The Magic Fiddle Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912):
There were 7 brothers (all married) and 1 sister. The sister did all the cooking for the brothers and their wives, but the wives did not like it. They called upon their Bonga (spirit) to take care of the sister.
The next day when the sister went to get water the water dried all up. Then it began to reach her ankles but still the pitcher would not fill with water. Then it reached her knees, again would not will her pitcher. Then her waist, and so on until it had raised above her head. At that point the pitcher filled and sank her and she drowned. She then transformed into a Bonga.
Later she reappeared as a bamboo growing near the bank where she drowned. One day a Yogi saw the bamboo and thought to himself that it would make a nice fiddle. So, he came back one day and cut it down and made a fiddle.
The fiddle produced a superior sound and all loved it. He play it to earn money. He even played it for the 7 brothers. The eldest offered to buy it, but the Yogi denied.
He then found himself at the house of the village chief who also offered to buy it. Again, he denied. So the chief got him drunk and took the fiddle and replaced it with an old one.
When he realized he tried to get his fiddle back but was turned away. The chiefs son, a musician, began playing the fiddle.
When the house was out doing labor, the Bonga girl would come out of the fiddle and prepare a meal. Eating part for herself and would put the chiefs sons under his bed and would get back into the fiddle.
Confused as to who was doing this the son decided to hide and wait. When he saw the girl come out of the fiddle and make the food and place it under the bed and before she could get back into the fiddle he grabbed her.
When others returned they were thrilled to see she was a girl and a Bonga.
The girls family became poor and would occasionally visit the chiefs house. The girl recognized them but they did not her. She then fetched them water and set out cooked rice. Then she began to inform them of the treatment she received from their wives. Saying they had to know and did nothing to stop it. That was all the revenge she needed.
The Cruel Crane Outwitted Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912):
There was a small, almost dried up pond a good amount of fish in it and a crane noticed and decided he needed a way to outsmart these fish so he could eat them. He told the fish he saw a much bigger pond and if they got in his mouth he would take them there. They didn't believe and thought surely if they got in his mouth that he would eat them. So, he took one fish in his mouth and showed him the new pond and brought it back then the other fish believed the crane. Then one by one the crane had fish jump in his mouth and would fly off with them only to eat them and not take them to the new pond. The crane did this until all the fish were gone.
Only a single crab was left who had just watched the crane carry off all of the fish. He didn't believe that the crane would take him to the new pond without eating him so he decided he need to outsmart the crane. So, the crab agreed for the crane to carry it to the new pond but it wanted to hang to the cranes throat with its sharp claws just in case. When they arrived at the new pond the crane began to fly away and the crab knew what was up. It told the crab that it would cut its head off and make both of them die if he had to. Fearful of dying the crane flew down to the ground to let the crab out and when he did the crab cut the cranes head right off and went to the new pond.
There were 7 brothers (all married) and 1 sister. The sister did all the cooking for the brothers and their wives, but the wives did not like it. They called upon their Bonga (spirit) to take care of the sister.
The next day when the sister went to get water the water dried all up. Then it began to reach her ankles but still the pitcher would not fill with water. Then it reached her knees, again would not will her pitcher. Then her waist, and so on until it had raised above her head. At that point the pitcher filled and sank her and she drowned. She then transformed into a Bonga.
Later she reappeared as a bamboo growing near the bank where she drowned. One day a Yogi saw the bamboo and thought to himself that it would make a nice fiddle. So, he came back one day and cut it down and made a fiddle.
The fiddle produced a superior sound and all loved it. He play it to earn money. He even played it for the 7 brothers. The eldest offered to buy it, but the Yogi denied.
He then found himself at the house of the village chief who also offered to buy it. Again, he denied. So the chief got him drunk and took the fiddle and replaced it with an old one.
When he realized he tried to get his fiddle back but was turned away. The chiefs son, a musician, began playing the fiddle.
When the house was out doing labor, the Bonga girl would come out of the fiddle and prepare a meal. Eating part for herself and would put the chiefs sons under his bed and would get back into the fiddle.
Confused as to who was doing this the son decided to hide and wait. When he saw the girl come out of the fiddle and make the food and place it under the bed and before she could get back into the fiddle he grabbed her.
When others returned they were thrilled to see she was a girl and a Bonga.
The girls family became poor and would occasionally visit the chiefs house. The girl recognized them but they did not her. She then fetched them water and set out cooked rice. Then she began to inform them of the treatment she received from their wives. Saying they had to know and did nothing to stop it. That was all the revenge she needed.
Fiddles Awaiting. Scot Kelby, 2013. Flickr.
The Cruel Crane Outwitted Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912):
There was a small, almost dried up pond a good amount of fish in it and a crane noticed and decided he needed a way to outsmart these fish so he could eat them. He told the fish he saw a much bigger pond and if they got in his mouth he would take them there. They didn't believe and thought surely if they got in his mouth that he would eat them. So, he took one fish in his mouth and showed him the new pond and brought it back then the other fish believed the crane. Then one by one the crane had fish jump in his mouth and would fly off with them only to eat them and not take them to the new pond. The crane did this until all the fish were gone.
Only a single crab was left who had just watched the crane carry off all of the fish. He didn't believe that the crane would take him to the new pond without eating him so he decided he need to outsmart the crane. So, the crab agreed for the crane to carry it to the new pond but it wanted to hang to the cranes throat with its sharp claws just in case. When they arrived at the new pond the crane began to fly away and the crab knew what was up. It told the crab that it would cut its head off and make both of them die if he had to. Fearful of dying the crane flew down to the ground to let the crab out and when he did the crab cut the cranes head right off and went to the new pond.
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