Murugan and the Mango of Wisdom

 (As told by Paati on a breezy summer night, while oiling the children’s hair on the verandah)

“Come, da kanna, sit still! Your hair is like a bird’s nest today,” said Paati, rubbing warm coconut oil into Arjun’s messy curls. His younger sister Meena was already lying on Paati’s lap, tracing shapes on her arm.

“Paati,” Meena asked sleepily, “why does Murugan always ride a peacock? Why not a lion like Durga or a mouse like Ganesha?”

“Ah! That’s because Murugan’s story is very special,” Paati said, tying her jasmine flowers into a braid. “And it all started… because of a mango.”