Version 1 (related by Phau Nu, a village elder)
Thao Pangkee was once upon a time the `hired child' (luug chang) or
servant of a rich couple who in due course gave their daughter Nang Ai in
marriage to him. One day Pangkee and his wife went into the forest and
there found a wild fig tree (ton mai ma deua) bearing fruits. Pangkee asked
his wife to climb the tree to pick fruits, which she did, but when she
descended she found her husband missing. She searched for him without
success, and in the course of the search she came to a river. She then
vowed by the bank of the river that in her next life she would not meet
a husband like Pangkee, who had deserted her. After their deaths Pangkee
was born the son of a
Naga ruler
[2]
named Sirisutho, and Nang Ai was
born the daughter of Phaya Korm, the ruler of Naung Haan.
Thao Phadaeng, the ruler of a city called Pha Pong, courted Nang Ai
and they became lovers. Nang Ai's father, Phaya Korm,[3]
proclaimed his
intention to hold the rocket festival called Bunbangfai, and Phadaeng and
Phaya Chieng Han, another ruler, decided to compete in it. Pangkee, the
Naga prince, also heard the news about the rocket festival and since he
had heard about Nang Ai's beauty he wanted very much to see her. So he
transformed himself into a human being and attended the festival but
he failed to see Nang Ai. The winner of the rocket competition was
Phaya Chieng Han; Phadaeng's rocket failed to take off.
Pangkee returned to the Naga city, but he still yearned to see Nang Ai.
So he solicited permission from his parents to go up again to the human
world. They agreed, unwillingly, and sent their Naga army to accompany
him. When they emerged from the water, Pangkee took the form of
a white squirrel (gahog daun) and jumped from tree to tree. The accompanying
Naga soldiers transformed themselves into birds and followed him.
Nang Ai, in her palace at this time, felt uneasy and fretful (mai pen sug).
She felt she did not want to stay inside, so she went and sat outside in
the garden. There she saw the squirrel at the foot of a tree; it was a beautiful
animal with golden bells round its neck and a melodious voice. She wanted
to possess it and asked her maids and pages to catch it, but they were
unsuccessful. She thereupon sent for a hunter who had a cross-bow
(na seeng). The hunter said that it was not possible for him to catch the
squirrel alive but that he could kill it. Nang Ai agreed, and the hunter
shot the squirrel. Before it died, it said farewell to its Naga parents.
Phra In[4]
came down from heaven and daubed the squirrel's body with
perfume (kreuang haum).
The meat of the squirrel filled 8,000 wagons and was distributed to all
the citizens except old widows, because they did not help in the work (mai
chuay gnaan). The hunter was given a leg and he too distributed the meat
to several others.
The Naga army returned to their city bearing the sad news to Pangkee's
parents. The parents became very wrathful and, leading their army,
burrowed underground, churned up the mud and attacked the human
settlements, which sank into the ground. This is how Naung Huan and
Byng Chuan became large swamps.
Meanwhile Phadaeng, who had been away during the killing of the
squirrel, had come to visit his sweetheart, Nang Ai, but his journey was
obstructed by logs on the ground. (These logs were the naga who had
thus transformed themselves.) When he met Nang Ai he inquired what
building was going to be constructed, since he had seen so many logs.
Nang Ai told him about the killing of the squirrel. She then set out food
for him, but he did not eat the meat because it was so sweet-smelling.
He asked Nang Ai `Why did you eat this meat? Are you not afraid that
the city will sink?' They went to sleep, but before dawn they heard the
noise of the earth cracking (pandin lun). Phadaeng fled with Nang Ai on
horseback, and they took with them the regalia of the city (prachum myang),
namely the gong (kong), the drum (glong), and the ring (waen).
The horse found galloping heavy going because of the mud, so the
riders threw away the gong, and the place where it fell was called Baan
Nam Kong; next they threw away the drum, and the place where it fell
was called Baan Naung Glong. Finally the ring was thrown away, and the
place where it fell became Baan Non Waen. Phaya Naga kept pursuing
them, caught up with them, lashed out with his tail and swept Nang Ai
from horseback. Phadaeng alone escaped.
