THE FOREST WILES ( Part-1 )

Once, there was a peaceful village at the base of a mountain which covered with dense forest. Most of the villagers were earning for their living in hill side cultivation and facing the same problem every year. A lots of their crops were destroyed by the wild boars and others animals before harvested. So, the villager asked the root cause of the disturbance to the oldest and honorable person who lived in the village. The old man then told them to bring one roster and one hen to make a devotional offering to the guardian spirit of the forest and mountains.

The old man brought them to a huge tree located at the west side entrance of the village. Underneath the big tree, the old man cut both of hen and roster’s head with once slice of his knife and offered the chicken blood to the guardian spirit of the forest. Once he poured the chicken blood to the root of the tree, a hush wind blow from the mountain to the village and the entire village heard lot of whispering from the forest. At the same time the old man was holding the dead chickens on each of his hands, standing stiffly if front of the tree and listening the whispering. A few minute later the whole forest was quite same as before and the old man said to the villagers that everyone who owned the farm at hill side to give a small space for the wild animals. It mean when they start cultivate their farm, they have to cultivate the crop a small area that designated for the wild animals. From the next year, the villagers did the same according to the old man said. To their surprise, the wild animals eat the crops from the designated area and the entire farms of the villagers were saved without damaging a single crop.

But there were two brothers in the village who do not believe about the existence of the next life and any present of spirits. They always accused to the old man that he was lying to the villagers by creating such spirit stories and collecting things for honorarium. The two brothers earned for their living as hunter. Both of them were single and not interesting in marriage except for hunting. Although they do not believe, but the old man always remind them not to show or act any impertinence to the guardian spirits of the forest and mountains. But they always laugh to the old man and just share some of the meat from their preys to him.

One day, the two brothers were preparing their bows and arrows to hunt in the forest again. When they leaving from their house’s compound the three dogs were barking them endlessly. Although the elder brother chased them away, the dogs were still barking from far away. Soon later, all the dogs in the village were barking and howling from one place to another. Then the two brothers continued their journey to the forest without suspicious anything. On their way to the forest, they saw the old man at the middle of the village road holding his walking stick and stopped to them.

To be continue.

Photo Credit: Google Image
Henry Aung ( Kachin )