Kianaro and the Sea Princesses

Long ago there lived a fisherman couple on the coast of Hawaii. They had a son named Kianaro. The fisherman and his wife loved their son more than anything else in the world. They used to work hard for the whole day to provide Kianaro with all the comforts. Kianaro was a well grown youth and a good fisherman. In the whole village there was not a single sailor who can match up to the skills of Kianaro. Kianaro was a brave man and dared to sail even when the sea was furious and dangerous enough to sail. The people in the village used to warn Kianaro not to take risks as it may also cost him to death but Kianaro never listened to them as he knew what he was capable of.

It happened that one day while Kianaro was hauling his well filled nets he saw a turtle among the fishes. The turtle was too small so Kianaro thought of taking the tiny turtle with him to his home and keep it as his pet. Thinking so Kianaro caught the turtle with his hands when suddenly the turtle cried and begged for it's life. The turtle said " Please leave me back into the sea as I am too tiny to play with you, be merciful and set me free". Kinaro who was good natured boy felt pity on the turtle and so he put the turtle back into the sea. The turtle thanked Kianaro and swam back into the sea.

Years flew by, and every morning Kianaro sailed his boat into the deep sea to catch fish. One fine morning when Kianaro sailed into the sea to catch fish there arose a fierce tide which shattered Kianaro's boat into pieces and threw him hard into the sea. Kianaro being a swimmer tried hard to swim but failed to do so as the tide was forcing him back. While Kianaro was struggling hard for survival suddenly he noticed a big turtle coming towards him. The turtle came close to Kianaro and shouted "I am the turtle whose life you saved once. Time has come to pay off my debt and so please come and sit on my back and I will take you safely from here. Kianaro quickly sat on the turtle's back and they both sailed for few miles when the turtle said "Kianaro please come with me as I want to show you something". Kianaro agreed and so the turtle took Kianaro deep inside the sea. They sailed inside the sea for five days and at last they stopped before a beautiful palace shining with precious stones and gold. 

Kianaro was stunned to see the richness of the palace and was even amazed when he went inside the palace along with the turtle. The palace was filled with gold and precious stones. Kianaro asked the turtle "Where have you brought me my dear friend?". The turtle replied, this is our king "The Great Binzo's Palace." The turtle further said "I am Sara and I am the first maid of the King's daughter Gia". Kianaro was still puzzled with the adventures which he came across. The turtle said to Kianaro "I have some work to do so you please stay here for a while and I will be back",and saying the turtle left. Kianaro was amazed by the beauty of the palace when he suddenly saw a group of maids coming in the direction where he was standing. The maids rushed towards Kianaro and said "Please come along with us to our princesses chamber as she wishes to see you". Kianaro accompanied by the maids went to the princesses chamber and he was stunned to see a beautiful lady sitting inside. The maids left after leaving Kianaro there. The princesses too was stunned by seeing the handsome Kianaro and immediately fell in love with him. 

The princesses begged Kianaro to stay with her forever as her husband and in return she promised Kianaro that he will remain young forever and his beauty will not fade with time. Kianaro was pleased to hear this and so he stayed with the princesses in the kingdom. Years passed by and one day Kianaro wished to see his old parents and so he went to the princesses and expressed his desire. The princesses was terrified to hear this and requested him to stay with her, else something dreadful would be sure to happen. She said to Kianaro "You will never come back if you go from here". Kianaro promised the princesses that he will come back after seeing his parents and that it would be his last visit to his parents. The princesses agreed sadly and said "I know very well that once you go you may not come back but there is one way that can bring you safely back but I fear you may not agree to the conditions". Kianaro said "I can do anything you want me to do so that I can come back". The Princesses went to her shelf and from there bought a tiny golden box and gave it to Kianaro saying "Kianaro keep this golden box with you carefully and never open this golden box until you return". "If you can do this then the turtle will come to the shore and bring you back here". Kianaro agreed to the princesses conditions and bade her farewell.

Kianaro hid the golden box safely in his robe and sat on the back of the turtle and vanished in the ocean path. Kianaro and the turtle sailed for five days and at last arrived at the beach where lay his old home. The turtle bade farewell to Kianro and left. Kianro was overjoyed to see his village but was surprised to see that everything was new in the village. The houses have changed and even the people he saw were not the same he once knew. After wandering for a while he went to his house and knocked the door. An old woman came from inside and when Kianaro asked her about his parents the old woman was unable to give any news of them. Kianaro sadly went away from there and while he was wandering he came across a graveyard and so Kianro went inside the graveyard and was stunned to see the name of his parents on the grave and the date and year of their death. He was even surprised that they died on the same day when Kianaro went missing in the sea. It was almost three hundred years back. Kianaro was shattered after discovering this and he wandered like a mad man in the village streets for a while when he came across a villager.

Kianaro went to the villager and told him his whole story and the villager thought that Kianaro lost his senses. The villager shouted at Kianro saying that he was a mad man with evil intention. Kianaro ran towrads the beach frightened and sat there thinking about his olden days. He cursed the princesses, his wife thinking that because of her he had to stay away from his parents. He suddenly remembered about the golden box which the princesses gave and so he thought of opening it thinking that the princesses would have given the golden box with some evil intention and thinking so he took the golden box from his robes and opened it. Suddenly a pink vapour came out and Kianaro's hands and legs turned like the hands and legs of an old man. He rushed to the beach to see his face in the water and was stunned to see that he has become old and his skin had shrivelled.  

Kianaro cried for long time and sat sadly on a rock near the beach and called loudly for the turtle but the turtle never came back, instead death came soon. Kianaro died after few days.  Even now in Hawaii when children become restless their parents tell them the story of Kianaro who had given up his parents for the sake of splendours in the sea.

Margaret And The Twelve Witches

Long ago there lived a rich lady in Florida named Margaret. One winter night she was unable to sleep so she started knitting to engage herself while all the family members and servants were asleep. After knitting for a while Margaret wanted to go back to sleep when suddenly she heard a knock at the door and someone cried "Open the Door". Margaret was surprised as it was too late for any guest to visit. "Who is there outside?" asked Margaret. A voice came from outside " I am the Witch of one eye." Margaret unable to hear the reply assumed that one of her neighbours would have come for some help so she opened the door.

A witch woman with strange appearance entered inside. She had only one eye and she carried a pair of wool carders in her hand. The witch sat down by the fire and started knitting. Suddenly she paused, and started shouting "Where are my friends? They haven't arrived yet! Suddenly Margaret heard someone knocking the door again as before, "Open the Door". Margaret felt obliged to rise and open the door and a second witch came inside and she had two eyes. She carried a wheel for spinning the wool. She went and sat down by the fire and started spinning. And so the knocks went on and the witches came in one by one until at last the twelve witches sat round by the fire, the first witch with one eye and the last witch with twelve eyes. They started knitting and spinning and were singing together a folk song but no word did they speak with Margaret. Strange to hear and frightful to look upon were the twelve witches with their red eyes and wheels. Margaret was unable to move and speak for the spell of the witches was upon her.

Suddenly one of the witch came to her and said "We are feeling hungry go and make something for us to eat." Margaret went to the kitchen to prepare some food and she noticed that there was no water in the kitchen to prepare any food for the servants have emptied the pots to fill fresh water the next day. She took a pot and went to the well and when she filled the pot with water she noticed that the pot had a hole and so it was unable to hold the water. Margaret started crying for she feared that if she won't prepare the food the witch may kill her. Then a voice came by her and said, "Take some clay and moss and bind them together and plaster the pot so that it will hold the water. Margaret did as she was instructed and the pot was repaired. She filled the pot with water and was about to leave when  the voice came by her and said "Go home and you reach the south angle of your house, cry aloud three times and say, 'The house of the witch women is on fire". Margaret went back home and did as she was told to.

When the twelve witches heard Margaret's cry they rushed outside as it was their house that was on fire. After the witches left an Angel appeared and she sprinkled some holy water outside the door so that the witch women can never enter the house again. The angel took the clothes which the witches had woven and she put those clothes on fire and sealed the door with a crossbeam and waited for the witches to come back for she was sure that the witches will return. After some time Margaret and the Angel heard the knocks outside the door. "Open the Door" they screamed. The door shouted I cannot for the beam is fixed with a cross and I have no power to remove it. The witches rushed through the air crying and cursing the Angel who ruined their plot of killing Margaret and other members of the family. Margaret and her family were left in peace and Margaret thanked the holy Angel who saved her life.

The Fisherman's Two Daughter's

Many years ago on the banks of River Amazon there lived a poor fisherman whose wife had died, leaving him two beautiful daughters named Mary and Anna. Mary had hair as black as night and her skin was dark. Everyone in the village loved her as she was very kind and dutiful. She always helped her father repair the nets and make the torches to fish with at night. Her bright smile lit up the little hut of the fisherman like a ray of light.

The fisherman's second daughter Anna was fair and had long golden hair and she was very proud. She was quite different from Mary as she never helped the poor and never helped her father. She would play for the whole day catching butterflies cruelly by sticking a pin through it and then she would fasten it to her hair. then she would go down to the river and she her reflection in the clear water, and would laugh to see the poor butterfly struggling with pain. The villager's disliked Anna for her acts and loved Mary which made Anna jealous of her elder sister and thought evil of her.

One day a poor old woman came to the fisherman's house and begged for a little rice to put in her bowl. Mary was doing some household work and Anna was busy playing with the butterflies. When Anna saw the old beggar woman she ran towards the door shouted at her and pushed the old woman so badly that the old woman fell down on the ground and her head started bleeding. Hearing the old woman crying with pain Mary rushed outside to see what happened and helped the old woman get up. She took the old woman inside the house, washed the blood from her head and bandaged it. She then went to the kitchen and bought some bread and butter for her to eat and also filled the old woman's bowl with rice.

The poor woman thanked Mary and promised never to forget he kindness, but she did not say a word to Anna and left. Anna too did not care a bit for the old woman and instead made fun of her and mocked her calling her as a beggar. When the old lady left Mary scolded her Anna for being rude towards elders and warned her not to repeat the same mistake again which made Anna hate her sister even more. After some years the fisherman died due to terrible sickness. Mary and Anna were left alone in the world. Mary used to carve decorations from the shells which she gathered from the banks of the River and earned enough money to buy food for her and her sister. On the other hand Anna did nothing and spent her days playing. 

One day Mary fell terribly ill and was unable to get up from her bed. Day by day Mary's illness grew and she became very weak Mary asked her sister Anna to nurse her, but Anna being jealous of Mary would do nothing to ease her pain. Mary's sickness grew worse and worse and finally it seemed as if she would die, the door opened and the old beggar woman whom Mary had helped once came inside the room. She bought with her some pills and advised Mary to swallow the pills. Mary did a per her instructions and showed signs of being better,but was still weak enough to thank the old lady for her help. The old woman then gave a few pills to Anna and instructed her to give the pills to Mary every hour until she returned. The old woman then went away leaving the two girls.

Anna watched her sister but did not give her the pills. Instead she threw the pills outside and paid no attention to Mary's moans of pain. Anna wanted her sister to die. The other day the old woman came once again to see Mary but was shocked to see that Mary was at the point of death. She asked Anna if she had given the pills to Mary every hour as instructed. Anna showed the old woman the empty bag and said she had given them as directed. The old woman did not believe Anna's words and started searching the house but she could not find the pills. She for the last time asked Anna if she had given the pills to her sister and again the cruel girl said hat she had done so.

Suddenly the room was filled with light and in the place of the old woman stood a beautiful fairy holding Mary in her arms. She said to Anna " I am the old beggar woman who asked for rice. I wanted to know your hearts, you were cruel and Mary was kind, so from now Mary will stay with me in beautiful home. She then cursed Anna saying from now on you will beg for food but no one will show you kindness and you will die with starvation and hunger.

"Come with me said the fairy to Mary" and she carried Mary to her beautiful home where she lived in peace and happiness forever.