Informant: RS

Ethnicity: Indian

Primary Language: Konkani

Age: 53

Text: [RS] Ghongo is an infamous Konkani demon who has dark skin, bulging eyes, sharp teeth, a big potbelly, and a sack on his shoulder. He comes to take away children who do not listen to their elders by luring them away with sweets, then knocking them unconscious and carrying them off in his sack. After he abducts children, he makes them do his household chores, starves them, then finally turns them into mango pickle!

Context: [RS] Whenever I played pranks or was too mischievous as a child, my parents would tell me that Ghongo was going to come take me away unless I helped out with our household chores. I remember thinking that helping my parents do the chores sounded like a better deal than doing Ghongo’s! In fact, I was so terrified of seeing such a scary figure, that I rarely misbehaved.

Analysis: There are several parallels between the Torbalan and Ghongo, down to the sack they use to kidnap misbehaving children. At their core, the underlying lesson is essentially the same: listen to your parents, or face the consequences. Ghongo is yet another folk tale meant to scare children into behaving and respecting their elders. Many cultures have similar demonic figures that kidnap or punish disobedient kids, such as Krampus or the Bogeyman. Many folk tales meant for children are meant to teach them some sort of moral, lesson, or warning rather than serve purely as entertainment value. The tales from this collection are an example that this not only extends across multiple cultures, but also evidences the cross-cultural impacts of similar folk figures.

Informant: CS

Ethnicity: Bulgarian

Primary Language: English

Age: 22

Text: [CS] The story goes that there’s a Bulgarian monster called the Torbalan, who carries around a huge sack. The Torbalan kidnaps children who misbehave and stuffs them into his sack in the dead of night. If you are a good and obedient child, then the Torbalan will leave you alone.

Context: [CS] My Baba used to tell me this story to scare me into behaving as a child, especially when I was being a troublemaker. If I got in trouble, she would say “the Torbalan will come collect you tonight unless you apologize!” I was so scared of the Torbalan back then, that I would immediately listen to whatever she told me. 

Analysis: As in many other cultures, the Torbalan is a monster invented as a way to get children to behave, reinforcing good behavior and a sense of obedience towards adults in the family. By warning them that disobedience leads to dire consequences (being kidnapped), the tale uses fear tactics to motivate children to listen to their parents. Furthermore, it is also used as a way to get children to think about their actions and the impact they have on others; personifying the consequences of bad behavior as a scary monster creates a tangible representation of what is otherwise an abstract concept, making the underlying message more digestible to children.

Informant: JS

Ethnicity: Pakistani

Primary Language: English

Age: 21

Text: [JS] This is the story of the Painted Jackal. It’s a fairly simple story. Basically, a jackal finds a bucket of paint and rolls around in it, turning it colorful. Then it goes back home and announces to its family that it is no longer a jackal because it is too colorful. Their family asks what they should be called, and the jackal replies that it is a peacock. But his family says: “Peacocks can spread their tails and look very pretty? Can you do that? ” And the jackal says no. Then the family says “Peacocks can sing and make a lovely bird call. Can you do that?” And the jackal says no. Then the family says “Then if you are not a jackal, then neither are you a peacock,” and they kick him out.

Context: [JS] This is a classic Pakistani fairy tale. I’m honestly not sure what it means, maybe that it isn’t worth pretending to be something you’re not? That who you are born as is something you can’t change.

Analysis: The story of the Painted Jackal is likely trying to teach children a lesson about the importance of being true to your identity. The jackal’s decision to cover itself in paint and pretend to be a peacock could represent the desire to change oneself in order to be accepted and admired based on appearance; however, the jackal’s family points out that the jackal does not possess any of the key qualities of a peacock, emphasizing that one’s identity goes beyond simply surface-level characteristics. Through this tale, children can learn that trying to be someone that they are not will ultimately lead to rejection and disappointment, and should instead embrace themselves for who they are. Childhood is an influential point of time in people’s lives because it is part of their early development stages, and so learning this lesson early on is important in order to form a strong sense of identity, self-acceptance and community in later stages of life.

Informant: RS

Ethnicity: Indian

Primary Language: Konkani

Age: 53

Text: [RS] One rainy day, a sparrow heard a knock at her door. She opened it to find a crow asking for shelter from the storm. The kind sparrow agreed to let the crow stay for the night, but told the crow that she has no food to spare as the sparrow must feed her babies. The ungrateful crow agreed, but in the darkness of night, he got hungry and began swallowing the sparrow babies one by one. When the sparrow heard the swallowing sound, she asked the crow what he was eating; the crow responded that he was eating garbanzo beans that he was carrying with himself for emergencies. When the sun came up in the morning, the sparrow realized the crow’s misdeeds, and whacked him until he spit the babies out. The crow was then kicked out of the house and never allowed back.

Context: [RS] This is another common story told to Konkani children. Our parents used to warn us to watch out for “crows” and be careful who we let into our home.

Analysis: Sparrow and Crow reflects the importance of hospitality in Indian culture. Treating visitors as sacred guests and providing them with food, shelter, and accommodations is extremely common. These values can be seen in Sparrow and Crow through the sparrow’s willingness to host the crow. However, at the same time, the story also teaches children not to take someone’s kindness for granted, or they will risk social consequences from their community: it is important to be both a good host, and a good guest. Sparrow and Crow can also be interpreted as a cautionary tale, allowing children to understand that there are possible risks associated with interacting with strangers. In particular, given that both the sparrow and crow are gendered in the tale, there may also be an underlying message warning children to be wary of men that they do not know well. 

Informant: RS

Ethnicity: Indian

Primary Language: Konkani

Age: 53

Text: [RS] Once upon a time, in a small village in India, there lived a cow named Punyakoti, who was the gentlest and wisest of all the cows. Every day, she would peacefully graze with her herd, until one day Arbhuta the tiger came along. He hid behind a rock until he was able to pounce, catching Punyakoti. Punyakoti begged Arbhuta to allow her to return home to say goodbye to her calf, promising that she would come back and offer herself to be eaten after she had done so. Arbhuta, moved by her pleas, let her go home. Punyakoti dutifully went to say goodbye to the calf, who tearfully begged her not to go. However, Punyakoti said she had made a promise, and so she returned to the tiger to be eaten. Arbhuta was so surprised that she stuck to her word, that he decided he would rather die of hunger than kill such a pure and honest being. After that, Punyakoti joyfully returned home to her calf, and Arbhuta never bothered the herd again.

Context: [RS] This is a popular tale amongst Konkani children. When I was little, my uncle used to tell me and my siblings about Punyakoti all the time, and our parents would remind us of the tale when we got in trouble for lying to them. It used to be one of my favorite stories! 

Analysis: The tale of Punyakoti is a folk narrative meant to serve as a moral compass for children, teaching them the importance of honesty and honoring commitments. Punyakoti represents honesty and selflessness, determined to fulfill her promise even though it will cost her her life; on the other hand, Arbhuta is transformed by Punyakoti’s values. Through the story, children are taught that honesty is always rewarded, and that it is never too late to find redemption through virtue. This reflects common themes within Indian culture and folk narratives, stemming from Dharmic philosophies within Hinduism, which often favor honesty, generosity, compassion, etc as part of the karmic cycle. These overarching moral guidelines within the community trickle down into these folk tales to be made palatable to children, instilling in them the values of the community.