Note 8 — Folk-Lore, Traditions and Superstitions

Aglaiau sáse rázá dangman, áru bihá hoásá sáse, hingzhausá sáse, dangman. Hoasáni nau Ráoná, hingzhausáni náu Ráoni, dangman. Láse láse bisur gaded záabá Ráonaiá gagai binánaukhonu hábá khàmnu namainai. Sànse Ráonaiá runùiau tháhoinai. Amphára bini bifaiá ikham zánu namaibá manákhuise, mánathu bi runuiau thánákho bifaiá mithiákhauman. Amphá bini sáse bandiá runuiau nunánoi rázáni sigángau khithánaisui; abánu razaiá thangnánoi sanghoinaisui, balui “Áfá, nangnu má nánggo? Háthi nánggobá, háthi hùgan; gorai nánggobá, gorai hùgan; theobo nang manau dukhu dá khàm,” hannanoi khithánaisui. Abá Ráonaiá hannaisui, “Ángnu mungbo nánga; nang sumai lábasu áng khithágan.” Ámphá bifaiá mungbo uphai manikhai sumai lánánoi khithánaisui, “Nangnu zikhonu nańggo, bikhonu hùgan.” Hanbá Raonaiá bungnaisùi, “Ángnu Ráonikho hábá khàmnánoi hù; abásu áng mikhàm dùi lánggan.” Abá bifaiá bibaidi khoráng khnánánoi manau zabrá-sin dukhu mannaisui. Ampháre bifaiá guninánoi sumai lánai-khai hába khlàmnánoi hùnù zathan khlàmnaisui; khintu be khorángákha Ráonini sigángau khithánu bádá hùnai; binikhai raubo khithai-a-khuise. Amphá Raoniá mairang sunù thángbá dùigá-thánau sáse buruiá Ráoniniau sangnaisùi, balùi, “Nangsurhá má záadang?” Abá Ráoniá khithánaisui, “Zangfrá ádáhá hábá záagan.” Áru buruiá hannaisui, “Maunithu hingzhausá zang hábá záanu?” Ráoniá bungnaisùi, “Áng khithánu haiá.” Abánu buruiá hannaisùi, balùi, “Ai, nang zangsù hábá záanunù.” Áru Ráoniá hannaisùi, “Ai, be khoráng thik ná?” hannánoi sangbá, buruiá sumai lánaisùi. Abá Ráoniá akhrángsau birláng-naisùi, áru Ráunikho birlangnai nunánoi Ráonaiábo guzarinánoi hasu-lángnaisui. Bikhonu mànsuifrá ákhá khrumniákhonu “Ráoná guzaridang” hannánoi bungù; áru Ráoni khàtlángnánai thap naifinbá bini makhángá at baidi nuiù, bikhonu akhá mablíbnai hanù; Båråfrá eroi bhábiù. There was once a king who had one son and one daughter. The son’s name was Ráoná and the daughter’s Ráoni. As they gradually grew up together, Ráoná wished to marry his sister. One day Ráoná remained alone in an outhouse unknown to his father; and when the latter wished his son to come to dinner, the young man could not be found. However, a servant saw the youth in the outhouse and told the king, who going to the boy asked him what was the matter. “If,” said the king, “you want an elephant, I will give you an elephant; if you want a horse, I will give you a horse; but do not abandon yourself to sorrow in this way.” And then Ráoná replied, “I am in no special want of anything, but if you give me a promise on oath, I will tell you what is the matter.” Thereupon, the king, seeing that there was no help for it, took an oath saying, “Whatever you want, I will give it to you.” And then Ráoná said, “Give me permission to marry Ráoni, and then I will eat my food.” On hearing this the king was sorely troubled in his mind; but remembering the terms of his oath, he took steps to bring about the marriage, at the same time forbidding anyone to mention the matter to Ráoni, who, therefore, heard nothing about the proposed marriage with herself. But one day Ráoni went to the village stream to clean the rice for the daily meals, when an old woman met her and inquired, “What is going on in the palace to-day?” And Ráoni replied, “The son of the house is to be married to-day.” And when the old lady asked further “But to whom is he to be married?” Ráoni replied, “Mother, I cannot say.” And then said the old dame, “Ráoni, it is you that he is going to marry.” And when Ráoni inquired, “Mother, can this be true?” the old woman took an oath to confirm what she had said. And then Ráoni at once flew right away up into the sky, and when Ráoná saw Ráoni thus flying away, he shouted after her, doing his utmost to catch her. It is these loud shouts and threats of Ráoná that men call “thunder”; and when Ráoni occasionally looks back to see if her pursuer is gaining upon her, she in so doing reveals for an instant the brightness and beauty of her face, glowing like fire; and it is this bright, dazzling beauty of her countenance that men call “lightning.”