18 - Monkey Business

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Nared Money narrates two tales from Indian folklore featuring clever monkeys and a cunning giant crane. The first story tells of a monkey who outsmarts a crocodile by convincing it that his heart is stored at home, thus avoiding becoming a meal. The second story involves a group of thirsty monkeys who devise an ingenious method to drink from a lake guarded by a water monster, by using bamboo shoots as straws. The episode also mentions the character Bakasur, a shape-shifting demon defeated by Krishna, and teases upcoming stories about Tanali Raman, a figure with a complex legacy.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' features myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a traveling musician and storyteller.
• 🐒 The first story revolves around a clever monkey and a giant crane, where the monkey outwits the crane, which is portrayed as a water monster.
• 🕊️ The crane, in the story, is a shape-shifting demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna but is defeated by the boy's wit and strength.
• 🥭 The second story involves a monkey who lives by a river infested with crocodiles and enjoys the mangoes from a nearby tree.
• 🐊 A crocodile befriends the monkey to get mangoes but later conspires with his wife to eat the monkey's heart, believing it to be sweet.
• 🗣️ The crocodile and monkey communicate in a 'Universal Animal Language', a storytelling device to simplify communication between animals.
• 💡 The monkey cleverly tricks the crocodile by claiming that his heart is stored at home, avoiding being eaten.
• 🌊 In the second story, a group of monkeys finds a lake but is wary of the mysterious footprints leading into the water.
• 🐉 The lake monster emerges and demands the monkeys clean the footprints, revealing it has eaten other animals that came near.
• 🌱 The monkey leader devises a plan using bamboo shoots and leaves to safely drink the lake water without touching it or getting near the monster.
• 📚 The podcast mentions 'Chatak' tales and provides a brief background on the folk tale origins and cultural context of the stories shared.

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 a character named Nared Money who is a traveling musician and storyteller.

What are the two stories discussed in the podcast episode?

The two stories discussed are about clever monkeys outwitting water monsters. One involves a monkey and a crocodile, and the other is about a band of monkeys and a lake monster.

What is the significance of the mango tree in the first story?

The mango tree is significant because it provides food for the monkey, who lives near the river and enjoys the mangoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Why is the monkey cautious when approaching the river?

The monkey is cautious because the river is infested with crocodiles, which are potentially dangerous.

What does the crocodile initially want from the monkey in the first story?

Initially, the crocodile wants mangoes from the monkey, which he enjoys after tasting them.

What misunderstanding leads the crocodile's wife to confront him?

The crocodile's wife confronts him because he has stopped eating dinner at home, suspecting he might be eating out with his friends.

What does the crocodile's wife suggest after tasting the mango?

After tasting the mango, the crocodile's wife suggests that the monkey's heart must be very sweet and urges her husband to fetch it.

How does the monkey outsmart the crocodile in the first story?

The monkey outsmarts the crocodile by pretending to believe that his heart is at home and agreeing to give it to the crocodile's wife, knowing that he cannot be harmed without his heart.

What is the second story about?

The second story is about a band of monkeys who find a lake but are wary of a potential monster due to the absence of footprints leading out of the lake.

How do the monkeys solve the problem of drinking water from the lake without being eaten by the monster?

The monkeys use hollow bamboo shoots as straws to drink water from the lake without touching it or coming near it, thus avoiding the monster.

What is the significance of the crocodile and monkey tale being a well-known Jataka tale?

The crocodile and monkey tale being a well-known Jataka tale indicates its cultural and historical significance in Indian folklore, often used to impart moral lessons.

What is the character Bakasur in the podcast?

Bakasur is a shape-shifting demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna, who is defeated by Krishna in the form of a giant crane.