One often gets surprised when a stranger narrates you a story that you long ago heard from your grandma at bedtime, albeit with a twist. Stories travel far and wide. And sometimes they return with new additions. These new additions can transform the meaning of the story that once you knew within a particular context. Here is one such story from my childhood, that I heard later on with a totally different ending. Read on.
Ms. Cockroach had got new clothes stitched from the tailor. The new dress fitted her so well she looked like a bride. Dressed in new clothes she would sit by the window and dream of getting married. I want to marry ‘ a man’ with a sweet voice. She thought. One day while she was sitting by the window, a dog passed by and looking at her dress Dog said,” Oh lady, you are looking so gorgeous today, who are you waiting for ?” “Oh Mr. Doggy, I am waiting to marry some one who can sing for me. Can you sing a song for me? ” Mr. Dog got excited with the prospect of getting married. “Sure! Bow! Bow! Bow” Dog barked. But the sound frightened Ms. Cockroach and she scampered and hid under the window sill until Mr. Dog went away.
Next day she again sat by the window wearing the tailored dress . A duck passed by. The duck asked the cockroach would you marry me if I sing for you? ” Yes . Please Mr. Duck” Ms. Cockroach sat attentively to hear the song.” Quack! Quack!! Quack!!” Duck quacked loudly. ” No! No! I don’t like your grating voice Mr. Duck, I am sorry I can’t marry you”. Disappointed duck left crestfallen.
Then came a big tomcat. He was known as the casanova of the town. ” Ms.Roach, he said blinking his eyes and rubbing his head on the window sill. ” I can serenade you with my song. Marry me.” “Yes Mr. Tom, first sing for me” replied Ms. cockroach” Meow! Meow Meow” Tom cried in a flat gruff tone. “No! No! I don’t like your gruff voice Mr. Tom.” said Ms. Cockroach rejecting tomcat. Finally came a tiny rat, and asked Ms. Cockroach to marry him in a squeaky soft voice. Ms. Cockroach fell in love with his voice and married him.
My grandma’s story would end at this point. By this time we kids would have fallen fast asleep.
Recently I heard the same story with a new ending.
Ms. Cockroach wanted to celebrate their marriage so she cooked a meat dish and went in search of bread and wine so that she and Mr. Rat could raise the toast. She told Mr.Rat to wait till she returned with the wine. But Mr.Rat got greedy and started eating the food in a great haste and he fell inside the cooking pot and got burned to death. When Ms. Cockroach retuned with bread and wine, she could not find her husband. She looked everywhere and finally found him dead in the pot. She cried and cried and decided never to marry again.
I wonder if my grandma deliberately avoided the sad ending of the tale, or the tragic ending of the tale a later addition? The story continues.
Story Collected by : Vidya Kamat
Source: Mrs. Sitabai Panandiker( grandmother) also see Folk tales from New Goa India by Sara Davidson and Eleanor Phelphs. Translated into konkani by Dr. Pandurang Phaldesai
Location: Goa
Image copyright: Vidya Kamat
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