A few days ago our literature lecturer told us to write from memory a Folktale prevalent in our village which we have not read anywhere. My grandmother used to tell me stories when I was small. So here is the story that I wrote.

Long ago a grandfather and a grandmother went to the forest to cut some woods. The grandfather carried an axe and the grandmother a sickle. A frog was croaking nearby. When the grandparents heard the frog croaking, they misunderstood the sound and interpreted it differently. They thought the frog was saying, “I will steal your axe and I will steal your sickle.” [Bangra rulay ru keng keng, Gurtung rulay ru keng keng.] Hearing these, the grandparents ran away. While running away the grandmother being blind hit a sparrow. The sparrow flew away and landed on a tree which fell on a passing by deer. The deer panicking stepped on a snake. The snake got angry and ate the crow’s egg. The crow flew away and perched on a tree. The king hearing the commotion called upon all the animals and the grandparents too. The king questioned all of them one by one and each gave a reason for their behaviour. Finally it came for the frog to answer. The king asked him why he had threatened the grandparents to steal their axe and sickle. The frog instead of giving a response just blinked and stared at everyone. The king angered by the frog’s reaction hit him on the head with a hammer. Therefore till today frogs have flat head.