more reading notes: the monkey and the girl, part a

This week, I decided to read for extra credit as the end of the semester is approaching. I want to rack up extra credit as well as explore some additional readings as I really enjoy this part of class. 

I read The Monkey and the Girl from Folklore of the Santal Parganas. This story starts out by introducing some background info. There are kids that used to watch crops growing by a river, and a Hanuman monkey used to come because he wanted to eat the crops. Each time her came, the kids drove him off to protect the crops. 

Wanting to eat the crops, the monkey started to put together a plan that would allow him to have his wish. He decided to make a garland of flowers to leave behind the next time the children drive him away from the crops. He was hoping this would make them like him. It ended up working and the children started to like him. One girl specifically liked him so much that she wanted to marry him. 

Later on, the news spread to this young girl's family and they were very angry. The father went out and shot the monkey and burned the corpse. As the girl arrived, she wanted to see the burning monkey. Her father let her and she distracted all that were gathered by pointing their attention to the sky. At that moment, she took sand and threw it in the air so it would land in their eyes and blind them as she jumped to the pyre and burned alongside the monkey.

The family just brushed it off like it was no big deal and said that she must have had the monkey's soul. 

(Photo from PixaBay.)

I was shocked at how the ending of this story was so casual. The father's daughter just burned herself to death and he just claimed that she must have had the monkey's soul and moved on with his daily activities.

Santal Folklore unit: The Monkey and the Girl from Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas.