Yatra, the widow's son
Lukhrabi Macha Yatra
Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma

Translation by Nganthoi Lourembam *

An illustration of Folk tale 'Lukhrabi Macha Yatra' by Nganthoi Lourembam

Once upon a time, there lived a poor widow and her son named yatra in a village. When the son grew up, he told her, "Mother, I want to join uncle in his Hidinga business (the business of transporting stuffs through boats) to cure our poverty. Please talk to uncle about the same."

The widowed mother replied, "Dear son, the trade of Hidinga is not an easy work. It's very tiring. They row boats passing many sleepless nights. You are very young. You'll end up getting yourself exhausted" and tried her best to stop him. But since her son wanted to go so badly she finally decided to let him go. The mother came to the house of Yatra's uncle and requested to take her son along in their trade of Hidinga.

Yatra's uncle said, "He is too young. What's the use of it? He'll get exhausted" and refused to take along Yatra. But Yatra's mother said, "Please take him for this time and if tired he'll discontinue by himself" and the uncle agreed though unwillingly.

On the following day, after having early lunch the uncle and son rowed their boat towards the south of the river. After rowing their boat continuously for three days they reached at a place when it's about to be sunset. They tied their boat at the edge of the river and came towards the river bank. As they looked inside the place, they learnt that no human beings were alive after being eaten up by a witch.

The uncle told Yatra to look after their boat and he went to search for vegetables. While Yatra was standing at the river bank he heard some girls-chit chatting, from a little far place. When he looked for it, he saw two beautiful little girls sitting on a mat and playing Khullokpi (a game played with pebbles.) He went towards them to ask who were they but as soon as they saw Yatra, they disappeared.

But the golden mat on which the two girls were sitting was left behind. Yatra went near the mat and while looking at it his uncle also came. After Yatra told his uncle everything about the incident, his uncle replied, "Surely those girls must be Helloi (seven attractive witch sisters of Manipuri folktale). Let's go from here and hope the golden mat can bring some help to you and your mother."

Yatra replied to his uncle, "Uncle, I am staying back. I won't return unless I find out if the girls are humans or goddesses." "Alright then I'll leave. I'll get the mat to your mother and after a week I'll come back at this place" said his uncle and rowed the boat toward his house.

Among the two girls met by Yatra earlier, the first was the daughter of Shoraren (Sky) called Menu Leima and the other was the daughter of Patal (Hell) called Leinu Leima. Both the girls could disguise themselves into flies. Yatra failed to trace where the two girls had disappeared. He pulled up the stone on which the mat was laid earlier and found a tiny cave inside. Yatra went inside the cave slow and steadily. While passing through darkness inside the cave, finally he reached to the brighter side and saw an attractive pond inside the cave.

On the other side of the pond, Leinu Leima was combing her hair after taking a bath. When Yatra saw Leinu Leima, he knew she was one of the girls that he saw earlier. He slowly crawled into the grasses and went near Leinu Leima while she was combing. And he quickly grabbed Leinu Leima's wrist. Leinu Leima looked back with shock and came to know it was the same person she met earlier.

Yatra asked, "Ibemma (dear lady), are you a human being or a goddess?" "I am the princess of the land of Hell. My name is Leinu Leima," and Leinu asked, "Are you the man who came earlier while my dear friend Meinu Leima and I were playing Khullokpi?" Yatra replied, "Yes. I am looking for you two."

Leinu said, "Then, Ibungo (dear man), you shouldn't stay longer at this place. There is no one living here on this land except for me. My mother, father and everyone had been eaten up by a witch. Only I was spared to be her slave. The witch had gone hunting for food. If she comes back you'll lose your life." Yatra said, "Whether I die or not I'll never leave without taking you along."

In the meantime, there was sound of the witch flying back to the cave. Yatra chanted something on his palm that his father taught him earlier. He gently applied his palm over his body. Immediately he turned into a golden fly and sat on Leinu Leima's body. The witch kept aside the elephant which was caught by her and came near Leinu Leima.

The Witch smelled the presence of human being and said, "I want to eat human flesh." At this Leinu Leima said, "What is it, Iben (granny) do you want to eat me? It's only you and me living in here." "Why will I eat my Ishu (granddaughter)" said the Witch and ate the wild elephant.

On the following day, while the Witch was out for hunting food, Yatra turned into human from the disguise of the golden fly. Leinu Leima said, "Ibungo, while the Witch is away let us run away from this place." Yatra replied, "Ibemma, unless I kill the Witch who had killed the King, your loving father and the Queen, your mother I am not going anywhere."

And they decided how to kill the Witch. After a while, the witch flew back. When the Witch came near Leinu Leima, as planned earlier, Leinu started crying out loud taking her dead parents' names. When the Witch asked Leinu 'why she was crying' Leinu Leima replied, "Iben, you are growing older day by day. Gradually, one day you will die. When you die there is no one to live with; mother, father and everyone from lived on this place was eaten up by you. In this big land of Hell I am the only person alive and that's why I got emotional thinking with whom I'll live after your death."

Listening to Leinu's words the Witch laughed and said, "Why are you crying for that? Your grandma is not dying ever. Do you see what's fixed on top of that tree? That Tumba (made of dried bottle gourd) is my head, Lirung (arrow) is my back and the five Sembang (birds similar to sparrow) living inside the nest are my five souls. Till these things exist I'll never die. So stop crying."

Leinu Leima gave a smile and said, "If you are not dying Iben, you can go anywhere you want, I'll stay here looking after your households." And thus they both spent the night happily talking to each other. Yatra who was in disguise of a golden fly also heard heir conversation.

On early morning while the Witch went out for hunting Yatra turned himself back into human and along with Leinu Leima started planning on how to kill the Witch. Yatra climbed up on the tree which was told by the Witch before. When Yatra grabbed the Lirung, the Witch who was trying to capture a giant python on the edge of a hill felt a shock on her body.

The Witch knew something bad was going to happen hence she decided to not capture the python and flew back home. When Yatra heard the grumbling noise of the Witch flying in the sky, broke the Lirung. When the Lirung was broken the Witch who was flying in the sky fell on earth. The Witch dragged herself from the place she fell down towards her house. When the Witch was about to reach her house Yatra broke the Tumba and the Witch's head was crashed.

In spite of the broken head when the Witch pulled out her furry long hand to capture Leinu Leima and Yatra, Yatra killed all the five Sembang which were inside the nest. When all the birds died the Witch shouted loud and she died later after vomiting blood.

After the Witch died Yatra and Leinu Leima came out of the cave and reached at the place where Leinu played Khullokpi. Leinu Leima said to Yatra, "Ibungo, if you want to marry me you have to marry my friend Menu Leima too. We decided that we shouldn't get married and if we have to marry then it should be with one man." Yatra agreed with her. Leinu stood on top of the stone and called her friend Menu Leima.

A moment later Menu Leima came at the place. Once Menu Leima arrived Yatra jumped in and grabbed her wrist. With shock Menu Leima tried to run away and with anger she said to Leinu Leima, "Ita, what is happening, I have been touched by human. Now what will happen? I cannot go back to Lairamlen (the land of Gods)."

Later, after having a full conversation, both the girls decided to live with one man and they all waited for Yatra's uncle to bring the boat. Once the boat arrived, all four of them headed toward Yatra's house. And with the help of the magical diamond ring brought by Menu Leima, they got everything they wished for and lived happily ever after.


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