Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: Ahir culture, humor, misunderstandings, family dynamics, folklore
The story revolves around an Ahir man who, after learning about his marriage through a conversation with his mother, decides to visit his in-laws. During his stay, he humorously misinterprets a lamp as a sacred object and inadvertently causes a commotion that leads to a fire. After some chaotic events, he returns home, trading various animals for a simple cucumber while mistakenly thinking each animal is in distress. The story culminates in a light-hearted exchange with his mother, highlighting his comical misunderstandings and the playful dynamics of their relationship. Overall, it blends elements of humor, folklore, and the Ahir's unique perspective on life.
बहुत पहिले एगो अहीर माय-बेटा हलक। बेटवा एक दिन मइया से पूछलक कि हम्मर सादी होयल हे कि नऽ ? मइया कहकई कि तोर सादी तो बाबू तबे हो गेलवऽ हे, जब तूं पेटे में हलऽ, तब बेटवा कहलक कि हम ससुरारी जायम । मइया कहकई कि तऽ जा नऽ बाबू ! रोसगदियो कयले अइहँऽ । अहिरा ससुरारी चलल । जाइत-जाइत रात में ससुरारी पहुँचल । उहाँ जब सरहजिया खिलावे लगल, तो एगो ढिबरी बरइत देख के पूछलक कि ई कउची हवऽ ? सरहजिया मजाक करकई कि ई ''भगजोगनी'' के बड़का गो बच्चा हे ।
खा-पी के जब सब सूत गेलन तो ढिबरिया के बरइत देख के ऊ सोचलक कि एकरा लुका देईं। चलइत खानी घरे ले ले चलब । ई सोंच के ऊ फूस के घर के ओरी में ओकरा खोंस देलक । ढिबरी खोंसते लगल आग। गाँव के सब लोग बुतावे दौड़लन । पानी-ऊनी छिंटाए लगल, तो अहिरा ओरिआ निहुर के एन्ने-ओन्ने दउड़े। ई देख के सब पूछलन कि ई का करइत हऽ बाबू? ऊ कहलक कि ''ओरी तर 'भगजोगनी के बच्चा' रखली हे। ओकरे खोजइत ही । कहीं ओहू न जर जाय !'' तब सब कहलन कि बुझा हे कि एही सार अगिया लगा देलक हे। आग बुतल, एक-दू दिन ऊ ससुरारी में ठहरल फिन अप्पन अउरतिया के रोसगद्दी करा के घरे चलल ।
राह में जोर के गरमी हल । चलइत-चलइत अहिरा घूर के पीछे देखलक तो मेहररुआ के कपार से खून के धारा बहइत है। गरमिया से सेनूर पघिल के नीचे तक आ गेल हल । ओकरे ऊ खून जानकर बेआकुल होयल - ''अब का बचत? कपारे फाट गेल हे!'' तब तक एगो आदमी बैल के साथे आवइत हल। अहिरा अप्पन मेहररुआ के बैला से बदल लेलक आउ बैल हँकौलक । कुछ दूर चलल तो बैला मूते लगलई । ओकरा गीला माटी से बंद करे लगलई तऽ बन्दे न होई। ऊ सोचलक कि एकर पेटे फट गेल हे। अब का ई बचत ? से एगो बकरी से बैला के बदल लेलक ।
कुछ दूर जा के बकरिओ मूते लगलई, तो एकरो में माटी साट के बन्द करे ला चाहलक बाकि एहू न बंद भेल । सोचलक कि अब एहू न बचत, एकरो पेट फाट गेल हे । ओही घड़ी एगो कोइरी एक ओड़िया लउका बेचे जाइत हल । ओकरा से कहलक कि एगो लउका दे दऽ आउ बकरिया के ले लऽ । कोइरिया खुसी में दूगो लउका बढ़ा देलक आउ बकरी ले लेलक । अहिरा लउका लेके घरे पहुँचल ।
मइया पूछकई कि आउ कनेवा न आवइत हउ ? अहिरा सुरू से अंत तक सब हाल मइया से कह देलक । तब मइया कहकई कि ठीके कयले । आज तरकारियो न हल । लाव जल्दी बनइअउ । मइया छील के तरसलक आउ लउका के तरकारी सीझेला चूल्हा पर चढ़ा देलक। अपने पानी लावे कुआँ पर चल गेल । बेटवा से कहलक कि देरी होतउ तो उतार दिहें । एन्ने अहिरा देखलक कि तरकरिया उछिलइत हे आउ गुदुर-गुदुर करइत हे । ऊ कहलक कि तूं गारी देइत हैं ? ठहर ! आउ डंटा ले के ऊ कड़ाही पर दू डंटा मारलक, तब तक मइया पानी ले के आ गेल । ऊ कहलक कि तूं पानी ला गेलें तो सार गरिआवे लगलउ, त हमरो खीस बर गेल आउ दू डंटा लगा देली। मइया कहकई, हाय नतिया के बेटा, सिंझइत नऽ हलउ। अब हो गेलउ खा ले!
A long time ago, there was a man and his mother who were Ahir. One day, the son asked his mother whether he was married or not. The mother replied that his marriage had already happened when he was in her womb. The son then said that he would go to his in-laws' house. The mother said, "Then go, my son! The fresh bread is ready." The Ahir went to his in-laws' house. While going, he reached his in-laws' place at night. When the in-laws started feeding him, he saw a lamp and asked, "What is this?" The in-laws joked that it was a "big child of the goddess Bhagjogni."
After eating and when everyone had fallen asleep, he saw the lamp and thought he should hide it. He thought he would take it home. With that in mind, he tucked it away in the straw-thatched house. As he was hiding it, the lamp caught fire. All the villagers rushed to extinguish it. They started pouring water and performing other rituals, while the Ahir, confused, ran here and there. Seeing this, everyone asked, "What is this guy doing?" He replied, "I have kept the 'child of the goddess Bhagjogni' over there. I am looking for it. I hope it doesn't burn too!" Then everyone said, "We understand now that this fire started because of that." The fire was extinguished, and after one or two days, he stayed at his in-laws' house, before returning home after making arrangements for his wife.
On the road, it was extremely hot. As he walked, the Ahir glanced back and saw blood streaming from his wife's head. The sweat was oozing down to the ground. Realizing it was blood, he became anxious and thought, "What now? Her head is split open!" Just then, a man came by with an ox. The Ahir swapped his wife for the ox and urged it forward. After a while, the ox began to urinate. When he tried to stop it with wet mud, it wouldn't budge. He thought that it had split its belly. Now what if it survives? So, he swapped the ox for a goat.
After going a little further, the goat also began to urinate. He tried to stop it with mud, but it wouldn't stop either. He thought to himself, now this one won't survive either; its belly must be split too. At that moment, a woman selling a cucumber passed by. He asked her for a cucumber and traded the goat for it. The woman happily handed him two cucumbers, and he took the cucumber home.
When he got home, his mother asked him why he was back so soon. The Ahir told his mother everything that had happened from start to finish. Then the mother replied, "That's fine. There were no vegetables today. Hurry up and make something!" The mother peeled and sliced the cucumbers and put them on the stove to cook. She went to the well to fetch water. She told the son that if she was late, he should take it off the fire. Meanwhile, the Ahir watched the vegetables boiling and bubbling. He exclaimed, "Are you scolding me? Stop! " He picked up a ladle and hit the pot twice, just as the mother returned with water. He told her, "You came back with water, and the vegetables started to boil over, so I got annoyed and hit the pot twice." The mother replied, "Oh, son of Natiya, you should have let it cook. Now it's ready to eat!"