Folktales help children connect with their cultural roots by transmitting shared values, traditions, and collective memory across generations. We present a folk tale excerpted from Bird Folktales of Meghalaya for Children by Glenn C Kharkongor with Illustrations by Balaiamon Kharngapkynta & Careen Jolin Langstieh (Martin Luther Christian University Press, 2024)

When the world was young and all the animals spoke the language of man, U Klew, the peacock, was but an ordinary grey-feathered bird. But he strutted about like a king, just because his crest was more erect and his tail was longer than of other birds.

They used to flatter him, pretending that they admired him, just for the amusement of seeing him swelling his chest. One day, they pretended that a great dorbar meeting of the birds had been held to select an ambassador to carry the greetings of the birds to the beautiful maiden Ka Sngi, who ruled the Blue Realm, and that U Klew had been chosen for this great honour.

The peacock was very happy and became even more proud. He boasted about going as the ambassador of all birds. He also claimed he would marry the royal maiden and live with her in the Blue Realm.

The birds enjoyed much secret fun at his expense, none of them dreaming that he would be foolish enough to make the attempt to fly so far, for he was such a heavy-bodied bird and had never flown higher than a treetop.

But much to the surprise of everyone, U Klew flew into the sky until they lost sight of him, and they became afraid, not knowing what danger their trick might bring him. U Klew soared higher and higher, never halting, untill he reached the sky palace of Ka Sngi, the most beautiful and noble of all maidens.

Ka Sngi was destined to live alone in her grand palace, and her heart often yearned for a companion. When she saw that a stranger had alighted at her gates, she ran out and welcomed him. In the days that followed, all the comforts and hospitality of the heavenly kingdom were given to him. But the proud bird became a demanding guest. In his blind pride, he imagined her kindness as an acknowledgement of his greatness. As queen of the Blue Realm, Ka Sngi had shed her warm rays upon the earth. But after the arrival of U Klew, she became so busy meeting his selfish demands that the warmth of her rays faded.

The earth became cold and dreary. The birds in the forest stopped singing, and their feathers drooped. U Slap, the rain spirit, came and pelted their cosy nests, causing young chicks to die. U Lyoh, the mist, brought his dark clouds and hung them over the rice fields so that the grain did not ripen and there was no harvest. Ka Eriong, the storm god, shook the trees, destroying all the fruit, and the birds were without food. In their great misery, they sought the advice of mankind, whom they knew to be wiser than any animal.

The dorbar of men concluded that all these misfortunes were caused by the presence of U Klew in the Blue Realm. His selfishness prevented Ka Sngi from bestowing her light and warmth upon the world. There would be no prosperity until U Klew was lured back to earth. The birds went to a clever woman named Ka Sabuit to seek her help. She agreed to make a plan to get U Klew back to earth, but she had one condition. All the birds should agree not to eat any seeds or fruit from her garden. The birds readily agreed.

Ka Sabuit planted a fresh plot of mustard plants. She arranged the plants in the shape of a girl and when the yellow flowers bloomed, they formed the shape of a beautiful woman. Up in the Blue Realm, U Klew gazed down on the earth and saw this beautiful girl dressed in yellow. He fell in love with this golden maiden, lying asleep in a green meadow. His selfish heart forgot his loyalty to his devoted wife, Ka Sngi, who was heartbroken at his decision to leave. As he flew down to earth, Ka Sngi shed bitter tears. Her teardrops fell on his long tail and turned into brilliant-hued spots, which are called Ummat Ka Sngi, the Sun’s tears, by Khasi people to this day. Thus, U Klew, the peacock, returned to the forest. The birds saw his beautiful feathers and greeted him with wonder and admiration. When he told them that he had come to search for a lovely maiden dressed in gold, they began to laugh. They took U Klew to the garden of Ka Sabuit, where he saw, not a beautiful woman as he had imagined, but a bed of common mustard flowers, cunningly shaped. In his shame and humiliation, he resigned himself to life on earth.

Every morning, it is said, the peacock can be seen stretching forth his neck towards the sky and flapping his wings to greet the coming of Ka Sngi; and the only happiness left to him is to spread his lovely feathers to catch the rays of the sun.