Folk Tale of an Old Lady and Pop Corn

It is customary to get pop corns as an evening snack in villages in Punjab. People go to a happening corner of a village where a specialist heats up a raw Corn Kernel which ruptures and puffs up when placed into heated sand contained in a big cast-iron pan. The specialist in turn gets a small fee in cash or raw corn itself.

It is an old folk-tale heard over and over for many centuries and retold in many different styles and languages.

Once upon a time there was an old lady who was coming back after popping the Kernels in an open dry-leaves basket. When a Crow, who was sitting on a branch of a tree saw full basket of hot and yummy pops,  flew in a flash and took away one popped corn and went back to sit on the tree branch.

The old lady was was furious and most unhappy. She went to the Crow and demanded for return of her pop corn.

She asked, "oh Crow, oh Crow!, 

Please return my pop corn,

Otherwise I shall complain to the tree to make you flee the tree".

The crow refused to listen and return the corn.

So she went to the Tree.

She asked, "Oh Tree, Oh Tree!, 

please make the crow leave his branch, as the crow refuses to return my pop corn". 

But the Tree replied, "Why should I ask the bird to leave my branch, I am made for the birds to enjoy on my branches. I would not ask the crow to leave".

Getting annoyed, old lady went to a Carpenter.

She asks, "Oh Carpenter, oh Carpenter!

Go and cut the tree as he does not listen to me". The carpenter replied, "Why should I cut the tree as it has done no harm to me. I will not cut the same".

The old lady then goes to a Rat

She asks, "Oh Rat, oh Rat!

Please go and cut the purse of Carpenter's wife".

"No I won’t" answered the Rat, 

The old lady then goes to a Cat.

She asks, "Oh Cat, oh Cat!,

Go and eat the Rat" as he does not listen to me.

The Cat also refused.

The old lady then goes to a Dog.

She asks, "Oh Dog, oh Dog!,

Go and eat the Cat"

The dog refused to eat the Cat.

The old lady then goes to a Wooden Rod.

She asks, "Oh Rod, oh Rod!,

Go and beat the Cat" 

The Wooden Rod refused to beat the Cat. The old lady then goes to the Fire.

She asks, "Oh Fire, oh Fire!,

Go and blaze the Wooden Rod"

The dog refused to burn the Wooden Rod.

The old lady then goes to a pond of Water.

She asks, "Oh Water, oh Water!,
Go and extinguish the fire"

The Water refused to douse the fire as the fire has done no harm to it.

The old lady had lots of patience and never lost her hopes.
And now she goes to an Elephant
She Asks the Elephant, "Oh Elephant, oh Elephant!,

Go and suck and squirt the Water on Fire", 

The Elephant refused to suck and squirt the Water on Fire. 

As determined old lady was, She had learned as per old belief that if an Ant enters an Elephant Ears, it can kill him instantly.

The old lady then goes to an Ant, She asks, "Oh Ant, oh Ant!,

Can you go and enter the ear of the Elephant as he is not listening to me".

The Ant finally agreed and challenged the Elephant.

The Elephant got scared and agreed to suck and squirt the water on fire.

The fire was panicked to get extinguished with water, and agreed to blaze the Rod.

The Rod also got aghast of getting burnt, was ready to beat the Dog.
The Dog was also afraid of the Rod, agreed to eat the Cat.

The Cat was terrified of the Dog, and agreed to consume the Rat.

The Rat got panicked of the Cat, and quickly agreed to cut the bag of Carpenter's wife.

Having come to know about Rat's intentions, The carpenter was petrified and agreed to cut the Tree.



The poor Tree started having cold feet, and agreed to let the crow fly away.

Finally the Crow was shaken and had no option but to return the Pop Corn to the Old Lady. 

The crow flew back to return the pop corn into the dry leave basket she was carrying.

The old lady was happy to get her pop corn back and went home happily to enjoy hot and yummy pop corns with her kids and grand kids.