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It’s Because
O Langthrei why isn’t there any bud?
It’s because cow does eat.
O Cow why do you eat?
It’s because cowherd doesn’t tend.
O Cowherd, why don’t you tend?
It’s because mother doesn’t feed.
O Mother why don’t you feed?
It’s because firewood isn’t dry.
O Firewood why aren’t you dry?
It’s because rain falls.
O Rain why do you fall?
It’s because frog croaks.
O Frog why do you croak?
It’s because it is the time,
I’ll go on croaking croak croak croak.
-An English rendering of a Manipuri oral poem sung to soothe a crying baby.
The substance of the poem
It’s Because is an English rendering of a Manipuri poem sung to soothe a crying baby. It’s about a plant called langthrei which has no bud because it is eaten by cows. The cow eats it because the cowherd doesn’t ten the cow. The cowherd doesn’t tend them as his mother doesn’t cook for him as the firewood is wet due to the rain. The rain falls because the frogs croak. The frog croaks as it is an indication of the approaching monsoon.
Answer the following questions
Q1. Why is it that the Langthrei plant has no bud?
Ans: The Langthrei plant has no bud because the cow eats it up.
Q2. What does the cow do?
Ans: The cow eats the bud of the langthrei plant.
Q3. Why hasn’t the cowherd tend the cow?
Ans: The cowherd doesn’t tend the cow because his mother doesn’t cook food for him.
Q4. What does the mother do?
Ans: The mother doesn’t cook food.
Q5. What happens because of the rain?
Ans: The firewood becomes wet because of the rain.
Q6. What happens when the frog croaks and why does it croak?
Ans: When the frog croaks it rains and it croaks because of the approaching monsoon.
Q7. Write what you think of the poem in the question and answer form.
Ans: When we examine the poem written in the question and answer form, we think that it is a dialogue and an answer giver. Although the poem is in that form he had arranged it systematically.
