Khmer Legends: Part III

Dẻmaz Baker

Description

Khmer Legends Part III is Dẻmaz’s new collection of Cambodian folktales, one of which is the famous story of A-Lẻv. The narrative is about a boy born of poor and uneducated parents. At the age of seven, A-Lẻv already understood the meaning of being deprived of even the basic necessities of survival. He wanted to make a difference, not only for his parents but also for himself. From a teenager to an adult, his shrewd brain concocted mischievous, hilarious schemes to cheat people out of their belongings or to gain money so his parents could survive. He created trials and tribulations in doing so just to amuse himself. As years went by, he had a firm desire to educate himself by beginning to learn to read and write in order to deal with a high society that flaunted its wealth and status upon the poor and less fortunate. In the end, his humility and humbleness gained him more respect in the society that rejected him because of his low economic status. 

Sujets

• Multicultural
• Young Adult Fiction
• Diversity

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 09 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781977264992
• Langue: English

Extrait

Khmer Legends Part III All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2023 Démaz Baker v5.0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
Cover & Interior Illustrations by Novina N. Tep
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
For my grandchildren Lucia, William, Penelope, Isabelle And Justin
Contents
Introduction
The Story of A-Lév
A-Lév Has Great Ideas
A-Lév Fell in Love
A-Lév and the Pirates
A-Lév Found His Nest
The Royal Egg
The Stories of Sophea Tonsay
The Rabbit, the Tiger, the Otter, the Heron and the Chicken
Racing the Frog
The Rabbit Needs the Crocodile’s Help
The Rabbit Has Many Tricks Up His Sleeves
The Tiger, the Monkey and the Rabbit
The Rabbit Always Has the Last Word
The Crab Digger
The Great Tiger
Aur-Chhoeuteal
Aur-Chhoeuteal
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Author Biography
Works Cited
Introduction
Legends exist in every culture and society. Folklore has existed in some form through the ages. Cambodia possesses a body of heroic folktales neglected by time and the war of 1975. This senseless war generated by the ultra-leftists headed by Pol Pot destroyed practically everything valuable to the country.
I have been fortunate to have come across a dedicated nationalist, a retired medical doctor who has spent endless time gathering information from numerous sources and has compiled a noteworthy collection of folktales entitled "Prachuum Roeung Khmers." These precious stories were first collected from locals and put in writing by a Frenchman, H. G Monod, in 1922 under the name "Contes Khmers. The collection of Khmer folktales was then translated from French into Cambodian and finally published by the Buddhist University in Phnom Penh in 1972.
Through oral tradition, local folks have kept these stories alive in the collective memory of the people, thus shaping the Khmer Culture. Some stories put more emphasis on religion, some on traditional beliefs. For example, it was thought that a black hawk, a black crow, or a female spirit who howls near your house or in the neighborhood could predict a coming death. In 1973, I woke up to the sound of a black hawk perching on a tall tree of the house across from mine. The sound gave me goose bumps on my arms. I kept telling myself I was foolish to believe in such a thing. Sure enough, two days later, the death of a member of the family in that house was announced.
Each story showcases moralistic values and self-governing skills to the young. In Cambodia, such story telling was mainly found in rural areas. It was the only way to communicate to future generations. Folktales came in various forms such as singing or dancing. Later, as literacy developed, it came in the form of poetry. In Prachuum Roeung Khmérs, I found beautiful epics of poetry that strengthen community values. They were embellished to create a lively scenario to attract the audience. Storytelling is an art. The folktale narrators have entertained generations and generations throughout time. It takes a very skillful, imaginative mind to keep the story running smoothly, mainly to keep the listeners alert to the developments in the narrative. The setting is no less important. A vivid picture of the action as the story moves from place to place is vital to capture the attention of the listeners. Of great importance also are the characters in the story. The narrator must develop a plot, a dynamic series of actions that pleases the audience and finally a resolution that is true to the story as related to him/her through time. Some endings were pleasant, and others did not end well.
The animal folktales are the most sought after and delighted children as well as adults. In Cambodian folklore, the Rabbit was considered a very smart animal. He was designated as judge of all things by using logic to solve problems. His highest qualifications were his sharp intelligence and fairness toward animals and human beings. From tales of the rabbit to the ungrateful crocodile, a semi-aquatic reptile with ugly skin to the tiny snails, there was never a dull moment.
In the fantasy element of folktales, mythical creatures such as Giants, Snakes, and many more frightening characters could destroy everything on their path. In some stories, they could change themselves into human forms, marry a human being (the story of (Neang Kangrey in my first book, Khmer Legends) and live amongst human beings.
The tales you are about to hear or read below were not translated verbatim from the sources. They are shreds of information that I have weaved into a lively, humorous and colorful tapestry of my own imagination and interpretation.

Démaz Tep Baker February 4, 2022
The Story of A-Lév A-Lév Has Great Ideas
Once upon a time in a remote village, a very poor couple, named Neak Ngéh (pronounced Ngé-s), and Neak Ngóh, (pronounced Ngó-s), gave birth to a boy they named A-Lév (pronounced Aaa- Lév). They did their best to raise him correctly as all parents did. From the grace of Buddha, A-Lév was an intelligent little boy. At the age of seven he was smart enough to observe his parents’ true demeanors and their way of life. He recognized that his parents were poor because they were not very bright and were lazy. They simply lacked intelligence and seemed to be content with what they had.
One morning, he said to his parents:
" Mé oeuy!, Óy oeuy! We are poor because we do not have any jobs, or any way to earn a good income. I have some ideas on how to improve our lives. First, we must cultivate rice during this rainy season on the lands we have and in summer we must work on the farms, planting vegetables raising chicken, pigs and cows for consumption and sales." Addressing his father, he said:
" Óy, Oeuy, from now on, I am going to work with you at the paddy fields. Mother can stay home and take care of the house. If we need anything such as food, or betel nuts to chew, I can run back to the house to get it."
They all agreed with the plan. A-Lév and his father packed their belongings and took enough rice and dried fish and prahok to last them for a long while. Having done that, father and son left for the fields. The next day, they both started to plow the land before sowing the seeds. Then they prayed for Buddha to dump a big load of rain on their paddy fields. While waiting for the seeds to germinate, A-Lév felt a bit restless and he was longing to eat sweet rice cakes, banana cakes and other cakes people made during festivities, such as Cambodian New Year’s, weddings, or many other occasions throughout the year. An idea came up to trick his mother to make those cakes for him. One day, he told his father:
Óy, Oeuy, I am going to run home to get more betel nuts for you to chew." His father agreed.
Halfway to his house, he deviated from his path and moved toward a small Buddhist temple hidden behind the trees. He prostrated in front of a monk and said:
" Dear Venerable monk, I would like to have my head shaved like yours. It’s about time for me to pay tribute to my parents for having brought me to the world. As you know, our traditions require that the first son fulfill his gratitude towards his parents before he embarks to the outside world looking for opportunities."
Without hesitation, the monk did what he was asked for, free of charge. Having a now bald head, A-Lév borrowed a piece of white cloth from the monk, then immediately took leave from him, promising he would be back. When he was getting close to his house, he pulled the cloth over his head and started to cry. Neak Ngéh, his mother, heard something like a crying sound from the street; she rushed outside to find her son, A-Lév, sobbing uncontrollably running toward her.
" Mé oeuy, Óy is dead!"
Both mother and son embraced each other and cried their eyes out for a long while until reality checked in. His mother asked:
" Putthoo! His mother screamed.
" What happened and what did you do with the body of your father?"
Drying his fake tears with his shirt, A-Lév said:
" I don’t know. He fell from the hut and he died. But at the moment, we must stop crying. Our tears will not bring him back. We must prepare offerings for the monks and for Óy’s soul as required by our 7 th day tradition. As for his body, it has been disposed of by the neighbors’ kindness at the fields."
In a hurry, Neak Ngéh went to her neighbors and spread the word of her husband’s passing. The community along with the widow got busy preparing a lot of traditional rice cakes, a multitude of other cakes, chicken, jasmine rice and drinks for A-Lév to take back to the fields for more traditional religious ceremonies to help his father’s spirit reach heaven. A few days later, after having loaded two baskets full of food, drinks, and cakes that he slung on each side of a long bamboo carrying pole, he took leave of his mother, promising he would come back soon to take care of her. Halfway to the fields, he stopped under a banian tree, happily enjoying half of the delicious treats he had brought with him. When he was closer to the hut where his father lived, he pulled the white cloth over his he