How man was made

When man was first created, God made him all of gold. But when god called, he did not answer.So, God made a silver man, but he still did not speak. Next, God tried with iron. Still Man kept silent.In the end, God took the ash from a fire-place and the droppings left by some chicken and with these, He made Man, and called, "Man, Man."And for the first time, Man spoke. But God was disgusted. He said to Man: "Fie on you. You would not answer me when I made you of gold and silver.Now, when you are no more than dirt and filth, you spoke to me. You had better die."Before long, however, God's angerwas gone and He felt pity for Man. So, he sent a crow with an elixir of life to revive Man. But the crow drank the elixir itself and God was angry when He learnt what it had done. He took a fireband and threw it at the crow so that it was burnt and it has remained black ever since.After Man had been brought back to life, God called an ox and asked him to go and tell Man to take his food once a day.The ox went to Man but told him to eat three times daily.When the ox came back, God asked him if he had conveyed the message."Yes," said the ox, "I have told Man to eat thrice every day." God was angry again. He said to the ox; "You must go back to Man and feed him yourself. Except on the days of the new moon abd the full moon, you must work for nim so that he will have enough to eat three times a day."This is why the ox is made to work on all days, except on the days when the moon is new and when it is full.

Precious Stones

There was once a king who lived in the far west of Nepal. He was a very rich king and lived in a beautiful palace. He ate of silver plates and drank from silver cups. When he had nothing to do, he would go down to his treasury. This was the special room where he kept the jewelsand he would sit amongst the mountains of jewels and play with them, as if they were grains of sand. He would feel the river of sparkling diamonds trickle through his fingers. he would bury his feet in a pile of rubies. Then he would lie down on a bed of sappjires. The king felt so happy that he was the richest man in Nepal. The more he looked at his recious stones, the more he laughed. "May be I am the richest man in the world" he told himself.
The one day a sage came to the king's palace. The king had heard about the sage. Everyone said thet he was a very wise man. The king wanted to receive the sage's blessing and advice. So he incited the sage to stay at his palace for a few days. The sage accepted.
They took their evening meal together. Then the king paid the sage the greatest honour. He offered to show him the treasure. "You will see such a wonderful sight. You have never seen such beautiful sight like this before" whispered the king excitedly. "I have more precious jewels than any other in this country, so many, that mountains of diamonds and emeralds reach the ceiling.
The king led the way to the treasury. He was very excited. He had never before shown his treasures to anyone else. He was sure that the sage would be impressed. May be in return the sage would give the king some good advice. He might advice him on how to govern the kingdom.
The king slowly opened the door of the treasury and revealed his riches. He turned to see the sage's reaction to all the piles of rubies, diamonds and sapphires. The sage looked quickly round the room. Then he said sharply, Is this it?
The king was surprised. Yes the king replied. Are you not amazed to see so many precious stones before your eyes? He swelled the pride. They are all mine.
The sage laughed. Sorry, he said, but i know of far more precious than yours. These are nothing compared to those precious stones.
The king became curious and a little angy. Who could have stones more precious than this? It was unthinkable. He could not believe that the sage was not impressed by his treasury full of precious stones.
So where are those precious stones you speak of? he asked the sage. He was secretely annoyed. He didnt like to think of a man who was richer than himself.
I will show you tomorrow morning said the sage with a smile. I think it is time now for us to go to bed.
That night the king could not sleep. He tossed and turned. He wondered how any one could have stones more precious than his. He wished so much to see the stones that the sage had spoken of. So the night seemed long. But at last morning came. The sage woke up.
Quick, said the king. Its time to see the precious stones. Get dressed quickly. We can go there at once.
The sage laughed. He was surprised to see how anxious the king had become ever since hearing of the other precious stones.
He led the king out of the fine palace. They went along a small lane to a village. The king became more and more puzzled. How could they find such treasures in a poor little village? They went past a woman grinding corn. The sage stopped. He whispered to the king. Look! There's the stone! Look at the stone she's grinding corn with.
The king looked and he laughed. What is so special about that stone? he mocked. The sage stared
at the stone. Could anyone be more precious than this? he repeated. The king laughed again. But there are hundred of stones like this. Its an ordinary grinding stone. it has no value at all said the king. He laughed to think of the sage's stupidity. He did not know the difference between a diamond and a grinding stone. No wonder the treasure did not impress him!The king was about to walk away. But thesage called him back. "Come back and looked at this stone carefully. Then you will see what I mean. Yes you are right. There are hundreds of thousands of these grinding stones. But they all have more value than the precious stones locked away in your treasuty. This stone gives this woman flour for her meal. It is giving her food. What use are your precious stones?
The king thought deeply. Then he realised that he could do nothing with his stones. He could only gazed at them and think how rich he was.
The sage guessed his thoughts and said, now you inderstand. You see your precious stones have no use at all. Where as the grinding stone is the most precious tone around here. Without it, the woman cannot grind her grain. She would have no bread. Surely this one stone has mpre value than your treasury full of jewels?
The king listened to the sage's words. When he returned to the palce, he was more more richer in wisdom.

The clever woman

Once upon a time there was an old woman. She lived alone, with not even a servant to help her. Many people in in the village called her a miser. They said she would not spend her money even to pay a servant. But actually the woman liked to live alone. The was quiet happy in her little house, though it was miles away from the other village houses. The woman did not care what the others said about her. The woman liked her quiet life.
Then one night things changed. The woman was suddenly awakened by the noise of people. They were talking outside the house.

The woman thought that it was her unfriendly neighbours again. The woman crept to the window to hear their unkind words. The woman listened carefully. Then finally she realised that they were gang of robbers. They had seen the empty looking house and decided to break in.

The woman was listening to the words they were talking. They were planning to break in. The woman was very frightened.

"There is no one at the home" said the robber, that's obvious. Listen there is not a single sound.

The others agreed with him. Yes, and it will be easy to run away. The house is so isolated. No one will hear the noise. We certainly wont be discovered. No one will know till days later, added another robber. So the five robbers planned how to break into the house. They also discussed what precious things they would steal from that old woman's house.

Poor woman listened to their conversation with a trembling heart. The woman just could not stop the robbers from breaking into her house. They would simply kill a defenseless old woman like her. For once, the woman wished that she did not lived alone. If only she had family to make noise. That would frightened away the robbers thought the poor woman. Then the woman made a plan. She did not have a family but she remembered that she was not alone. She ran to the kitchen. She picked up as many pots and pans as she could find. Then the woman called to the pots as if they were people. Ram get up, get up! Ravi get up, how you are sleeping, getup! Rohan you lazy bones! Wake up! get up all of you! Ram, Ravi and Rohan were the names she gave to the pots. She banged all these pots, shouting their names. Ram, Ravi and Rohan! She made a great noise as if there were many people in the house.

I think we were wrong whispered one of the robber. Quick, lets run away before they catch us! The house is full of people!

So the robbers were frightened by all the noise which were made by the clever woman inside the house. The robbers ran away as fast as they could. The robbers even forgot to take their bags which was full of riches which they stole before. So when the woman dared to open the door, she found a huge bag. It was full of silver plates, money and jewels. The woman could not believe her good luck. The clever woman hauled the sack inside. The woman called to her new friends, Ram, Ravi and Rohan,look what i have found!

The clever woman sold most of the riches and kept some with her. By selling those riches, the clever woman managed to buy a new home for herself which was much safer than her old home.

After then the woman lived happy and enjoyed her life with all those riches.

The Origin Of Alcohal

In ancient times when a man's time on earth was up, death came openly for him. Everyone was very much aware of the coming of death.
There lived in those days a blacksmith, who, loathing to die, planned to cheat death. He dug a long tunnel and within it, he constructed seven rooms in a row, one room leading to another. He lined the walls with thick plates of iron and he made seven strong locks for the seven rooms.
When Death finally arrived to take him away, the blacksmith was found in the innermost room in the tunnel.
"Come," said Death to the man, "You have lived long enough."
"Oh, sure," replied the smith, "But could you please wait just a moment right here, I'll return at once."
With these words, the smith left the room. As he walked out, he locked the rooms one after another untill Death was imprisoned in the tunnel, behind seven locked doors.
The men did not die anymore.
The great Shiva was worried. One day Parvati spoke to her spouse: "You seem very worried. Tell me what is wrong, my dear."
"Ah, there is much to worry about in the world," Lord Shiva replied, "Right now there is a very serious problem. People are not dying anymore. Can you imagine a greater misfortune than this?"
Why, where is death? asked Parvati.
That is what i did like to know, said the Lord Shiva.
Ah do not worry too much, said Patvati, I will find it out.
Soon afterward, Parvati appeared on earth as an ordinary woman. She found herself a house to live in. She bought grain from the markets. She made a mash of grains and distilled spirit from it. She then set up a shop and coaxed people to drink the spirit.
Not too many wanted to drink at first, but very soon, even though the drink could cause death, the people crowded the shop everyday. Under the power of drink, the men felled relaxed. They unloosened their tongue and they bragged. Sometimes they quarreled amongst themselves. They just love to drink all the time.
One day the blacksmith came to the shop for a drink.
"Dont drink too much warned Parvati. You may die.
At this the man laughed aloud, "Oh, dont worry about me, "he said, I will not die. I have death behind seven locks.
After that disclosure, it did not take long for Parvati to set death free.
From that time Death came upon men steathily, often taking them by surprise.
And from that time men have made their own drink.

The Poor Man And God

There was once a poor dumb man in a village in Jumla. All he had in the world were two cows. He took the cows every day to graze up in the mountains, where a hermit lived all by himself. The hermit took a fancy to the cows and he looked after them as they grazed in the meadow by his dwelling.
In the course of a few years the poor man had many more cows. As he prospered his neighbours wondered how he had done so well and they became envious of him.
One day two of the neighbours followed the man as he slowly made his way with his cows up the mountain. When they came to the meadow the men saw the hermit who appeared to them to be none other than Lord Shiva himself.
The men went closer to look but the hermit moved away, climbing higher beyond their reach and they kept on following him all the day long.

By nightfall the hermit sat down upon a large rocks while the two men took the shelter between two rocks.

The next morning , the hermit was still sitting motionless. The men got up and began to climb. The hermit then made his way still higher in the mountain. The men were angry and they threw stones at the hermit but could neither hit him nor stop him from going still higher.

At last the hermit reached an inaccessible spot. He then stopped and said to the men down below. "I wished to stay close to the village but you wolud not let me do so. I had to come far away. The poor dumb man is a simple soul. He is very much devoted to me. You should not harm him.

"You may come up the mountain", he said further, "for this is where I am going to stay henceforth".

Having said this, the hermit disappeared, leaving the two men in awe and wonder.

From that time, a fair is held every year on the day of full moon of Shrawan(July - August) at the top of the mountain known as Thakurji-lekh when a large number of people make their obeisanse and offering to Lord Shiva.

The Three Sisters

Once upon a time there were three sisters. Their parents had died. All they had in the world was a white chauri cow; one day they lost it too.
"I'll go and look for the chauri," said the oldest of the girls.
The whole day long she climbed one mountain after another. At last she came to the land of ogress and she found herself before an old, ugly ogress. "Granny," she said, "Have you seen our white chauri cow?"
"Oh, yes,"the ogress replied, "She is here. But come and eat something first.You must be tired and hungry."
It was already late in the day. The girl was both tired and hungry and she was glad of the invitation to stay and sup.
Placing a plate full of rice before her, the ogress went down the mountain to a stream to prepare herself to kill and eat the girl.
While the girl was eating the rice, a white dog came and said to her, "If you give me a morsel of rice, I"ll tell you something."
The girl, however, was heedless even when the dog repeated itself.
"What can a dog like you tell me?" she asked and ate up all the rice by herself.
Upon her return the ogress made the girl lie down in a corner of the room, where she kept a mill-stone hanging from the rafters. After a while, in the darkness of the room, the ogress asked the dog sitting by the doorway,"Can you see the stars?"
"No," said the dog.
She asked again after some time, "Have the stars come out?"
The dog replied, "Not yet."
"Have they come out now? " said the ogress for the third time. "Yes," said the dog.
The ogress then tugged at a rope and the mill-stone fell, crushing the poor girl to death. The ogress at once fell upon the dead body and ate it up, bones and all.
When the girl did not return, the next morning the second sister went out to look for her and the chauri. She wandered the whole day long until she too came to the same old wicked ogress and she said to her, "Did you see our sister and chauri, Granny?"
The girl fared no better than her older sister.
When her second sister too failed to come back, the youngest girl took to the mountain trail. Before the day was over, she found herself asking the ogress, "Did you see my two sisters and our chauri? "
"Oh, yes," said the ogress, "But you must be hungry. Eat something first."
The ogress placed a plateful of rice before the girl, and, as was her habit, she went down the mountain to the stream.
As the girl was going to eat, the dog came and said to her, "If you give me a morsel of food, I'll tell you something."
The girl placed before the dog a handful of rice, which it finished in no time, and it said again, "I'll tell you more if you give me another morsel."
When the dog had another helping of rice, it said for the third time, "Give me some more rice and I'll tell you everying.
So the girl gave the dog all the rice. The dog then said: "Your sisters had indeed come here but the bad old ogress killed them and ate them up. So you must not stay here. Before you go, take away with the bamboo hair brush and as much millet, maize, rice, wheat and barley as you can carry."
The girl was alarmed and lost no time in taking whatever she could lay her hands on and ran away into the night.
Before long the ogress was back and finding the girl gone, she was furious. She beat the dog to death and then ran along the trail to catch of the girl.
When the girl heard the ogress coming after her, she threw down the brush, which at once took root and grew up into a thick bush, delaying the ogress in her persuit. When she finally came out of the bush, the girl had succeeded in putting herself at some distance from her pursuer. But the ogress ran fast and came close to the frightened girl.
The girl now threw away the millet in her ahnd. Seeing the millet scattered along the trail, the ogress said to herself, "Ah, here is my millet." And she took the time to pick up every grain of millet.
Meanwhile, the girl gained another mountain, but before too long the ogress was close behind her. The girl threw down the maize.

"Ah, here is my maize," said the ogress when she came up; she stopped once more to gather the maize.
The ogress then ran faster than before and the girl threw away the rice.
Before long the ogress was picking up each grain of rice while the girl reached another range of mountains.
Yet before too long the ogress overtook the girl, who now threw away the wheat. "Ah, here is my wheat," said the ogress and she stopped long enough to pick it.
The girl reached yet another mountain, but without looking back she knew that the ogress was again close upon her heels. She threw away the barley and ran as she had never run before in her life.

The ogress, seeing the barley, stopped to pick every grain, and then she too ran faster than she had run before.

Having nothing left with her to delay the ogress, the girl in desperation called upon heaven for help, "Oh, kind God, save me. The ogress is going to catch up with me."

And just as the ogress reached out her hands for the girl, a rope dangled before her. She grasped it and was pulled upwards to heaven, safe from the wicked, old ogress.

Seeing the girl vanish in the clouds, the ogress sat down and cried, 'oh, kind God, send down a rope for me too'.

"oh, I have just awakened," said a voice in heaven.

"Send me a rope, please," implored the ogress.

"I am putting on my clothes," said the god in heaven.

"Please," said the ogress," Hurry up and pull me."

"Oh, I am lighting the fire," said the voice.

"Please, please........" implored the ogress.

And then there was a rope before her. The ogress took hold of it and she was pulled up. But before she was half way up to heaven, the rope broke and the ogress fell down like a stone.

The Monkey And The Frog

One day a monkey climbed up a pear tree. He plucked the fruit but as he was eating, a pear fell to the ground. It rolled down to a stream where an old woman was filling a pot with water.
The monkey went to the woman and asked her, "Granny, did you see a pear?"
"Oh, yes," said the woman, "I have eaten it, son. But come to my house and I'll give you something for it."
The monkey went with the woman and she asked him whether he liked to eat rice or corn pudding.
"Give me rice," said the monkey.
The monkey was served corn instead of rice.
"Now, will you take a cow or an ox?" asked the woman.
"A cow," said the monkey.
The woman sent him away with an ox.
The next morning a frog came to the same tree. He climbed it and he also let a pear fall down to the ground. The old woman had once more gone to the stream to fetch water. She saw the pear come rolling down to her. She picked it up and ate it. By and by the frog presented himself before the old woman and asked her if she had seen a pear.
"Oh, yes," said the woman, "I have eaten it. But come with me and I"ll give you something for it ."
The frog went with the woman. At her house she asked him whether he liked to eat rice or corn pudding.
"Corn," said the fox.
The woman fed the frog with rice instead of corn.
"Now, will you take a cow or an ox?" asked the woman.
"An ox will do," said the frog.
The woman gave a cow and sent the frog away.
Now, no sooner had the monkey come home than he thought that the ox was going to give birth and he prepared himself for the event. The frog too thought that his cow was in labour pain and he went to fetch some grass for her.
The frog came across the monkey and asked how he was doing. The monkey told him the news that his ox was going to give birth. At this the frog laughed and told him that only a cow-his cow- was going to give birth.
The two creatures were soon quarrelling among themselves and at last they went to a fox to settle their dispute. But as he heard their claims, the fox seemed to doze off. When the monkey woke him up, the fox explained that he had just then walked across a stream which was on fire, cooking up all the fish in the water. He has had too many fish and it made him feel very sleepy.
"But how can a stream be on fire?" asked the monkey.
"True," said the fox, "But tell me, how can an ox give birth?"

The Princess And The Fox

In ancient times there was a king named Gunakama Deva at Bhaktapur. He was very wise. He was a pious, just and merciful king. To his people, he was like a father.
He had a daughter named Gunalaxmi. Once she cried for a long time. She did not stop crying until her father the king said that he would have her married to a fox.
Gunalaxmi grew up to be a most beautiful princess. One night the god Narayan appeared to her in a dream. He told her that he would come to marry her.
In the early hours of the following day, the god changed himself into a white fox and he arrived at the palace with some of his followers. The pack of foxes howled loud and long until the king awoke.
King Gunakama Deva was worried. He sent for the court astrologer and asked him why the foxes had come. The astrologer assured the king that it was not an ill omen; they had come to remind him of a promise made years ago.
Thereupon, the king called White Fox and said to him, "Oh, Fox, why have you come here?"
White Fox said: "Oh, king, please give me your daughter in marriage if you are a man of your word. If you are not, you can forget it."
"What a strange proposal!" exclaimed the king.
"How is it possible for a human being to marry a fox?"
White Fox replied, "There is nothing strange about it. Didn't you say that you would marry her to a fox? I have heard you."
The king remembered how he had said in jest while his daughter was a small child to marry her off to a fox to stop her from crying. And now White Fox has come and demanded the princess. He was alarmed. He went to the queen's chamber not knowing what to do. The queen was equally perplexed.
When Gunalaxmi learnt of her parent's predicament she went to them and said: "Why are you so sad? Please tell me."
Her parents told her why the foxes had come.
Then the princess said: "Please do not grieve. I have seen it all in a dream. Father, you are a man of honour. Honour your word and it will be all right. You do not need to worry. I'll have White Fox for my husband. Please give me in wedding to him today."
The king and the queen were both very sad but they took heart in the wisdom of their daughter. The minister was called in and asked to make the necessary preparation for the wedding. A public announcement of the wedding was also made.
Soon everything was ready. Music was heard in the courtyard. The priest arrived, and with pomp and pageantry witnessed by a large crowd of people, princess Gunalaxmi was married to White Fox at an auspicious hour the same day.
After the wedding, White Fox and the princess took leave of the king and queen and they went away in a carriage drawn by four foxes, followed by a large retinue carrying the trousseau and dowry.
The carriage came to a forest and before long a cave was reached. The men followed the carriage into the cave, and to their great astonishment they found a great palace made of precious stones and gold. The astonishment was even greater when lo and behold! White Fox changed himself into the god Narayan and he made the princess sit with him in a magnificent throne.
All the gods in heaven arrived to felicitate the divine couple. They soon lighted a sacred fire and the wedding was solemnised again with the chanting of sacred texts.
The ceremony was followed by a great feast. The men who had come with the princess were served in plates of gold, which they were asked to keep for themselves to carry home. After the feast, the men were sent back.
Upon their return to Bhaktapur, the men reported all that they had witnessed and it made both the king and queen very happy.

The Downfall Of The Jhankri

There was once a great lama, who before going to India to get the holy books asked a jhankri to look after the spiritual needs of the people in his village during his absence.
In course of time the lama came back. When he came near the village he found the jhankri conducting a service for the dead. So, he sat down under a tree and sent his servant to find out how the jhankri was doing it.
The servant came back and reported that the service was being conducted without a book.
"How is the dead body?" asked the lama.
"The jhankri makes it laugh, dance and eat," said the servant.
"Really!" exclaimed the lama. "Go and bring the jhankri to me here."
The servant went again. He found the jhankri in a very angry mood because the dead body no longer obeyed him. It had suddenly gone cold and it lay unmoved.
When the servant asked him to come to the lama, the jhankri got up and threatened to kill him.
"Why do you want to kill me?" said the servant. "I have only come to take you to my master."
At last the jhankri went and asked if the lama was willing to enter into a contest with himself to see who was more powerful.
"I am willing to be tested by you," said the lama.
"Well, then," said the jhankri, "He who can touch the sun when it rises tomorrow shall win the contest."
"It is all right with me," said the lama.
And so the next morning the jhankri put on his ceremonial robe and feathered cap, and with his drum in one hand and his wand in the other, he flew up to meet the sun.
Meanwhile, the lama woke up and asked his servant to see how high the jhankri had gone.
"He is in the clouds," said the man.
The lama made his tea and drank it. Then he said again, "See how high he is now."
The man looked out of the window and said, "He is close to the sun."
The lama asked his servant to bring his incense burner. When it was brought to him, the lama blew into it and at once thick smoke rose from it. The smoke went out of the window and rose to the sky. It reached higher and higher until it caught up with the jhankri. The smoke blinded him and tied him and brought him down to the earth.
The Jhankri fell in a bush of stinging nettles.
Since then no jhankri has eaten nettles. His misshappen drum and crooked wand are further reminders of the jhankri's great fall.

How The kingdom Of Sija Came To An End

One day the king of Sija was holding court. There was a learned lama in the assembly.
The king was surprised when, all of a sudden, the lama laughed heartily without any apparent cause.
"What made you laugh?" asked the king.
"I just saw a woman dancing at kumaogadh," said the lama. "Her skirt fell off. It was so funny. Everybody laughed."
"How can you possibly see it?" demanded the king.
"If you doubt me, please send someone to check," the lama said.
The king immediately despatched two men to inquire about the incident at Kumaongadh, which lay towards the west at a distance of many days' walk from Sija.
A few days afterwards during another session in court, the lama got up abruptly, stooped down and then wrung the sleeve of his coat. He squeezed some water out of his sleeve.
The king was perplexed and he asked the lama for an explanation. The lama said that he had just then rescued the two men the king had sent to Kumaongadh from drowning at a river crossing.
In a few weeks' time the men returned to Sija and reported that a dancer had indeed let her skirt fall while she was dancing. They also reported of themselves being miraculously saved from drowning.
The king was very impressed with the magical power shown by the lama. But he wanted to test him once more and said: "Oh, lama, you have done some good. Now, let me see what harm you can do."
Thereupon, the lama caused an earthquake, in which whole villages were destroyed. In the end there was nothing left of the kingdom. All you can now see are a couple of stone lions lying at the foot of the hill upon which the king's palace had once stood.