Folk tales for children: How the Myntdu, Myntang and Umiurem rivers in Meghalaya came to be

The village of Mulang is located thirty-five kilometres off the town of Jowai. Many centuries ago, on a crisp spring morning, three beautiful maidens arrived at the village and walked up to the ramshackle hut of a poor old woman. Under the clear blue sky, their beauty and charm seemed to transform the hut into a palace.

One of the maidens was named Du. She called the old woman and asked, “Will you let us stay with you?”

Flustered by the request, the old woman replied, “Oh, but the three of you are princesses! How can I let you stay with me? This hut is worse than a cowshed! Come in and see; you’ll ruin your clothes just by sitting here.”

Then the one called Tang said, “Please just let us stay with you and treat us with love and care. We don’t need anything else – these other things won’t be a problem.” Hearing this, the old woman could not refuse and welcomed the guests into her house.

The three girls started living with the old woman. At first, they were only meant to stay for a few days. But then, a few months went by, and they continued living there. They grew very close...

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