Dangphu Dingphu (once upon a time), there lived an old man called Meme Haylay in a village in Bhutan. One day, Meme Haylay was digging a meadow when he found a large, round yu, a turquoise. He stopped digging and went home, carrying the stone. On the way, he met a man with a horse who asked him, “Where are you going, Meme Haylay?” The old man replied, “Meme’s fortune is burning today. As I was digging a meadow, I found this turquoise.” Before the horseman could even see the jewel, Meme Haylay proposed, “Will you exchange your horse for the stone?”

The horseman was speechless, for who in the world would barter a turquoise with a horse? Meme Haylay put down his basket and showed the jewel. The horseman was only happy for the poor old man. “Will you exchange your horse for it?” Meme Haylay asked again. “Don’t joke, Meme Haylay! Your yu is priceless, whereas my horse is worthless!” “Priceless or worthless, you talk too much. If you’re for the trade, take this stone and hand over the horse’s rope to me,” Meme Haylay
said, looking stern.

The horseman lost no time in passing the rope to Meme Haylay and went his way with the stone. He felt like the happiest man in the world. Meme Haylay went his way, also feeling happy. In fact, he felt happier than the horseman. On the way, he met a man with an ox and exchanged the horse with the ox. He then bartered the ox with a sheep, only to exchange the sheep with a goat. He took the goat until he traded it with a rooster. In every transaction, Meme Haylay thought he was better off, while all his barter partners considered him a fool.

As he went home, carrying the rooster under his left arm, he heard a song from some distance. The closer the music came, the more joyous he became. Tears of happiness welled in Meme Haylay’s eyes as he listened. “I feel so happy from merely hearing the song. How much happier I would feel if I knew how to sing it myself,” he thought.

Suddenly, he came face-to-face with the singer himself. The song man asked, “Where are you going?” The old man smiled. “Today, Meme’s fortune is burning. As I was digging a meadow, I found a turquoise. I exchanged it for a horse, the horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the sheep for a goat, and the goat for this rooster. Take this rooster and teach me how to sing.” The song man did not believe his ears. He thought it was unlikely for a poor man to find a turquoise.

Only the richest, most powerful, meritorious, or luckiest persons would ever find such jewels. And, he thought, supposing this poor old man was lucky, even a fool would not exchange it for a horse, the horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the sheep for a goat, and the goat for a rooster. One mistake would have served as a lesson even to a foolish person.

However, the song man was finally convinced that Meme Haylay was serious about his trade. So he taught him his song. After parting with his rooster and the song man, Meme Haylay went home singing the song. Meme Haylay Haylay felt he was the happiest person in the world, the richest person in the world, and the most successful trader in the world.

A folktale is sourced from Dangphu Dingphu: A Collection of Bhutanese Folktales by Dorji Penjore.

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