Stingy Bird
Adapted by Rerai Romyen from a version by Kamphon Prajakkatta from Wapipathum School, Mahasarakham retold in English by Wajuppa Tossa
Once an old man went out to work in his rice field preparing for harvest.
He saw a flock of birds swarming in his rice field.
“Oh, those birds are eating my rice grains again. I will catch them.” He thought and went home to get his net. He returned home to get a net to catch the birds.
He cast his net over at the flock of birds, but the birds were quick. All but one escaped.
The old man thought, “Aha, a bird. A good lunch tomorrow.”
He put the bird in his bamboo trap, tied the trap onto his waist, and began walking home.
As he was walking, he heard from his trap.
“Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi (which means stingy, stingy, stingy)”
The old man looked around to see where the sound was coming from.
“Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.” came the sound again from the trap.
“What? This bird is calling me a stingy man.
I will pluck his feathers and roast him for dinner tonight.”
So he did. “How’s that, bird? You will never call me stingy again.”
As he was roasting the bird over the fire, he heard,
“Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.” from the bird.
The old man was angry. “Even when I put it over the fire, the bird still called me stingy.
I will eat it now.”
The old man put the bird in his mouth and swallowed it.
“Aha, now you will never call me stingy again.”
But after a while …he heard from his stomach,
“Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.”
The old man was furious this time. “Even after I have eaten you in my stomach,
you still called me stingy, I will throw up now.”
So, he vomited. “Now, you will stop calling me stingy.”
But…he heard from his vomit, “Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.”
The old man was outraged.
“Even after all this, this bird still called me stingy. I will beat it with this huge stick.”
So he did, … but…
The vomit splashed and on piece went to stick on his head.
“Now you will not call me stingy again.”
But, after a while he heard from his head, “Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.”
The old man could control his temper no longer.
“Now, I will get rid of his bird once and for all with this stick.”
So he hit the piece of bird for the last time, but he forget that the bird was on his head.
The heavy blow sent the old man on the ground unconscious. In his deep slumber, the old man heard, “Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.” He open his eyes for the last time, and saw the bird fly away, singing: “Khi thi, Khi thi, Khi thi.”
And that the story of “The Stingy Bird.”