Rahte-a

 In a small village nestled among hills, Rahtea lived under the tyranny of a cruel stepmother. She burdened him with the heaviest chores and withheld even the smallest morsels of food. Yet, fate had a different plan.

One day, Rahtea's brother sought him out, inviting him to the Khuangchawi celebration in his honour. Discovering Rahtea seated beneath a Thingsiri tree adorned with sweet, nectar-filled flowers, the brother implored him to return home. But Rahtea, in verse, declined:

 "Stay with me, dear brother,

The Khuangchawi awaits in your honour."

Rahtea had found solace in the sweet nectar of the Thingsiri flowers, declaring:

"Go back alone, my dear brother,

For I've found sustenance in these blossoms.

Only now can I feast to my heart's content,

Content and nourished, I shall stay."

Determined, the stepmother dispatched Rahtea's aunt to fetch him, yet she failed. Desperate, the stepmother herself ventured forth, pleading for his return. Unmoved, Rahtea expressed their fractured relationship and, in a breathtaking turn, transformed into a dragonfly, soaring away, leaving behind the trials of his past.