2.5 Pumpkin Monster

Summary

In this Halloween-themed podcast episode, 'Stories from India' host Narad Monei narrates a tale of an elderly woman named Aji, who cleverly escapes from predators in a dark forest by promising to return as their dinner once fattened at her daughter's house. With the help of her resourceful daughter, Aji uses a giant pumpkin as a rolling shelter to return home, tricking the animals into believing she's still preparing herself to be their feast. The story, with a humorous twist, highlights wit and survival, and ends with Aji facing the dilemma of being trapped inside the pumpkin, hinting at an ironic resolution.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'Stories from India' is hosted by Narad Monei, who claims to be a figure from Indian mythology with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of past, present, and future.
• 🎃 The podcast episode is a bonus for Halloween and focuses on a pumpkin-themed story.
• 👵 The main character, referred to as 'AI' or 'Aji', which means grandmother in some Indian languages, is an elderly woman living alone in a hut near a dangerous forest.
• 🏠 Aji's only relative is her daughter, who lives across the forest in a village, and Aji decides to visit her despite the risks.
• 🐺 Aji encounters various animals in the forest, including a fox, a wolf, a lion, and a tiger, all of whom she cleverly convinces to let her go by promising to return fatter and more suitable for a meal.
• 🥧 Aji's daughter and son-in-law devise a plan involving a large pumpkin to help her safely return home and avoid the animals she promised to the animals.
• 🕳️ The plan involves carving out the inside of the pumpkin, creating a space for Aji to hide and roll down the hill to her home.
• 🐾 Aji encounters the animals again while inside the pumpkin, but they believe she is still at her daughter's house, getting fatter for them.
• 🚫 Aji finds herself trapped inside the pumpkin with no way to open the door from the inside.
• 🍽️ The twist at the end reveals that Aji's only way out is to eat her way through the pumpkin, which she finds unappealing due to its lack of ripeness.
• 📚 The story is from Maharashtra, a state in Western India, and the podcast includes a note on the variations of the story in different versions.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei who claims to have the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

Why is the podcast host, Narad Monei, also known as 'AI' in the story?

In the story, the host is referred to as 'AI', which means 'grandmother' in a local Indian language and is sometimes colloquially used to address elderly women, reflecting her character as an old woman in the tale.

What is the main character AI's predicament in the story?

AI's predicament is that she is very lonely and decides to visit her daughter who lives on the other side of a dangerous Dark Forest filled with wild animals.

How does AI manage to avoid becoming dinner for the wild animals she encounters in the forest?

AI cleverly convinces each animal she encounters, such as the fox, wolf, lion, and tiger, that she will return after visiting her daughter and getting fatter, thus promising to be a better meal in the future.

What is the solution AI's daughter comes up with to help her mother return home safely?

AI's daughter suggests using a large pumpkin as a means of transportation. They carve out the inside, making a door and holes for air and visibility, so AI can roll downhill in it to her home.

Why do the animals in the forest let the pumpkin, with AI inside, pass without eating it?

The animals believe that AI is still at her daughter's house, getting fatter as she promised. They think the talking pumpkin is just a peculiar occurrence and do not suspect AI is inside.

What is the twist at the end of the story?

The twist is that AI gets stuck inside the pumpkin and cannot get out. The only way for her to escape is to eat her way out, but the pumpkin is not ripe, making it an unappetizing option.

What does AI's son-in-law contribute to the plan of using the pumpkin?

AI's son-in-law helps make a door in the pumpkin and ensures there are holes for breathing and seeing, despite his eagerness to be rid of AI.

How does AI manage to bring sweets with her on the journey inside the pumpkin?

Before setting out in the pumpkin, AI has a few more platefuls of snacks and sweets for the road and packs more to take with her for the journey.

What is the significance of the pumpkin in the story's cultural context?

The pumpkin is used as a creative solution to a problem, showcasing the resourcefulness and wit often found in folk tales. It also plays on the idea of a 'pumpkin special' for Halloween, despite the story being set in India.

What are some variations of the story from different versions mentioned in the podcast?

In some versions, AI fools three of the animals, but the fox is too clever and knows she's inside. In another, the animals fight amongst themselves, allowing her to sneak away. In yet another, she pretends to be a carnivorous pumpkin monster that scares the animals away.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Introduction to 'Stories from India' Podcast 🎵

The script begins with the host, Narad Monei, introducing the 'Stories from India' podcast, which focuses on Indian myths, legends, and folk tales. As a character with eternal life and knowledge, Narad Monei narrates stories from various eras. Acknowledging the positive feedback from listeners, the host expresses gratitude and announces a special Halloween-themed episode about a unique way to travel using a pumpkin, without the need for magical assistance. The story sets in a dark forest where an old woman, referred to as 'AI' or 'grandmother' in local Indian languages, lives in solitude and decides to visit her daughter despite the dangers of the forest.

05:01

🦊 Encounters with Forest Creatures 🦊

In the second paragraph, the old woman, AI, encounters various wild animals in the forest, including a fox, a wolf, a lion, and a tiger. Each animal invites her to dinner, with the implication of eating her. However, AI cleverly convinces each animal to let her go by promising to return after visiting her daughter and gaining weight, making her a more appealing meal. Despite the potential pitfalls of her plan, the animals believe her and allow her to continue her journey. AI eventually reaches her daughter's house, where she enjoys a feast and shares her predicament with her family.

10:05

🎃 The Pumpkin Escape Plan 🎃

The third paragraph details a creative solution devised by AI's daughter to help her mother return home safely. They decide to use a large pumpkin as a protective vehicle by carving out its inside for AI to hide in and roll downhill back to her home. The plan involves making air holes for breathing and visibility, as well as using the pumpkin's weight and downhill trajectory to navigate. AI, now fatter from the feast, sets off in her pumpkin, encountering the animals she had previously promised to return to. Each animal, deceived by the talking pumpkin, believes AI is still at her daughter's house, growing fatter for their meal, and lets the pumpkin pass by.

🚫 Trapped Inside the Pumpkin 🚫

In the final paragraph, AI successfully reaches her home in the pumpkin but finds herself trapped inside, unable to open the door from within. With no tools to help her escape, she faces the unpleasant reality of having to eat her way out of the pumpkin. The pumpkin, however, turns out to be unripe, making the task even more daunting. The story concludes with a twist, leaving AI with no choice but to chew her way to freedom. The host then provides some background on the story's origin, mentioning it's from Maharashtra, Western India, and acknowledges the various versions of the tale, highlighting the unique ending added for the Halloween special.

Keywords

💡Narad Mone

Narad Mone is the host of the podcast 'Stories from India'. He is portrayed as a character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future, embodying the role of a storyteller and musician. In the script, Narad Mone sets the stage for the tale by introducing the podcast and the special Halloween-themed episode, creating a connection with the audience and framing the narrative that follows.

💡Eternal Life

Eternal life refers to living forever, without aging or dying. In the context of the video, Narad Mone is described as having been given the gift of eternal life, which adds a layer of mystique and authority to his character. This concept is integral to the theme of myths and legends, as it suggests a character who has witnessed and can recount the tales of many eras.

💡Myths

Myths are traditional stories, often involving supernatural beings or events, that embody and provide an explanation, aetiology, or justification for something such as the nature of the world. The script mentions that the podcast discusses myths, legends, and folk tales from India, indicating that myths are a central element of the content and cultural heritage being explored.

💡Folk Tales

Folk tales are stories or legends passed down through the generations, often reflecting the cultural values and history of a community. In the script, the story of the old woman and the pumpkin is a folk tale that illustrates cleverness and survival, which is a common theme in such narratives.

💡Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31, with traditions such as costume parties, trick-or-treating, and carving jack-o'-lanterns. The script mentions a 'pumpkin special' for Halloween, indicating that the episode is themed around this holiday, incorporating elements of the season and its associated symbols, such as pumpkins, into the story.

💡Pumpkin

A pumpkin is a large, round, orange fruit that is commonly associated with Halloween and used for carving into jack-o'-lanterns. In the script, the pumpkin plays a crucial role in the story as a means of transportation and protection for the old woman, symbolizing both the festive spirit and the ingenuity required to overcome challenges.

💡Dark Forest

The term 'Dark Forest' is used to describe a forest that is dark and potentially dangerous due to the lack of sunlight and the presence of wild animals. In the script, the Dark Forest represents a significant obstacle and source of danger for the old woman, setting the stage for the encounters with various animals and the development of the plot.

💡Animals

In the context of the video, animals refer to the wild creatures such as the fox, wolf, lion, and tiger that the old woman encounters in the Dark Forest. These animals are personified, engaging in dialogue with the old woman and serving as characters that contribute to the moral and plot of the folk tale.

💡Cleverness

Cleverness in the script refers to the quick-wittedness and resourcefulness demonstrated by the old woman, particularly in her interactions with the animals. Her cleverness is a key theme in the story, highlighting the importance of intelligence over physical strength in overcoming obstacles.

💡Promise

A promise in the script is a commitment made by the old woman to return to the animals after fattening up, which they believe will make her a better meal. The concept of a promise is central to the narrative, as it drives the plot and the old woman's subsequent actions, including her use of the pumpkin to fulfill her word without endangering herself.

💡Survival

Survival in the script is the old woman's ultimate goal as she navigates through the Dark Forest and encounters various animals. The theme of survival is evident in her resourceful actions, such as using the pumpkin to escape the animals and return home safely, underscoring the importance of wit and adaptability in life-threatening situations.

Highlights

Introduction of the podcast 'Stories from India' which explores myths, legends, and folk tales.

Host Narad Monei's unique role as a character in the stories and his gift of eternal life and knowledge.

The podcast's positive feedback and the host's gratitude to the listeners.

Special Halloween episode focusing on a pumpkin-themed story.

The story of an old woman named AI, who is lonely and decides to visit her daughter.

AI's encounter with various wild animals in the Dark Forest and her clever survival tactics.

AI's promise to the animals to return fatter for them to eat, showcasing her wit.

AI's arrival at her daughter's house and the daughter's plan to help her mother return home safely.

The creative solution of using a large pumpkin as a protective vehicle to roll down the hill.

AI's interaction with the animals from inside the pumpkin, tricking them into believing she is still getting fatter.

The animals' reactions to the talking pumpkin and their continued anticipation of AI's return.

AI's successful return home and her relief at escaping the animals.

The twist in the story where AI finds herself trapped inside the pumpkin with no way out.

AI's realization that she must eat her way out of the pumpkin, facing the unpleasant task.

Cultural notes on the story's origin from Maharashtra, India, and variations of the tale.

Invitation for listeners to leave comments, reviews, or suggestions on the podcast's website and social media.

Acknowledgment of the music source from purpleplanet.com used in the podcast.

Teaser for the next episode of 'Stories from India' to be aired the following Sunday.

Transcripts

[Music]

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[Music]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folk tales from India I'm

your host narad monei and I personally

appear in many of these

stories a long time ago I was given the

gift of eternal life and knowledge of

the past the present and the

future and I also always speak the

truth I'm a traveling musician and a

Storyteller by profession so the way I'm

doing my job is by

podcast I've gotten so much positive

feedback from all you listeners so far I

just want to say a big thank you to all

of you to show my appreciation here's a

bonus episode since it's Halloween and

since it's fall in much of the northern

hemisphere I thought I'd do a pumpkin

special today we'll find out how you can

hitch a ride on a pumpkin even if you

don't have a fairy godmother with a

magic

wand the old woman lived by herself in a

hut at the edge of a Dark

Forest let's call her AI which in a

local Indian language or two means

grandmother but is also sometimes

colloquially used to address elderly

women aji's only relative was her

daughter who was married and lived in a

village on the other side of the

forest as you can imagine AI was very

lonely and missed her daughter very

much seeing how this was the

pre-industrial era she had no means of

entertainment communic ation or anything

to distract herself from her

loneliness so she decided to visit her

daughter a good idea but also a terrible

idea visiting her daughter was a

perfectly natural thing to do except it

was also extremely dangerous Dark Forest

remember lots of wild animals in there

and remember no phones no electricity no

weather FOC cast no Uber or lift or Ola

or any kind of public

transport AI decided to go anywhere she

packed up her clothes and set off on

foot she entered the Dark Forest which

was dark because the canopy blocked out

the sun completely and it was hard to

tell whether it was day or

night perfect hunting grounds for

creatures that have eyes well adapted to

see in the dark and that's exactly what

she ran into one after the

other first she heard the high pitched

growl near her she Whirled around to see

a fox who was looking at her mouth

watering at the prospect of eating

her hey Mr Fox Said AI

calmly and as if expecting the animal to

understand

her but surprise surprise understand her

he

did hi Ai he said

why don't you come home with me we'd

love to have you for

dinner I mean have you over for dinner

he corrected

himself but Aji was smart and she knew

exactly what the fox meant to

do she had a

plan and like most plans it basically

amounted to kicking the can down the

road as you wish AI said but I'm barely

a starter I wouldn't serve well as the

main

course the fox cringed at the bad joke

but his Focus was now on something

else he was staring at Ai and he had to

admit she did look pretty

poorly seeing how she seemed all bony

and

thin but something's better than nothing

he

said but wait said AI I've just had an

idea I'm visiting my my daughter who

lives on the other side of the

forest my daughter is an excellent cook

and I can eat and get fat and then I'm

sure I'll taste much much

better now the fox should have seriously

doubted her I mean there's a forest with

other wild animals what if she never

makes it to her daughter's place what if

she changes her mind and doesn't come

back or goes home the long way around

the forest what if she has to work at

her her daughter's place and what if her

daughter doesn't feed her rich

food but the fox somehow concluded that

these were not real objections he let

her

go Aji started on her way again and then

she ran into a

wolf the wolf invited her to be dinner I

mean to eat dinner at his

place yeah I just went through all of

that said

Ai and again she went through a similar

convers ation with the wolf too she

promised to return all fattened up from

her daughter's house and the Wolf let

her

go and the same thing happened with the

lion and the tiger and they too let her

go after she promised to return as the

main

course and yes there are lions and

tigers in this same Forest because

that's actually possible in India unlike

in most places in the

world AI finally made made it out of the

forest her daughter was delighted to see

her she plied her with all kinds of

excellent food and drink and gave her

absolutely no chance to burn any

calories so the fox the wolf the tiger

and the lion were justified in

disregarding some of the tapouts I

mentioned

earlier as she got much fatter and in

between bowlfuls of porridge AI finally

told her daughter she would reveal what

was was bothering

her oh was anything bothering you chimed

in ai's son-in-law I wouldn't have known

it from the way you're eating sh said

the daughter as she ladled out more

sweets onto ai's

plate in between mouthfuls of gulab

jamun and

rulas both are incredibly tasty Indian

sweets in between those mouthfuls she

told them about the animals to whom she

had promised to be

dinner you don't have to go said the

daughter but A promise is a promise said

the son-in-law with a gleam of Hope in

his

eyes nonsense said the daughter I know

just what to

do besides being such an excellent cook

she also grew her own

vegetables they all went out to the

Garden where the daughter pointed out

her prize

pumpkin

I was going to save that for the

Guinness Book of World Records but since

those haven't been invented yet you can

have the pumpkin

mom a pumpkin yes this is the answer to

all my

problems and how exactly is this the

answer to all my problems she

asked after all that desert a pumpkin

might not be the best idea and I hate

eating pumpkin especially if it's not

ripe Maybe if you sauteed with some

onions she

wondered just listen for a minute

interrupted the daughter your house is

on the other side of the forest but it's

also all downhill from here to your

house and your point is said

AI all we have to do is to make a door

carve out the inside of the pumpkin and

you can get inside and roll downhill all

the way to your

house the animals won't eat you they're

all C

caror but won't I suffocate in there and

how will I know I'm going in the right

direction if I'm

inside we'll make holes for air and so

you can see said the

daughter you can probably steer from

inside by just pushing in the direction

you want to

go Ajay thought and finally said that

does sound like a good

idea and if I'm hungry on the way

there's enough space inside for me to

carry lot lots of sweets with me so they

put their plan in action the son-in-law

eager to be rid of Aji made a door and

because he wasn't too evil he did make

some holes so she could breathe and

see Aji had a few more plateful of

snacks and sweets just for the road and

then packed some more to take with her

for the journey and set out in her

pumpkin as expected she ran into the

line the lion was very angry but he

remembered his

manners hey

pumpkin if AI had been fully in

character she wouldn't have

responded but she said hi

back now the Lian thought it was

perfectly normal for a pumpkin to talk

back to him instead of pouncing on it

and eating a up he made normal

conversation with the

pumpkin I shouldn't judge though after

all he's a lion that can

talk hey pumpkin he said did you see a

fat old lady in that house in that exact

Direction you're rolling

from Oh you mean the elegant Lady of

mature years said AI from inside the

pumpkin I wouldn't call her fat but yes

I did see her she was just telling her

family how she needed to eat more so

that she could serve the lion well in a

gravy with peas and carrots

the lion who for all these days hadn't

eaten anything went on waiting but with

renewed hope for ai's

return AI rolled on comfortable inside

the pumpkin munching on the

sweets the same thing happened with the

tiger the wolf and the fox they too were

hungry having eaten nothing for days

they too assumed pumpkin's talk they too

believed Aji was fattening herself up

for them and they too let the pumpkin go

without further

investigation AI rolled on and finally

got home she was eager to get out she

had finished all the snacks and Sweets

she had packed for her journey and

frankly she was sick of eating by

then maybe it was all because of the

Rolling motion but she couldn't imagine

taking another bite of any food for the

next day or two at

least she was also sick of being inside

the pumpkin she hated pumpkins in

general and just couldn't wait to get

away from the pumpkin smell that had

been with her for so

long she pushed at the door to open it

and then she saw what had

happened the door wouldn't open she

couldn't get out of the pumpkin there

was no way out and she had no tools

inside She was drawn to one inescapable

conclusion there there was a way

out she did not relish

it quite literally because the only

way was to eat her way

out still a few days chewing through the

pumpkin might not be the worst thing

ever if the pumpkin was

ripe she sunk her teeth into the wall to

check was it ripe

no it was not

ripe that's it for today some notes on

the

story this story is from Western India a

state called

Maharashtra there are a few variations

of this story but the twist at the end

is something I added because

Halloween in some versions AI fools

three of the animals but the fox is too

clever for her he knows she's inside but

she pretends to still be Pony and thin

and he leaves her alone in another

version the animals all fight against

each other while she sneaks

away in yet another version she pretends

to be a carnivorous pumpkin monster that

scares away the wild

animals in all of these she reaches home

safely if you have any questions

comments or Sugg suggestions please

leave a comment or a review on the site

it's SFI podcast.com the site is also

linked in the show notes and the Twitter

handle is @ SFI

podcast again I'd like to thank my

family and friends and all of you

listeners I'm very grateful for your

support the music is from purple

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com

next week we'll continue with our

regularly scheduled episode episodes

this

Sunday see you

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later