What makes the Eclipse

Very early in the history of the world, a beautiful female child, whom her parents called Ka Nam, was born to a humble family who lived in a village on the borders of one of the great Khasi forests. She was such a beautiful child that her mother constantly expressed her fears that some stranger passing that way might kidnap her or cast an “evil eye” upon her, so she desired to bring her up in as much seclusion as their poor circumstances would permit. To this, the father did not agree. He told his wife not to harbour foolish notions but to bring up the child naturally like other people’s children and teach her to work and make herself useful. So Ka Nam was brought up like other children and taught to work and to make herself useful.

One day, as she took her pitcher to the well, a big tiger came out of the forest and carried her to his lair. She was terrified almost to death, for she knew that the tigers were the cruellest of all beasts. The name of this tiger was U Khla, and his purpose in carrying off the maiden was to eat her. But when he saw how young and small she was and that she would not suffice for one full meal for him, he decided to keep her in his lair until she grew bigger.

He took great care of her and brought home many delicacies that her parents had never been able to afford. As she never suspected the cruel designs of the tiger, she soon grew to feel quite at home and contented in the wild beast’s den. With time she grew up to be a maiden of unparalleled loveliness.

The tiger was only waiting for his opportunity, and when he saw that she had grown up, he determined to kill her. For he was longing to eat the beautiful damsel whom he had fed with such care. One day, as he busied himself about his lair, he began to mutter to himself: “Now the time has come when I can repay myself for all my trouble in feeding this human child. Tomorrow I will invite all my fellow-tigers here and we will feast upon the maiden.”

It so happened that a little mouse was foraging near the den at that time, and she overheard the tiger muttering to himself. She was very sorry for the maiden, for she knew that she was alone and friendless and entirely at the mercy of the tiger. So the little mouse went and told the maiden that the tigers were going to kill her and eat her on the following day. Ka Nam was in great distress and wept very bitterly. She begged the mouse to help her escape, and the mouse, having a tender heart, gave her what aid was in her power.

In the first place, she told the maiden to go out of the den and to seek the cave of the magician, U Hynroh, the Giant Toad, to whom the realm was under tribute. He was a peevish and exacting monster from whom everyone recoiled. Ka Nam would have been terrified to approach him under ordinary conditions, but the peril which faced her gave her courage, and under the guidance of the mouse, she went to the toad’s cave. When he saw her and beheld how fair she was and learned how she had been the captive of his old rival, the tiger, he readily consented to give her his protection. So he clothed her in a toad skin, warning her not to divest herself of it in the presence of others lest she die a painful death. This he did to keep the maiden in his own custody and make her his slave.

When the mouse saw that her beautiful friend had been transformed into the likeness of a hideous toad, she was very sorrowful and regretted having sent her to seek the protection of U Hynroh, for she knew that as long as she remained in the jungle, Ka Nam would be henceforth forced to live with the toads and to be their slave. So she led her away secretly and brought her to the magic tree in that jungle and told the maiden to climb into the tree. It would transport her to the sky, where she would be safe from harm forever. So the maid climbed into the magic tree and spoke the magic words taught her by the mouse: “Grow tall, dear tree, the sky is near, expand and grow.” Upon which the tree began to expand upwards till its branches touched the sky, and then the maiden alighted in the Blue Realm, and the tree immediately dwindled to its former size.

By and by, the tiger and his friends arrived at the den, ravenous for their feast. However, when he found that his prey had disappeared, his disappointment and anger knew no bounds and were terrible to witness. He uttered loud threats of vengeance to whoever had connived at the escape of his captive, and his roars were so loud that the animals in the jungle trembled with fear. His fellow tigers also became enraged when they understood that they had been deprived of their feast, and they turned on U Khla and, in their fury, tore him to death.

Meanwhile, Ka Nam wandered homeless in the Blue Realm, clothed in the toadskin. Everyone there lived in palaces and splendour, and they refused to admit the loathsome, venomous-looking toad within their home, while she, mindful of the warning of U Hynroh, the magician, feared to uncover herself. At last, she appeared before the palace of Ka Sngi, the Sun, who, ever gracious and tender, took pity on her and permitted her to live in a small outhouse near the palace.

One day, thinking herself to be unobserved, the maid put aside her covering of toadskin and sat to rest awhile in her small room, but before going abroad, she carefully wrapped herself in the skin as before. She was accidentally seen by the son of Ka Sngi, who was a very noble youth. He was astonished beyond words to find a maiden of such rare beauty hiding herself beneath a hideous toadskin and living in his mother’s outhouse. He marvelled what evil spell had caused her to assume such a loathsome covering. Her beauty enthralled him, and he fell deeply in love with her.

He hastened to make his strange discovery known to his mother. He entreated her to lodge the maiden without delay in the palace and to let her become his wife. Ka Sngi, having the experience and foresight of age, determined to wait before acceding to the request of her young and impetuous son until she herself had ascertained whether a maid such as her son described really existed beneath the toadskin, or he had been deluded by some evil enchantment into imagining that he had seen a maiden in the outhouse.

So Ka Sngi set herself to watch the movements of the toad in the outhouse, and one day, to her surprise and satisfaction, she beheld the maiden uncovered and was astonished at her marvellous beauty and pleasing appearance. But she did not want her son to rush into an alliance with an enchanted maiden. So she gave him a command that he should not go near or speak to the maid until the toadskin had been destroyed and the evil spell upon her broken. Once again, Ka Sngi set herself to watch the movements of the toad, and one day her vigilance was rewarded by discovering Ka Nam asleep with the toadskin cast aside. Ka Sngi crept stealthily and seized the toadskin and burned it to ashes. Henceforth the maiden appeared in her own natural form and lived very happily as the wife of Ka Sngi’s son, released forever from the spell of the Giant Toad.

There was an old feud between U Hynroh and Ka Sngi because she refused to pay him tribute. When he learned that she had wilfully destroyed the magic skin in which he had wrapped the maiden, his anger was kindled against Ka Sngi, and he climbed up to the Blue Realm to devour her. She bravely withstood him, and a fierce struggle ensued, which was witnessed by the whole universe.

When mankind saw the conflict, they became silent, subdued with apprehension lest the cruel monster should conquer their benefactress. They uttered loud cries and began to beat mournfully on their drums till the world was full of sound and clamour.

Like all bullies, U Hynroh was a real coward at heart. When he heard the noise of drums and shouting on the earth, his heart melted within him with fear, for he thought it was the tramp of an advancing army coming to give him battle. He quickly released his hold upon Ka Sngi and retreated with all speed from the Blue Realm. Thus, mankind was the unconscious deliverer of their noble benefactress from the hand of her cruel oppressor.

U Hynroh continues to make periodical attacks on the sun to this day. In many countries, people call the attacks “Eclipses,” but the Ancient Khasis, who saw the great conflict, knew it to be the Giant Toad, the great cannibal, trying to devour Ka Sngi. He endeavours to launch his attacks when the death of some great personage in the world is impending, hoping to catch mankind too preoccupied to come to the rescue. Throughout the whole of Khasi-land, it is custom to beat drums and raise a loud din whenever there is an eclipse.