According to a Chang (Naga) legend, there once lived a girl by the name, Momola. One day, her mother took her fishing. Both tried their best but could not catch even a single fish. The frustrated mother at last made a promise: if the river blesses her with fish, she would offer Momola to the river.
As soon as she uttered that word, they were blessed with abundant fish. But the mother did not keep her promise. So, the water level rose to an unmeasured height and flooded the world with a roaring sound like ‘mo mo mo’ (meaning to call Momola). The world then grumbled to Momola's mother that one should keep one's word. At last, Momola was given to the river, and the water level normalized. It was believed that when the water rose to its height, all the living creatures gathered at mount Ngakushon, mount Yengni and mount Longshon respectively.
After the water normalized, Momola's mother went in search of her daughter. She came across two big fish, and to her surprise, one appeared to be half fish and half woman. It happened to be Momola transformed into "Mermaid." As time passed, Momola gave birth to a tiny fish, and one day, went to meet her families, keeping her little one in a manger. When she returned, her little one was gone, and she started to make inquiries. To her surprise, it so happened that her relatives, thinking that she brought the tiny fish as gift, ate her little one.
Momola, with much pain, began to worry about what explanation she would give to her sea fish partner. She then asked the relatives whether they had left even a bone. To her fortune, there was one. She then, transformed it into a tiny fish and went back. Momola's partner asked why their little one became weak and thin. Momola replied that it was because her uncle was hurt by her long disappearance.
The Chang believed that uncles are not to be hurt and must be kept happy. Otherwise, something bad happens to whoever hurts them. The Chang named that peculiar type of fish as "Mong", which is not consumed, as it was believed that it was transformed from human.
(By Yimli Sosang; Extracted from the book ‘Retelling Naga Narratives: More than thrice told tales’, Edited by Richard Carbo, John Coakley, Abraham Lotha. Published by Heritage Publishing House)
