Friday, January 23, 2009

Kolhoba Kolhoba

This story my granny narrated to us repeatedly. It was a favourite among us cousins. The buzz word was," Ajji kathi heltal" i.e. Ajji will be narrating a story.

Logic had no meaning then, for now whenever I narrate this story now, I wonder how the lady lived the rest of the days when borum were not in season.

Once upon a there was an old woman, we will call her Ajji. Now Ajji had a tree of 'borum' in her courtyard. She sold the borums in the market and with the money that she collected brought the essentials of life and lived very happily.

It so happened that in the jungle near her village there lived a fox, a very hungry fox called Kolhoba. He was looking around for food He walked around in the village but was unable to find anything. But he did not give up hope, hoping against hope he sniffed around. Suddenly he smelt something that made his stomach rumble noisily.

What was it? Where did the smell delicious come from?

You are right it was the Ajji's borum fruit that the Kolhoba had smelt. Now did the Kolhoba stop to think? No he did not he went on eating the fruit hungrily.

Gobble, gobble, gobble………

He went on till he finished all the fallen fruit and was quite full. And he flopped down quite happily.

And then his stomach rumbled not out of hunger but because he had to pass motions. And being the dirty fox that he was, he did it right there under the poor Ajji's tree. Then he came and cleaned his ass on the owl woman's door step. Then he ran away back in the forest.

The next day the old lady got up and as per her custom opened the door.

Pooh what a stink!

The poor lady washed her doorstep and the courtyard very clean muttering all the while. Now since she had no borums she had nothing to sell, so money to purchase food for her and she had to go to sleep without any food.

Ajji said, "It's all God's wish" and slept that night.

In the night the naughty Kolhoba came back again! He loved the fruit.

He ate and ate till he could eat no more. And he flopped down quite happily.

And then his stomach rumbled not out of hunger but because he had to pass motions. And being the dirty fox that he was, he did it right there under the poor Ajji's tree. Then he came and cleaned his ass on the owl woman's door step. Then he ran away back in the forest.

The next day the old lady got up and as per her custom opened the door.

Pooh what a stink!

The poor lady washed her doorstep and the courtyard very clean muttering all the while. Now since she had no borums she had nothing to sell, so money to purchase food for her and she had to go to sleep without any food.

The old lady said," It's all God's wish" and went to sleep that night.

Now since the Ajji was hungry for the second day she thought I must see what animal is coming here and eating my borums. Not only he finishes all of them but also dirties my courtyard. So she sat with her small oil lantern to watch what came in.

For a long time there was no one the Ajji was dozing when she heard a sound. She looked out from the crack in the door and saw the Kolhoba eating her borums.

The Ajji then understood that greedy Kolhoba was eating too many borums and dirtying her courtyard so she got up and took her iron tava (griddle) put it on the fire to heat it up. When it became nice and red she put it out quietly exactly where the Kolhoba cleaned his bum.

The Kolhoba again ate till he could eat no more.

And then his stomach rumbled not out of hunger but because he had to pass motions. And being the dirty fox he was he did it right there under the poor Ajji's tree. Then he came and cleaned his ass on the owl woman's door step.

But wait the Ajji had put out a hot griddle so what do you think happened?

The naughty Kolhoba burnt his bum. He started howling in pain and running in the direction of the forest.

The Ajji could not stop herself. She opened the door and said,

"Kolhoba Kolhoba bora pickali."

The Kolhoba replied," Nahi Nahi mathari mala noko ti."

And he never cam e back again to eat the borums

2 comments:

  1. I remember this story and the dirty limerick.

    "Kolabha Kolabha bora pickali nahi nahi mathari g... bhajli"

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  2. I am sure it says that.maybe i should change that. But I have been telling Ak that it is mala noko the

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