Chhurbura
Chhurbura was a unique man, characterized by his cleverness and resourcefulness. In his time, he tricked many people; the fact that many of us still perceive his stories as reality today is a testament to his wit—it means he is still tricking us even now. He was a brave man who could capture and taunt the Phungpuinu (an ogress/forest spirit), a creature greatly feared by the people of his era. He even managed to seize the Sekibuhchhuak from her—a mythical bison horn that provided an endless supply of cooked meat and rice from either end, representing the ultimate Mizo dream of abundance.
The Full Story: How Chhura Caught the Ogress
Because Chhura had previously roasted the Phungpuinu’s children, she was deathly afraid of him. Meanwhile, Chhura was constantly plotting a way to capture her. One day, Chhura tied a swing under a field hut (thlâm) and swung back and forth on it. From the edge of the forest, the Phungpuinu watched him in secret. After a while, Chhura pretended to go home but instead crept back inside the hut. Believing Chhura had truly left, the Phungpuinu came out and began to swing. "Chhura is gone now!" she cried out joyfully as she swung to and fro. Suddenly, Chhura pried open the floorboards of the hut, reached down, and grabbed the Phungpuinu firmly by her hair. He dragged her into the hut and tied her up. "I shall take you home with me," Chhura taunted. "The children will mock you incessantly, and they will make the hens peck at you!"
Terrified, the Phungpuinu pleaded, "Chhura, let me go! I will pay a ransom."
"With what?" Chhura asked.
"With an axe that can fell trees by itself," she replied.
"Can it really do it on its own?" Chhura questioned.
"Not without physical strength," she admitted.
"I already have strength," Chhura countered.
The Phungpuinu pleaded again, "Chhura, let me go!"
"With what?"
"With a hoe that can weed the fields by itself," she said.
"I have one of those too," Chhura replied.
Finally, the Phungpuinu cried out, "Chhura, let me go!"
"With what?"
"With the Sekibuhchhuak," she said.
"How does it work?" Chhura asked.
She explained, "You must say: 'Sekibuhchhuak, bring forth food! Shall it come from the head? Shall it come from the tail?' When you say this, cooked rice and meat will flow out endlessly." "Very well, let's see it then," Chhura agreed. The Phungpuinu tried to trick him by bringing a fake horn first. When Chhura performed the chant, only piles of pig dung came out. He refused the fake and demanded the real one, eventually securing the genuine Sekibuhchhuak from her.
