Knife story

courtesy: Sri.Gopalakrishnan

Katthi poyi chenda vannu dhum dhum dhum. ( Knife has gone, drum has come)

Once there was a talking monkey residing in a tree by the side of a temple. It is the duty of the variar to pluck flowers, prepare garlands, and give to temple for pooja etc. 

One day the variar working in the temple was plucking flowers and finally for carrying it he was cutting plantain leaves from the temple garden with a small knife. The monkey was observing it from the tree. 

Suddenly there was a call from Tirumeni- Oniithradam varu Ramavariarae ( Ramavariar come here immediately- The Priest called him. ) 

Rama variar kept things there along with knife and went in to the temple in a hurry. The monkey suddenly came there and took the knife. 
It started cutting a plantain leaf like variar from a plantain. Do the monkey know to cut leaf? Can it hold it properly? So the knife fell down from its hand and it could not be traced by the monkey. It was hiding under some leaf it cut and put. 

It was time for sreebali. It is the Marar who play drum in the temple. The marar had kept the drum with stick and was chit chatting with variar who came back to take the leaves and flower and start taking lamp. At that time the drum was in his back side. Our monkey was seeing it and felt marar cannot see him going near. 

In the disappointment of loosing knife suddenly the monkey came there and picked up the drum stick. Since it was back of him our marar could not see the monkey coming . The monkey started beating drum from his back side . The monkey also sang-

Katthi poyi chenda vannu- dhum dhum dhum. ( I lost knife- but got drum with stick)

Hearing the sound of drum all on a sudden and the singing the marar looked back and chased the monkey. It put down the drum stick some where in the hurry. 

Yes – now the monkey sighted the kolu vilakku kept outside by the variar. The variar was away with marar- OK

Now our monkey took the kolu vilakku. It was easy for the monkey to hold it with its handle . Holding it like variar holding ,the monkey sang- 

Chenda poyi vilakku vannu dhum dhum dhum. ( I lost Drum with stick – but got lamp)

Now it was the turn of poor variar. He had no other alternative . For Sreebali lamp is required. Variar was very intelligent. Variar went to garden , took the flowers and leaves and traced the knife and put the knife in a seeing place to monkey outside . Monkey was happy in getting back the knife. He was happy to play with small knife than kolvilakku. 

Now it took the knife again in its hand and started singing –

Vilakku poyi katthi vannu dhum dhum dhum. ( I lost lamp- but got knife again) 

With the knife the monkey started to cut a dry plantain leave just like that . On cutting it inside the monkey could see a plantain bunch with a dozen ripened plantains. What more the monkey want. It plucked them with hand dropping the knife down and started eating the plantains and started singing- 

Katthi venda pazham kitti dhum dhum dhum. ( No more knife- plantains are sufficient) 

Monkey became very happy. It thought to keep the knife where it took first. The monkey kept safe in that visible place the knife and jumped to its tree branch for relaxing and sleeping with a full stomach. 

By the time sreebali was over. Varier went to nandavanam to see what has happened - He found the knife in its place . The variar thought of singing like the monkey 

Poovum kitti, kathiyum kitti, dhum dhum dhum. ( I got flower, and my knife) 

Every body laughed.ha ha ha. Entha- variarum kurangayo? ( Are you too became singing monkey?)

Hearing this story my grand kid of 6 years went to sleep in a day recently while story telling in the night . He is on vacation here. . He was very happy to repeat the dhum dhum dhum while telling the story. How about your grand kid to repeat dhum dhum dhum? ( Only for elders like me) 

knr