Abok's Friendly Lamp :
- Eta Thangmei (thaomei) -

Omila Thounaojam *

Eeta thaomei- From a Prize winning entries in Funga Wari painting competition
Pix Credit - Dr Krishnananda Samurailatpam

Simple stories sometimes shine in glory so supreme and so marvelously that it forever never ceases to dwell upon special sites in our hearts and minds that in spite of age and time, it continues to yearn for tales that tell tales of moments so much part and parcel of our real life.

This story reveals a simple tale of an old Abok and her imaginary friendly talking lamp creating an exciting moment that captures the moral message of old wisdom winning over evil-guided acts of all.

There was an icy chillness in the air with no sounds of even night breathing her usual air, an unusual night that seemed to be waiting for an event. Everybody in the small village were caught up in a dreamy kind of winter swell when there was only old widow Abok who continued doing her usual weaving of traditional fabric.

With deep pleasure in seeing each thread interacting with one another and transforming themselves into parts of a beauteous whole of a fabric, Abok failed to keep track of time. Only the old oil lamp besides her as her sole companion, Abok dissolved herself into her creative chore only to be distracted by strange sounds of footsteps coming from the side of her backdoor.

Abok with her great wisdom realized that someone was trying to break into her cottage with thoughts motivated by evil nodes. All she does was initiating a talk with her only companion of the lonely hour, her oil lamp.

Abok asked her lamp to listen to a real story and pleaded the lamp to respond to her as usual. The clever Abok at first kept on calling her talking lamp but was soon disappointed when it didn't respond to her.

To that the thief hiding and trying to sneak in the house found the situation hard to explain but at the same time felt that he must now become the talking lamp and attempted to keep the old woman from raising doubts at the strange behavior of her lamp.

Abok again called the lamp and found it terrible when the thief replied as her lamp in a soft voice that mimics a woman thus clearing her doubt about uninvited presence of the thief. Shrewd Abok quite unnerved yet courageous enough started narrating the story she promised to tell to her talking lamp.

Abok told her lamp to come closer and enjoy her lively tale and in order to appease her simple wish which seemed foolish to the thief, he entered the room and Abok pretended ignorant about his haunting presence.

In a sing- song note of an expert all set to launch a world of characters playing out their consigned roles, old Abok indulged in her magical narration :

Once upon a time, on a dark silent late night like the one in the moment, a notorious thief entered the house of an old lonely woman.

To that the talking lamp curiously answered then... and Abok continued with her tale and said when the old woman all of a sudden saw the thief with a haunting look trying to terrorize her with a confident intention of pillaging her out of all her poor possessions, she abruptly shouted loudly:

Thief, Thief, Thief.....broke... in my house!

The thief in the disguise of the talking lamp was so trapped in Abok's tale that when he realized it was fake and set out as a clever trap for him, he was already caught by the village folks who rushed quickly hearing their dear Abok's call for help.

Abok's precious wisdom taught the entire village folks that in moments of crisis all one must resort to are the Herculean strength of our mind rich with treasure house of wisdom that is capable of guarding even our lives.

Time passed by but the story of Abok's Friendly Lamp lives by and became immortal with it still thriving with life of its own in every household in the small place called Manipur (in India) as one of the most popular children's bed-time folk tale.

Key word: Abok - Grandmother/ Granny

NOTES from Omila Thounaojam :

I've just attempted to tell ETA THANGMEI in english. Translation from word to word wouldn't do justice to the exciting essence of this story. So have just attempted telling it in a crisp language in order to let every Manipuri and others also, to sort of derive a kind of enjoyment out of this simple tale in the best manner.