In the fourth series, I have folktales from Dorji Penjore’s Was it a Yeti or a Deity? (Thimphu: Galing Printing and Publishing, 2004). This is his first book and he already has launched his second book of folktales (Dangphu Dingphu) in 2011. He is one of Bhutan’s pioneering folklorists and most of his works demonstrate his interest in our folk tradition. Please enjoy and don’t forget to get an original copy.

1. Was it a Yeti or a Deity?

A man from Paro goes on a business trip to lower Kheng in Zhemgang to buy cane products. On his way back home the merchant experiences visions of ghosts one night the moment fire goes out. His little firewood soon runs out and he starts burning cane products to keep fire going. He helps a strange creature who then guards the man from a tiger. Without any cane products, the merchant goes home with a tiger skin. Now the villagers argue whether the creature is a yeti or a deity.

Values: venture, bravery, devotion, guiding deities, taking refuges, vows

2. The statue which Spoke

An astrologer is jealous of his lazy neighbour’s wealth. He constantly consults his astrology and acts as per its divination but his effort never succeeds. Desperate, the astrologer runs away. On his way the astrologer cheats an old ignorant couple into marrying their only daughter to him, but believe but the old couple thank their Buddha statue. He is however more interested in the girl’s riches. On the way, he robs her of jewelries and buries her underground. The king then finds about the girl and soon he marries her. When the astrologer goes to bring the girl, he is surprised to find a tiger instead. The girl thanks their speaking Buddha statue.

Values: fortune/misfortune, jealousy, devotion, faith

3. Come on Acho Tag Jump!

A tiny slimy frog challenges a tiger to a jumping contest. The tiger takes it as a great insult no his part not to accept such a challenge. With the help of other hundred frogs, the tiny frog wins the jumping contest only to scare away the mighty king of the jungle.

Values: wit, foolishness, potential, determination, pride, joy, victory

4. Dawla-Olo and the Tiger

A foolish boy frees a tiger from a trap unknowing of the threats that the beast later poses to his life. They consult animals on their way whether the tiger is justified to eat the boy who freed him. When asked both the horse and ox agree that human beings are ungrateful and the tiger is justified. But the bear with his quick wit traps the tiger back while demonstrating its entrapment. The bear soon disappears leaving the judgment to the boy and the tiger.

Values: foolishness, gratitude, logic, promise

5. The Raksha who performed the Ritual

The angry poor man goes to the bear that eats and destroys his ready crops. The man eats the bear’s delicious meal and hides himself. The bear then suspects a thief and immediately consults the raksha, the languor to perform ritual and find out the culprit. The man scares away both the bear and the languor that think that the devils are in the house. The poor man now owns the bear’s house when the animals never return to the place.

Values: destruction, faith, revenge, quick thinking, foolishness, pretension

6. Like a bamboo inside the jackal’s Nail

Every animal in the jungle wants to end the dominating tiger. Of all, jackal’s hatred is the most pronounced one. Playing on the tiger’s foolishness, the jackal carries out his plan to end the tyrant king of the jungle. After a series of trials and deception, the jackal finally succeeds in reducing the tiger to a mere heap of bones.

Values: dominance, size, wit, evil/good, deception, hatred

7. To eat Tibet’s Grass and Rock Salt

On their way to eat Tibet’s rich grasses and rock salt, a goat and a sheep meet animals such as monkey, bear, leopard and tiger who all threaten to kill them. The two hapless animals plead others to spare their lives until they have eaten enough grasses and rock salt to become big and fat. On their way however, the two animals pick up a series of plans to deceive all other foolishness animals waiting for the sheep and the goat to come. They escape death and return happily, big and fat.

Values: health, medication, personal image, challenges, with, threat

8. The Sincere Goat and the Lazy Monkey

A sincere goat and a lazy monkey once dig out yams, but the lazy monkey carries away the whole pot on to a tree while the tired goat falls asleep and now the goat begs his friend to share some with him. The greedy monkey wants to eat it alone. He does not share it with his friend. A swarm of bees sting the monkey and the whole pot falls down below where the crying goat sits. Then the monkey watches his friend consume the pot of yam.

Values: sincerity, hard work, laziness, greediness, reward

9. A Hole in the Sole

A father gives his three sons a pair of shoes each and they are instructed to walk on until their shoes have holes in their soles. That’s the place where they would find their destinies. Soon the elder brother’s shoes get worn out followed by the middle brother. They settle down in the places. The youngest brother’s shoes last longer and take him through strange places until he reaches an old witch’s house in the middle of a thick forest. The old hag takes him to hunt for a princess’s soul, but he runs away with it to save her. His shoes finally take him to a place where he becomes the king of a land.

Values: challenges, frustration, fate, order, advice, parental wishes, obedience, perseverance, reward, happiness

10. The Man who was Transformed into a kengma

When they are about to eat their lunches, two friends bet that whoever swallows even a drop of saliva. The poor woman’s son has some boiled wild pear fruits while his counterpart eats delicious lunch. As his friend chews sour fruits, the rich woman’s loses all his money. Now with a twist of fortune, two friends continue their journey. As they return home with a changed luck, the rich woman’s son return home transformed into a kengma, parasitic tick.

Values: sincerity, deception, jealousy, ego, shame, superiority, rewards, happiness

11. Meme Dodo fooled four hungry animals

On his way to his daughter’s house, Meme Dodo meets four animals; viz monkey, boar, bear, leopard, tiger who all threaten to kill him one after another. Each time he finds an excuse and promises all of them that he would come back after eating enough food and growing big and fat. On his return journey, Meme’s daughter puts her father in a jar, which rolls down the way to Meme’s house. However, the monkey finds out Meme’s trick and all other animals claim their share of Meme. As the animals try to eat Meme, he escapes to everyone’s amazement.

Values: fear, threats, worries, wisdom, foolishness, trickery, ignorance, safety, reward, happiness

12. Why Barking deer has a Wrinkled face

An elephant becomes angry when the water he’s bathing in suddenly turns dirty. He sends a barking deer upstream to find out, with warning and one of his hairs. The porcupine who is bathing upstream is unmoved by the elephant’s warning and he is angry for water, mud and river belong to all other animals and not only to the elephant. He now sends through the deer a piece of his quills accepting the challenge. On hearing about the porcupine’s smallest hair, the elephant runs away, frightened. The barking deer laughs, which wrinkles her face.

Values: ego, size, wit, dominance, ignorance, potentials, laughter, joy, happiness

13. The Mediator frog

A strange noise scares away an old couple who are clearing forest one day. In fear, they accidentally destroys a sparrow’s nest, the angry sparrow revenges a hornbill, the hornbill revenges a thersha, a wild fruit, an angry thersha takes revenges on a snake and the angry snake revenges a bird. The hapless bird cries until a frog stops her. The frog mediates the case and calls everyone connected. In the end, the mediator reveals himself as the main culprit.

Values: ignorance, fear, anger, revenges, laughter, happiness

14. How Two Goats fooled the Tiger

Two feeble goats are threatened by a tiger on their way to drink water. They are however quick to plead the tiger who spares them. They promise to return to him as soon as they quench their thirst. On their return journey, the two goats go back disguised as men while the hungry tiger keeps on waiting for his feast to return to him.

Values: health, strength, threats, understanding, working in-group, quick thinking, fear, ignorance, shame, happiness

15. The Nun who remembered her previous births

A nun is reputed for remembering all her previous births. She rejects all the suitors, waiting for her previous life’s husband. Three friends, a prince, the rich man’s son and a poor man’s son bet their luck to woe and win her. Whoever wins the bet the other two promise to give the winner half their possessions. In turn they try their luck, but the prince and the rich man’s son soon return dismayed. The poor man’s son hears all the details of the nun’s past lives from an old woman on the way. He wins her and his friends honour the agreement.

Values: friendship, pride, luck, confidence, resources, promise, wealth, success, joy, happiness

16. Where is the Fish Bile?

The three friends argue about the position of the fish’s bile. One argues that it lies in the head region, while the other argues it is in the stomach region, and another one argues it is in the tail. They put down their arguments to consult a hermit. The three friends, the prince, the rich man’s son and the blacksmith’s son, go up to the sage with their share of gifts. But to everyone’s surprise and disbelief, the hermit pronounces a judgment, which does not allow anyone to lose the bet. Thanking the hermit for the wisdom, they leave the place, happy.

Values: friendship, materialism, rich/poor, enmity, arrogance, wisdom

17. The Tale of Zuki Nima

Zuki Nima is born from a deer, but under the old hermit’s care, she grows up to a beautiful young woman who becomes the centre of attraction. She marries a king who also has another wife. The jealous old wife wants to banish her. She plans a series of schemes.  Finally she wrongly accuses her with the murder of a prince, the king chases Zuki Nima away to the old wife’s greatest satisfaction. Later the king and the old find folly in their actions, they ask Zuki for her forgiveness.

Values: pride, jealousy, compassion, regrets, retribution, mercy, atonement, wickedness

18. Two rewards from the Rat

The poor man’s hard working son is back to work again. When he is about to eat his lunch, his bread accidentally falls down into a rat’s hole. He pleads the rat to return his ‘tora’ or the wrapper, although the rat may eat the bread. The rat rewards the boy a box full of jewelries. Now his friend, rich man’s son too wants to become even richer. He drops his lunch purposefully inside the rat’s hole expecting the same gift of jewelries, but he is too surprised when a snake instead leaps out from inside the box. Death seems apparent.

Values: hard work, sincerity, kindness, generosity, suspense, wit, rewards, honesty, jealousy

19. The Cat which fed on Flowers

An ordinary cat, which feeds on flower gives birth to an extra-ordinary son. The boy immediately flies away to the sky. He’s Buddha indeed! After the death of the cat, the Buddha finds out the desperate condition of his mother in hell. The Buddha requests the Lord of the Death to free his suffering mother. After repeated requests, the Lord of the Death releases the Buddha’s mother back again as the cat, but this time with certain rights that a cat now enjoys.

Values: purity, negative merits, rights, privileges, allowances

20. A Twist of Fortune

Two friends take different route as they go out to buy cattle. The poor man’s son has neither money nor any valuable possessions, but on the way he accidentally scares away a group of merchants who are counting their money. As they meet back on the old track, the number of cows that his friend has bought surprises the rich man’s son. As they spend their nights, many other changes take place. The poor man’s son returns home with many cows while his friend dies in an attempt to compete with his friend.

Values: friendship, wealth, pride, gain, loss, shame, jealousy

21. The Good and the Bad Astrologer

There are two astrologers, but the villagers appoint the bad astrologer as their local astrologer. He is jealous who harbors only bad thoughts to his counterpart, the good astrologer.  In a move to destroy the good astrologer, the bad astrologer plans an evil act, but the good astrologer in his counter attack, revenges the bad astrologer with a mightier blow.

 Values: perfection, ego, generosity, humbleness, harm, revenge

22. The Lazy Boy and the fish

A lazy boy hooks a fish that immediately proves helpful to him. He saves it in a pot of water. Later the fish transforms into a beautiful girl who soon becomes his wife. A king is jealous of the poor boy and he wants to marry the girl. He commands the poor boy to carry out a series of challenges for him to retain the girl as his wife. With his wife’s wit, he carries out all and claims the girl as his own.

Values: hard work, compassion, curiosity, bravery, strength, challenges, solutions, wisdom, jealousy, revenge, greed, fortune, happiness

23. Bome Pasang Dema and the Donkey

Pasang Dema is left alone in the house when her parents run away in fear of demons. Soon the demons capture her and make her their slave. One day she plans to run away, but soon the demons learn about the escape. The girl now requests the donkey to hide her. When the donkey dies, its heart turns into a young man, while its limbs and other body parts become a huge palace. They are now no more than a king and a queen of a country.

Values: fear, safety, fortune

24. The old man and the bear

An old man always goes to the field with an excuse for the bear who wants to eat him up. The old man keeps the threat secret even from his dear wife until he runs out of excuses. On the judgment day, the old woman however spares her husband from the fearful threat of the bear. He kills the beast in the skirmish.

Values: hard work, compassion, threats, fear. wit, happiness

25. How the clever sparrow killed the Kite

A kite is convinced that he should take the sparrow he has caught near a stonewall to devour it away. As the kite is about to kill the sparrow, the victim pleads the kite to make a grace before he eats it. While the kite says the grace, the sparrow flees away. Now in return, the sparrow surprises the kite with her plan; who dies a fateful death.

Values: wit, foolishness, death, evil

26. The Rich man’s son and the poor man’s son

Fixing a day for their return in a same place, the two friends separate their way on their trip to buy cattle. as expected, the rich man’s son buys a hundred cows while the poor man’s son buys only a cow. As they meet again, on the very place, they spend the night with their cows. Unfortunately the poor man’s son gets burned to ashes, but fortunately his only cow licks the ashes, only to cough out a handsome young man. The rich man’s son is surprised by it and he wants to try it himself. As one of his cows coughs out, he is instead transformed into a parasitic tick that dies as his stomach bursts out from over feeding. the poor man’s son now takes the cattle home to his surprised mother.

Values: disparity, selfishness, greed, fortune, jealousy, pride, happiness

27. Which is better – Religion or business?

This story makes the reader wonder, which is better: the religion or business? A rich man and a poor man wonder about it, but they have different opinions. They bet to ask people on their way about it. Many they meet feel that the business is better and now the poor man’s son tries to commit suicide for he thinks he lost the bet. By the might of God, he however man escapes death and he makes a good fortune after a great vision while his friend dies in an attempt to become richer than the poor man.

Values: friendship, wealth, business, religion, belief, faith, fate, jealousy, reward

28. Aum Tshomen’s Gift

A maid pushes her mistress headlong into a lake when the husband is away hunting one day. A large snake holds the woman down in the water. Her husband learns about it from his little son and he follows the boy to the lake. The man comes out from his hiding place suddenly and cuts the snake holding his wife. The snake rewards couple with a priceless jewel and they become rich.

Values: ungrateful, jealousy, rudeness, cruelty, helplessness, strength, courage, rewards, happiness.

29. Three friends who rescued the Girl

When the mother is away at work, a group of demons abduct her daughter one day. She goes in search of daughter joined on the way by three other friends- a cat, a crow and a rat. They find the girl hung upside down from the ceiling. As the cat distracts the demons in their play, the three friends rescue the girl and take her to safety.

Values: fear, evil, helplessness, working in unity, duty, distraction, safety, happiness.

30. The Queen who gave birth to a Bird

The youngest queen gives birth to a bird.  She thinks it is because of the strange fruit she eats. The two elder sisters rejoice at her fate and the king chases her away. In the end the bird becomes envy of everyone when he changes into a handsome young man who excels both his half brothers; only to become the next heir to the throne.

Values: curiosity, greed, obedience, envy, challenges, defeat, victory, inheritance, happiness.

31. Three friends who spat Treasures

Three best friends kill a snake and sucking blood from it, they can spit out treasures. Feeling rich- the orphan, the prince and the rich man’s son take shelter in a greedy woman’s house. As soon as she learns the secret of the three friends, she gives them plenty of wine and makes them vomit out all treasures. Now they can no longer spit out treasures but the orphan takes a severe revenge to their hostess and her daughter who give him all the treasures back.

Values: friendship, fear, sacrifice, deity, information, greed, reward, revenge, regrets, shame.

32. An Orphan who was crowned King

An orphan boy saves a snake from its enemy. In return for his kindness, the snake helps the boy to understand every creature’s language. With this art, the boy wins many challenges after saving many other animals and he finally reaches a place where he immediately becomes the king of that land.  Such is the gift of saving others.

Values: bravery, safety, threats, danger, freeing animals, rewards, fate, triumph, medication, superstitions, happiness.

33. Awa-Olo who ate eight Sons

As nine brothers go to work, they always meet a little boy who cries AWA-AWA. Eight older brothers treat the boy well and they sympathize him, but the youngest hits the crying boy with all his might. Eight brothers finally take the boy home besides the youngest brother’s hatred. However, the boy later eats all the eight brothers. The youngest fights with the demon and scares him away. Later the youngest brother saves a king from a serious illness and he becomes highly honorable man worthy of high praises.

Values: compassion, rudeness, cruelty, evils, ignorance, wits, illness, medication, sacrifice, deities, safety, reward, ghosts, fear.

34. The Prodigal Prince’s Fortune

A prince exchanges two gold coins with a dog and a cat respectively. With his two new friends, the prince next saves a fish from two fishermen with his last gold coin. The fish slips off his hand and swims away. Now the fish is the prince of water world and the king rewards him a wish fulfilling stone for saving the prince. With the magical stone he wishes for a big building which immediately comes up. Later a king becomes envious about his jewel and steals it. However, his two friends restore it back to him.

Values: inheritance, wealth, compassion, companion, help, danger, safety, gratitude, reward, jealousy, regrets, shame.

35. A superstition can kill a man

The poor man’s son and the rich man’s son set traps both in water and in the woods, but the rich man’s son carries all the catches home secretly. After many attempts, the poor man’s son learns that he’s been deceived. One day, he puts a death deer in the water and a fish in the mountain. The rich man’s son over come by a superstitions belief dies a fateful death.

Values: friendship, generosity, humbleness, wit, deceptions, revenge, death