The Old Lady Who Wore a Sieve / चलनी पहिरा वाली बुढ़िया

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar
Translation edits by Coralynn V. Davis

Teller: Unknown
Location: Sagarpur
Date: 03/23/17

March 23, 2017: Session 3
Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_23_03

View the transcription in Maithili.

एगो मुसहरनी रहै। मुसहरनी रहै शिवगुरू के मने शिष्य बनल।

There was a woman of the Musahar community, a Musharni. She was a disciple of Shiv Guru.

तऽ ओइ मुसहरनी के घरमे खर्ची नै रहय। घरवाला गेलय हर जोतऽ। हर जोतऽ गेलय तऽ मने बाद बोन जे गेलय तऽ केकरो दिया समाद देलकय से कनी कहबय हमर कनिया के मने कि नै से जलखय लऽ कऽ अबय लै।

That Musharni had no money for the day at home. Her husband went to the field to plough. As he went to the field to plough, he conveyed his message through somebody, “Hey, go tell my wife to bring food for me.”

आब ई एलय कोई कहय लै मुसहरनी के। 

Now somebody came to tell this to the Musharni.

आब ऊ मुसहरनी कि न से मने तकय सगरो घरमे तऽ ओकरा कुछ नै भेटय तऽ एगो डलियामे एगो पथियामे कि नै भेटलय कने आटा तऽ दू गो रोटी बनेलकय। तऽ दू गो रोटी बनेलकय तऽ एगो रोटी मने की ने ऊ घरवाला लै लऽ कऽ मुसहरबा लै आ लऽ कऽ मने की से चललय मने बाद कऽ।

Now Musharni looked everywhere in the house, but she couldn’t find anything. Then she found some flour in a basket and she prepared two roti breads. Then she took one roti for her husband, the Musharba, and started for the field.

एक लोटा पानि नून मिरचाई ओ रोटी पर धऽ लेलकय आ धऽ कऽ जाइत रहय। 

She put a green chili and salt on that bread, took a jug of water and started out.

जाइत रहय न तऽ जेठ बैसाख के महीना रहय बादमे जे ऊ गेलय तऽ एगो बैल रहय मने से बादसँ भागल चलि अबैत रहय। 

As she was on her way, since it was the month of April-May, an ox was rushing back from the field.

एकरा जे देखलकय जाइत से ऊ भागल अबैत रहय। भागल अबैत रहय लोक सब कहलकय हय मने भागऽ ने हय भागऽ न बैल मारतऽ, भागऽ न बैल मारतऽ।

When he saw her going to the field, he was running and people advised her, “Hey, run away or else the ox will gore you, the Ox will gore you, run away!”

ऊ मुसहरनी कहलकय कियै हम भागब। हम नय भगबय। हम जाइ छी कथी लै हम बैल के कुछ करय छी से हमरा बैल मने हमरा मारतय। 

That Musharni said, “Why should I run away? I won’t. I am going on my own, I am not doing anything to the ox, so why should he gore me?”

ऊ कि नय ओइ सामने जे गेलय मुसहरनिया सामने बैल माने न से ठाढ़ भऽ गेलय। ठाढ़ भऽ गेलय तऽ ठाढ़ भऽ गेलय तऽ आब ई कि केलकय तब ऊ अँचरा तरमे जे रोटी रहय झाँपने से रोटी के उघारि कऽ आ एना कि के नय बैल के आगुमे धऽ देलकय आ लोटामेसँ पानी लऽ लऽ कऽ ओईमे से रोटी पर कऽ ढ़ारऽ लगलय। 

When she, the Musharni, came before the ox, he stood still there. Now, he stood there, he stood still. She then took out the bread from inside her saree, which she had been hiding, placed that in front of the ox, and started pouring water from her jug on that bread.

तऽ सबटा पानी मने कि से नय लोटो भरि पानी बैल के पिया देलकय। बैल पी लेलकय लोटो भरि पानी आ रोटी रहय सेहो खिया देलकय, खिया देलकय। 

And she gave all the water from the jug to the ox to drink. The ox drank all the water from the jug, and she also gave him the bread to eat, she offered him the bread.

एगो रोटी जे ई अपना लै रखने रहै घरमे फेन घूरि कऽ आरल फेन एक लोटा पानि लेलक नोन मिरचाई लऽ लेलक आ फेन गेल लऽ कऽ घरवाला के दय लै मुसहरबा के। लऽ कऽ गेल तऽ ऊ मुसहरबा न से मने खिऔलक मुसहरबा के, खा लेलक।

The bread that she had kept for herself at home, she came back for it, and taking again a jug of water and salt and green chilli, she once again went to give it to the Musharba. When she gave it to the Musharba to eat, the Musharba ate it.

राति भने रातिमे मने मुसहरनी मरि गेल। रातिमे मुसहरनी मरि गेलय। 

In the night, the Musharni died. The Musharni died during the night.

तऽ मुसहरनिया जे मरि गेलय तऽ मने मुसहरनिया के भऽ गेलय राजा के कोखिमे जन्म। राजा कोखिमे जन्म भऽ गेलय। 

When the Musharni died, she took birth next in a king’s womb, she was born into a royal family.

मुसहरनिया के राजा मने पोषण पालन केलक पढ़ौलकय लिखौलकय सब चीज केलकय बड्ड बढ़िया बड्ड चिक्कन। केलकय तऽ ओकरा बियाह भेलय राजे के घरमे कहलकय मने रजे से मने बियाह कऽ देबय।

The king raised the Musharni, sent her for studies, did all that, all good, all smooth. When he did, she would then, when he proclaimed it be so, be married into another royal family. 

तऽ राजासँ बियाह रहय मने बाभन जाति के रहै बाभन। तऽ ओकरा बियाह मने कऽ देलकय। 

So, she was to be wed to a king, meaning that he was a Brahmin by caste. So he married her in this manner.

जब बियाह मने भऽ गेलय तऽ ऊ न से मने जाइत जे रहै ससुरा तऽ एगो पोखरि रहय। पोखरि पर कि नै से जेठ बैसाख के महीना रहय ओइ जमाना कहरिया सब मने कहार राखि देलकय आ राखि कऽ मने न चलि गेलय कने टहलि गेलय ऊ सब। 

After the wedding had taken place, along the way to her in-law’s place there was a pond. In those summer months, the palanquin carriers put the palanquin on the ground and took a rest or went for a walk.

टहलि गेलय आ ऊ ससुर जे रहय ससुर के मने कि ने घरबाली नय रहय। ऊ बिन घरेबाली के रहय। ऊ गाछ के जड़ि के तरमे  से ठाढ़ भऽ गेल, जड़िमे। मोटगर गाछ तय जां ठाढ़ भऽ गेलय। 

When they went for a walk, the father-in-law, who didn’t have a wife, stood there under the tree, at its base. The tree had a thick canopy; that’s why he stood there.

ऊ डोली कहारकेँ जे उठा कऽ एना कऽ ओहार के देखलकय तऽ ओइ पोखरिमे से ऊ बहुत मने कि न से माल जाल मने पानी पियै, लोक सब नहाय, कौआ चील अबय तऽ पानी पी लय नहा लय। 

When she raised [the curtain of the palanquin] and looked out, she saw animals drinking water from the pond, people bathing there, crows and eagles coming to drink water and bathe. 

तऽ ऊ कनिया ओइ डोलीमे से कहय हय कि ओइ कहारमे से से अहाँ एतबेमे तऽ एते आ एतेमे केते। तऽ ओकर ससुर कहलकय कि से कि कहय हय कनिया, कि बजय है। तऽ ससुर मानै पेटमे ध लेलकय एहो बात। 

Then the bride in that palanquin, posing a riddle to her father-in-law, said, “You are this much from this only, so how much from this much?” Her father -in-law said, “What is it that the bride is going on about?” So the father-in-law kept it to himself.  

ध लेलकय आ ध कऽ माने न से ऊ चलि गेल माने अप्पन कतौ अथीमे। घर पर जे गेलय तऽ ई अप्पन काज धंधा सबटा करै कनिया। साउस तऽ रहय नय तऽ अपने सब चीज करय। 

He kept it to himself and departed. He reached home, where the bride was doing all household chores. Since the mother-in-law was not there, she had to do it all by herself.  

सब चीज कऽ ऊ कऽ अप्पन रखय तऽ ऊ ससुर कि कहलकय से कनिया हमरा मोन होय यै जे हम गरम गरम खएती। तऽ कहलकय गरम गरम खैब बाबूजी तऽ हम अहाँकेँ बना देब काल्हि गरम गरम। 

As she would keep everything in order, one day her father-in-law told her, “Daughter, I want to eat the meal hot and fresh.”  And she replied, “Father, if you want it hot and fresh, I will cook it for you like that tomorrow.”

तब पुतोहु सवेरमे माने सुति कऽ उठल बसिया काज जे है से कऽ लेलक कऽ कऽ माने कि से ने एकरा बनबऽ लागल गरम गरम। मने सब्जी बनेलक सोहारी बनेलक चाहे परोठे बनेलक। बना कऽ ओकरा देलकय आ ऊ बुढ़बा करैत रहै दुकान तऽ ई गेलय कहय लै जे बाबूजी से मने कहलखिन गरम गरम खैब, गरम गरम बनि गेलय से चलू मने खा लियऽ गऽ। 

The daughter-in-law woke up in the morning, did all the household work and began preparing a hot meal for him. She prepared bread, vegetables, and some stuffed parathas. And she would serve him, but he also had a shop to run, so she went to him, thinking that father-in-law has expressed that he would like a hot meal, and saying, “Father, the food is hot and ready, so please come and eat.”

तऽ कहलकय हम जे गरम गरम खाए लै जैब से ई दोकान पर के रहतय। कहलकय हम छी न। हम छी, ताबे ठाड़ छी। तऽ ऊ कनिया ओइ दोकान के मुँह पर ठाड़ रहलय ई बुढ़बा गेलय खाए लै। ससुर रहय से खाना खाए लै गेलय। 

But he responded, “If I leave from here to eat a hot meal, who will take care of the shop?” She answered, “I am here, will take care things until you are back.” So the bride kept watch at the doorstep for the time the old man went to eat. The father-in-law went to eat his meal.

ताबेमे आबि गेलय एगो ग्राहकी । ग्राहकी आबि गेलय। बुढ़बा के खोजऽ लगलय से कहाँ गेलखिन कहाँ गेलखिन दोकानदार कहाँ गेलखिन। तऽ ऊ कनिया कहलकय कि से पप्पा हइयै खाइ छथिन्ह से बसिया। पप्पा खाइ छथिन्ह से बसिया।

A customer arrived at the shop in the meantime. A customer arrived and asked, “Where is the shopkeeper?” The bride said, “ Father is eating the food from the day before. What Father is eating is from the day before.” 

बुढ़बा कहलकय देखक एकरा हमरा मुँह पकय है आ ई कहय है बलु बसिया खाए है। बुढ़बा के आनि लागि गेलय। तैयो बुढ़बा अप्पन खा कऽ उठल बड़ बढ़िया बड़ चिक्कन।

The old man looking at her said, “I am here getting my mouth burnt as I eat, and this woman is saying that I am eating food from yesterday.” The old man’s ego was hit. Yet, he ate his meal, fine, okay.

थोड़े कालमे बेरिया के टाइम भेलय दुपहर के टाइम तऽ कहलकय एगो बबाजी कमे टा के बच्चे लबसिंगे से एलय मंगय लै बबाजी के रूप से।

After some time, afternoon arrived and a young priest, in the form of a sage, came there, asking for alms. 

ऊ कनिया जे घर बहारि कऽ एलय से ओकरा पर नजरि परि गेलय। तऽ कनिया कहलकय हे अहाँ कि न से माने एतेक सवेरे, माने कनिया अइ दुआरे कहलकय से एतेक सवेरे बबाजी कियै बनि गेलय। 

The bride, coming out after mopping the floor, caught sight of him. The bride then said, “Why are you so early?” Actually when the bride asked him ‘why are you so early.’ she meant why had he become a saint at such a young age.

ऊ जे कहलकय माने एतेक सवेरे जे कनिया कहलकय, से बुढ़बा के मोनमे आबि गेलय पाप, से ई  कनिया ई आयल छल तऽ एकरा कियै नै कियै ई कनिया कहलकय एतेक सवेरे। ओकरा मोनमे पाप आबि गेलय। 

When she uttered ‘so early,’ the old man [her father-in-law] found it rude, questioning in his mind why the bride said to the man who had come, ‘so early.’ The old man viewed it as if it had been uttered with a bad motive. 

बुढ़बा अहि बात के लिए ओकरा नेहरा से फोन केलक चिट्ठी केलक। आदमी के भेजलक। बाप एलय,भाई एलय, समाज एलय बाकी जेना अपने सब एते सब गोरे छी बैठल ताहितँ गामक लोक के बजा के मने आनि लेलकय बुढ़बा। 

The old man phoned her natal home and wrote a letter on this issue. He sent his messenger. Her father came, her brother came, other people from her place came, just like we are all sitting here, the old man gathered together many people from her village. 

तऽ बुढ़बा के पूछलकय से आब कहू अहाँ कियै एतेक लोक के बैठेलियय। 

Then they asked the old man, “Now say why have you called us here.”

तऽ बुढ़बा कहलकय कि से देखियौ हम जे शादी कऽ कऽ अबैत रही अइ कनिया के तहन पोखरि पर कनिया कहलक कि बरू से देखियौ एतबेमे तऽ एतेक आ एतेकमे केतेक से से कहलक आ तब देखियौ हमरा हमरा पका कऽ देलक गरमे गरमे हमरा हाथो पाकय मुँहो पाकय आ ई कहलक कि बाबूजी खाए छथिन्ह बसिया। 

And the old man replied, “See, when I was returning from her wedding, she asked me a riddle near the pond: “This much from this only, so how much from this much?” Now, see how she cooked a hot meal for me and even when my mouth got burnt while eating the hot food, she said to others, “Father is eating food from the day before.”

ईहो हमर नाम बेचलक आ एगो बरू बबाजी आयल छलय से कहलकय एतेक सवेरे एतेक सवेरे ओकरा कहलकय ओ कियै एलय एतेक सवेरे से कहलक हन हमरा। 

“This woman too sullied my name and when a sage arrived, she said to him ‘so early, so early.’ Why did she utter ‘so early?’  Has she bothered to explain it to me?”

तब ऊ पूछलकय कनिया के आब अहाँ कहियौ कियै माने कहलकय हन। 

So they demanded of the bride, “Now explain yourself, why?”

तब ऊ कहलकय कनिया जे देखियौ हम रही मुसहरनी के बेटी, हम  मुसहरनी के बेटी रही ओइ जन्ममे तऽ हम एक लोटा पानी पियेली बड़द के तऽ मने न से मने न हम राजा के कोखिमे हमरा जन्म भेल। तऽ हम भऽ गेलियय राजा के बेटी। 

To which the bride replied, “Look,  I was a Musharni’s daughter. In my previous life, I was a Musharni’s daughter. I gave a jug of water to an ox to drink and was thus reborn into a king’s family in this life. So I became a king’s daughter.”

आ तऽ मने हमरा मने शादी भेल तऽ मने हिनका बेटा से तऽ हम जे अबैत रहियय शादी कऽ कऽ तऽ पोखरिमे जे हम देखलिए लोक सबके मारि माल जाल पियय पानी पियय मने लोक नहाय सब चीज जे लोक करय। कते मने चिड़ैय चुनमुन अबय ऊ सब नहा लय, पानि पीबय तऽ ओइ दुआरे हम ई कहलियय जे एक लोटा पानि जे हम पियेलिए से हम मुसहरनी रही से हम भऽ गेलि राजा के बेटी आब ई जे ई पोखरि खुनेने अछि तकरा मने कत्ते फलित हेतय से माने हम कहलियय। कहय गेलय म

And, you know, as I was arriving after the wedding, I saw people making their animals drink water, taking a bath, and doing other things. So many birds were drinking water from there, taking a bath, that’s why I said – if I gave an ox water from my jug, despite being a Musharni I became a princess in my next life, so I imagined how much lucky the person would be lucky who had this pond dug for people’s welfare.” That was what I meant when I said those words. And people agreed, “Yes, this makes sense.”

तब फेन कहलियय कियै से मने बाबू खाए छथिन्ह बसिया? बाबुजी के अहि माने कहलियन जे बाबुजी कहथिन जे गरम गरम खैब तऽ बाबूकेँ बना के ने गरम गरम  देलियैन आ मने बाबुजीकेँ तऽ मने सब चीज रहय बसिए। आटा रहय दोसरे दिनकेँ पिसाएल। सब्जी रहय दोसरे दिनकेँ बना कऽ ने देलियय आ सब चीज तऽ मने बसिए बसिए रहय तऽ ओइ दुआरे कहलियय बाबुजी खाइ छथिन्ह बसिए। सब कहलकय सही बात हय।

Then she explained why her father had been eating a meal from the day before. “I said this to father, meaning that even if I gave him a hot cooked meal to eat, the raw material is by nature from the days before – the flour was prepared from the previous day, vegetables were from the day before. So what if I cooked them fresh, all the raw material from the previous days. That is why I said that my father eats the food from the day before.” Then they agreed, “Yes, of course.”

तब कहलकय अच्छा ऊ बबाजी जे आयल छलय हन तकरा अहाँ कियै कहलियय जे सवेरे कियै एली। तऽ कहलकय बबाजी के हम ई नै कहलियय से मने कियै एते सवेरे एली। मने लोक के बाल होय हय बच्चा होय हय कने नीचा माहे मुनेर होय हय तऽ बबाजी बनय हय तऽ मने कोनो सही भेलय आ  जब मने कनिके टा के बच्चा छलय हन मने बबाजी बनि गेलय तऽ ओइ दुआरे हुनका कहलियैन जे एतेक सवेरे अहाँ बबाजी कियै बनि गेलियय से मने कनी समय होय हय तऽ बबाजी बनय हय तइ दुआरे कहलियय।

Then they asked her, “Why did you ask the man who had come to your doorstep, ‘Why did you come so early?’” To this she replied, “I didn’t ask the priest ‘Why did you come so early?’ I meant to ask him why he chose to become a saint at such a young age since usually people become one after they have had children, and they have spent some time in life. That’s why I asked him this.” 

ओइ पर माने सबके माने कनिया के सब विजय बनेलकैन आ बुढ़बा के माने ससुर जे रहय तकरा सब माने धुर्र छिया केलकैन।

With this they vindicated the bride and called the old man, her father-in-law, a dirtbag.