Marma Folktale — Ng’kyaye

Long, long ago, in a kingdom nestled among the hills, there lived a kind-hearted king. The land was full of trees, birds, and fresh mountain air. Now, this king had a special fondness for flowers. He loved them more than anything. So he had built a beautiful garden next to his palace—full of blossoms in every color, filling the air with sweet fragrance.

Looking after this garden was a gardener from a nearby village. He was a middle-aged man—quick on his feet and skilled at his work. The king was so pleased with him that he paid him a generous salary. And the gardener took care of the flowers with great care. Not a single leaf ever went out of place.

But this gardener had one strange habit—he kept monkeys! Yes, not just one or two—he kept several monkeys around his house. Among them, there was one he loved the most. Its name was Ng’kyaye.

Now, Ng’kyaye wasn’t just a pet. The gardener had started training him to help out with small chores. Sometimes the monkey would pull out weeds, bring water, or even pour water on the flower beds. Little by little, the gardener came to believe that Ng’kyaye could do a lot more than just tricks. He started trusting the monkey with garden work even when he wasn’t around.

And so, over time, laziness crept in. The gardener would often skip work entirely and send the monkey instead.

Then one year, New Year’s Day was approaching. There was going to be a grand festival in the king’s garden. The palace needed many flowers for decoration, and the celebration was to be held right there, in that very garden.

But on the day before the festival, the gardener—true to his habit—didn’t go himself. He just sent Ng’kyaye to tend the garden.

Early next morning, the king arrived with his ministers to inspect the garden and prepare for the celebrations. But what he saw turned his face red with rage.

The whole garden was in ruins.

Flower plants had been uprooted, petals shredded, and everything was crushed into the mud. It was as if a storm had torn through the place.

The king immediately summoned the gardener. When the gardener saw the mess, his jaw dropped. But it didn’t take him long to figure out what had happened. Who else could have caused such a disaster? It was, without a doubt, the work of Ng’kyaye.

With folded hands, the gardener confessed everything to the king. He begged for forgiveness again and again. The king, though furious, didn’t punish him harshly. But he did give him one unusual order:

The gardener must go around the entire kingdom and tell this story to all royal workers—so that no one ever again hands over their duty to someone who doesn’t understand it, no matter how much they love or trust them.

From that day on, the gardener never let the monkey near the flower beds again. He tended the garden himself. And wherever he went, he would humbly say—

“Do your work with your own hands. No matter how clever your pet may seem, never hand them the tools of your trade!”