I thought this was a nice little entertaining story about how the monkeys had outwitted the tiger. This story could definitely be the basis for a retelling, as it's got a lot of components that make it so good. My favorite part was how the monkeys decided to trick the tiger by dressing up a fake clay figure. It's quite bold and genius if you think about it. I didn't understand how the tiger could so easily "fall in love" with the singing of a tiny insect. I thought it made him blind and rash, which ultimately led to his beatdown by the monkeys. I thought the story highlighted the tiger as almost being the villain, due to his arrogant and self-centered nature. I think this story could be retold from the point of view of either the tiger or the monkey, which would give a new perspective and greater insight into their thoughts.
The Legend of the Lei Tree
I thought this was another interesting story in this unit about a tree that threatens to take over the livelihoods of people in the surrounding area. After much consideration, a handpicked group of men were sent to the tree in order to cut it down. No matter how hard they worked, all progress they had made was reversed at night as the bark regenerated. A bird comes and tells them that the reason that the tree keeps healing so quickly is because a tiger comes by to lick the trees wounds because he does not want it to be cut down. It helps him hide in the shadows when he hunts for prey. This story would also be a good one for retelling because there are multiple directions for the story to branch out into.
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| Hokenakal monkey; Wikimedia |
Khasi Folktales by K.U. Rafy
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