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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
This story is about a clever girl. Once upon a time, two siblings from a village traveled to a faraway place. The elder brother rode a male horse, and the younger brother rode a female one. The younger sibling had a daughter. When it was getting dark on their way, they stopped somewhere to take a rest. At night, the female horse gave birth. Later, the foal walked toward the male horse and lay near it. The next morning, the elder brother got up and found the foal. Then he said to his brother, "My horse gave birth." The younger brother said, "It's impossible. The male horse gave birth? It's impossible." He said, "Whatever! The foal is with my horse, so it's mine!" They kept arguing about it, and eventually their dispute was brought to the palace. The king said to them, "I will settle your dispute over the horse. But first, I will give you four riddles. If you can answer them correctly, I will judge your case wisely and fairly." He continued, "The first question is, 'What is the strongest thing in this world?' The second question is, 'What is the oiliest or most nutrient-rich thing?' The third question is, 'What is the softest thing?' The fourth question is, 'What is the loveliest thing?'" Then the elder brother went to ask a rich old woman about those questions. The old woman said, "That is so easy. My horse is the fastest and strongest. It is the strongest horse in the world. As soon as you hit it once, it will run away really fast. The answer to the second question is my pig. There is nothing oilier than my pig. The softest thing in the world is a thick bed. The answer for the fourth question will be my child. My child is the loveliest person in this world." Then he thought, "I have all the answers now. I will tell the king these answers tomorrow." On the other hand, the younger brother went back home, feeling depressed. His daughter was about 12 years old. She asked him, "Father, why are you depressed? Do you have anything to worry about?" He said, "My daughter, the king has given me four questions. If I can't answer them, I will be ashamed." She said, "Father, tell me those questions." He said, "The king has asked me about the strongest thing and the oiliest thing. The third question is about the softest thing. The fourth question he asked is about the loveliest thing in the world." She said, "Father, that's so easy. The strongest thing in the world is the wind. When the wind blows hard, everything is blown away. The answer to the second question is the soil. It is rich in nutrients, so we can grow anything in it. The softest thing is our hands. Even when we sleep, we use pillows so that our hands won't get hurt. The loveliest thing in the world is when a human sleeps." The next morning, two brothers gave their answers to the king. When the younger brother gave the answers to the king, the king asked him, "Did you think of all these answers yourself, or did someone tell you them?" The younger brother said, "To be honest, my daughter told me all these answers." The king asked him, "How old is your daughter?" He answered, "She is about 12 years old." The king said, "Your daughter is really smart. Let me test her one more time. I will give you some thread. Make a towel for me." Then the younger brother took the thread and went back home. When he got home, his daughter asked him, "Father, what happened?" He said, "The king has ordered me to weave the softest towel for him by using this thread." She said, "Father, don't worry. Take this to the palace." She broke the handles off a broom and gave them to her father. She continued, "Tell the king to have a loom built to weave with these handles." Then her father told the king, "My king, my daughter asked me to tell you to build a loom using these." The king was surprised to hear this and said, "Your daughter is incredible. Let me test her one last time. Tell her to come and meet me. When she comes, she shouldn't wear clothes, but she can't come completely naked. Tell her not to walk when she comes. Don't bring any gifts, too. But bring something." The girl's father felt depressed after hearing what the king said. He thought, "What should my daughter do? The king said everything opposite." He told his daughter every single word the king had said. Then she said, "Don't worry, Father. Go to the hunter. He has a dog. Bring that dog to me. Also, ask the hunter to give us a pigeon." Then he went to the hunter and asked him for a pigeon. The girl said, "Father, get me a net." When she entered the palace, she wore the net over her body, rode on a dog, and held the pigeon. She didn't walk when she entered the palace, as she was riding a dog. Once inside, she got off, and the dog ran away. The king told her not to wear any clothes, but she couldn't come completely naked. Since she wore the net over her body, she could truthfully say she wasn't wearing any clothes, yet she wasn't naked either. The king said not to bring any gifts, but to bring something else instead. She said, "My king, this is my gift for you." She handed the pigeon to the king, but as he took it from her hand, it flew away. The king was amazed by her actions. He asked her, "Let me ask you one question? How did your father raise you to be like this?" I know that you are poor. What does your father do for a living to raise you?" She said, "My father is a fisherman. He uses a net to catch fish. He catches fish from the land." The king was puzzled by her words, so he asked, "Catching fish on land? Fish live in water, don't they?" She said, "That's right, my king. Fish only live in water. Just like that, only a female horse can give birth, not a male." The king was satisfied with her answers and said, "You are such a smart girl. You may take the foal. You are right. Only a female horse can give birth. I will also reward you with lots of gold." The girl and her father received lots of rewards and went back home.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Bawnu ram ai num kasha a lam hpe bai tsun na re, moi kahtawng langai mi hta shan nau lahkawng gaw sumtsan hkrun lam hkawm shaloi she kahpu ngu na wa gumra gaw ala, kanau ngu na wa gumra gaw ayi rai na shan nau gaw hkrum lam hkawm ai da. Dai kanau ngu na wa gaw num kasha langai nga ai da. Dai hku hkrun lam hkarm rai yang she shan nau nsin grai sin mat ai majaw hkun lam kaw yup rai shaloi she dai kanau ngu na wa na gumra ayi wa gaw gumra kasha shangai ai da. Gumra kasha shangai rai shaloi she dai gumra kasha ngu na wa she kahpu na gumra leng npu kaw sa rawng nga ai da. Hpang jahpawy myi mu wa rai yang she kahpu wa shawng rawt ai da, kahpu wa shawng e kanau e ngai na gumra leng gaw kasha shangai ai she rai ngai ai ngu dai hku ngu tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she kanau gaw e ba e gumra leng wa me kasha shangai ai ngu gaw kara hku ma nmai nbyin ai ngu dai hku ngu tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she e mai ai, nmai byin gaw ngai na gumra leng npu kaw she ndai gumra kasha nga ai gaw ngai na she re ngu dai hku dang rang hkat ai da. Dang rang hkat shaloi she dai shanhte na hkawhkam wang de du mat wa ai da. Hkawhkam wa kaw du mat wa shaloi she hkawhkam wa tsun ai da e nanhte na gumra ndai lam hpe ngai hparan ya na, nanhte hpe raitim ga mali htet dat na dai hpe lu tsun dan ai wa hpe kaja lam hku hparan ya na ngu tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she (nam bat) langai gaw i mungkan hta ngun ja dik htum hpabaw rai ngu tsun ai da. (Nambat) lahkawng gaw sau law dik hpabaw rai ngu da. (Nam bat) masum gaw nya dik ai hpabaw rai ngu da. (Nam bat) mali gaw grai tsaw ra si na rai hpabaw rai ngu dai hku ngu htet dat ai da. Dai shaloi she kahpu ngu na la wa gaw shi na lusu ai dinggai hpe sa san ai da. Dai shaloi she dinggai wa gaw kahpu hpe shawng tsun ai da ngai tsun dan na aloi sha i, dai mungkan ntsa chyang dik ai ja dik ai gaw aloi sha re dai gaw nye gumra re ngu da, mungkan ntsa nye gumra ram chyang ai kadai nnga ai ngu tsun ai da. |
