12 - Annabelle and the 40 Thieves

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India', Narad Monea narrates a Tamil Nadu folk tale about a farmer's wife who consults a clay statue of her late mother-in-law for daily decisions. The tale takes a dark turn when the statue seemingly consumes rice, leading to a series of events involving thieves, gold, and a moral lesson on independence and greed.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge.
• 👵 The story begins with a family in Tamil Nadu, where the mother-in-law's daily decision on the amount of rice for dinner was crucial, communicated non-verbally with two or three fingers.
• 🏡 After the mother-in-law's death, the daughter-in-law, unable to make decisions, bought a clay statue of her mother-in-law to continue the rice decision ritual.
• 🍚 The farmer discovered increased rice consumption despite the mother-in-law's absence, leading to a confrontation with his wife about the statue's supposed consumption.
• 👩‍👦 The wife revealed that she believed the statue was eating and interacting with her, leading to the farmer kicking her out of the house.
• 🌳 The wife, carrying the statue, ended up in a forest where she accidentally scared off a group of thieves by dropping the statue, revealing a hoard of gold.
• 💰 The wife returned to her husband with the gold, but he wanted to measure it using a neighbor's scale, unaware of the neighbor's jealousy.
• 🐍 The neighbor, envious of the wealth, replicated the wife's plan but was killed by the thieves, who believed she had tricked them.
• 🌏 The wife, realizing her independence, left her husband and embarked on a world trip, symbolizing her newfound freedom and wealth.
• 🏔️ The podcast also introduces Mount Meru, a mythical mountain considered the center of the universe with extraordinary size and composition, including faces made of crystal, ruby, gold, and lapis lazuli.

Q & A

Who is the host of the podcast 'Stories from India'?

The host of the podcast 'Stories from India' is Narad Monei, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the main theme of the episode titled 'A Doll Comes to Life and Alibaba and the 40 Thieves'?

The main theme of the episode is a folk tale from Tamil Nadu, Southern India, which combines elements of a creepy story of a doll coming to life with the tale of Alibaba and the 40 thieves.

What was the daily decision that the farmer's mother made in the story?

The daily decision that the farmer's mother made was whether the daughter-in-law should make two cups of rice or three for dinner.

How did the farmer's wife cope with the decision-making after her mother-in-law passed away?

The farmer's wife coped with the decision-making by buying a lifelike clay statue of her mother-in-law, which had one hand in a two-finger gesture and the other in a three-finger gesture, to help her decide on the amount of rice to make.

Why did the farmer's food expenses increase instead of decrease after his mother's death?

The food expenses increased because the farmer's wife continued to make the same amount of rice as before, even though his mother was no longer around to consume it.

What was the farmer's reaction when he discovered that his food expenses were higher than expected?

The farmer confronted his wife with the facts and was annoyed by the situation, eventually kicking his wife out of the house.

How did the farmer's wife end up with a statue of her mother-in-law in the forest?

The farmer's wife ended up in the forest after being kicked out of the house by her husband, and she took the statue of her mother-in-law with her.

What happened when the statue fell from the tree where the farmer's wife was hiding?

When the statue fell from the tree, it scared away a group of thieves who were dividing their loot nearby, thinking the statue was a demon.

What did the farmer's wife do with the gold she found after the thieves ran away?

The farmer's wife used the gold she found to hire a luxurious bullet cart and set off on a world trip, instead of returning to her husband.

What is the significance of Mount Meru in the podcast?

Mount Meru is mentioned as a mythological mountain that is the center of the universe in a physical, metaphysical, and spiritual sense, with extraordinary size and composition.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 The Tale of a Lifelike Doll and Rice Decisions

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' the host, Narad Monei, introduces a unique folk tale from Tamil Nadu, India, blending elements of a doll coming to life with the classic 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.' The story revolves around a family where the mother-in-law makes daily decisions on rice portions without speaking. After her death, the distraught daughter-in-law uses a clay statue of her mother-in-law to continue making these decisions. The tale humorously explores dependency and decision-making, with the wife eventually relying on the statue for more than just rice portions, leading to a surprising twist involving the statue's apparent consumption of rice.

05:01

🔍 The Mysterious Increase in Rice Consumption

This paragraph delves into the farmer's confusion over the unexplained increase in his family's rice consumption despite the mother-in-law's death. The wife's insistence that her mother-in-law's spirit is still present and eating meals leads to a chilling revelation. The farmer discovers that the clay statue of his mother is seemingly eating the food served to it. This bizarre situation escalates when the wife is kicked out of the house with the statue, only to find herself in a comedic yet eerie encounter with thieves in the forest, who mistake the statue for a demon.

10:01

🏵️ A Thieves' Heist and an Unexpected Windfall

The narrative takes a dramatic turn when the wife, carrying the statue, encounters a group of thieves dividing their loot. The statue's accidental fall scares the thieves, who flee, leaving behind their treasure. The wife seizes this opportunity, collecting the gold and returning to her husband, whose initial annoyance transforms into joy upon seeing the wealth. This unexpected windfall leads to a comical situation where the couple attempts to measure the gold, only to be outwitted by a jealous neighbor who learns of their fortune and plots to replicate their success.

15:02

🗻 Mount Meru: Center of the Universe and Time

In the final paragraph, the host shifts focus to the mythological Mount Meru, described as the center of the universe in physical, metaphysical, and spiritual senses. Its extraordinary size and composition of four different precious materials make it a special subject. The host also mentions real-world mountains named after this mythical peak and teases the next episode, which will explore Krishna's childhood and a snake deity linked to the flow of time. The episode concludes with the host's thanks to contributors and an invitation to engage with the podcast for updates and bonus content.

Keywords

💡Narad Muni

Narad Muni is a mythological character from Hindu mythology known for his eternal life and omniscience. In the script, he is introduced as the narrator and storyteller, providing a bridge between the ancient myths and the modern audience. His character is integral to the theme of the podcast, which is to explore myths and legends.

💡Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state in Southern India known for its rich cultural heritage and folklore. The script references a folk tale from this region, highlighting the diversity of stories from different parts of India and emphasizing the cultural significance of the region in the podcast's narrative.

💡Codependency

Codependency refers to a dysfunctional relationship where one person relies excessively on another. In the script, the farmer's wife's reliance on her mother-in-law for making decisions, even as trivial as the amount of rice for dinner, exemplifies codependency. This concept is central to understanding the wife's character and her subsequent actions.

💡Statue

In the script, the statue is a lifelike clay representation of the farmer's deceased mother, used by the wife to continue her previous codependent relationship. The statue plays a crucial role in the story, leading to a series of events that drive the narrative and highlight the theme of superstition and its consequences.

💡Rice

Rice is a staple food in many cultures, including India. In the script, the amount of rice prepared for dinner symbolizes the wife's dependency and the family's routine. The unexpected increase in rice consumption becomes a plot device that uncovers the truth about the statue and leads to the story's climax.

💡Thieves

Thieves in the script represent a group of individuals involved in illegal activities, reminiscent of the '40 thieves' from Arabian Nights. Their encounter with the farmer's wife and the statue adds a twist to the story, incorporating elements of suspense and fear, and ultimately leading to the resolution of the plot.

💡Gold

Gold in the script serves as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The discovery of gold by the farmer's wife after the statue incident changes her life dramatically, illustrating the transformative power of wealth and its potential to alter one's circumstances and relationships.

💡Weighing Scale

A weighing scale is used to measure the weight of objects. In the script, the need for a weighing scale to measure the gold becomes a subplot that introduces the neighbor's involvement and sets the stage for the neighbor's downfall, adding depth to the story's moral lessons.

💡Metaphor

Metaphors are used throughout the script to convey deeper meanings and themes. For example, the statue metaphorically represents the wife's dependency, while the gold symbolizes a change in her fortunes. The use of metaphors enriches the storytelling and provides layers of interpretation.

💡Folk Tale

A folk tale is a story originating from the oral tradition of a specific cultural community. The script presents a folk tale from Tamil Nadu, blending it with elements from other stories like 'Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves,' showcasing the art of storytelling and the universality of certain narrative motifs.

💡Cultural Significance

The script delves into the cultural significance of various elements, such as the importance of rice in Indian cuisine and the symbolic meaning of gold. Understanding the cultural significance of these elements is key to grasping the full context and implications of the story being told.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' and the host Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge.

The podcast discusses a creepy story combining elements of a doll coming to life and 'Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves'.

The story is set in Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India.

Description of a family in a pre-industrial village, including a farmer, his wife, and his mother.

The mother-in-law's daily decision on the amount of rice for dinner, communicated non-verbally.

The daughter-in-law's distress after the mother-in-law's death, fearing she must make the rice decision herself.

The husband's solution to the rice decision problem by sending his wife on a shopping spree.

The wife returns with a lifelike clay statue of her mother-in-law to help make the rice decision.

The statue's hands are positioned to show two or three fingers, mimicking the mother-in-law's communication.

The farmer's confusion over high food expenses despite the mother-in-law's death.

The revelation that the statue is seemingly eating the rice, leading to increased food expenses.

The farmer kicks his wife out of the house, suspecting the statue is consuming their food.

The wife takes the statue into the forest, where she encounters thieves.

The statue falls from a tree, scaring the thieves away and revealing their stolen gold.

The wife returns to her husband with the gold, leading to a change in their relationship dynamics.

The neighbor's jealousy and her attempt to replicate the wife's success with a statue of her own.

The neighbor's tragic end at the hands of the thieves, who believe she tricked them.

The wife's decision to leave her husband and embark on a world trip with her newfound wealth.

Introduction of Mount Meru, a mythological mountain central to the universe, described with four faces of different precious materials.

Upcoming episode teaser about Krishna's childhood and a special snake related to the flow of time.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folk tales from India in

case this is your first episode let me

quickly introduce myself I narad monei

and I am a mythological character myself

I have the gift of eternal life and

knowledge of the past the present and

the

future and I a traveling musician and a

Storyteller by

profession I used to walk around with a

wiena for several Millennia but

podcasting has made my job so much

easier first of all I want to wish all

of you listeners a very Happy New

Year if you're wondering about the title

of today's

episode yes this is a mashup of a creepy

story of a doll coming to life and

Alibaba and the 40 thieves if youve

heard that one from the Arabian

Knights this is a folk tale from a state

in Southern India a state called Tamil

Nadu there was once a happy family in a

village in pre-industrial times the

family consisted of a farmer who worked

all day in the

fields his wife who worked all day in

the house cleaning and cooking and

sewing and the farmer's mother who did

nothing all day she contributed nothing

at all to the household in fact she

couldn't even be bothered to speak to

her

daughter-in-law except there was one

important decision that she would make

every every day and that was a decision

on whether the daughter-in-law should

make two cups of rice or three for

dinner she didn't communicate her

decision through speech either she would

simply hold up two fingers or

three it might seem like an arbitrary

decision but it didn't matter everyone

seemed to be content with the

decision the farmer or his wife never

ever wish they had two cups of rice

instead of three or vice

versa which makes one really question

why it was such an important

decision the extent of the

daughter-in-law's codependency issues

was made pretty clear when the farmer's

mother passed away the farmer's wife was

distraught how could she imagine living

in a cruel world where she had to make

her own

decision at the funeral everyone admired

her for the way she was showing her

affection for her

mother-in-law but secretly the

daughter-in-law was worried about the

decision she would have to make for

dinner that

night she confided her fears to her

husband instead of inspiring some

confidence in his wife or volunteering

to chip in with the rice decision or

even just giving her a coin and asking

her to flip it heads is two tails is

three he instead decided to solve this

problem by sending his wife on a

shopping

spree because the only store in the

village was that of a Potter the wife

came back with a lifelike clay statue of

her

mother-in-law and then she did the big

reveal one hand was in a two-finger

gesture and the other in a three-finger

one exactly the way her mother-in-law

herself communicated her decision

despite living in a world that makes it

easy to make such a binary

choice I mean sure the daughter-in-law

couldn't ask a Google home or Alexa to

toss a coin she could have tossed a

physical one or just depended on the

weather or maybe based on the number of

oxen on the first car to pass her house

every day from then on the wife would

look at the Statue from whatever Vantage

Point she was in when the rice decision

had to be be

made if she saw the three-finger hand

first she would make three cups of rice

if she saw the two finger hand first she

would make two

cups at this point if the psychologists

amongst you look at this particular

development as proof that she was

weaning herself off of her mother-in-law

you may want to

reconsider after several days and months

when the farmer was finally calculating

his income Tax

Returns His sell or Turbo Tax app told

him his food expenses were too

high add to that fact that he had won

less dependent to claim the farmer was

puzzled why were his food expenses so

high he opened up the spreadsheet where

he maintained all his expenses

categorized by

food and was surprised to discover the

rice expenses hadn't gone down they had

actually gone

up he and his wife appeared to be

consuming at least as much rice as when

his mother was also

around he had a benchmark as well so he

knew it was an inflation or something

just yesterday his neor and fellow

farmer was remarking how little he had

to spend on food for his own family this

year the farmer quickly confronted his

wife with the facts and this is where it

begins to get dark

honey I'm surprised we're consuming the

same amount of rice as last

year and why shouldn't we asked his wife

why are he

surprised look I don't want to bring up

the obvious and this may be a painful

topic for you but you're asking for it

ever since mother passed away at this

point the wife made a shocked face and

interrupted hush dear don't talk about

mother that way you may be joking and

and I can see past that but she

wouldn't suddenly alarmed the farmer

asked who

wouldn't why mother of course came the

reply if this is about her spirit

roaming around and listening in and

watching everything we do began the

farmer but his wife interrupted him

knock it off it's not funny you know as

well as I do Mother's in the Next

Room a chill went down the farmer's

spine he motioned for silence and

cautiously crept to the entrance to the

next

room he slowly peered

in no one

there except for his mother staring back

at him he was instantly reminded of the

time in a childhood when she had scolded

him harshly for dirting his

clothes only it wasn't his mother it was

the statue

a thought suddenly stuck him do you talk

to Mother often he asked his wife all

the time his wife said mother has always

been such a good

listener does she talk back he

asked not more than usual replied the

wife but that didn't mean much the

farmer's mother never said anything

anyway and then suddenly another thought

struck him had has she been

eating yeah was the quick reply she eats

and she finishes everything in her plate

I serve her I'm back in a bit and find

she's eaten everything her appetite has

never been

better instead of this being the scary

moment kind of like when the mom

realizes the talking doll never had

batteries in

it the farmer had a completely different

reaction maybe it was the effect of tax

day but he was so annoyed by this that

he kicked his wife out of the

house and maybe because there was the

remotest chance that the statue was

alive and eating off of his

earnings he made his wife take the

statue with

her he really should have found a doctor

for her instead or at a minimum secretly

observed what was happening here because

the statue wasn't eating the rice of

course it was the neighbor who would

sneak in and make off with the food and

eat it at her

place despite his unsympathetic reaction

the farmer will get lucky anyway thanks

to his wife even though he doesn't

deserve it at

all his wife still carried the

statue despite having nowhere to go she

went into the

forest and that was a very poor choice

given the wild animals and thieves not

to mention she had to carry her

life-size mother-in-law

everywhere finally she decided to spend

the night in a

tree she achieved the miraculous feet of

climbing a tree with the

Statue she tied her sari around the tree

a sari is a very long cloth worn by

women in India very convenient for tying

yourself to a tree so that you can can't

fall off the tree in your

sleep she still clutched onto her

mother-in-law's

statue pretty soon a bunch of Thieves

arrived at the base of that very

tree they match The Stereotype of

Thieves they wore masks They Carried big

bags of gold jewels and money no

electronics however pre-industrial

remember they did what thieves do at the

end of every Heist they spread out a big

big pnic

blanket Spilled Out the loot and began

dividing it amongst

themselves just then the farmer's wife

who could no longer hold on to the

Statue let it slip out of her hands the

statue fell with a huge crash and broke

into

pieces all the thieves ran away on

impact frightened by what they thought

were demons in the

dark I mean it seems a bit paradoxical

for thieves to be scared of demons in

the dark given they operated in the dark

mostly robbing strangers who for all

they knew could turn out to be

demons the farmer's wife waited a few

moments to make sure the thieves weren't

coming back and then hop

down the sight of all that gold quickly

made her forget her broken

mother-in-law she carried all the gold

she could and instead of buying the

wiser Palace or the Eiffel Tower with it

she went back to the one person whom she

knew the one who had kicked her out in

the first place despite the way he

treated

her his initial reaction of annoyance at

seeing her again immediately changed to

Joy as he saw all the

gold which goes to show money can buy

you

love and a cure for psychosis as well so

once you have a lot of gold what's the

first thing you

do you need to know how much gold you

have the only sensible way to do that is

to measure the amount of gold by

weighing

it for that you need a weighing

scale and the farmer and his wife didn't

have

one while some people would simply have

bought a weighing scale at this point

the farmer didn't want to do that he was

a data guy and he needed to measure the

entire amount that his wife brought back

and buying a weighing scale would mean

that there would be some gold taken

out he suggested why don't we borrow our

neighbors weighing

scale he's got the latest ergonomic way

Master model it prints your weight on

one side and your fortune on the

other the wife rolled rise our Fortune's

made it doesn't need telling

but I'll borrow their scale it's a lot

quicker than going to the

store their neighbor was surprised that

the farmer and his wife had anything

worth

measuring she had been upset ever since

the wife had been kicked out because

that meant she had to cook her own

food she was surprised to see the

farmer's wife back and was further

surprised that she needed to measure

anything much less at the scale the way

master was capable of I mean if it were

anything light the farmer and his wife

could have done it the very scientific

way of left hand versus right

hand the neighbor quickly greased the

bottom of the

pants because she had read the story of

Alibaba and the 40 thieves and knew it

had worked for kasim's

wife she was rewarded with a gold coin

just like Kim's wife and just like Kim's

wife the neighbor convinced the farmer's

wife to tell her everything and just

like alibaba's wife the farmer's wife

told her as well but swore her to

secrecy the neighbor was incredibly

jealous of the farmer's wife and decided

to one up

her the neighbor had a special statue

made and promptly took it to the same

tree she was getting tired of waiting

when suddenly the same thieves arrived

Before You Accuse the thieves of a lack

of

judgment consider that this may have

been a ruse to see who came and took all

their gold the previous

day not long after the neighbor dropped

the statue down on purpose and it did

seem to have the effect she

intended the thieves

camper but not too

far Once Bitten Twice Shy they kept

watch from a a

distance the neighbor jumped down from

the tree eagerly unwrapping the

loot the thieves seeing how they had

been fooled were sure the neighbor had

pulled this trick on them the previous

day as well they promptly disposed of

her and went back to their happy life of

thieving and

robbing I don't want to say the farmer

and his wife lived happily ever after

after the way he had treated her the

wife realized she didn't need to be with

him

all the money she had earned in a single

night was more than what the farmer had

earned in his entire

lifetime she hired the most expensive

bullet cart with a convertible top a

cart driver in lvery dual cup holders

and a DVD player and set off on around

the world trip that's it for this week

the character this week is Mount meu meu

is a mountain but not just an ordinary

Mountain first of all it's the center of

the

universe in a physical metaphysical and

spiritual sense secondly its size is

what makes it

extraordinary it's about a million

kilomet or almost 700,000 M

High thirdly what makes this mountain

special is its

composition it presents four

faces Crystal Ruby gold old and Lapis

Lazuli because why

not there are many depictions of Mount

meu and have linked some pictures on the

site check those out there are a few

different actual mountains on Earth

called meu there's one in India another

in Indonesia and a third one in

Tanzania the one in Tanzania wasn't but

the other two were definitely named

after the mythological meu

next week we are back to Krishna as we

talk about some events in his childhood

and Adolescence including one that may

have a special meaning for an upcoming

holiday in

India the character next week is a snake

a very special snake since its behavior

is tied to the flow of time when the

snake

uncoils time can move forward but when

it coils time

stops and the universe itself can blink

out of

existence since I'm several thousands of

years old my memory can be imperfect at

times if you see any errors please Point

them out to me by leaving a comment or a

review on SFI podcast.com or you can

tweet at SFI podcast or find me on

Instagram or on

Facebook if you haven't already I I also

recommend subscribing to the show in

your favorite podcast player that way

you'll be notified automatically when

new shows and bonus episodes

appear I want to thank everyone for

their contributions and their feedback

and comments I highly appreciate it I'll

also call out a few people this

week paritosh Smitha samitra Richa

Sunita Michael Jacob and S

the music is from purp planet.com that's

purple-planet.com I'll see you next

[Music]

week