Pebet

**Pebet** is a bird species mentioned in Meitei mythology and folklore of Kangleipak (present day Manipur).
It was believed to be a small sized bird, smaller than a sparrow. It was believed to be almost extinct.

## Meeting with a cat 
Once a mother pebet had many children newly hatched from her eggs. At the same time, a cat () came to her. The cat secretly wished to eat her children. He claimed himself as being a monk cat (). He asked her if he was good looking. Mother pebet knew his secret intentions. She also knew that he was not actually handsome. She also knew that she and her chicks might be in trouble if she told him the truth.
So, she told him that he was as beautiful as a red flower of the bamboo plants.
The cat got satisfied and happy. He went away.
He frequently visited her to ask the same question.
Every time, mother pebet compared him to beautiful objects of nature. And the cat gave the same good reaction.

Many times passed, the pebet children grew up. So, mother pebet taught her children how to fly. Once her children learned how to fly, she had less worry about the safety of her children from the bad cat.
So, when the cat came and asked her the same question as usual, she told him the truth. She told him that he was ugly. She compared the cat's ugly face with the bottom of a black pot. She even scolded him for asking such a question.

Mother pebet decided to take revenge. She worshipped goddess Leimarel for a long time. After some time, the mother goddess appeared and told her some advices.
According to it, mother pebet pricked the back of the proud elephant using her beak. She did it again and again until the elephant bled. Once it started bleeding, mother pebet invited a group of flies to drink the blood and even lay their eggs there.
The flies did so. Due to this, the elephant's body was badly injured. Its health got worsened day by day.

## Meeting with a vulture 
Once a pebet and a vulture had a disagreement about who would be the next king of the birds. Vulture claimed he was the strongest and thus, he deserved to be the king. Pebet claimed that he was wiser than him, and thus, he deserved to be the king. Pebet called the vulture as a fool. The vulture got angry. He tried to kill the pebet.
He chased the pebet. The pebet flew among the *"shaneibi"* bamboo plants to save himself. As he had a small body, he fitted to be among the bamboo plants. The vulture forgot his own size. So, in anger, he flew among the bamboo plants towards the pebet.
He hit himself to the bamboo plants and died. Following the vulture's death, pebet became the king. It was also shown in the *International Theatre Conference 2015* of the International Federation for Theatre and Department of Theatre Arts, University of Hyderabad.
In 2017, the same play was performed in the Theatre Workshop of the Banga Bhavan Silchar, organised by the Bhabhikal, Silchar and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi.

In 2017, the same play was performed on the second day of the 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav in India.

Heisnam Kanhailal portrayed his wife Sabitri Heisnam as the mother pebet in the play.

## Related articles 
* Keibu Keioiba
## References 
## Other websites 
* Pebet at Internet Archive
* Pebet at