The Revenge on the Cat: Tokpa Laandaba
Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma

Translation by Bidyarani Thingujam *

An illustration of Folk tale 'Tokpa Laandaba' by Sibananda Thokchom

Once upon a time, in the backyard of a house, there lived a cock with her wife and seven little chicks in their cozy coop.

In the same area, an old cat used to live there and every day the cat used to pass by the cock's shelter.

Then, one day, the cat asked, "O Cock, have your children grown up yet? Then the cock replied, "Yes, Uncle, they have at least learnt to search for their food”.

Taking chance of the opportune moment, the old cat said, "then it's time for their education, send them to me from tomorrow, I'll teach them”.

The cock happily said, "Yes uncle, I will”. From the next day, the cock sent his children to the cat for their tuition. Grabbing the opportunity, the wicked, old cat ate all of the cock's children.

Now he has nothing left to eat. Then he thought of a plan to eat the father cock and mother hen. The cat roamed here and there and when he met the cock, the cat asked, "O Cock, how're you? And tell me where are you going to spend the night today?

The cock clearly can see the evil intention of the cat and he replied cleverly, "O Uncle, we're fine, and it is very kind of you to worry about us, tonight we're going to spend the night in the backyard”. The cat said, "Ok then, see you later”.

At night, as expected, the cat came with the intention of eating the cock and his wife. But, alas, there was no one in the backyard. Knowing the cat's intention, the cock already change his location. Next morning the cat, expressing his anger, came to meet the cock, "Stupid cock, you lied to me, you spend your night somewhere and you lied”.

"Tell the truth this time, where're you going to spend the night today?” The cock timidly replied, "Sorry for the last night, Uncle, today we're going to spend the night on the verandah”. Like this, the cock played hide and seek on the cat thereby increasing his fury.

Meanwhile, the cock hatched a plan to avenge the cat for killing his children. He contacted his friends here and there in order to kill the cat.

His friends include an egg, a fish, a crab, a bee, a needle, a gourd, and a tortoise. They all held a meeting and prepared a plan to kill the cat. As night falls, all the friends stood in their position to attack the cat.

The cat came with the intention of eating the cock and his wife. He thought happily, "today, I'll eat the cock and his wife for sure, it's very fortunate of me to get a delicious meal today”.

Excited with these thoughts, the cat came inside the house. But it was very dark inside and he didn't see a thing. He searched here and there for the cock and his wife.

At last he called out to them, "O Cock, o hen, where are you? It's very dark and I don't see a thing”. The cock then replied, "O uncle, we're here, the wind has blown out all the lights; there is a hearth nearby, please light a fire so that we can see each other”.

Then, in the darkness, the cat slowly came near the hearth and as soon as he tried to light a fire, the Egg, already hiding inside the hearth, blasted itself and ashes were caught in the cat's eye.

Then the cat cursing himself, tried to get water from the water pot in order to wash his eyes. But there also, hiding inside the pot was the Crab and as soon as the cat inserted his hand to draw water, the Crab grabbed his hand tightly and lo! The cat's hand was full of blood.

The cat was in full agony now and when he tried to wipe his face with the mosquito net nearby, there, the Needle attacked the cat with its sharp lips and the cat couldn't bear it any longer.

His body was in great pain and for fear of losing his life, he tried to run away from that place. As soon as he tried to pass the door, the Gourd, who already hide inside the door's frame, fall upon the cat and the act made the cat broke his back.

The cat again tried to run away but in his way, bumped into a wooden rice husker and he immediately lay half-conscious on the floor.

The magical tortoise, waiting for his chance, came from nearby and jump upon the cat and broke his head and the cat lay dead.

With the death of the cat, the cock and his wife lived happily with their friends ever after.


** From Manipur folk tale Book called "Fungawari Singbul" by B. Jayantakumar Sharma