There was a time when one wept as one used to chop onions , but times have changed drastically now-a-days one is teary when one thinks of buying oinions.Yes - the onion has suddenly turned wicked . This made me wonder there may be many fables and folk-lores about onions too. |
| Wicked Onion |
Look what I stumbled upon - an Indonesian folklore about Onions and Garlic. In Indonesia, "garlic" is called white onion and onion is commonly referred to as red onion. By color association, garlic is seen as "good" and onion, as the "bad" one. This is how the local folklore goes:-
Once there lived a small family of father, mother and a daughter - named Garlic,
They lived in a sleepy village in Indonesia.The father was a trader and mother a homemaker. The three lived very happily, but one day the mother fell sick suddenly and died . The demise of the mother made "garlic" and her father very sad. In the same village there live a widow. The widow had a daughter named "Red Onion",Both mother and daughter used to come to Garlic's house and help her with cooking and other daily chores.After some time Garlic's father thought of marrying "Red Onion"'s mother presuming- that it would give little "garlic" a mother's care and much needed company.
They lived in a sleepy village in Indonesia.The father was a trader and mother a homemaker. The three lived very happily, but one day the mother fell sick suddenly and died . The demise of the mother made "garlic" and her father very sad. In the same village there live a widow. The widow had a daughter named "Red Onion",Both mother and daughter used to come to Garlic's house and help her with cooking and other daily chores.After some time Garlic's father thought of marrying "Red Onion"'s mother presuming- that it would give little "garlic" a mother's care and much needed company.
Little did the trader realized what fate had in store for him and her daughter "garlic"! Soon after marriage "Red Onion"'s mother started treating "Garlic" badly.She would make little garlic wash utensils and clean clothes at the river bank. Garlic never used to complain and bore everything with silence. One day garlic's father too fell sick and expired in some time. Garlic was overwhelmed with grief.
After garlic's father's demise her stepmother started treating her more cruely. She would make her toil from dawn to dusk. Little garlic had to clean , wash and cook.
Little garlic had to toil very hard but she maintained her composure and never complained. One day as she had gone to the river to wash clothes.Suddenly one of her step-moyher's dress was washed away in the river current. Little garlic tried her best but could not find it.
After garlic's father's demise her stepmother started treating her more cruely. She would make her toil from dawn to dusk. Little garlic had to clean , wash and cook.
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When Garlic came home with the washed clothes, her step-mother became furious at not finding her red dress. She thundered at little garlic "Go find my dress. Dont come home without the dress?".
Poor garlic started following the path running parallel to the river to find the dress. On her way she met a shepherd. Garlic asked the shepherd -have you seen a red dress?
The shepherd replied I have seen one in an old lady's garden by the river. Hearing this garlic went down the river to the old lady's home. On reaching there she saw the red dress hanging on the cloth drying wires in her garden. She knocked on her door and requested her to give her the "red dress". The old lady said she will give her the red dress on one condition - garlic had to stay with her for one week. Garlic agreed.
She lived with the old lady for one week and helped her in her daily chores. When one week was over the old lady gave her the red dress and also asked her to choose from the pumpkins in her kitchen garden as a parting gift. Garlic took a small one and bid the old lady good-bye. On reaching home she gave the "red dress" to her step-mother and also the pumpkin. As they sliced it open it was full of precious gold and jewels. Now the step mother became greedy and asked garlic how she got such the pumpkin? Garlic told her the entire tale.
Now the step-mother wanted more jewels , she sent her daughter "red onion" to the old lady's house. The old lady asked "Red Onion" to stay with her for a week.Onion stayed for one week but never helped the old lady with her work, she just lazed away her time. After one week as she was about to leave she asked the old lady -wont you give me a parting gift? The old lady asked her to pick a pumpkin from her garden as a parting gift. "Red Onion" took the largest one. With great difficulty she reached home. As she arrived her mother lost no time in slicing it open. She thought jewels will fall out but alas! Out came venomous snakes and insects and killed the wicked step-mother and her daughter "red onion". Garlic was thus freed of her tormenting step mother and sister.
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