James Oinam
Long ago there lived a poor couple – Kaliyong and his wife Roopa in a far village of Manipur. They had two small children. Sometimes, the husband remained in the house. Sometimes, he went out to work hard for maintaining the family. While the husband was out, his wife looked after her children and home carefully. Roopa was full of the wit and wisdom. She knew that a demoness, at her opportunity, had struck terror in any family of the village. The demoness having very long hands entered the house, killed children and ate them in the absence of any male member. Somehow, she managed to pick up children even if doors of the house were closed from inside. One day, because of the extreme helpless situation, the husband had left his home for about four days. Before leaving, the wife gave assurance to her husband that she would take extreme care for the children.
She said, “I am not afraid of the demoness.”
As other villagers done in fear of the demoness, Roopa had also closed her house in the early evening. She fed her children and made them early to bed. The night was far advanced. She heard a sound of knocking on the door. She was feeling of fear but she pretended to be not afraid of anyone in such situation. She knew who was knocking at the door at that hour.
After knocking on the door, she heard a voice, “Is Kaliyong in the house?” Without losing her confidence, Roopa pretended having the presence of her husband in the house and said, “Oh! Lovely husband, Kaliyong, someone has come to meet you at this hour. Should I open the door?” The demoness again came at the dead of the night. She asked the same question. Roopa made her replies confidently as usual. Thus four deadly night passed by. Roopa managed to safe her lovely children from the clutch of the child eater demoness. It was in the evening of the fifth day, Kaliyong returned home. She was told the whole story to her husband. This time, the couple made a plan to teach a lesson to the demoness. As usual, the demoness arrived at an unearthly hour and asked about Kaliyong. Roopa pretended to be fear to give her replies to the demoness.
In a tearful voice, she told the demoness that her husband had gone out for working in the far village. Later she asked, “May I know your identity?”
On hearing the good reply, her joys knew no bound. Her mouth filled with water. She said herself that she had so long been waiting the rare opportunity. “I want human blood and flesh.” She had spread out her long hand through the gap of door. She was trying to catch the children. But the children were hidden under the cot. While her long hand was thrusting out, Roopa had given a hint to her husband. He used a sharp long sword and cut down the spreading hand. The demoness with the inflicting pains shrieked loudly and ran away of her life. The sound had woken up the whole village. The irate villagers had given the hot chase and threw stones to the running demoness. She was running in difficulties because of losing one of her hands. As running she vowed not to enter again in the village. The villagers who were freed from the menace of the demoness had appreciated the bravery of Kaliyong and his wife’s presence of mind.
(A Manipur Tale. Courtesy: www.epao.net; March 07, 2017.)