Celebrating grandparents and their oral tradition that has transcended time

New Indian Express

2 days ago

Lakshmi (85), a homemaker who takes care of her grandchildren at home, corroborates and recalls how a specific kozhukattai story she told her grandchildren was always rich with imagination. The characters in the story were brought to life using the names of family members. 'It's about the naughtiest child in the household who sneaks off with a kozhukattai (a sweet) and replaces it with a rat, disrupting the count and leaving another child short of their share,' she explains. 'When the mischief is discovered and the naughty one is punished, another child steps in with kindness and suggests everyone share their sweets with the culprit. Every time the story was told, each grandchild wanted to play the role of the compassionate one and they would always pin the 'naughty' label on a sibling,' she adds.
Even while singing songs, grandparents admit to switching the names of little girls and boys with those of their grandchild. 'That acts as a hook,' Lakshmi reasons.
Rhymes and reasons
Apart from adding a personal spin to tales and rhymes, several Tamil stories narrated by grandparents seem to have catchy songs and sounds — at least four to five lines — that make children demand the story be repeated to them time and again. 'The kozhukattai story, for instance, has a song that goes, 'Amma amma kozhukattai ku kannu undo di?' ('Mom, does a kozhukattai have eyes?') And then goes on to ask if it has ears, nose, mouth, and a tail,' Lakshmi says. Another story, famous among grandparents, of a street vendor indulging in bartering, has the song, 'Vaalu poi kathi vandhudhu, dum dum dum,' (translates to: losing a tail for a knife) explaining each barter exchange.
Jaya (66), a domestic worker, also shares a specific story she often tells her grandchildren that features sounds designed to attract them. 'It is the story of a kulla (a short guy) who gets bullied by dogs, chickens, and more such animals,' she says. The dog in the story, for instance, would bully him by saying 'Bow bow kulla, bow bow kulla,' repeated rhythmically, followed by a chicken that would say, 'Kokkarako kulla, kokkarako kulla.'