9. Beauty and the Mouse

(A Retold Folk Tale from Skou, Jayapura, Papua)

The Powerful Love of a Mother and a Girl Turned a Mouse into a Handsome, Young Man.

By CELLY AKWAN and BECKY SIMSON

One day, Nanarmoy, a widow, held a feast for a selected number of friends from her village. After they gathered, she served them delicious food. The hostess waited until everyone had finished enjoying the dinner, and then explained the purpose of the feast.

“My son, Tant Mesinc, squeaks days and nights,” she began her speech. “I often give him food because I want to make him stop squeaking, but he keeps on squeaking. So, I asked him what he really wanted. He said he wanted to get married. That’s why I’ve invited you all to this feast.”

Shocking Revelation

This unusual speech was due to an unusual event many years before. Against her own will, Nanarmoy gave birth to a baby-mouse she called Tant Mesinc. How shocking this fact was to her! She did not understand why she had given birth to a small rodent. After all, she was not married, like her ancestors, to a mouse. She even found it disgusting and shameful to marry a rodent. Yet, she had given birth to a mouse and this fact weighed heavily on her soul for many days and nights. During the early period of bringing up Tant Mesinc, she was torn between the desire to kill the mouse and her instinct to show love to him. In the end, she got over her conflict by following her instinct of love. So, she took care of Tant Mesinc until he became big enough to ask his mother for a wife.

Nanarmoy followed the local custom of impressing guests first before trying to persuade them. Her wonderful feast did impress the guests, who considered the revelation of her plans after the dinner to be tactful. So, they sympathized with her and her son, and agreed to choose some young men as matchmakers. They would help to find the right woman for the mouse.

Nanarmoy, the guests, and the selected young men clearly understood that most girls would reject the mouse as an ideal husband. Yet, they believed Nanarmoy would get a wife for her son in the end. She needed to be patient, persistent, and tactful in her approaches, and have faith in ancestral help. Nanarmoy agreed to their suggestions.

The Difficult Matchmaking

The next morning, the matchmakers sailed to Cape Jwah in Skou, a coastal village east of present-day Jayapura. As soon as they arrived, they proposed to six young women. Unfortunately, none of them wanted to get married to a mouse.

The matchmakers returned and told Nanarmoy about the results of their attempts. Though she was rather disappointed, she did not abandon her hopes.

“Go to Cape Tuaca,” she told the unsuccessful matchmakers, “and meet with Tuaca. He has several daughters.”

Early in the morning, they left for Cape Tuaca and met with Tuaca and his family. They told him the reason of their visit. Tuaca asked his daughters one by one whether one of them would like to marry Tant Mesinc. Unfortunately, the eldest to the youngest daughter felt eerie about marrying a mouse.

The messengers returned empty-handedly and told Nanarmony again about their failure. Despite her disappointment, she still believed her son would get married some day.

The next morning, she told the matchmakers, “Go to Tiahnung. He has some daughters. I hope one of them would be willing to accept the proposal.”

When they met with Tiahnung, they told him about the purpose of their visit. The sympathetic host called on his daughters and asked them one by one. Each girl quickly turned down the proposal as soon as she knew whom she was being asked to marry.

The matchmakers went back and told Nanarmoy about their third failure. It was another frustrating day for her and the young men. Yet, she did not give up.

The next morning, she told the matchmakers to row to Mermoh, south of Tabati. This coastal village is located near present-day Jayapura.

“Meet with Mermoh, and tell him about the purpose of your visit.”

The young men understood her, but they doubted their success. They had already met with several married men whose daughters had rejected the proposal. Would one of Mermoh’s daughters accept the proposal this time?

Wavering because of their doubts, they went away, met with Mermoh, and told him about the purpose of their visit. Mermoh bent his head, thought for a while, and said, “I understand your explanation. I sympathize with you.”

Then, he called on his six daughters. They came in and faced him and the matchmakers.

“These men have come across the sea for a very good reason. I called you here because I know all of you are mature enough to decide for yourselves.”

Their father paused for a while, stared in front of him, folded his hands across his chest, and said, “These young men are matchmakers sent by Mrs. Nanarmoy. They’ve come from far away with a serious request. I want each one of you to respond sincerely to their proposal.”

“Father,” the eldest daughter said. “How can we decide if we don’t know who Nanarmoy’s son really is?”

“He’s called Tant Mesinc and is a mouse.”

“Eeeek!” five girls shrieked.

“Don’t be afraid. He’s a kind, helpful, and responsible beast. He’s an extraordinary mouse and I’m sure he’ll make you happy.”

“No, no, no. I don’t want to marry a mouse,” said the first daughter.

“I don’t either,” said the second daughter.

“I can’t imagine a mouse touching me,” said the third daughter. “It’s just disgusting.”

“The heck with it,” said the fourth daughter.

“Accepting a marriage with such a smelly animal?” said the fifth daughter. “I’ll be damned if I will.”

The successive responses of the girls brought Mermoh to embarrassment. The matchmakers could not hide their feelings of being humiliated when they listened to the rejections of their proposal. They were preparing to make an excuse to leave the house as soon as possible when the gracious and wise Mermoh broke in.

“Your grandparents and great grandparents are famous for their wisdom and love of people and animals in this village,” the father told his daughters. “Their wisdom and love have made them respectable sources of help. I, your father, have been taught to expect the best from the spirits of our benevolent ancestors. The spirits say, ‘Be virtuous, give love – and blessings will be yours.’ We’ve been practicing their wisdom and love for a long time and we’ve been blessed with a healthy and happy family. If our virtuousness and love have given us a life like ours, would it then be so difficult for anyone of you to love an animal like Tant Mesinc?”

The daughters remained cold to their father’s persuasion, except one: the youngest. She was thrilled by the purpose of the visit because of the way her father explained the situation. The lovely girl had been in love with the animal world since childhood. Her mother and grandmother had told her lots of fascinating stories about the time man and animals lived together, and even about the marriage between human beings and animals. There were also stories about some men who were turned into animals by some invisible, awesome power that people believed lived in the sky, seas, stones, caves, forests, and mountain tops. They were cursed by this power because they had transgressed on forbidden things in life. Some of these animals were revered as ancestors by certain clans. But others got rid of their animal forms through wonderful magic power and became handsome men. Could Tant Mesinc be such a handsome man in the disguise of a mouse? She was not sure, but her heart was beating faster when Tant Mesinc was mentioned. She was filled with warmth, tenderness, yearning, and maternal love for the mouse.

The father turned to his youngest daughter and asked, “Do you also refuse the proposal?”

For a few winks of the eye, she got a lump in her throat. There was a tense silence – with all eyes in the house fixed on her. The girl then collected enough courage to express her feelings.

“No, father,” she replied. “I accept the proposal, even though I know my suitor is a mouse.”

Her sisters exchanged surprised and horrified glances among themselves. At the same time, the matchmakers grinned and nodded their heads several times while exhaling sighs of relief. Her sisters became so ashamed of her that they ran out the house to their aunt’s house, crying, ridiculing, and blaming their sister for having accepted the proposal. Mermoh who could not prevent them from running away shouted, “Go away, you fools. Don’t get jealous if your sister receives many blessings some day.” The girls pretended not to hear the shouted sentences and disappeared from their father’s sight.

Turning to his youngest daughter who was just staring at the floor, he said, “I admire your courage to express your feelings. You probably don’t understand them, but they’re very sincere. Stick to those whispers from the depth of your heart because they’ll lead you to such happiness that you might have never dreamed of. And I’ll help you to live with the mouse.”

The Parting and Arrival

On the same day, the father got the dowry from the matchmakers and agreed to let his daughter go along with them. Mermoh fully understood the unseen dangers, especially from black magic practiced by men in coastal villages, which could kill his daughter. So, as a parting gift, he provided her with magic power that made her invulnerable to any black magic attacks, and advised her to conduct herself wisely.

The girl could not hold back her tears when she stepped into the matchmakers’ canoe. She sobbed, and her sobs made her parents melt into tears. It was a moment of expressing deep love in Mermoh’s family. It was also a moment of deep sadness for the youngest daughter because she had to leave her old, familiar house and go on a voyage to a new, unknown place without her parents. They promised to visit her on her wedding day.

The matchmakers respectfully kept silent in the canoe until those touching moments for Mermoh’s family had passed. Then, they graciously said goodbye and rowed away. The younger daughter looked back at her parents. They waved their hands at her until she disappeared from view.

It was in the evening when they returned to Nanarmoy’s village. How happy she was to see Mermoh’s daughter! She welcomed the girl as she stepped out of the canoe onto the beach. Then, she said kind words that showed her sincerity and love for the girl, as she accompanied her toward her house. The young woman quickly sensed the goodness of her future mother-in-law and responded kindly, politely, and reservedly. They were following the matchmakers who were holding torches made from dried coconut leaves.

Nanarmoy and the matchmakers understood that not all villagers welcomed the forthcoming marriage between her son and Mermoh’s daughter as soon as they knew about it. They would scoff at the marriage because they thought it was an ancient tradition nobody considered appropriate for the present. They feared that some evil men would try to kill Tant Mesinc, either through black magic or by using real weapons like clubs; they wanted to prevent the animal from marrying a human being. They were also afraid that notorious young men who desired the beautiful girl would try to enchant her through certain magic formulas, and turn her into an insane woman, crazy to marry them. Sensing the graveness of the dangers, Nanarmoy, the young men, and Mermoh’s daughter walked quietly to the house and arrived there when it was dark.

The Reception

When they entered the house, a reception was held. Tant Mesinc showed his happiness by squeaking around his mother’s guests, then running in front of them toward the abundant dinner a few feet away. The invited guests, men and women, were so happy with the arrival that they forgot the hostess’s request to converse in subdued voices and turned to their natural expressions: they talked and laughed boisterously.

“Would you please tone down your voices?” Nanarmoy requested. “You know how dangerous it could be to talk and laugh loudly. Our enemies could be alarmed and try to harm us.”

“The guests were slightly embarrassed to be reminded of the request, but they obeyed it. They tried to get accustomed to conversing and laughing in subdued voices. Tant Mesinc squeaked again around the dinner, and shocked his future wife by squeaking around her feet.

“It’s all right,” Nanarmoy tried to calm down her future daughter-in-law. “It’s his way of welcoming you. He wants us to start directly with the dinner we’ve already prepared for you. Please, come.”

Mermoh’s daughter who was easily touched by human kindness soon accepted the offer and sat down at the feast. She and the guests sat down on the floor and enjoyed papeda (glue-like and tasteless staple food made from sago flour), meat, fish, pork, vegetables, tubers, sago worms, shrimp, lobsters, turtle eggs, and many more dishes. The men were offered saguer, coconut-palm wine, drinking it from cups made of coconut shells or directly from bamboo sheaths. There were a lot to drink and eat, and everybody enjoyed the feast while talking, smiling, and laughing. Though Mermoh’s daughter felt happy, she was not accustomed to eating much.

During the feast, the matchmakers proudly retold the gathered guests their success in proposing to Mermoh’s youngest daughter and her great courage to accept the marriage proposal. Nanarmoy smiled thankfully to her future daughter-in-law.

The Wedding

The following evening, the wedding ceremony was held at Nanamoy’s house. Mermoh and his wife, having arrived with a few relatives, also attended it. Witnessed by the invited guests, Tant Mesinc and Mermoh’s daughter were declared as husband and wife in a formal wedding. From that time on, they would live as a family in Mermoh’s village.

After the ceremony, there was another emotional parting between Mermoh’s daughter, her parents, and relatives. The company was given abundant food to take along to their village, and sailed home that night.

More Revelations

After all the guests left the house, Nanarmoy told her daughter-in-law about her husband’s behavior. He was active at night but slept or hid himself in holes during daylight. Suddenly, the mouse squeaked around the feet of his wife, then those of his mother, scurried to the kitchen, climbed the wall, ran along the rafters, and disappeared into the thatched roof. This time, the young wife was not surprised at her husband’s behavior. She knew it was normal.

The next morning, when the sun shone brightly, Nanarmoy and her daughter-in-law squatted on the veranda and chatted. The mother-in-law who enjoyed chewing betel nuts then considered it was the right time to tell the young wife more about the way her son, the mouse, would meet her at night.

“Well, daughter, you’re already here and have become Tant Mesinc’s wife,” Nanarmoy began. “I’d like to tell you how to get along with your husband at night. He’ll creep upon you and scamper and skim on your chest. Don’t be afraid of him. He’s your husband and won’t do you any harm.”

Nanarmoy’s words did not scare her daughter-in-law.

“I understand your kind words,” she responded. “I love your son very much although I really don’t understand why I love a mouse. I believe the spirits of our benevolent ancestors must have seen something wonderful in my husband. So, they must have whispered their wisdom through my heart, however faint it is, and made me accept the proposal. I know other people will scoff at me because they don’t want me to marry an ugly animal. Yet, my love remains with Tant Mesinc because the wisdom coming from our ancestors is good for both of us.”

Nanarmoy was deeply touched. She had never heard such sincere, well-spoken words coming out from the lips of such a sincere young woman as her daughter-in-law. Deep in her heart, there was a faint whisper that kept reverberating for a few heartbeats. The soft voice said, “This is the right woman to save your son.” The whisper made her happy, but she was not able to express it. There was a secret she hid from her daughter-in-law and from other people. She would humiliate herself if she revealed it. So, she kept it in her heart and said, “I’m really moved by your words. They sound like words spoken by a respected sage. I believe his spirit is within you. Something great is going to come from that spirit.”

“I pray that it really comes.”

After chatting for some time, they parted from each other. Both were not aware that the marriage between the girl and the mouse had already been gossiped.

The Ordeal

That afternoon, Tant Mesinc’s wife walked down the stairs with a bamboo sheath on her shoulder and walked toward the creek. She was going to fill it in with clean water. While carrying the bamboo sheath and walking toward the creek, she noticed a few young women glance at her and heard them giggle.

“That’s the woman who got married to Tant Mesinc,” one of the women whispered.

“Wife of a mouse,” another one added. “Isn’t that crazy?”

“I can’t understand why such a pretty girl accepted the proposal,” a third woman whispered. “Such a charming girl in our village would have been married to a handsome man instead of marrying an ugly mouse.”

Tant Mesinc’s wife overheard their gossip. But she walked slowly away with her head bent and her eyes fixed a few steps ahead of the path she was following. Though she was hurt, she thought it was not the right time and place to challenge their prejudice yet.

While approaching the creek, she heard a human voice imitating squeaks. A few moments later, they were followed by a young man’s voice.

“Wife of the mouse, wife of the mouse. Are you going to gnaw off cassavas for your new born baby?”

The enraged young wife looked at the direction the voices were heard. Unfortunately, she could not see the scoundrels and so had to swallow her rage. She silently filled her bamboo sheath with clean water and hurried back home.

When Nanarmoy heard about the gossip and the humiliation from the rascals, she boiled with indignation.

“They must pay for their mean words,” she said angrily. “I’m going to report them to the village chief.”

She dashed off to the village chief and reported the disgraceful behavior of some neighbors in that village. After discovering the culprits, the chief and village elders ordered them to restore the dignity of Nanarmoy and her family.

Despite the agreement between the village leaders and the guilty neighbors to stop harassing Nanarmoy’s family, the marriage between Tant Mesinc and Mermoh’s daughter leaked out, even to Jwah, Tuaca, Tiahnung, and Mermoh. The young women in those villages who had once been proposed to by Nanarmoy’s matchmakers scoffed and jeered when they heard the news about the marriage. Others who were thrilled by exotic stories found a new source to quench their thirst for more of the unusual side of human life.

Nanarmoy, her matchmakers, and sympathizers could not do much to stop the news leakage. They prayed to the benevolent ancestors to help them through the ordeal.

One night, Tant Mesinc’s wife went to bed with a depressed and confused mind. She pondered upon the humiliation cast on her and the spreading gossip and scoffs about her uncommon marriage. Did I really make a hasty decision when I accepted the proposal and married Tant Mesinc? she wondered. How long will all these prejudices last and how long can I stand being the wife of a mouse, someone most people avoid? Besides, how can I conduct myself properly among other villagers if ill-mannered people here torment my mind with nasty words about my husband? Should I report them every time they do so? Then what will happen afterward? Does my marriage really make sense? Or are the faint whispers I have heeded from the good ancestors who I consider wise sages just my own delusions? These were hard questions she was not able to answer.

The Miracle

Without being aware that the high tide had already covered the beach, she fell asleep from exhaustion. She slept so soundly that she was not aware of her husband’s presence. The mouse squeaked and ran toward her, jumped on her chest, and crept across her body. His tickling touches suddenly awoke her. Still in a sleeping and waking state, she lifted her hand to drive away something she was afraid of. By accident, her hand hit something she did not know was the mouse and hurled him into the fire in the fireplace near her. The burning Tant Mesinc squeaked with a shrill, prolonged voice and was able to jump out of the fire.

At the same time, his alarmed wife jumped up from her mat, worried about her husband. Was he the one she had just burned? She was scared, but suddenly what she saw was incredible! There, in front of her, the squeaking mouse was turning himself into a robust and handsome, young man! It was a miraculous change only made by a powerful magician from the sky. For some quick heartbeats, she was stunned, awe-stricken by the wonderful change. Then, she gathered her courage and composure and said, “Tant Mesinc, tell me in a human voice that you’re a real human being like me.”

“I’m Tant Mesinc, your husband,” the handsome young man replied with a radiant smile. “Don’t be afraid of me because I’m a real human being. Come here.”

His surprised wife stared at his eyes for several fast heartbeats and then flew toward him and hugged him.

“Tant Mesinc, Tant Mesinc,” she cried. “You’re so dear to me. Now I understand very well that the whispers from our benevolent ancestors are true. They’ve kindled the ember of love in me for you and have made it glow ever since.”

She freed herself from her husband, bent her head, and asked, “Would that glowing ember of love die out now that you’re real to me?”

“It wouldn’t, dear,” Tant Mesinc replied after some moments of silence. An in a crystal-clear, burly, and melodious voice, he said, “The spirits of our benevolent ancestors are witnesses now of my pledge to live and die with you. May their curse be deadlier than the venom of the white snake if I break my solemn promise!”

His love was stronger than the venom of one of the most venomous snakes in the forest? How powerful were his words that solemnly resonated from the bottom of his heart! His wife was really moved by them.

“Tell me, Tant Mesinc,” she said. “Why were you a mouse?”

“I really don’t know the answer. I’ve been a mouse since I was born. I’ve become what I’m now after my mouse skin was burned to ashes by the fire.”

Before she could say anything, Nanarmoy who had been awakened by the voices in the room of her daughter-in-law said, “What’s going on there? I heard cries and a man’s voice.”

“It’s me, Mom,” the man’s voice responded. “I’m Tant Mesinc.”

Nanarmoy ran toward her daughter-in-law’s room while crying, “Tant Mesinc, Tant Mesinc.” Now she was witnessing her dream come true – right in front of her.

She burst into tears, hugged her handsome son, and said, “Tant Mesinc, you’re the fulfillment of my dream. You’re the morning sunshine that warms my soul and drives away the darkness in it. Now I understand how great our ancestors are.”

She freed herself from her son and continued, “The spirits of our benevolent ancestors have heard my prayers. They’ve given me the strength to believe that my prayers would come true some day. For now I’m witnessing the miracle of their power. They’ve changed Tant Mesinc, the mouse, into Tant Mesinc, the young man. I can’t tell you how deeply thankful I am to their wonderful goodness.”

Still More Revelations

Although impressed by Nanarmoy’s words, Tant Mesinc and his wife were surprised after hearing the words the old woman had spoken.

“Mom,” Tant Mesinc said. “If I’m the fulfillment of your prayers, then what has really happened?”

It was a question that hit his mother’s pride. It demanded courage and sincerity to reveal a very personal secret she had kept since her son was born. She felt a lump in her throat and could not say anything for a few blinks of her eyes.

“Come on, Mom,” he insisted while squatting with his wife near the fireplace. “I’d like to know why I was a mouse and was changed by the fire into a man.”

His mother squatted, too, squeezed her hands and fingers, stared at the dark corner in front of her, and said, “Your father died from a mysterious illness. Ever since that time, nobody has witnessed the cause of his death. Then I was nearly shocked to death when you were born. Instead of having a human baby, I had a mouse baby, a fact too embarrassing for me to bear.”

She looked at her son and daughter-in-law.

“What would the villagers say of my baby?” she continued. “They would scorn me and say, ‘Nanarmoy is cursed by the ancestors because she has done something taboo. That’s why she gave birth to an animal baby. How shameful!’”

She looked at the corner again and said, “I don’t know what really caused me to have you, a baby-mouse. Some women and medicine men said I had been bewitched for having unwittingly passed through a sacred forest where sacred mice lived. Others claimed that I had accidentally drunk some water mixed with the urine of a male mouse in the forest. I’m not very sure of their explanations.”

“My dearest son,” said Nanarmoy while turning her eyes to Tant Mesinc. “I thank the spirits of our benevolent ancestors for not letting me kill you as soon as you were born.”

“Why didn’t you?” her curious daughter-in-law asked while watching the fireplace. The embers became less warm and made the room darker.

“Under the heavy burden of embarrassment for having given birth to you, Tant Mesinc, I had made up my mind to kill you early in the morning of the second day after your birth. But on the first night, a goddess-like image appeared in my dream. She looked at me and said, ‘Don’t kill that mouse. He’s a real human being. He’s been the result of a curse that won’t last long. For as soon as he gets married, his wife will change him into a human being. Wait until he asks you for a wife.”

Nanarmoy gazed at her children again and said, “I felt as if my dreams were so real that I wanted to talk to the being from above. But before I could open my mouth, she disappeared. I got up, thought about the dream, and believed in its truth. When I looked at you, still rolling and squeaking with your little voice near me, and changed my mind, I threw into the sea the club I was going to hit you to death with.”

She began to chew her betel nuts, kept silent for a while, and then continued, “But things haven’t run smoothly since that night. Because of you, I’ve often been scoffed, ridiculed, and humiliated. Because of you, people have often played nasty jokes on me. I’ve always kept my faith in the truth of that dream although I’ve suffered a lot for it. And the truth of that faith has proven itself by giving you to me, Tant Mesinc, my dearest son.”

Tant Mesin drew a long sigh of relief, stood up, and stared in front of him.

“Mom,” he said after a pause, “there isn’t any other mother I love as dear as you. I feel how great your love is. Thank you for being a great mother.”

He squatted near the fireplace and put some firewood in it. It soon caught fire and gave warmth and light to the room.

The human and natural sounds of a peaceful and wonderful night filled the silence. They sounded like a song accompanied by different beats, tempos, timbres, and rhythms. The breaths of Nanarmoy and her children were accompanied by the sounds of the rippling waves under the house, swishing wind, and rustling leaves on the beach. These soft sounds were interrupted by dogs baying at the moon and occasionally accentuated by the sputtering fire, coughs from a man in the neighborhood, hoots, and insect cries.

“Tant Mesinc,” Nanarmoy broke the silence. “Your wife and I are very happy to know your change. We shouldn’t keep that happiness for ourselves.”

“Of course, we shouldn’t,” said Tant Mesinc. “I’m going to reveal myself to our villagers and to those living in other villages. Please, help me to introduce myself and my wife, Mom.”

“I’ll do.”

When the first crows of the roosters were heard, they dispersed and went back to sleep. Tant Mesinc and his wife could not close their eyes until the morning broke. They were so happy to be with each other, and were tense with the excitement about the coming revelation.

Early in the morning, Nanarmoy sent her matchmakers to gather the villagers at her house. They were surprised to hear about the amazing change and wanted to see what the new Tant Mesinc looked like.

The village chief was invited to give a speech. He stood on a wooden terrace, stared at the standing crowd, smiled, and said, “Today is a great day for us. The spirits of our benevolent ancestors are so great that they have taught us a great lesson about life. It is that true love, yes, true love and its power can change a mouse into a human being. The human being is not an ugly old man in a far-away land. He is a handsome young man among us.”

The crowd voiced their surprise and awe at hearing the chief’s words. The words expressed made the village chief feel proud for having impressed the crowd. So, he felt encouraged to continue his speech.

“Now I’d like to introduce the handsome, young man – Tant Mesinc,” he continued. “Here he is.”

The robust and handsome, young man came out of the house. The chief embraced him from his side and the crowd, lost in wonder for several heartbeats, applauded boisterously.

“The young man you see now was formerly a mouse, but he has been born again as a young man. Only true love has been able to change him this way.”

Another boisterous applause welcomed the speech and expressed the admiration of the crowd.

“Oh, dear!” a girl exclaimed. “Why have I been so foolish before? I rejected his proposal when he was a mouse and now I’ve lost such a handsome, young man.”

“Oh, my!” another girl continued. “I wish I were his wife. How happy we would be then!”

The village chief released his hand from Tant Mesinc and continued.

“This true love would not have given us this miracle without the greatness of the hearts of Nanarmoy and her daughter-in-law. Look! They’re standing in front of you now.”

Sympathetic smiles and laughter burst out when Nanarmoy and her daughter-in-law appeared on the stage.

“They have shown the greatness of love that we and our descendants will remember as long as the sun, moon, and stars exist! And let me say something special about this beautiful girl – another Beauty of a fairy tale from a far-away land. For neither men nor women in our village have even shown true love that has changed a mouse into a human being like this Beauty and her mother-in-law. Yes, true love is the only power that gives us true happiness. Let’s keep that true love in our hearts and let’s show it to other people. Now let’s give another big hand to Nanarmoy and her family!”

A thunderous applause filled the air. The village chief, the crowd, Nanarmoy, Tant Mesinc, and his wife were happy. Those who had scoffed and humiliated Nanarmoy came forward, apologized for having been callous and rude to her. The powerful happiness in her heart beamed forgiving smiles to her former enemies. The crowd then went home and spread the amazing story to other villages.

Restoring Dignity

After the gathering, Tant Mesinc told his former matchmakers, “Take me to Jwah, Tuaca, Tiahnung, and Mermoh tomorrow morning. I want to restore the dignity of my family in front of the people and girls who once despised my mother, my wife, and me. They should know why I’ve been changed from a mouse into a man.”

The next morning, they left for those villages. The villagers who had been told were struck with wonder at the handsome, young man. Was he really changed from a mouse? Yes, he was. Tant Mesinc met and talked with them about his new birth. The villagers liked and admired him, and wanted him to be their friend and adopted son.

Tant Mesinc also visited his father-in-law. Mermoh and his wife were enthusiastic and welcomed him in their house.

To his in-laws, Tant Mesinc said, “I would like to thank you so much for the greatness of your wisdom and love. Without them, I would not have been changed into a human being. Your daughter has expressed that wisdom and love and has changed me into a man. She has helped my mother and me to restore our dignity and spread our fame to the far corners of our land. May the spirits of our benevolent ancestors bless you and your children with happiness and long life! And may your family and my family be remembered for their goodness for countless generations!”

As a sign of gratitude, Tant Mesinc offered a memento to his father-in-law. It was a precious stone axe.

Mermoh accepted it heartily and said, “At this very moment, my heart is filled with joy. I have always believed that wisdom and love can work wonders. Now my faith in them has been rewarded. You are the wonder of wisdom and love. May the spirits of our benevolent ancestors engrave wisdom and love in your heart and in the hearts of your children!”

After that ceremonial visit, Mermoh gave some food to his son-in-law and his company before they returned to their village. Tant Mesinc thanked his in-laws, stepped into the canoe while being watched by a crowd of admirers, and left after he had said goodbye to them.

Jealousy at Home

After they left, the wonderful rebirth of Tant Mesinc excited Mermoh’s daughters and other girls. They did not show up when Tant Mesinc paid his homage to his in-laws. These young girls who formerly rejected him were now so spellbound by the handsome, young man and his posture that they chased after him, crossed the sea, and rushed into Nanarmoy’s house before Tant Mesinc and his company arrived. Mermoh’s daughters arrived first and met with their youngest sister.

“Get out of here!” they shouted at her. “You shouldn’t be Tant Mesinc’s wife. You’re too young for that.”

Before she could say a word, other girls came in and shouted, “Hey, sissy. You’re not the right wife for Tant Mesinc. We’re his suitable wives. Get out!”

All the jealous sisters and girls who were madly in love with Tant Mesinc began to pull out his wife. She screamed and tried to defend herself. Just as they were trying to drag her down the stairs, Tant Mesinc and the matchmakers arrived on the shore. They heard the noisy women, ran toward the house, pushed the wildly excited girls aside, and freed Tant Mesinc’s wife.

Tant Mesinc pulled his wife behind his back and shouted, “Get away from here! I don’t love any of you, mean women. Don’t ever do any harm to my wife again. Go!”

The girls were disappointed, sad and crying while leaving the house. All failed to marry Tant Mesinc. Curious villagers who were alarmed by the noise voices gathered and were surprised to know the strange event and watched the girls leave the shore.

From that time on, Tant Mesinc and his beautiful wife lived happily. And the story of their great love has been told from one generation to another for countless moons. Their wonderful love has even been composed into beautiful songs and sung at many festivals and reenacted through many rituals.

Copyright ©2008. All rights reserved. Published with written permission from the authors.