কলালেইমা

In a certain land, there lived a demoness and a human wife as co-wives.

The demoness had a daughter.

Her name was Senarambi.

And the human wife had two sons and a daughter. The daughter's name was Kalaleima.

Over time, Senarambi and Kalaleima were deprived of their father's affection.

Shortly after their birth, their father passed away.

Senarambi and Kalaleima grew up together, playing and dancing in harmony.

One day, the demoness co-wife said, 'Come, sister, let's catch some fish today.'

The human wife agreed and said, 'Alright.'

The two co-wives took their baskets and went to the marshes to catch fish.

The two stepped into the marsh waters and began fishing.

Senarambi's mother (the demoness) was only catching snakes, while Kalaleima's mother was catching fish.

When they had caught plenty, the demoness said, 'sister, enough for today, let's head home.'

We left the little kids at home, it's getting late.

Believing her, they headed back home happily.

On their way back, they saw a Hijal tree and sat in its shade to rest for a while.

Looking up into the tree, they saw the mangoes hanging down, deep red in color.

The demoness said, 'sister, don't the fruits look wonderful?'

You pluck some, I can't climb the tree, I'll stand down and pick them.'

As Kalaleima's mother climbed and shook the branches, the demoness took the snakes out of her basket and dropped them onto the tree.

The snakes climbed up the branches of the tree, hugged Kalaleima's mother, and began to bite her.

From the snake bites, Kalaleima's mother collapsed to the ground and died.

The demoness took the mother's fish basket and returned home alone.

Kolalema came and asked, 'Oh, younger mother, where is my mother?'

The demon said, 'Your mother is still fishing, and she doesn't want to come because she caught a lot of fish. I left early because I couldn't stay in the hot sun for long.'

Kalaleima said, 'Okay! Little mother, give me a fish, I will cook it for my little brother to eat.'

Oh! Come on, you lazy mother's daughter, here's a fish!' she said, giving a punch and gave a small fish to Kalaleima.

Kalaleima let the fish burn in the fire and started cleaning the kitchen.

Meanwhile, she didn't realize when the fish had burned to ashes.

She was afraid and said to the demon mother, 'Mother, the fish has burned to ashes, please give me another fish.'

The jealous woman poked her in the head and gave her another fish.

Kolalema, with tears in her eyes, half-burned the fish and fed it to her brothers.

Evening fell, their mother was nowhere to be seen, and the two siblings fell asleep weeping.

Waking up at night, Kalaleima saw the demoness trying to chew and eat her brother and sister!

The next morning, Senarambi and Kalaleima went to the riverbank to bathe.

The demoness gave Kalaleima a tattered vessel and a torn cloth to wear.

She gave Senarambi a beautiful new pitcher and new clothes.

At that time, a prince came there for hunting.

They were bathing on opposite banks, and the prince came down to drink water.

Seeing the girl standing there in tattered clothes with her pitcher, the prince told the general, 'That girl, I shall marry her.'

Senarambi grew terrified and quickly fled back home.

She told her mother, 'The prince wants to marry Kalaleima.'

The demoness then hid Kalaleima's clothes and dressed Senarambi in the beautiful clothes and pitcher.

Then he sent them back into the river.

The prince then said, 'I shall marry the girl wearing the new clothes.'

They returned home and told everything.

Fearing the king, they finally married Kalaleima to the prince.

Because if they didn't, the king would kill them.

Five days after the wedding, the prince came to Kalaleima's house to eat.

The demoness prepared boiling water since early morning.

She carefully seated the prince and his stepdaughter.

Meanwhile, she called Kalaleima and said, 'Your sister Senarambi wants to try your jewelry and clothes.'

Yes! she replied, and helped Senarambi to wear the cloths.

She said to Kalaleema, 'Come, let me bathe you.' She took her through the back door of the house and made her sit on the stool.

Then she placed the boiling water next to her.

Then the demon mother and daughter together killed Kalaleima by immersing her head in a cauldron of hot water.

Kalaleima didn't even have time to scream.

Kalaleima's soul became a bird and flew towards the palace.

The prince kept Senarambi as his queen.

The prince did not know Kalaleima was killed; he accepted Senarambi thinking she was Kalaleima.

A year later, Senarambi gave birth to a baby boy.

The bird-turned spirit of Kalaleima then flew to the place where the clothes were spread in front of the palace and sat down.

While the king was outside walking, Kalaleima calling from there in bird's language.

The bird-turned Kalaleima comes there every day just to see the king.

Ku ku ku ku ku, Senarambi took my place. Take off his fake mask and see.

The king listened to this bird's song every day but could not understand the meaning, but the king's heart became very sad.

The baby prince cried out, 'Father, catch that bird!'

The king then called the bird 'Aai Aai' and it came and sat on his hand.

she's his wife, so she came when he called.

He kept it into a cage and hung it on the front porch.

Water and paddy were kept for it to eat.

One day, Senarambi killed the bird and cooked it.

The king returned from court and searched for the bird.

Not seeing the bird, he asked, 'Where is the bird?'

Your son poked it, and it died, after that I cooked it.

The king went to eat the rice with the broth and saw something that looked like a nail. So he threw it out.

A grapefruit tree grew there.

Meanwhile, Kalaleima's grandmother was searching for her granddaughter.

She asked Senarambi's mother. She said, 'Your granddaughter has now become a queen and has gone to the palace.'

The grandmother came to the palace in search of her granddaughter.

But didn't find her. She saw grapefruits hanging on the tree.

As she reached to pluck one, the grapefruit spoke.

As soon as she went to pick the grapefruits, it said, 'Take me! Take me!'

The old woman wrapped it in a cloth and brought it home.

She hid it. She stuffed it into a basket and put a blanket on top of it so that no one would find it.

When the old woman went out, Kalema would come out of the grapefruits and do all the housework.

The old woman would return to find the rice cooked.

Who cooked this rice?

Whatever it was, she ate that rice.

She took out the grapefruit to eat.

She didn't find the knife.

The next day, she found the knife, but no grapefruit.

That's why she couldn't eat the grapefruit.

She was very confused, if she got a knife, there was no grapefruit, if he got a grapefruit, there was no knife.

One day, she thought, 'let me hide and watch, and see who does all the work in my house.'

Then she saw a girl came down from the shelf and doing all the housework.

She cooked the rice and ate it herself, then set aside the food for the old woman and covered it with a basket. At that moment, the old woman opened the door, entered the house, grabbed Kalaleima by the hand, and asked, 'Are you a goddess or a human?'

Kalaleima explained everything, and cried.

Don't be afraid, Grandma. There are only two more days left, and then I will be human again. Now, when the wind blows on my soft skin, it feels cold.

The old woman took care of her, covered her with a soft cotton swab and put her on the bed.

After two days, she recovered, and came out.

The grandmother and granddaughter began to live in peace.

Many people in the village went to the king and said, 'Your Majesty, an old woman in such and such a village has a daughter who is as beautiful as a fairy. She is so beautiful that looks very pleasing to the eyes.'

The king then walked around with his young son and came to the old woman's house.

He saw her weaving.

The poor old woman let the king sit on a carpeted seat.

The king was talking to the old woman.

The boy was watching Kalaleima weaving.

When the shuttle fell, he said to the king's son, 'Son! Bring me the shuttle!'

The shuttle kept falling.

The king's son kept picking it up, and Kalaleima was saying something.

Finally, he asked his father, 'Father! I don't understand what this woman is saying.'

The old woman called her granddaughter, 'Kalaleima, come here. Bow the king by offering him betel leaves and betel nuts.'

Hearing the name Kalaleima, the king was surprised and asked the old woman.

The old woman slowly told the king everything.

The king recognized her as his wife.

Later, the king returned to the palace and had a canal dug, spread many poisonous thorns, buried the Sanarambi in it, and covered it with earth.

The king and Kalaleima lived happily ever after.