How the Yetis killed themselves

A long, long time ago a large number of yetis lived in the mountains of Khumbu. All day long the yetis watched the villagers at their work until the night came down on the mountains. In the cover of the darkness they went over the fields, in imitation of the villagers, trampling over the plants and in the end, they undid everything that the people out of the villagers had done during the day. The villagers themselves where hiding behind closed doors in fear of the yetis.

One day the villagers hit upon a plan to stop the destruction of their work by the yetis. So they went to a place where the yetis could see them all very well, they carried jars of chhang (kind of beer) and swords made out of wood with them. The villagers started to drink the chaang and in a seemingly drunken state, they started a mock fight among themselves with their fake swords. After that under the full attention of the yetis, they returned to their homes, leaving behind the jars and the swords.

As soon as the evening came up, some of the villagers went quietly back and refilled the jars with chaang but they added rice wine to the chhang to make it really strong. Also they replaced the wooden swords with real blades, bright and sharp. Then they hurried back home, closed their doors and the windows.

At their usual hour of mischief, the yetis descended from their perch in the mountain, full of excitement. Soon they had their first taste of the brew out of the jars and it didn’t take long, than they were all drunk. One step led to another, and in a final act of imitation of the villagers, the yetis took the sharp swords and fought a deadly battle among themselves, killing every single one of their species before the night was over.

From that day on, the villagers lived in peace, free from the mischievous yetis.

Told by Ang Dandi Lama of Phalplu, Solu Khumbu.

(The rising Nepal, April-May, 1972)