Wasn’t that a happy ending? Would you like to hear another story about the Thai Skies? Yes…. Well…
The Crocodile
There are many stars in the sky and some of them form a group which we can make a picture from and give it a name. One group of stars is called ‘The Big Dipper’ by many people around the world.
But here in Thailand we think that it looks like a Crocodile and that is what we call it.
Sometimes we have to look towards the north and very low in the sky to see The Crocodile. How did The Crocodile get up into the Sky? Well it all started with a very rich old man.
The Old man’s name was Tong and he was very wealthy. In fact he had so much gold and money that he was afraid to keep it in his house and decided to bury the treasure and hide it, in the garden in front of his house.
Tong was married to his wife called Jena and loved her very much. He was able to give her everything that she needed and they were never hungry. Because he cared for Jena so much – he never told her where in the garden he had hidden the gold and money. Tong was always afraid that evil robbers would one day catch Jena, hurt her and force her to tell them where the wealth was hidden.
They had a very happy life but as is the way of the world – one night Tong went on to his next life. Jena was very worried as Tong had always provided for her and now that he was gone she did not know where the money and gold were hidden.
That night when Jena was sleeping and dreaming - Tong came to her.
“Tong – why have you come to visit me?”
“Jena Ja – I have come to tell you where the gold and money is.”
Tong revealed to her where he had hidden the money in the garden. He asked her that once she had found it and dug it up to make Tamboon with a big contribution to the Temple to give her merit in her future life and to help him find a new life.
The following morning Jena took Tong’s shovel from the sala where the tools were kept went into the garden. She very quickly made the correct number of paces from the house to the place in the garden that Tong had explained to Jena in her dream and started to dig.
Very soon her shovel was through the soil and she could see a large box. When it was uncovered – she carefully lifted it and took it into the house. When she opened it all of the gold and money was inside.
Later that afternoon, many of Jena’s neighbours were sitting in the coffee house – all talking excitedly.
‘Did you see that crocodile outside of Tong and Jena’s house?”
“Yes, it was going around and round the garden wall for many hours! It was so big! You know, if I did not know better – I would think that it was guarding the property!”
“Did you see Jena?”
“No, but I could hear her. I think that she was digging in the garden.”
At the back of Jena’s house – the garden had a gate which opened onto a klong. This klong was quite wide and deep and passed the nearby Wat.
The following afternoon Jena carried the money and gold for the Temple inside of her sarong pocket. She went out of the back gate of the garden and boarded their little boat which was moored there. Very slowly she paddled the boat to the Temple to present the gift.
Many people saw that a large crocodile was leading the boat and said that Tong had been reborn as that crocodile.
To reward him for his generosity he was again reborn as the Constellation Crocodile in the sky. Thai people call the Constellation Dao Ja Ra Kae and when they see it they are reminded to be good in this life and they will be rewarded.
Glossary
Ja – Darling
Tamboon – Making merit for oneself or other people.
Sala – Small wooden building, usually in the garden.
Klong – Canal
Wat – Buddhist Temple
Sirius – The Sleeping Dog or Robber Star
The last story is about the brightest star in the sky which many people call Sirius.
Here in Thailand lots of people call it Dao Mah Lap - The sleeping Dog Star and old folk call the star Dao Jone – The Robber Star. Children who are born at the time that the star rose may well grow up to be criminals! Old people say that when this star is in the sky all dogs go fast asleep and it is difficult to wake them. This makes the Robber’s life easier for them to steal. Late in the year Sirius does not rise until very, very early in the morning and if you are awake – you will see that it is the brightest star in the sky.
If you do see Dao Mah Lap – just make sure that you try to wake up the dog!
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Well, that is the end of our stories for today. I do hope that you enjoyed them and when you look up at the sky on a clear and bright evening – that you will try to see some of these stars and make pictures of their constellation and give them a name!
‘Chiang Mai Guide’ and ‘Chiang Mai Through the Looking Glass’
By Francis Shettlesworth
And ‘End of the Line’, ‘King of the Road’ and ‘The Revenge of the Scorpion’ By Francis Chiang
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