Nepal, Sept. 2 -- The month of Bhado (late-August and early-September) in much of Madhes is the season of kado (slush), when few dare to step out into muddy streets. When it rains, it pours; but when it's dry, fierce rays of the sun burn the skin.

There isn't very much to do once the paddy transplantation is over in any case. There are few jackfruit or mangoes left unpicked in the orchards. Livestock has to be tethered and fed in the sheds to prevent them from straying into lush green paddies. Tractors take a break while their operators clean and grease the machine for the coming harvest season.

It is during these times of late-monsoon lethargy that tellers of tall tales do the rounds of villages, spinning yarns about their remarkable d...