The Magic Powder - A Folktalefrom MyanmarAuthor GreystrokeIllustrator PG Dinesh

Once upon a time in a little village on the banks of theIrrawaddy river there lived a young woman calledThuza She was very happily married to handsomeyoung Theingi But there was one problem that naggedThuza ndash her husband believed he was an alchemist andwould spend all his time dreaming about ways to turndirt into gold All day and for days on end Theingi spent his time inexperiments searching for a breakthrough Soon alltheir money was over and young Thuza had to struggleto buy food for the two of them She became veryworried ldquoYou should find a job soonrdquo she pleaded withher husband ldquoWe cannot continue like thisrdquo But Theingi wouldnrsquot listen ldquoIrsquom on the verge of abreakthrough Why do I have to work when we will berich beyond our wildest dreams We will soon be able toturn all the dirt we find into goldrdquo Disheartened Thuza approached her father wise oldThet for a solution Thet was surprised when he heardthat his son-in-law was an alchemist He thought for awhile and asked to see Theingi Thuza returned homehappily that day for she knew her wise father wouldhave a solution

2

3

The next day Theingi arrived at his father-in-lawrsquoshouse fully prepared for a scolding He was taken bysurprise when Thet took him aside and whisperedldquoWhen I was young like you I was an alchemist toordquo The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussingTheingirsquos work Finally the old man stood up and saidldquoWhy Theingi yoursquove done everything exactly like I didwhen I was your age You are definitely on the verge ofa breakthrough Congratulations But you seem to belacking one very important ingredient in yourexperiments You will need this when you finally turn dirtto gold Only recently did I discover this But I am too oldfor this task It requires enormous efforthelliprdquo ldquoThen let me do it for you Fatherrdquo cried Theingi He wasreally excited All his efforts would pay off at last ldquoTellme what the ingredient isrdquo ldquoGood you are excitedrdquo said Thet He leaned closer andwhispered ldquoSon the secret ingredient is a silver powderthat is found only on banana leaves You will have toplant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells onthem Then as the plants grow the powder on theleaves will gain magical powersrdquo

4

5

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Once upon a time in a little village on the banks of theIrrawaddy river there lived a young woman calledThuza She was very happily married to handsomeyoung Theingi But there was one problem that naggedThuza ndash her husband believed he was an alchemist andwould spend all his time dreaming about ways to turndirt into gold All day and for days on end Theingi spent his time inexperiments searching for a breakthrough Soon alltheir money was over and young Thuza had to struggleto buy food for the two of them She became veryworried ldquoYou should find a job soonrdquo she pleaded withher husband ldquoWe cannot continue like thisrdquo But Theingi wouldnrsquot listen ldquoIrsquom on the verge of abreakthrough Why do I have to work when we will berich beyond our wildest dreams We will soon be able toturn all the dirt we find into goldrdquo Disheartened Thuza approached her father wise oldThet for a solution Thet was surprised when he heardthat his son-in-law was an alchemist He thought for awhile and asked to see Theingi Thuza returned homehappily that day for she knew her wise father wouldhave a solution

2

3

The next day Theingi arrived at his father-in-lawrsquoshouse fully prepared for a scolding He was taken bysurprise when Thet took him aside and whisperedldquoWhen I was young like you I was an alchemist toordquo The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussingTheingirsquos work Finally the old man stood up and saidldquoWhy Theingi yoursquove done everything exactly like I didwhen I was your age You are definitely on the verge ofa breakthrough Congratulations But you seem to belacking one very important ingredient in yourexperiments You will need this when you finally turn dirtto gold Only recently did I discover this But I am too oldfor this task It requires enormous efforthelliprdquo ldquoThen let me do it for you Fatherrdquo cried Theingi He wasreally excited All his efforts would pay off at last ldquoTellme what the ingredient isrdquo ldquoGood you are excitedrdquo said Thet He leaned closer andwhispered ldquoSon the secret ingredient is a silver powderthat is found only on banana leaves You will have toplant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells onthem Then as the plants grow the powder on theleaves will gain magical powersrdquo

4

5

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

3

The next day Theingi arrived at his father-in-lawrsquoshouse fully prepared for a scolding He was taken bysurprise when Thet took him aside and whisperedldquoWhen I was young like you I was an alchemist toordquo The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussingTheingirsquos work Finally the old man stood up and saidldquoWhy Theingi yoursquove done everything exactly like I didwhen I was your age You are definitely on the verge ofa breakthrough Congratulations But you seem to belacking one very important ingredient in yourexperiments You will need this when you finally turn dirtto gold Only recently did I discover this But I am too oldfor this task It requires enormous efforthelliprdquo ldquoThen let me do it for you Fatherrdquo cried Theingi He wasreally excited All his efforts would pay off at last ldquoTellme what the ingredient isrdquo ldquoGood you are excitedrdquo said Thet He leaned closer andwhispered ldquoSon the secret ingredient is a silver powderthat is found only on banana leaves You will have toplant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells onthem Then as the plants grow the powder on theleaves will gain magical powersrdquo

4

5

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

The next day Theingi arrived at his father-in-lawrsquoshouse fully prepared for a scolding He was taken bysurprise when Thet took him aside and whisperedldquoWhen I was young like you I was an alchemist toordquo The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussingTheingirsquos work Finally the old man stood up and saidldquoWhy Theingi yoursquove done everything exactly like I didwhen I was your age You are definitely on the verge ofa breakthrough Congratulations But you seem to belacking one very important ingredient in yourexperiments You will need this when you finally turn dirtto gold Only recently did I discover this But I am too oldfor this task It requires enormous efforthelliprdquo ldquoThen let me do it for you Fatherrdquo cried Theingi He wasreally excited All his efforts would pay off at last ldquoTellme what the ingredient isrdquo ldquoGood you are excitedrdquo said Thet He leaned closer andwhispered ldquoSon the secret ingredient is a silver powderthat is found only on banana leaves You will have toplant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells onthem Then as the plants grow the powder on theleaves will gain magical powersrdquo

4

5

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

5

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

ldquoHow much of this powder will we need Fatherrdquo askedTheingi excitedlyldquoA kilordquo replied ThetldquoA kilordquo cried Theingi ldquoThat would require hundreds ofbanana plantsrdquo ldquoIrsquom afraid so Sonrdquo said the old man ldquoThat is why Icanrsquot complete the task myselfhelliprdquoldquoDonrsquot lose heart Fatherrdquo said Theingi ldquoI shallrdquoLater that evening the old man taught his son-in-lawthe magic spells and loaned him the money to start thework The very next day Theingi bought a small field near hishome and cleared it Just as he had been instructed hedug the ground himself and planted the saplings aftercarefully chanting the magic spells Every day he went tothe field and examined the saplings He kept the weedsand pests away diligently When the plants grew andbore fruit he carefully collected the silver powder fromthe leaves and kept it safely in a box

6

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

7

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

There was hardly any powder on each leaf so Theingihad to buy more land and grow more bananas But hewas determined to do what was needed It took himseveral years but at the end of it all he had managed tocollect enough of the magic powder He rushed to hisfather-in-law excited as never before He would soon beable to make gold from mere dirt ldquoFather finallyhellip here is the kilo of magic powderrdquo hecried The old man was filled with joy ldquoWonderfulrsquorsquo he saidldquoWonderful Yoursquove done well Theingi Irsquom proud ofyou Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold Butfirst letrsquos get Thuza We need her helprdquo Theingi was alittle puzzled but without losing any time he ran to hiswife and was soon back with her ldquoThuzardquo asked the old man ldquowhat did you do with thebananas when your husband was collecting thepowderrdquoldquoWhy I sold them Fatherrdquo replied Thuza ldquoThatrsquos howwe earned a livingrdquo

8

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

ldquoThen you must have been able to save some moneytoo Theingi grew more than enough bananashelliprdquo the oldman continuedldquoYes I didrdquo replied ThuzaldquoCan we see itrdquo asked ThetldquoOf course I have kept it safely at homerdquo beamedThuza

The three of them went to Theingirsquos house where Thuzaproduced several bags from the loft where she had keptthem safely Thet opened one of the bags peered insideand smiled He then emptied one of the bags on thetable Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge shinyheap Then he went to the field and came back with ahandful of dirt which he placed next to the heap of goldldquoYou see Theingirdquo he said turning to his son-in-lawldquoyou have changed dirt into goldrdquo Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magicpowder from the leaves But he continued to growbananas His ldquoalchemistrdquo father-in-law had taught himthe best way to turn dirt into gold after all He didnrsquotneed the magic powder any more

9

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

10

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

BANANAGIC After Theingirsquos magic powder from bananas how aboutsurprising your friends with some magical bananasTell them about a new variety that you have justdiscovered ndash one that grows in slices MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOUrsquoLL NEEDA few ripe bananasA toothpick or sewing needle

11

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere alongthe seam 2 Without taking it out carefully rotate the toothpick leftand right inside the banana You should cut all the waythrough the fruit but not through the peel mind youAlso try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possiblendash the smaller the lesser it will be visible

12

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

3 Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step atanother spot on the banana say after an inch Keepmaking internal one-inch slices until you have at leastfive or six Do these two steps with all the bananas youhaveThatrsquos it ndash your magic bananas are ready to eat Offerthe ldquonew varietyrdquo to your friends while telling them a bigstory about how you discovered them in the fieldnearby When your friends peel the banana imagine thelook on their faces when they find that it is alreadysliced While inside the skin Isnrsquot that some yummybanana magic

13

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar is written by Greystroke copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY40 license

Other CreditsThis book has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books Pratham Books is a not-for-profit organization that publishes books in multiple Indianlanguages to promote reading among children wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page Man and woman watering plants by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 3Man sitting on the ground while woman sweeps by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 5Old man with a walking stick by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Trees being wateredby a woman and a man by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 Woman opening sacksfilled with gold by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Bananas by PG Dinesh copyPratham Books 2005 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 13 Making a magic banana by PG Dinesh copy Pratham Books 2005 Some rights reservedReleased under CC BY 40 license

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copymodify distribute and perform the work even for commercialpurposes all without asking permission For full terms of use andattribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

This is a Level 3 book for children who are ready to read on their own

(English)

The Magic Powder - AFolktale from Myanmar

Once upon a time in a little village on the banks of the Irrawaddyriver there lived a young woman called Thuza She was very happilymarried to handsome young Theingi But there was one problemthat nagged Thuza ndash her husband believed he would find a way toturn dirt into hold Did he succeed Read this delightful tale fromMyanmar to find out

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