23 - Magical Tweetment!

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei narrates a folktale from Madhya Pradesh about a lazy man, his hardworking wife, and a magical cow that produces gold. The tale unfolds with the man's encounter with the king of the birds, leading to a series of magical gifts, including a bowl that conjures food and a rope that punishes dishonesty. The story highlights the themes of hard work, deception, and the power of redemption, all while exploring Indian mythology and the celebration of Ugadi, the Hindu New Year.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' shares myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Mone, a character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.
• 🐄 The folk tale from Madhya Pradesh tells of a magic cow that produces gold and a bowl that can create any food, involving the character Brahma, the Creator, and a lazy man and his hardworking wife.
• 🛌 The lazy man, instead of working, finds ways to avoid his responsibilities, leading to humorous situations where he tries to guard grain from birds but ends up sleeping.
• 🕊️ The king of the birds, after being caught by the lazy man, offers a magical gift as a way to repay him, which turns out to be a cow that produces gold.
• 🔄 The man's daughter, with dishonest intentions, switches the magical cow and the magical bowl with ordinary ones while her father naps, but is eventually caught and forced to return the magical items.
• 🧙‍♂️ The character of Brahma is explored, who is known as the Creator and has a unique story of self-creation from an egg amidst water.
• 🎂 The episode coincides with the Hindu New Year festival of Ugadi, which is believed to be the anniversary of the day Brahma created the universe.
• 📖 The storytelling style of the podcast is interactive, with the host often speaking directly to the audience and providing commentary on the tales.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 The tale reflects on family dynamics, with the farmer's husband learning from his mistakes and the daughter experiencing remorse for her actions.
• 🎁 The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, which will delve into events from the Ramayana that impacted Ram's life, featuring a wolf character skilled in tracking stolen cows.
• 🎶 The podcast is accompanied by music from Purple Planet, adding an auditory layer to the storytelling experience.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the podcast 'Stories from India'?

The podcast 'Stories from India' focuses on discussing myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

Who is the host of 'Stories from India' and what is unique about this character?

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

What is the central folk tale discussed in the provided script?

The central folk tale is about a magic cow that produces gold every time it defecates and a bowl that can conjure any food when water is poured into it and stirred with a spoon.

What is the occupation of the wife in the folk tale?

The wife in the folk tale is a hardworking farmer who is responsible for all the labor on the farm.

Why is the husband in the story referred to as 'lazy'?

The husband is referred to as 'lazy' because he does not contribute to the work on the farm and always finds excuses to avoid helping his wife.

What is the significance of the talking bird in the story?

The talking bird is the king of the birds and offers the farmer's husband a magical gift as a way to repay him for not selling the birds that had eaten their grain.

What does the farmer's husband receive as a magical gift from the king of the birds?

The farmer's husband receives a magic cow that can produce gold every time it goes to the bathroom.

Why does the farmer's husband's daughter switch the magic cow with her own?

The daughter switches the magic cow with her own because she has dishonest intentions and wants to keep the magical cow for herself.

What is the final magical item given to the farmer's husband by the king of the birds?

The final magical item is a length of rope and a stick, which have the power to punish the daughter for her dishonest actions.

What moral lesson does the story convey about honesty and consequences?

The story conveys the moral lesson that dishonesty can lead to negative consequences, and it is important to be honest and return what is not rightfully yours.

What is the significance of the number three in the folk tale?

The number three is significant as it is a recurring theme in many folktales and fairy tales worldwide, often symbolizing completeness or a cycle.

What is the connection between the story and the Hindu New Year festival of Ugadi?

The connection is that the festival of Ugadi marks the start of the Hindu New Year and is believed to be the anniversary of the day Brahma created the universe, which is a central theme in the story.

Why does the podcast host mention the character Brahma in the context of the story?

Brahma is mentioned because he is the Creator in Hindu mythology, and the story involves the creation of magical items, tying into the theme of creation.

Outlines

00:00

🐄 The Lazy Farmer's Magical Cow

In this episode of 'Stories from India', the host, Narad Monei, introduces a folk tale from Madhya Pradesh about a lazy man and his hardworking wife. The man, who avoids work by making excuses, is given the task of guarding their grain from birds. Predictably, he fails, leading his wife to confront him. The next day, he devises a plan to use glue to protect the grain, but this backfires as the birds get stuck. A talking bird, revealed to be the king of the birds, offers a magical cow as a gift in exchange for their freedom. The cow is special because it produces gold every time it defecates. The tale highlights the theme of laziness and the unexpected rewards that can come from dealing with challenges.

05:03

🌱 The Farmer's Husband's Misadventures

The story continues with the farmer's husband receiving a magical cow from the king of the birds. The cow's unique ability to produce gold dung seems like a solution to their financial problems. However, the man's daughter, from a nearby village, tricks him by swapping the magical cow with her own. When the man returns home, he finds that the cow no longer produces gold. He decides to take advantage of the 30-day technical support offered by the king of the birds. In a twist, the king gives him a magical bowl and spoon that can produce any food by simply stirring water in it. The man is excited about this new gift, hoping it will help with cooking while his wife is in the fields.

10:03

🔮 The Daughter's Deceit and Redemption

The narrative unfolds as the farmer's husband discovers that his daughter has been dishonest, repeatedly swapping his magical gifts with ordinary items while he naps. Initially, he is given a magical rope and stick by the king of the birds, but the daughter plans to steal them as well. However, the magical items punish her, forcing her to return the stolen gifts. The king of the birds' spy confirms her deceit, and the man finally understands her actions. The daughter, remorseful, returns the magical cow and bowl. The story concludes with the family's reconciliation and the wife's happiness at no longer having to work in the fields, while also highlighting the importance of honesty and the consequences of deceit.

15:05

🎉 The Celebration of Brahma and the King of Birds

In this segment, the host delves into the background of the characters and the cultural significance of the tale. The story is set in Madhya Pradesh and features the recurring theme of threes, common in many folktales. The host corrects traditional roles by referring to the hardworking woman as 'the farmer' and her husband as 'the farmer's husband.' The daughter's dishonesty is a unique twist in the narrative. The character of the week is Brahma, the Creator, who is humorously described as having created himself. The host also mentions the upcoming Hindu New Year festival, Ugadi, and its connection to Brahma, marking the anniversary of the universe's creation.

20:06

🎬 Preview of Next Week's Episode

The host teases the next episode, which will explore events from the Ramayana that impacted Ram's life, focusing on Ram's father, Dharat. The episode will discuss the importance of caution when entering a hunting zone and the consequences of making unconditional promises. The character for the next week is a wolf, known for tracking stolen cows and teaching humans about the benefits of cow milk and butter. The host invites listeners to engage with the podcast through comments, reviews, and social media, and thanks them for their support. The music for the podcast is credited to Purple Planet.

Keywords

💡Narad Mone

Narad Mone is the host of the podcast 'Stories from India'. As a mythological character, Narad is known for his eternal life and omniscience. In the context of the video, Narad serves as the storyteller, introducing and narrating the folk tales from India, thereby connecting the audience with the rich cultural heritage of the country.

💡Folk Tale

A folk tale is a story originating from the oral tradition of a community, often involving supernatural elements and carrying moral lessons. In the video, the folk tale from Madhya Pradesh about a magic cow and a magical bowl is used to illustrate the theme of laziness, trickery, and the consequences of dishonesty.

💡Magic Cow

The magic cow is a central element in the folk tale, possessing the ability to produce gold every time it defecates. This concept is integral to the narrative, symbolizing both the potential for unexpected wealth and the allure of greed, as seen when the farmer's daughter tries to switch the cow for her own gain.

💡Bowl

The bowl in the story is a magical item that can create any food when water is poured into it and stirred with a spoon. It represents the idea of abundance and the fulfillment of desires, but also the potential for misuse, as demonstrated by the farmer's daughter's actions.

💡Brahma

Brahma is the Creator in Hindu mythology, known for his role in the creation of the universe. In the video, Brahma is mentioned as the father of the host, Narad, and is also connected to the Hindu New Year festival of Ugadi, which is celebrated as the day Brahma created the universe.

💡Lazy Man

The lazy man in the script is a character who avoids work and leaves the labor to his wife. His laziness is a key element in the story, leading to the series of events involving the magic cow and the bowl, and ultimately serving as a cautionary tale against idleness.

💡King of the Birds

The King of the Birds is a character in the folk tale who grants the farmer's husband magical gifts as a reward for not harming his subjects. This character represents the idea of reciprocity and the potential for unexpected rewards when one shows kindness to others.

💡Technical Support

Technical support is humorously mentioned in the script as a service provided with the magic cow for 30 days. It adds a modern twist to the folk tale, highlighting the absurdity of the situation and the farmer's husband's naivety in expecting a magical solution to his problems.

💡Daughter's Deceit

The daughter's deceit is a pivotal moment in the story where she switches the magic cow and bowl with her own ordinary ones while her father sleeps. This act of dishonesty is a key theme in the narrative, exploring the consequences of greed and the importance of integrity.

💡Magical Rope and Stick

The magical rope and stick are gifts from the King of the Birds that serve as a form of punishment for the daughter's deceit. They come to life and inflict pain upon her, illustrating the concept of retribution and the moral that dishonest actions have consequences.

💡Hindu New Year

The Hindu New Year, or Ugadi, is a festival mentioned in the script as the anniversary of the day Brahma created the universe. It is connected to the character of Brahma and serves as a cultural reference point, linking the story to the broader context of Indian traditions and celebrations.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' focusing on myths, legends, and folk tales.

Host Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge, introduces himself as a traveling musician and storyteller.

The podcast features a folk tale from Madhya Pradesh about a magic cow and a magical bowl.

The story begins with a lazy man and his hardworking wife, a farmer, living on a farm.

The lazy man is given the task of guarding their grain from birds but fails due to his laziness.

The wife, frustrated with her husband's laziness, confronts him about the lost grain.

The husband devises a plan to use glue to protect the grain, but this backfires as the birds get stuck.

A talking bird, the king of the birds, offers the husband a magical gift in exchange for their freedom.

The husband is given a magical cow by the king of the birds, which produces gold when it defecates.

The husband's daughter tricks him by switching the magical cow with her own, non-magical cow.

The king of the birds provides a magical bowl that can create any food when water is poured into it.

The daughter again deceives her father by switching the magical bowl with an ordinary one.

The king of the birds gives the husband a magical rope and stick, which punish the daughter for her deceit.

The daughter is forced to return the stolen magical items, leading to a change in her behavior.

The story concludes with the couple living happily with their magical gifts, no longer needing to work in the fields.

The podcast discusses the recurring theme of 'threes' in folktales and its significance.

Introduction of Brahma, the Creator, as a character in the podcast and his self-creation story.

The story of Brahma's creation of the universe from an egg and his role as the Creator.

The festival of Ugadi, celebrated as the Hindu New Year and the anniversary of Brahma's creation of the universe.

Announcement of the next podcast episode focusing on Ram's father, Dharat, and his role in Ram's life.

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 I am your host narad monei and I'm

a mythological character

myself I have the gift of eternal life

and knowledge of the past the present

and the future by profession I'm a

traveling musician and a Storyteller so

the way I'm doing my job is by

podcast this week we'll do a folk tale

from madhia

Pradesh about a magic cow that makes

gold every time it goes to the

bathroom and a bowl that can make any

food appear

the character this week is someone whom

we've encountered a lot on this podcast

it's my dad Brahma the

Creator Our Story begins on a farm where

a lazy man lived with his

wife and by lazy I mean a real extreme

version of

lazy the man did

nothing his wife was the real farmer

all day long she worked hard in the

fields while her husband

slept he always had a convenient

excuse if it was an ingrowing toenail on

Monday it was a headache on

Tuesday the wife realized after a while

that there was just no way to get work

out of the

sky she resigned to her fate and

continued her 7 days a week routine in

the

fields one day as she she was about to

head out she had some grain spread out

on a mat all prepared to be dried out in

the warm

sunshine her husband was lying on his

bed counting

sheep metaphorically they were no real

sheep on this

Farm as she was about to head out she

saw a flock of birds that were eyeing

all the grain mouths

drooling she knew the moment she exited

the scene the birds would soon be on the

Grain and the sundried grain was meant

for a very important

client the farmer and her husband

literally depended on this income for

their next

meal and yet the fields could not be

left unattended

either she wasn't looking forward to it

but the only way

out was for her to entrust her husband

with the task of minding the grain she

woke her husband up and gave him the all

important

task watch The

Grain sensing the loophole her husband

was thinking about she quickly added and

by watch I really mean mind if you see

any birds scare them away you can do

that much the grain is like 3 ft away

from

you even if you move a little bit the

the birds are going to be scared

away now goodbye she said and left for

the

fields there is a quote often

misattributed to Bill

Gates I will always find a lazy person

to do a difficult job because they'll

find the easiest way to do

it well that didn't really apply to the

farmer's

husband if I see any birds I'm to scare

them away thought the

husband

if if is good he thought and promptly

dropped off to

sleep within 5 minutes of course the

birds had swooped down and began

feasting on the

grain they made quite a racket of course

but the husband was fast asleep

already when his wife the farmer

returned that evening back to her

sleeping husband and the now empty mat

she was obviously very angry and

disappointed there was nothing to be

done

however so she scolded her very

irresponsible

husband the next morning she spread the

grain out

again this time the husband felt a

little

guilty he decided he must do something

about the

birds he was already starting to feel

sleepy then he had a brilliant

idea at least he thought it was a

brilliant

idea he spread lots of glue all over the

grain his mind at rest he dozed off

again when his wife returned yes the

grain was still

there but guess what so were all the

birds they were all stuck to the mat and

making quite a

racket but her husband's snores were

louder than all of the squawking of the

birds she shook her husband awake and he

was about to celebrate but his wife was

glaring at

him oh congratulations she muttered with

clenched teeth fine job how exactly are

we supposed to get the glue off of the

grain

now thinking quickly the man man said

we've caught all the birds we could just

sell them

all the wife replied what is silly hey

wait a minute what if we sold all the

birds we could get a pretty decent

amount for all these

birds thank goodness at least I have

brains in this

family said the husband my point exactly

she said now go get the

net wait we have a net asked the husband

we could have just used it as a tent to

cover the Grain and protect it from the

birds oh well said the wife and went to

grab the

birds but just as she was reaching her

hand towards the largest of the birds it

spoke back to her wait wait don't sell

us let us

go a bird that can talk I really have

been working too long in the sun said

the wife no I heard it too said the

husband all right Bird why should we let

you go he

asked I'm the king of the birds I can be

of use to

you too big I want something specific

replied the

husband okay come see me tomorrow in the

forest nearby and I'll give you a

magical gift said the king of the birds

handing the farmer's husband a gift

card the bird King's words were good

good enough for the husband and he began

to let the birds

go remember redeem this fabulous gift

offer within 7 Days said the king as he

flew

off the wife had no expectation of

anything good coming out of this but

whatever it was too late

now if it had magic Why didn't it free

itself she asked her

husband meanwhile the husband wondered

where did the little credit card sized

bird pull a credit card sized gift card

from the next morning no more grain was

laid out to

dry because when the farmer went to the

fields her husband went to the

forest now it's hard to imagine

navigating a forest and randomly

stumbling on the birds from the day

before but that's exactly what happened

the bird was happy to present the

farmer's husband with a

cow oh thank you said the farmer glad

it's not just magic

beans but what's so magical about a

cow you'll find out soon enough said the

king of the

birds you're so tiny and the cow is so

big how exactly was this cow yours to

begin with he asked

never you mind said the bird and

remember you get 30 days of technical

support with the

cow okay said the man and walked away

with the cow soon after as they were

walking the cow had to go to the

bathroom but suddenly the man noticed

that the cow Tong was incredibly

shiny in fact it was pure

gold oh my this was quite a

cow he had no hesitation in scooping up

the cow dung into a bag he was

carrying the cow made a bit more gold

dung on the way all of which the farmer

happily scooped

up but it was Heavy work carrying all

the heavy

gold he didn't think to let the cow

carry

it he was tired and it had been a whole

2 hours since he had woken up you

couldn't expect him to stay awake could

you he happened to be near his

daughter's

Village so he decided to stop there for

a quick power

nap he met his daughter and showed her

the wonderful

cow the daughter did not have the best

of

intentions while her father slept she

switched his cow for one of of her own

that looked quite

similar the farmer woke up and started

on his way but first he gifted All the

Gold in his bag to his

daughter and no that did not arouse any

guilt in the

girl when he reached home and showed his

wife the cow the wife was a little

disappointed what's magical about it she

asked wait didn't watch he

said just then the cow relieved herself

again what's so magical about the smelly

pile of dung asked the wife as the

husband stared at it

dumbfounded something's gone wrong he

said oh well the king of the birds told

me there's a 30-day technical support

period I'm taking the cow back

there he did

the king of the birds was surprised that

the cow wasn't

functioning he instead gave the farmer's

husband a bowl and a

spoon again the farmer's husband

couldn't see where exactly the tiny

creature had pulled a bowl several times

at

size I have a set at home already he

told the

bird this is different said the bird

king just pour water in it and stir it

with the spoon imagine any food and it

will magically

appear I want to try it thought the

farmer's

husband he poured in water and stirred

it with the spoon wishing for a big

chocolate

cake and

voila there was now a big chocolate cake

in the

bowl this is perfect he thought I can

take care of the cooking at home while

my wife is out in the fields

as he made his way home the same thing

happened as before he decided to take a

powerap at his

daughter's again he showed his daughter

the magic of the

bowl and again she switched it out for

an ordinary Bowl as her father

slept this time though the king of the

birds had sent a spy to follow the

husband home the Spy saw saw the

daughter switch the Bulls he promptly

reported everything back to his

King meanwhile the farmer's husband

reached his home and again the same

thing

happened the farmer was surprised that

her husband was trying to pass off just

plain old tap water as Strawberry

Shortcake the husband returned to the

king of the birds the next day and this

time the king gave him a a length of

rope and a

stick what's so magical about that he

asked you'll see said the

King again he stopped for a PO nap at

his daughter's

home this time though the man couldn't

tell his daughter what the rope and

stick were supposed to

do I'm sure they're magical thought the

daughter I'd better switch them anyway

she

thought and as her father father slept

she was about to grab the

Rope but the moment she touched it the

Rope called itself around her and the

stick began to beat

her she howled with pain and her father

woke up not understanding

anything the stick continued to hit her

and the Rope was so tight around her

that her father couldn't do anything to

help she finally screamed that she would

return her father's

gifts the moment she said that the stick

stopped and the Rope came

loose her father finally understood what

had

happened the daughter was finally

remorseful and did in fact return the

magic cow and the magic

bowl forgiving his daughter as parents

are prone to do and armed with all his

gifts he went

home this time

you bet his wife was

happy she didn't have to work in a field

anymore but they remembered their Friend

the King of the

birds they would lay out a lot of grain

every day never once wondering why a

creature with so much magic at his

command was compelled to eat ordinary

grain off of risky places of human

habitation that's it for now some not on

the show this is a folk tale from the

central Indian state of madhia

Pradesh there are many tales from this

part of the country and we might cover

them in future

episodes there is also the element of

Threes here an often recurring theme in

most folktales and fairy tales all over

the

world The Story begins with a familiar

theme of a supposedly helpless creature

promising to help out someone who's in a

sign ific an position of power over

them there's a similar situation with

the lion and mouse story from isup's

fables and also many European

folktales the characters in this story

are

atypical the wife does all of the hard

work in the original story the man was

called the farmer and his wife was

simply called the farmer's wife but

that's absolute nonsense it's the wife

who did all the work so I've rightfully

designated her the farmer and the man as

the farmer's

husband the daughter is dishonest with

her own father and that's something you

don't see often in these folktales

unless there's also another and an

equally offsetting good

daughter the character this week is

someone whom we have encountered a lot

on this

podcast it's my dad Brahma the

Creator Brahma was created by

himself not for nothing do we call him

the

Creator so you could say that my father

can trace his ancestry all the way back

to

himself The Story Goes that in the

beginning there was only water

everywhere Brahma who somehow

miraculously seems to exist at this

point created an egg in the water and

from this egg emerged

Brahma sounds a little

paradoxical well you're not the first to

think

that it might have a little something to

do with time

travel Brahma took half the egg and made

the Earth out of it and he took the

other half and made the heavens

so if you looked up at the sky and

wondered how the Earth and Sky seem to

be the inside of two halves of a giant

egg your spot

on there are many stories of

Brahma including one which explains why

he has four

heads The Story Goes that once he

created

shatarupa and really really liked

her but instead of you know asking for

her phone number or Instagram handle he

just looked at her from a distance

facing her when she moved

sideways he couldn't be bothered to turn

and look at her

again instead he did what was perfectly

natural for the master of

creation he created himself an extra

head pretty soon as she moved further he

had created two more heads

when she tried to leap over him he even

created a fifth head looking

upwards Shiva the Destroyer had to

intervene and chop off one of the heads

to sort of War Brahma off of you know

staring at shatarupa and making her

uncomfortable another story of Brahma

reads exactly like the Spider-Man into

the spiderverse

movie Brahma travels into another

dimension and meets many other brahmas

from other

universes but we'll Reserve that story

for a future

episode there's a special reason I've

chosen Brahma this

week gyva or ugadi is a festival that

will be celebrated in many parts of the

country this

Wednesday this Festival is the start of

the Hindu New Year it's also believed

that this is the anniversary of the day

that Brahma created the

universe the day he hatched the egg with

himself

inside so happy creation anniversary to

you

all that's it for this week if you have

comments or suggestions please leave a

comment or a review on the site SFI

podcast.com or tweet at SFI podcast you

can also find me on Instagram and

Facebook be sure to subscribe to the

show to get notified automatically of

new

episodes thanks to all you listeners for

your continued

support the music is from purple

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com

given that in the following week There's

the birthday of ram I thought we'd go

back into the

ramayan we won't meet Ram himself but

we'll talk about two events his father

dharat was involved in that had a big

impact on Ram's

Life we'll see why it's a good idea to

wear a protective orange West when

walking into a hunting

Zone we'll also see that if you make

unconditional promises to

someone make sure that their servants

are not

selfish the character next week is a

wolf who is excellent at tracking down

stolen

cows and she also taught humans that

cows can be a good source of milk and

butter I'll see you next

[Music]

week