor ( Svay Angkor pagoda ) with a
head of monastery and a lot of monks studying there.
Years later, there were so many birds on the mango tree, it was hard to clean
and there was short of residence, so the head of the pagoda asked the monks and
novice monks to cut it down. They could only cut half of the tree trunk because
of its powerful bigness. And in the morning, those cutting marks were not seen
on the tree and the tree barks covered and grew as usual.
One day the head of the pagoda asked a lot of monks and novice monks to find
axes and adzes in hands to cut down that big mango tree only in a day. The mango
tree could not bear so it fell down but its leaves, were not faded, grew more
branches with flowers and bore fruit normally. At night, they heard played
Pinpeat (band or orchestra composed of five different kinds of musical
instrument ) melancholy and made the residents admire very much.
Not for a long time, the head of the monastery was seriously ill that he was
crazy and senile. Having seen this, the monks and novice monks ran away. And the
laymen and lay women went to build another pagoda, one kilometer from old Svay
Ang pagoda, which is now called Svay Pa-aem Pagoda. The old pagoda has big mango
trees at the present time and Cheour Tiel ( a type of tree ) and other thick
young trees behind it.
This is the source described the above ancient place due to the folk tale. But
if it is directly taken a look at historical place it is not reasonable that the
word And shortened from Angkor, the place was an ancient shelter for Brahmanism
because of having Sivalinga placing in as a worship object during that time.
That was Sivaliga that the residents called Ang. Later, at the time of
practicing Buddhism, the Brahman worship places were changed into Buddhist
monasteries but remained the names of those places as Ang such as Ang Prasat,
Ang Brey, and Ang Snoul.
Unknown author
In a certain pond once there lived a crocodile. As the rainy season passed, and
the dry season advanced little by little, small ponds and lakes began to dry up
and plants began to wither away. Because of this, the crocodile crawling out
from the waterless ponds began to wander hither and thither in search of water.
An old man riding in his bullock cart came along the lonely road and discovered
the crocodile. Being tried by that time, the crocodile said to the carter " May
I go with you in your cart, grand father? " " Where do you want to go? " asked
the carter " I look for a pond where the water is abundant. " replied the
crocodile " Would you mind carrying me to such a pond? " The carter said " Well,
I'll gladly carry you in my cart. "
Then the carter freeing his oxen from the yoke said to the crocodile " Crawl up
this front frame of the cart! " But as the crocodile was not sure that its
slippery body would not fall down from the front frame he said " Please fasten
me to the frame strongly so that I might not slide down. " And so did the
carter.
When this was done the carter started. After some-time he saw a pond full of
water and stopped his oxen and after untying the crocodile, he said " Now, you
have a good pond, go and live here happily! " But the crocodile instead of
thanking the man accused him, saying " I have suffered a great deal from your
tight bond, so I have to eat one of your oxen! " And it also added " If you
refuse this, I take instead of this your head. "
Being frightened, the carter said " It is strange, I have brought you here to
find out a good pond. Why do you speak like this? " And he went on saying "
Indeed, I am innocent and I think I am not to be eaten and our case should be
judged by someone. " " Find out a judge if you please! " said the crocodile.
The carter being depressed in mind went about to find out a judge who would
solve the question. Roaming about here and these with some ripe bananas in his
hand, the carter met a rabbit near a small hill. And the rabbit said to him from
a distance " Hey old man, why do you look so piteous? "
The carter went near the rabbit and told it what had happened to him
unexpectedly. Indifferently the rabbit said " Never mind, old man! I shall help
you, but first, give me your bananas! " The carter gave it the bananas. And the
rabbit ate them up till it was satisfied.
Then they two stared for the spot where the old man had been accused. There,
they saw the crocodile waiting for them. Just then the rabbit said " Oh
crocodile! What's going on? I heard you had once lost the direction and you had
been brought here to find the pond by this old man, why are you so rude and
ungrateful that you claim to eat him? "
" Certainly, " replied the crocodile " he is kind to me, but his kindness hurts
me even now, he bound me so tightly that I nearly lost my breath, I there for
asked him to give me to eat only an ox! " And the rabbit turned to the old man
said " Oh good old man, are the crocodile's words true? "
Shaking his head, the man replied " No, I did not bind it so tightly as it has
said, I tied it just to make it impossible for it to slide down. " When the
rabbit got such different answers, it said " Since each one of you has no
eye-witness, you the crocodile have again to climb up the front frame of the
cart! "
And so did the foolish crocodile. The rabbit went on saying
" And you the carter tie it as tightly as you have done! " And so did the
carter. When this was done, the rabbit asked " Was it as tight as this,
crocodile? " " Oh no, it was not like this. " answered the crocodile.
" Tighten it a little more! " the rabbit said to the carter. And so he did. "
Was it as tight as this? " the rabbit asked again. " No, why should I be angry
if it was as tight as this? " it said. As it was impossible to tighten with
hands, the rabbit said to the carter " Go, old man, to look for a stick so that
we can make a tourniquet. "
When a stick was brought, a device being made with the stick, the carter
tightened the crocodile's bond with the front frame of the cart so much it
became difficult for it to move any more. The rabbit asked the crocodile again "
Was it as tight as this? " "Yes it was! " uttered the crocodile with difficulty.
" Stick! " commanded the rabbit " What's the use of stick, old man? Send it to
yama! " But instead of stick, the carter brought out his exe and chopped the
ungrateful crocodile into pieces and then thanking the rabbit for its help
returned home in peace.
Unknown
author
Once there lived together as friends two animals, a crow and a deer. Later on a
wolf met the deer in the forest and wanted to be his friend, then the deer
agreed. Then the two animals often met each other. But the crow knew that the
wolf was very wicked, and dishonest; then he warned the deer not to be friendly
with the wolf.
The crow said " The wolf pretends to be friendly, when you are taken in by his
tricks, he will kill you sometime " By and by the deer fell into the wolf's
tricks, so did not listen to the crow's warning. He agreed to come to the wolf
's place everyday.
One day the wolf saw a trap in the forest, then he thought he would lead the
deer to it, and when the deer was caught in the trap, he would eat him. Planning
to kill the deer, the wolf went to see the deer at his place, and then the wolf
told the deer that there was good food somewhere in the forest.
It was not easy to find food, when the deer heard this, he was very happy to go
with the wolf who guided him to the trap. And finally he was caught in the trap.
Being afraid of death, the deer called for help from the wolf, the wolf
pretended to be afraid of the man who came to see the trap, then he went in to
the forest to hide until the deer would be killed, then he would eat him.
One day when the crow did not see the deer come back in the evening, he flew
around everywhere as far as the forest where the deer was caught in the trap,
then he saw the deer and said to him " Oh, friend! why are you caught in the
trap? " The deer told the crow " This is my mistake in believing the wolf who
asked me to come with him to find food here, now, when the trap holds me, he
leaves me here and he goes away. Please save my life."
The crow told the deer to play a trick with the hunter, then he said " when you
see the hunter come to see the trap. You lie down as a dead deer and don't move.
Do not even breathe! The hunter will be sure that you are dead. When he takes
you off the trap, you will hear me crowing, you are get up and run into the
forest away from the man." the deer agreed to the crow's plan.
When the hunter came to see his trap, he saw the deer caught, then he thought
that the deer had died. He took the deer off the trap and put him on one side,
then he looked around him, when the crow saw that the hunter was not paying
attention to the deer, he crowed to let the deer run away and the deer ran
quickly at high speed into the forest.
when the hunter saw that the deer ran away, he took a sword and ran after the
deer to throw the sword at the deer, but the sword dropped on the wolf who
waited for the deer's meat in a bush near the trap, the sword struck the wolf's
neck killing him. The crow guided the deer to the forest where the hunter could
not kill him any more.
The Female Crocodile Who Wanted To Eat The Monkey's Heart
Unknown author
When in one of his former births, the Buddha was born as a monkey, called
Mahakabin, he was powerful and lived in the forest near the river in which there
was a small island in the middle. That island had every kind of fruit for his
food. Between the river and the shore there was a sand bank. The monkey leaped
from the shore to the sand bank first, then to the island.
Mean while there were two crocodiles, female and male, who lived in the river.
Latter on the female crocodile was with child and wanted to eat the monkey's
heart, then she told her husband " I am eager to eat a monkey's heart. If you
can not find one for me, I will die and leave you alone."
The male crocodile said " Oh, darling! Do not worry. If you are eager to eat it,
let me bring it for you, because I see every day a big monkey who crosses the
river to the island. Usually he stops on the sand bank before, he goes to the
island, I will swim and creep on that island to kill him for you."
The crocodile swam to the island and crept on to the sand bank to cover it. He
thought that the monkey would think that he was the sand bank. When the monkey
came back from the island at sunset, he leaped over from the shore of the river
and he almost leaped on the bank which the crocodile covered, he saw the
crocodile on the bank.
Then the monkey wondered " This bank is always as high as the surface of the
water and why is this bank higher today? Maybe there is some ferocious animal
who is lying on it and wants to kill me " and then the monkey called the bank of
sand " Oh, friend Sand water, but today you are Bank ! You are always as high as
the surface of the higher. How can you grow so high? "
The monkey repeated this sentence three times. When the crocodile heard the
monkey call the sand bank, he thought that the bank was not talking to the
monkey, because he covered it, then he pretended to be the sand bank and replied
" Oh, friend monkey I am not higher than yesterday. Please leap on me! "
The monkey said " Oh, poor animal, my bank does not know how to talk. Who are
you? " The crocodile told the monkey " I am the king of the crocodile who live
in this river." The monkey asked the crocodile, " why do you sleep on this bank?
" The crocodile said " Oh monkey! I want your heart for my wife, because she is
eager to eat your heart."
" If you need my life, Please open your mouth widely and close your eyes, I will
jump into your mouth " said the monkey, " and be sure to close your mouth. "
Then the monkey saw that it was a good chance to leap to pass to the shore. He
then jump on the crocodile's body and from there leaped on to the shore as fast
as an arrow.
When the crocodile thought the monkey passed over his back could not catch him,
he was very sorry to be out witted by the monkey, and he left the sand for his
own place in the river.
Unknown author
There was a man who went fishing with his son in a river. When he dropped his
fishing line into the river, it got tangled around the root of a tree, but the
man thought that his fishing line caught a big fish, he could not lift the line,
then he told his son to go home and tell his wife to quarrel with the family and
the neighbors, because he did not want his relatives to ask for some fish. Then
his son went to his house to tell his mother to provoke a quarrel.
She put on only a strip of cloth round her chest and a sampot under her navel
and she pretended to be like a foolish woman, then she painted her face black,
and then went to her relative's houses.
All her relatives saw her in a strange condition, so they asked her " Hi! why
did you do this? why do you put black coal on your face? " Then she blamed them
and called them names " Damned! are your heads heavy, when I paint my face
black? What is that to you. Do I hurt you, when I paint my face black? "
All her relatives heard her calling them names and they were very angry with
her, then they called her names in return. Some were very angry, they took her
to the judge. The judge asked her to pay money to those whom she called names.
After the fisherman had told his son to ask his wife to provoke a quarrel with
his relatives, he dived to take the fish that the fishing line had caught.
When he dived into the water, his head was hurt by the tree which got tangled
with the fishing line, his eyes began to bleed, then he fumbled around to find
the fish, but he found only the root of the tree, then he got out of the water
and put up his hands to shield his eyes, and finally he went to the place where
he had took off his clothes. But while he dived into the water his clothes were
blown away by the wind.
The fisherman felt very cold, his eyes pained him very much, and he wanted to go
home but he could not go because he was naked, then he hid within a bush till
night came. At night he crept in to his house, but he could not get into his
house because it was lighted, then he called his wife to give him some cloth,
after putting this on, he entered his house.
His wife told him that she gave as a fine all the money and goods to their
relatives because she called them names. The two lost everything, the man did
not catch the fish, his eyes were hurt, his clothes were gone, and his wife was
fined by the judge.
The Ghost That Entered The Jar
Unknown author
Many years ago, there lived a ghost in a certain village. He always wandered
hither and thither in search of food.
One day, while he was in his way looking for food he saw a farmer's wife. The
ghost then came to like, her very greatly, and when night came, he transformed
himself into the farmer that no one could say that he was not the same man. Then
he went to like with her.
When the farmer once returned home from his farm work, he saw that ghost
reposing in his bed. He then became very angry and at once dashed to drive him
out. But the ghost pretending to be the woman's husband said "Where are you
from? This house is mine, this woman is my wife and I am her married husband, I
do not know why you come here and show such a temper. Tell me what you want? "
The farmer strongly opposed this and said "No, it is I who is her true husband.
" He uttered exactly the word which the ghost did. Thus the quarrel about
possessing the woman ran high between the farmer and the ghost. As for the
woman, she was awfully perplexed. She did not know for certain who her real
husband was, for they two were exactly alike.
Unable to settle this unhappy matter, they two decided to go to the court. But
as the lower court could not find any just way to settle the matter for them,
they went to the supreme court. In this second court, there were many expert
judges. After hearing the case, they took notice of their appearances. As thy
observed them from head to foot, they found out the difference.
Man's eyes and the ghost's are not alike. The ghost's had no iris while man's
had, from these different features, the judges know before long who of the two,
was the woman's true husband.
But how could they separate the two from each other? And how could other find
out the ghost? Here was the skilful way of the judges: they then had a small jar
brought in and put it in front of them. When this was done, one among the judges
declared "One of you who can get into this jar, is the real husband of this
woman, and we shall at once offer her to that man who can do this."
On hearing this, the man was very sad. He knew that he could not enter the jar
at all. He therefore stood speechless. As to the ghost, he became very glad. He
thought that the woman would be his wife forever. Without delay, he made his
body very small and went up to the jar. Bowing his head to touch the open mouth
of the jar and straightening his feet in the air, the ghost entered the jar very
easily. As soon as the ghost entered the jar, it was firmly closed with a lid.
The judges then lifted it up and showed it to the public, saying "Here is a
ghost and not a man, man cannot get into a jar while the ghost can, now we have
found out the truth, this man is the true husband of this woman. " The judges
then sent the man and his wife to their home. But the ghost shut up in the jar
was throw into the deep water of a lake and no one saw him any more since that
day.
Unknown author
One there were an old man and an old woman. They were very poor. Their cottage
was on the seashore. They were fishermen by profession. One day, the old man
with his fishing-net on his shoulder went down to the sea. He threw his net into
the sea but he caught no fish.
Again he threw the net but there was no difference. On the third time, when he
dragged out the net, he found in it a fish of golden color and because of this
he called it " The golden-fish. " " Have pity on me, good old man. " said the
golden fish, " put me into the sea. I'll offer you something valuable. "
The old man was surprised at the fish's words. He did never see any fish that
could speak like a man. Now he saw this strange fish which could speak the human
language. So he lifted it up carefully and said " May god be with you, Oh golden
fish, I want to have nothing from you. "
On saying this, he threw the golden fish back into the water with the words, "
Swim away with joy! " On that day, the old man had nothing for his wife. He went
back to his cottage and told his wife of all that had happened.
" How foolish! " exclaimed the old woman, " Why didn't you beg something from
it? Our two water pots are very old, why didn't you ask it to give us new ones?
" The old man said nothing. He just went back to the sea and called out very
loudly, " Oh golden fish! I come to meet you. "
He called out and at last the golden fish came to him " What do you want from
me, good old man? " asked the fish. " My wife is very angry with me, now she
asks me to come here for a pair of new water pots from you. " said the old man.
" Do not get worried, good old man. " said the golden fish, " God will give you
a new pair of water posts, go back to your house, please. "
Saying this, the fish was out of sight, and the old man returned to his cottage.
He saw a new pair of water pots in his house, but the old woman was still
unhappy. She was a bad-tempered woman. She therefore said to him angrily " What
a stupid man you are! What's the use of these wooden pots? " And she went on, "
Go to the fish again and ask for a house, because our house is too old to live
in. "
The old man had nothing to reply. He went wearily back to the sea. This time the
water of the sea became rather dirty. As before, he called out again and again
until at last the fish came to him and said " What's the matter with you, good
old man? "
" My wife is still angry with me. " said the old man " and now she forces me to
ask for a house. " " Don't trouble yourself! " said the golden fish " Return to
your house, god will give you what you want. "
The old man was very happy. He went back to his house. There he saw no cottage
but a large building instead. In it, there were many rooms. It was a building
made with bricks, surrounded by tall tree and a lawn and a park. The old woman
was sitting near a window.
From that window, she looked at the old man who was wearily approaching the
building " You, the dirty beast, " she said to the old man when he came near, "
why did you ask for such a bad building? Go back to the fish again and ask it to
change me into a charming young rich lady! "
Again the poor old man could not refuse. He moved back to the fish. This time
the water turned dirtier. The fish came to him and asked " what is the matter
with you, good old man? " " Pardon me please, " said the old man, " my wife
wants to be a charming young rich lady. " " Never mind, good old man. " said the
golden fish, " God will make her a charming and rich young lady, just go back to
your house with joy! "
As the old man arrived at his house, he saw that a palace arose at the site of
the building. In the inner room, he could see his wife who was now young in fine
and costly clothes sitting in the middle of servants. On her fingers she wore
rings adorned with diamonds. Her shoes were shining.
The old man approaching her said, " Good morning lady, are you now satisfies
with these things? " But the young rich lady frowned and shouted at him, " Go to
work in the stable, do not come here " and the old man went to the stable.
Two weeks later, the young rich lady had a new desire, she again said to the old
man " My dear " she began, " go to the golden fish again and ask it to change me
into a powerful queen "
Being afraid, the old man said to her respectfully " Do not want to be so,
please, you are from a humble family, why do you want to get such a high
position? Are you not ashamed of villagers? Limit your desire, my lady! "
But the cruel young lady became more angry. She thundered " Who are you? Don't
you know that I am now a rich woman? " And she ordered him, " Go at once to the
fish, otherwise I shall use my power! "
The poor old man fearing his wife returned to the sea. This time the water
turned dark and the golden fish, " God will help her. " On that very moment, the
young rough lady became a queen. A splendid palace with all kinds of pomp and
amusement was in her possession.
" Are you now happy with your high position? " asked the old man. But the young
cruel queen did not give him even a look. Ten minutes later, he was driven away
by servants. Some of them said unkindly to him " You deserve this for your
behavior, you have to know that you and our queen are not equal in position. "
The old man ran away. But after two weeks, the queen had another new desire. She
asked one of her servant to look for the old man. Then the old man was brought
in front of of the queen who said to him " My dear, go to the golden fish again
and ask it to change me into the queen of the sea so that I can be a mistress of
the golden fish itself. "
The old man did not deny her command. He went to the sea and called the fish.
This time the sea was in great waves. The storm was going on. The water became
very dark. After some time, the golden fish approached him. And the old man told
it what his wife had asked him to say. On hearing that, the golden fish uttered
no word. It turned away with its head down into the sea.
The old man waited for it. He waited and waited, but he saw no fish coming back
to him. Finally he returned to his wife. But alas! There he saw no palace no
queen and no servant, he saw his old cottage with a pair of broken water post
under it. And he saw also his own poor old wife sitting near them.
Unknown author
There was a rabbit who lived under a palm tree near a hillock. One day he was
sound asleep, when a ripe palm fruit fell down on the ground near by. He heard
the cracking sound of the dried palm leaves. At this sound, he was frightened,
and said to himself " It is an earthquake! ", and then he jumped up and began
running without looking behind.
When the Oxen saw him in high speed, they said to him " Rabbit! why are you
running so fast? What is the matter? ." The Rabbit shouted in haste " Brother
oxen! It's an earthquake! Do not stay here! Run! " The oxen heard what the
Rabbit had said and they were frightened too, and they began to run, and soon
after they met the Pigs and Deer.
They too ran after the Oxen and the Rabbit. When the Elephants saw them running,
they too, asked " Why are you running, Oxen? What is the matter? ". The Oxen
told them " do not stay here! The earthquake is coming! " Hearing this story,
the Elephants jointed them.
When they all reached the Lion's den, the clever lion, seeing all the
panic-stricken animals, asked the Elephants " Why are you running? What is the
matter? " The Elephants replied, " We do not know exactly why. We saw the Oxen
running, so we ran after them, we heard something about an earthquake ".
The Lion asked the Oxen " Why are you running? What is the matter? Oxen? " The
Oxen said " We do not know either. We saw the Deer and the pigs running, so we
ran after them ." The Lion asked the Deer and the Pigs, but they answered like
wise, so finally he questioned the Rabbit.
The Rabbit answered " I am none too sure, myself. While I was sound asleep under
a palm tree, the earth breaking up pierced my ears, so I was afraid and began to
run ." The clever Lion then led all the panicky animals to the palm tree, and
showed them the cracked palm fruit lying on the ground. The embarrassed animals
gave the Rabbit a sound rebuke and went back to their own places.
Unknown author
Long ago, there was a man named Khek. He had a son and a calf of a donkey as
well. When the donkey-calf grew up, it became a handsome and plump donkey with
brown and smooth hair.
On seeing the grown-calf donkey, the man said to his son " Now our donkey has
became fat and nice, if we sell it now, we can get a good price for it. But
here, there is no one who needs a donkey and the village where someone needs it
is very far from here, how can we then get a good price for it? If we make it
walk to that far away village, it may get thin by fatigue, and its price will go
down. Now, what are we to do for getting a good price for it? "
The problem arising from this finally found its solution. The man and his son
caught the donkey and fastened each pair of its feet tightly together and passed
a pole between the pairs of feet and shouldered its two ends. Thus they began to
carry it to the far a way village for getting a good price.
While going on their way, they were seen by village who were very much amused to
see such a sight. They burst into laughter and said " Hey what a strange thing!
The two men carrying a donkey. " And then they accused the man " Old man, do not
do so. The horse, the ox, the elephant and the donkey have never been carried.
It is they, which have to carry men on their back. "
On hearing this, the father and the son took down the donkey and untied it. The
father then said to the son " We cannot ride all at once, for our donkey is not
strong enough to carry both of us. So, ride alone on it, and I will follow you.
" And so the young man did.
As he was passing through another village, he was asked " Where are you riding,
boy? " " I ride to a village called Kompong. " answered the young man. And
pointing out the old man, they asked " Who is this old man behind you? " " He is
my father. " the young man replied.
On hearing this, the villagers became angry and said " What an ungrateful son
you are! You are strong enough to walk while your old father is not so, you
would better get down at once and let your old father ride the donkey.
On hearing this sharp remark, the young man at once got down from the donkey and
the old man took his place. And then they continued their journey. The young man
walked behind the donkey carrying his father.
After some time, they came near a well at the end of a certain village. Around
this well there was a throng of young women who came to draw water from there.
Some were noisily pouring water on their body for a bath.
Looking at the handsome young man walking slowly behind the donkey, they felt a
great sympathy for him. They envied the old man who was riding so comfortably on
the donkey while the young man walked behind him with much hardship.
Then, they approached the donkey and said roughly to the old man " This young
donkey is fat and pretty, it is worthy of the young man who is in the same happy
state, an old man like you is not fit to ride on it! "
When the old man and his son heard such unkind words, they began to discuss. The
father said " First, when we carried the donkey we received an advice. Later, as
you rode on the donkey, you got the blame. Afterwards I ride and encounter
unkind words from these young women. What should we do to save ourselves from
unpleasant words? "
After a thorough discussion, they found out a solution " Now, we ride together
on it, you sit in front of and I behind you. " decided the old man. And sitting
like that, they continued the journey. After crossing some distance, they
reached a custom-house. They were then seen by the officer of the custom-house,
who asked " Where are you going, men? " " We are going to the village of Kompong.
" they answered.
And the officer blamed them " Your donkey is not strong and old enough to carry
both of you. If you keep on riding along as far as the village of Kompong, it
will become thin and its price will go down. How foolish you are! Why don't you
let it walk? " Again they got off the donkey and led it by means of a rope.
When they arrived at a field, there was no road for them to go any further. So,
they began to cross it to find another way. The owner of the field who was
working there cried out from a distance " Walk carefully, old man! My field is
full of thorns for it is not yet cleaned up. But you have a donkey. Why don't
you ride it to avoid the thorns? Why do you treat it as your ruler? How foolish
you are! "
After such an experience of life, the father and the son spoke to each other "
We cannot be in agreement with all people. See, we receive so much blame. What
is good for one man may be bad for another. When it is fruitful for one, it may
be fruitless for another, come along, we nevertheless, have to put up with all
the blame. "
And then they went on and reached at last the village of Kompong. There, they
sold their donkey for a reasonable price and started for home without further
loss of time.
The Tiger, The Toad And The Tortoise
Unknown author
Once there lived a thin tiger in a remote corner of the jungle. One day, he was
very hungry because he could not catch any animals. And while he was going about
for food, he met a frog that was busily leaping up and down on a lonely road.
On seeing him, the tiger asked " Oh my old friend, where are you going? " But
the frog did not answer and just asked him in return " And where are you going?
" " I am going to look for food " said the tiger. " Like you, I am, too, going
for that! " croaked the frog.
The tiger was on arrogant animal. He said to the frog in contempt " You can have
only a short leap at a time, how can you go like me? " But the frog was not
silenced. He at once replied " Do not belittle my short legs, I can leap on and
travel as for as I like, I can even catch all kinds of animal big and strong, in
short, any animal that I want to eat cannot escape me! "
The tiger could not accept the frog's exaggerated claim. He wanted to have a
test, so he said " I that is so, let us have a trial, let you and I spring over
a pond, one who can do this with success will be the winner of the contest. "
The frog agreed. He said " I am not afraid of you, and I can even surpass you in
leaping. " Then they two went to a pond, which was not large. The tiger stood in
front of the frog. And the frog was near the tip of the tiger's tail. Now they
were ready to spring. The frog gave a signal " One! Two! Three! "
When the word " Three " was uttered, the frog was already on the other side of
the pond. How could he go there so quickly? It is usual that the tip of the
tiger's tail always turns forward before leaping. By the time when the tiger
leapt, the frog already caught the tip of the tiger's tail by biting it. This
tail threw off the frog across the pond. And he was on the other side of the
before the tiger.
But the tiger did not know about this. He turned his face to the edge of the
pond form where he had stared and cried out " Frog! Frog! " From behind him, the
frog answered " But I am here before you! " Then the tiger was ashamed before
the frog. He could not the winner in contest.
He began to admire the frog's strength. But he did not completely lose hope. So,
he said to the frog again " I believe that you can leap very well, but I want to
have some other contest with you, this more we have to catch some animals, one
who can catch more animals will be the animals will be the winner in the
contest. "
So, when leaping, the frog saw a piece of coal. And he swallowed it. Going a
little further, he found a bone of a certain fish. He ate in up also. As he went
on a few steps, he saw a grain of Angkram and he ate it. These three things were
enough for his stomach. So he came back to the appointed sport to wait for the
tiger.
As to the tiger, he also returned to the place where the frog was waiting. He
had several kinds of meat in his stomach, too. Where he saw the frog, he asked
him " How long have you waited for me? " " For a very long time! And how many
kinds of meat do you have? Throw them out so that I can count them! " replied
the frog.
The tiger then vomited out all the meat from his stomach
" Is that all? " asked the frog. " Yes, that is all! " was the reply. Now it was
the frog's turn to vomit what he had eaten. First of all came the piece of coal.
" What is this black piece, frog? " questioned the tiger with wonder. The frog
replied " The horn of a rhinoceros! "
" Heaven! " surprised the tiger " you can even catch a rhinoceros? What a strong
animal you are? " Next, came out the fish bone " What is this called, frog? "
asked the tiger. " The tusk of an elephant. " exaggerated the frog. " Ah, your
strength is more than what I thought! " uttered the tiger " And is that all? " "
No, no, not at all! " stammered the frog. And he threw up the grain of Angkram.
" This is popularly called the tiger's eyes! " he said to frighten the tiger.
On seeing this and hearing the word " Tiger's eyes! " The tiger was very much
terrified. He ran off in great haste. Seeing this, the frog smiled and shouted "
Wait tiger! Wait for a moment, I am to take off your eyes for my food! "
More terrified than ever, the tiger did not stop. He ran on and on as fast as he
could. The frog, too, leaped on after him. Somewhere along the road, he met a
tortoise. And the frog asked him " Dear tortoise, have you seen any tiger
passing by this road? " " Yes, I have. " answered the tortoise. " Are you
following him? " " Yes, I am. " replied the frog.
" May I help you to chase him? " suggested the tortoise.
" Of course, you may, come with me then! " said the frog. The two went on
together. Many hours later, they reached a cluster of bamboo where the tiger was
hiding.
The frog then made a plan of reaching him. He said to the tortoise " You have to
wait for me here, I shall go up to catch
him! " After saying these, the frog began to climb up one of the bamboo. He went
up with the help of some small tress.
As he was endeavoring to do so, down, down he fell with a rattling sound Prav...«"
Prok! " In a surprise, the tortoise asked " Why! Why do you fall down, frog? " "
I forget a rope and now I come for some creepers to fasten him. " replied the
frog. Hearing the word " to fasten him. " the tiger at once jumped out and ran
away. He ran fasten and faster till he reached a large tree. Then he climbed it
up and stayed there quietly.
The frog and the tortoise reached the tiger quickly by following his footprints.
At foot of the tree on which the tiger was silently crouching, they saw no more
footprints. They looked for him hither and thither but they found no tiger. But
when they looked up through the branches of the tree, they could see the tiger.
Again they made a plan. The frog cried out " Here he is! ". And he said to the
tortoise " You have to wait at the foot of the tree, I shall go up to bind him!
". With difficulty the frog tried to climb the tree. Near the branches on which
the tiger was crouching, there was a piece of dry bark, which the frog climbed
on it.
It being not firm enough to support him fell down on the ground with him. The
frog was nearly dead. This surprised the tortoise. He said " Why is it so, frog?
" But the frog indifferently said " I think it is the best way to cut down the
tree for catching the tiger. " Then the frog asked the tortoise to hit the trunk
of the tree, making the sound like " Pok! Pok! Pok! " as if tree is being cut
down by an axe.
As for the frog, he began to make sound like a tree when it is about to fall
down " Krot! Krot! Krot! " And after such sounds he cried out " It is ready to
fall down! " The tiger was then trembling in fear, he looked at the sky and he
saw some pieces of cloud moved by wind. This made him wrongly understand that
the tree was falling down.
Without delay, he sprang down on the ground and again ran off. The frog and the
tortoise moved after him. The tiger went as for as a house. It was the house of
an old smith. He was making things out of iron. The tiger walked up to him and
said with respect " Please have pity, my old father, by taking me to hidden
place so that I may escape from two rough animals. " " Yes, be not afraid, sit
here near me! " said the old smith.
Some minutes afterwards, the tortoise arrived there. But the frog did not yet
arrive. Seeing the tortoise, the tiger cried out for help " He is coming,
father, he is coming here! " " Never mind! " shouted the old smith. And he
caught the tortoise and sat on it and continued his work. Shortly afterwards,
the frog arrived. The tiger again cried out " Help! Help! It's this animal that
needs my eyes. "
But the old smith said " If you are much afraid, here is a rope, tie your waist
to my bellows! " And so did the tiger. But as the smith was sitting on the
tortoise and was busy with his work, it was a chance for the tortoise. He raised
up his head and at once bit the old man's thigh and he fell down immediately.
Seeing this, the frog shrieked " Well, one has been finished, we have to kill
another at the same time! " As to the tiger, he, too, was more terrified than
ever and darted through a river along with the bellows. But the frog and the
tortoise ran at once in pursuit of him.
They went as far as the edge of that river. There, the frog cried out " Be
careful, tortoise, do not let him spring into the river so that we can see his
footprint. " Hearing this word, the tiger was quite joyful. He thought " I have
to omit my foot print. " And he quickly leapt into the river. No sooner had the
tiger sprung into the river than the water began to enter the bellows and he was
then drowned.
Unknown author
Once there were two neighbors. One day they planned to set traps to catch
animals. As the sun was setting behind the mountain, they left together for the
forest. In the forest, one said " I will set my trap near the foot of the tree,
because this tree has many fruits, and at night, many animals come to eat the
fruits. "
The other one said " I want to set my trap here too, but now if you set it near
the foot of the tree, I will set mine on the top of the tree and we shall see
tomorrow whose trap will catch the animals. " After discussion, one set his trap
near the foot of the tree, and the other set his trap on the top of the tree,
then they came back home.
But the man who set the trap on the top of the tree, after reaching home, that
night, discussed this with his wife. He said " Of all our ancestors, did you
ever hear if any one who set a trap on the top of the tree caught four-footed
animals who walk on the earth? But right now if I have set my trap on the top of
the tree, how will it catch an animal? Thus I will have to wake up very early,
and if I see my neighbor's trap on the ground catching an animal, I shall take
it off and put it in my trap at the top of the tree, and then I will again go
with him to see the trap. Then I have to give a share of the animal to judge Sek.
If my neighbor does not agree with me, he will go to judge Sek, too, and Mr. Sek
will let me win.
The husband and wife, after discussion, went to bed, but the man woke up very
early. He smoked and left his home to see his trap. He saw his friend's trap
holding a deer and then he took off the deer and put it in his own trap. After
that, he returned home. At dawn, the man who set the trap on the ground asked
the other man to come and see their traps, but the other man said " Do not be in
a hurry, my trap will not catch any animal because it is at the top of the tree.
May be your trap is holding some animal, if your trap is holding some animal,
you had better give me some meat to eat. "
He spoke proudly because he already knew what was there. The two men left their
home together to see their traps. Unfortunately, the trap on the top of the tree
was holding an animal. The man who had the trap in the tree said " Hi! Look! You
did not believe me, I told you " Do not set the trap on the ground, set it on
the tree " Now look! whose trap is holding the animal? " He climbed up the tree
and took down the deer. The two neighbors came home together.
The man whose trap was on the tree went to see judge Sek and told him " I and my
neighbor set trap. My friend set it on the ground, and I set it on the top of
the tree. I took the deer caught in his trap. If the case comes to you, you have
to cover over my fault and give the punishment to my friend. "
Then judge Sek got a share of the deer and said " You have to bring a lot of
betels and arecas very early for tomorrow when your friend comes to see me, I
will ask him to bring the same thing. As he is very poor, he can not bring
anything, so you will win the case. Go ahead to find the betel and arecas. "
The man who had set the trap on the ground was disappointed and did not agree
with his friend about the catch. So he went to the judge Sek and told him the
same way as his friend had told him. Mr. Sek said to him the same as he said to
his friend.
In the morning the man who had set the trap on the tree brought a lot of things
very early to Mr. Sek. But the poor man who had set the the trap on the ground
could not bring anything to Mr. Sek. He was afraid of losing the case and of
being in prison. He ran from village to village to find the betels and arecas.
He went and met another judge, Mr. Rabbit. Mr. Rabbit asked him " What is the
matter that you are running about like this? Stop! " He said " Please help me
because I and my friend went to set the trap together, but I put it on the
ground and my friend's trap was on the tree. Unfortunately, my friend's trap, on
the top of the tree, caught an animal. I did not believe this, so went to see
the judge. The judge ordered me to bring the betels and arecas very early. The
one who could not bring them to him will be punished. This is why I am very
afraid. "
Judge Rabbit said " Do not be afraid, this afternoon we shall go together. " In
the afternoon they went together to judge Sek's house. He said " Why are you so
late? You lost your case. " Mr. Rabbit answered " We are very late because we
went to see fish flying and eating the leaves at the top of of the tree. " Mr.
Sek said " Who ever heard that, from the time of our ancestors? I have never
heard that the fish fly and eat the top leaves of the tree. "
Mr. Rabbit answered " From the time of our ancestors, I have never heard that he
who set the trap on the tree can catch an animal who is a quadruped. Do you hear
it? Everyone of you, people? "
Mr. Sek was quiet. Mr. Rabbit convinced the court that the man who had the trap
on the tree should go to the prison. Mr. Sek was ashamed before the people
because of his ambition. He sat quietly and looked towards the wall.
" Ambition is put to shame before law."
Wat Norkor Temple (Kompong Cham Province)
Unknown author
There is an ancient temple, in the west of Kompong Cham about two hundred meters
from national route, which is known that Wat Norkor temple. The tale connected
with the temple as the followings:
There were two farmers, husband and wife, living in the Toul Sbaov ( now in
Kompong Cham town ). They went to plough the rice fields with their baby who was
only three months old. The parents left him sleeping under the Pnaov tree ( a
kind of fruit tree ) to work. There were a lot of birds coming to eat Pnaov
fruit. They pierced, pecked, shouted loudly and defecated on the baby and made
him dirty. A Pnaov fruit fell on him and cut a piece of meat off his body that
caused to bleed continuously.
The parents took the child to the water dock to wash their child. The dock named
Chroy Thmor. The child fell into the water because the mother was not careful.
Suddenly, there was a big fish coming to swallow and eat the child and went
away. They cried with great sorrow but they did not know how to do so they went
back home. As for the fish, after eating and swallowing the child, it went to
the big river and swam down to southern sea of China.
A fisherman caught it when he cast a fishing net and brought that big fish home.
He cut open that fish's belly and saw an alive child. The fisherman brought him
to give to the king of China. The king took good care of him as he did with his
sons. When the child grew up, the king let him study and got high education. The
boy asked for a permission form the king of China to pay a visit to his home
land in order to find his parents.
The king of China agreed to allow him with five hundred servants accompanied him
to Cambodia by large ocean going sailing junk. The junk landed at the Kompong
Cham port, the boy got to the villages there and told the junk to return to
China. The boy called himself Chao Prom; he stayed in the house of a widow. When
living together so long, the widow and the young man fell in love with each
other and they regarded each other as husband and wife.
One day the husband lied on his wife's thigh and she parted his hair for
pleasure. She saw a mark on the head without hair so she asked for the cause.
The husband said he was so pitiful that no one could be as him. Then, the man
Prom told his wife all about the cause and the story that he was told by his
adopted father, the Chinese fisherman, when he was young.
When hearing all about it, the wife sat saying nothing with tears falling down.
The husband wondered so much and tried to ask why she wept. She replied in a
sobbing manner about the old story of taking the child to be washed and caused
the child into the water and then the fish swallowed and went away. " After that
my husband died. " she said.
At the time she finished telling, the husband made a conclusion, " It must be me
who is the son. But it is too late now because it has already been a husband and
wife. " So he apologized to the mother and asked her to punish him in order to
free himself from suffering and to rid himself of malice. The mother ordered him
to construct a stupa for keeping her corpse when she died. And when the son
died, a statue in a sitting praying manner to the mother's ashes for all the
time of Buddhism, five thousand years was made.
The man Prom with high education became a teacher in the village. That was why
there were a lot of students helping with his mother's message until they could
finished constructing a stupa with the mother's ashes and a statue of Ta Prom in
praying manner.