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1. Gux Jorngh
2. The Tiger Bride
3. The Flood
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The room was dark, firewood crackling, and the boys and girls huddled closer together. The storyteller looked around the circle of faces flushed with excitement. They listened intently, hanging on to every word coming out of the old lady's mouth. Though they had heard those exact words a thousand times before, the words still cast magical spells on their imagination.
They traveled with the storyteller to places they had never been before: sacred realms where the inhabitants all held supernatural powers, places where animals spoke the human language, and pure jungles where the dwellers lived peacefully and contentedly. At times they were taken to troubled households where sibling rivalries tore the whole family apart.
They frequented lovers whose struggle broke their hearts, yet inspired them to become greater lovers when they grew up. At other times they were terrified to the bottom of their hearts. When the story ended, they would be scared to go to the outhouse alone.
I was among the boys and girls who journeyed through space and time. There were no tv's, radios, or computers. The folktales kept our imagination alive. Experiencing these tales together kept us close. They also helped us bond with our grandmother, the storyteller. Sometimes, she would fall asleep in the middle of a tale due to exhaustion from the day's hard labor. At these times, we would wake her up gently and were taken away on our journey.
Enjoy your journey.
Taen F. Saeteurn
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