Stories from Bunong Communities in Northeastern Cambodia

Elephant story

Story-teller Chhot Pich
Recording time/date 20 October 2014
Recording place At his house in Bouraing Bousra Village, Pichreada, Mondukiri Province, Cambodia
Language(s) used Bunong, Khmer


Long long time ago, a group of villagers went fishing. They put poison into a fishing pond to catch fish easily. They then collected dead fish and ate them. As soon as they ate fish, though, they changed to become an elephant. However, they were still able to recognize their family. They still had feelings like humans and were also able to hear and speak the human language. They went back home and continued to live with their family. However, after some generations, they started feeling unhappy because their descendants did not care about them anymore. So, they decided to go back to the jungle to live there.