35 - The Pied Piper's Children

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India', the host narrates a folktale from Assam where a talking cat named Billy craves fish and ends up having human twins, while a human woman gives birth to kittens. The tale explores themes of betrayal, magical births, and family bonds, with twists involving a river spirit and a mistaken identity.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folktales from India, hosted by a character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge.
• 📚 The host, Naredi Monei, is a traveling musician and storyteller who shares tales through a podcast format.
• 🐱 A folktale from Assam is discussed, involving a talking cat named Billy who craves fish and ends up giving birth to human twins.
• 👩‍🌾 The story features a farmer's wife, Chalo, who is pregnant and interacts with Billy in a series of events leading to a fish dinner.
• 🍲 Billy, the cat, goes through the unusual experience of buying fish at the market and is served only bones by Chalo, leading to a sense of betrayal.
• 🤰 Both Chalo and Billy give birth around the same time, with Billy delivering human twins and Chalo giving birth to kittens.
• 📚 The twins, Nadi and Kaday, are raised by Billy with an education that includes literature by Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling.
• 👶 A tragic turn of events occurs when the twins are stolen and replaced with kitchen utensils by Vapari's sisters, leading to a misunderstanding.
• 🧩 The story involves various elements of magic, mistaken identity, and the supernatural, including a River Spirit and a mysterious bowl of milk.
• 👓 The resolution of the story involves the twins discovering their true identity, reuniting with their mother, and revealing the truth to Vapari.
• 🔍 The podcast notes explore themes from the story, such as the Schrödinger's cat paradox and the original ending's differences from the presented version.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about discussing myths, legends, and folktales from India.

Who is the host of 'Stories from India' and what are some of their characteristics?

The host is Narad Monei, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future. They are also a traveling musician and storyteller.

What is the central theme of the folktale from Assam discussed in the podcast?

The central theme of the folktale is the peculiar situation where a cat gives birth to human children, while it is impossible for humans to give birth to kitchen utensils.

What unusual ability does the pet cat Billy have?

The pet cat Billy has the unusual ability to talk and express her thoughts and desires.

Why does Billy go to the market to buy fish?

Billy goes to the market to buy fish because she has a strong craving for it while being pregnant and is unable to catch any fish from the pond.

How does Chalo, the farmer's wife, respond to Billy's complaint about receiving only bones in her bowl instead of fish?

Chalo responds by saying that she can't give Billy the fish and that she has to be happy with the bones, justifying it by stating that Billy didn't contribute much to the meal preparation.

What unexpected event occurs when both Chalo and Billy give birth?

The unexpected event is that Billy, the cat, gives birth to human baby twins, while Chalo gives birth to kittens the size of human babies.

What is the significance of the bowl of milk that Billy leaves for her daughters?

The bowl of milk is significant as an indicator of Billy's well-being. If the milk turns gray, it means something has happened to Billy, and her daughters should come looking for her.

What drastic action do the sisters take when they believe Kaday is carrying twins?

The sisters take the drastic action of taking away the newborn twins and replacing them with kitchen pots, believing this would secure their inheritance.

How do the twins eventually find out the truth about their birth and their real mother?

The twins find out the truth about their birth and their real mother when they meet their 'Auntie' Nadii, who is actually their mother, and she explains the story to them.

What is the moral of the story as presented in the podcast?

The moral of the story is that appearances can be deceiving, and one should not judge a situation without understanding the full context. It also highlights the consequences of greed and mistreatment of others.