In Manipuri (Meitei) folklore and school textbooks (particularly for Class 7), the most famous story fitting this description is "Eteima gi Thabal" (The Old Woman's Thabal/Search) or a story about an Old Woman and Seven Thieves (or Seven children).

Origins and Significance

Founded to revive and sustain endangered cultural practices, Eteima Bonny began as a grassroots initiative led by elders and cultural practitioners. By its seventh year, the event has grown into a recognized cultural institution, fostering intergenerational exchange and providing economic opportunities for local makers and performers. It serves both as a repository of history and a launchpad for contemporary creators who reinterpret tradition for modern audiences.

• She tricks the seven thieves into a dark room or a sack.
• She creates a loud noise or pretends to be a dangerous spirit herself.
• Terrified, the seven thieves run away, leaving the old woman safe with her food and property.

• If “bonny” = pretty, “wari” = time/turn, then “wari 7” could mean “time seven” (a moment or grade), so the whole could be colloquial praise.