Xieng
Mieng and the Two Full Moons
The character Xieng Mieng is well-loved by
the Lao for many centuries, and known country-wide as a witty
character. Though published in recent years, Xieng Mieng stories
have always been passed down orally from one generation to the
next. While Lao tradition admires the honest and learned, Xieng
Mieng folk tales are typically characterized by his cunning
and ability to get what he wants without great effort. Sometimes
he wins and sometimes he loses. Often the cunning part of such
a story lies in his allowing folks to believe what they want
to hear or see. Such folk fables usually end with a clear cautionary
or practical moral or advice.
The story goes that Kham (a name meaning “Gold”)
was a mischievous young novice monk. One day he met three merchants
by the stream where he was playing, and he tricked them into
giving him their sticky snack called mieng.
His shenanigans made it to the King’s ears, who drove
Kham from the monkhood, and bestowed upon him the new name of
"Xieng Mieng." Xieng, meaning he's is no longer a
monk and Mieng for the sticky snack that he loves so much. Today
Xieng Mieng is still household name with a notorious reputation
as a trickster.
A Cautionary Folk Tale of “Xieng
Mieng”
One day Xieng Mieng, who managed to live well
without actually working, visited an older woman named Sa. He
asked her if she could lend him some money, at interest, for
a period of time. She was surprised that a man of his seeming
wealth should need to borrow anything, but he explained that
it was for an unexpected expense, and that he would keep his
word to repay it on time. "How long must I wait for repayment",
she asked. "I will give you all that I have promised when
there have been two full moons", he answered. She was pleased
with the arrangement, as Xieng Mieng was well known for his
shrewd dealings. Sa thought that he must certainly be in immediate
need not to haggle over the interest or time of repayment.
After two months had passed, and she had seen
the full moon come and go twice, Sa went to collect the money
she was due. When asked he replied, "There have not yet
been two full moons." Sa went home and waited until another
full moon had come and gone before returning to collect again.
This time she was certain that there could be no misunderstanding
as to the terms of repayment having been met. She was speechless
when she was again informed that there had not been two full
moons since Sri Thanonchai had borrowed the money. This time
Sa was certain that there could be no mistake on her part, but
perhaps there was some misunderstanding that prevented the repayment.
She asked, "Didn't you promise to pay me after there had
been two full moons?" "Yes," he replied, "but
that has not happened yet. Three months have passed. In each
of the months a full moon has come and gone. But at no time
were there two full moons! Our agreement was that I will pay
you after there have been TWO full moons, not after there has
been one full moon twice!" With this Sa was dumb struck
and returned home. Xieng Mieng had mocked her and said he welcomed
the chance to explain the subtleties of their case to a judge:
whom he was certain must agree with him because of the way the
agreement was worded.
Sa went home crying, knowing that what he said
was most probably true. She was not experienced in this type
of dealings, and Xieng Mieng had not broken the agreement as
such. Along the way Sa came across a monk, who asked her why
she wept. After explaining all her trials she asked the monk
for guidance, for she was in need of the money and bitter from
the injustice of a ne'er-do-well living off the money of an
honest woman. The monk assured her that everything would work
out in her favour, and promised to see the magistrate in the
morning. The monk visited the court official and asked that
the trial take place in the palace courtyard on the evening
of the next full moon. The magistrate felt this was somewhat
unusual, but this was a strange case; and the man was a monk,
so he could hardly decline the request.
On the evening of the next full moon all the
principles met in the palace courtyard in front of the Royal
pond. After Xieng Mieng argued his case he stood in silence
as he waited for the assembled to agree that he was deceitful
and cunning, but not liable, and gloated that even a learned
monk could find no flaw in his argument. The monk stepped forward
and asked Xieng Mieng to look into the sky. "What do you
see in the heavens?" he asked. "I see one full moon,"
he answered confidently. The monk then pointed to the pond and
asked, "What do you see there?" Now Xieng Mieng was
speechless, as he could not deny that, in the pond's reflection,
was seen a second full moon. "There are two full moons
tonight", offered the monk, "and the time is come
for Xieng Mieng to repay all that he has promised." The
judge quickly agreed, for the monk's argument was at least as
valid as Xieng Mieng's, and the magistrate had no wish to contradict
a monk.
The money was paid that very night and Xieng
Mieng was outwitted for the only time in his life.
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