| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
This story is about losing a chance to become a king of all animals. Once upon a time, animals in the forest looked for the one who could rule them. Then they organized a meeting. "Will a lion be our king? Or a white-handed gibbon? Or a barking deer? Or a tiger?" they discussed it. Then they chose the lion to be the king. Every animal agreed on that. The lion really became the king of the animal. And there was one agreement they made on the day they chose the lion as a king. It was that each kind of animal needed to send food for the lion king. Every animal had its responsibility and task. If a wild boar sent a meal today, then a great hornbill would send a meal tomorrow. The porcupine will send the meal the next day. They designated the dates as who will send the meal on which day. One day, the one who needed to send the meal for the lion was a frog. The frog said, "I can't walk on the dry land. I can go in the water really well. I can swim. So, if the lion king wants to eat what I offer, come to this lake where I live. Come to the mud lake, my lion king." Then the lion king also said, "Of course, I can come. Even that kind of small frog told me in that way, I will definitely go!" So, he went to the lake filled with mud where the frog lived. When he arrived there, the frog told him, "My lord, you are our Mighty King. I can hear your voice since I am a kind of land frog. The frogs which lived under the water couldn't hear your voice. So, can you shout for them to be able to hear your voice, please?" And the frog continued, "After you have shouted, we will offer a meal for you." Then the lion shouted loudly. He opened his mouth wide and roared, "Wahhhh..." At that time, the frog threw the mud into the lion's mouth. Because the frog threw the mud into his mouth, the lion couldn't roar. The lion king was so angry. So he tried to eat the frog. The frog said, "Wait! Wait! Don't eat me yet. Let's compete for a race first! If you lose, you let me go. If I lose, you eat me." They made a promise and started competing. The lion said, "I am the strongest animal. You, such a small frog, want to compete with me? Alright then, let's compete!" The lion agreed to compete with the frog since he was much bigger than the frog. "Then, let's cross this mud lake. We have to cross to reach the other side. The one who can cross farther and reach farther will be the winner, okay? You will not win if you can't reach far, even though you can cross. Do you agree?" asked the frog. The lion said, "Of course! I agree. Why not?" He thought the frog couldn't jump far away. He looked down on the frog and agreed to compete. When they competed in jumping over the lake, the lion put all his effort to jump. At that time, the frog grasped and hung on the lion's tail. But the lion wasn't aware of that. When the lion jumped the lake, the frog followed by hanging on the lion's tail. When he jumped one time, his tail raised up. His tail raised up when he jumped. At that moment, the frog quickly jumped to the other side of the lake. Then the frog was 7 or 8 feet ahead of the lion. He asked, "Do I win now? You are just over there. I can jump 7 or 8 feet farther than you. I am the winner now, right?" But the lion was angry and said, "You lie to me! I will eat you. " Then the frog asked, "Hey! Lion! Look at my mouth! What do you see?" The lion said, "A lion's hair!" There was really a lion's hair in the frog's mouth. Actually, it was from the lion's tail. But the frog said to the lion, "This was your father's hair. Do you think it is yours? This is when I ate your father. His hair still stuck in my mouth. Don't you know that?! I'm going to eat you now. I ate your father's flesh. Here's your father's hair." The lion was afraid and ran away quickly. Since that day, the lion lost his King position. He was not the King of the animals anymore. Our elders usually say, "You will be like the lion which lost his King position. Be careful!" Since that lion lost his position, they had to choose another king. When they were choosing the king of the animals, they decided to let a deer be the king. The same as before, they assigned the tasks to the animals to send the food for the deer. Then the one who needed to send the food for the deer king was a tortoise. The deer really liked eating common wild fig fruits. Then, the deer told the tortoise, "I'm hungry. If we can't have common wild fig fruits, can you pick the fruits from the tree?" Though the tortoise didn't know how to climb a tree, since the deer king told him to do, he tried to climb a tree. But when he climbed for one or two steps, he fell down. He got hurt. He couldn't pick the fruits. The other animals discussed, "The tortoise can't climb the tree. But the deer let him climb and pick the common wild fig fruits. The deer shouldn't be the king. He doesn't know how to rule. It would be great if he let the monkey pick the fruits. If he let the monkey climb the tree, that will be good. He didn't know whom he should order. The deer didn't know how to rule the animals. Let's dethrone him!" Then the deer was not the king anymore. The animals dethroned the deer because he let the tortoise climb the common wild fig tree. Since the other animals dethroned the deer, the deer was embarrassed and couldn't show his face to anyone. Then his eyes became blurry. Since then, the deer's eyes became that way, though he was beautiful. The deer's eyes were blurry since then. People used to say that, "When you are shy and can't show your face to anyone and you don't know where to hide your face, then people usually say that I feel like a deer. I don't know where to put my face." That's why the deer lost his throne. Our elders usually say this story to be careful and not to say useless words.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng & Htu Bu)
Ndai maumwi a gabaw gaw Dusat Hkawhkam Aya Tat Kau Ai maumwi re. Moi shawng de e, dusat dumyeng ni wa, Hkawhkam shanhte dusat dumyeng ni kaw na gara mahtang hpe E.. Hkawhkam tang na nga nna zuphpawng galaw ma ai da. E Hkanghkyi hpe kun? Ningrau hpe kun? N rai yang, Chyahkyi hpe kun? Sharaw hpe kun? nga nna e.. Zuphpawng hpawng ma ai da. Shaloi grai marawn ja ai Hkanghkyi hpe shawng shi hpe tang ga Hkawhkam gaw ngu nna tsun ma ai da myit hkrum ma ai da. Kaja wa Hkanghkyi gaw dusat a Hkawhkam tai sai da. Shanhte Hkawhkam tang ai shani hpa baw myit hkrum ai lam lawm ai i nga yang gaw, dusat hpan mi gaw shani shagu dai Hkawhkam Hkanghkyi Hkawhkam dusat Hkawhkam tai ai Hkanghkyi hpe shat lu sha jaw na matu, E langai hpang langai lit la na, lani mi gaw Hkawngrang, lani mi gaw Wadu, lani mi gaw Dumsi ngu nna dai hku nhtoi garan ma ai da. Yang, lani mi na gaw kade a e lit ang wa i ngu jang gaw, E… Shu a lit ang wa ai da. Shu a lit ang wa jang gaw Shu gaw “E ngai gaw hkarang kaw n chye hkawm ai. Hka kaw gaw grai chye hkawm ai. Hpungyawt nna mung chye hkawm ai. E dai majaw ngai Shu e jaw ai shat lusha, sha mayu yang gaw, E, ngai nye a hka nawng de sa lu ga. Ngai rawng ai hkumpup hka nawng de sa lu ga. Hkanghkyi Hkawhkam wa e.” ngu htet ai da. Rai yang gaw dai Hkanghkyi wa mung “Aw ngai gaw she sa le. Ndai Shu Tek wa mi ngai hpe dan nga yang.” e, Oh Shu ni rawng ai hkumpup nawng de sa ai da. Sa re she dai kaw du rai she e Shu e bai tsun ai gaw “E madu Hkawhkam e nang gaw anhte Hkawhkam re. Nang shaga ai, ngoi ai nsen hpe ngai hkarang kaw pru ai Shu ngai sha na ai. Le hka nawng hkumpup nawng kaw rawng ai Shu ni mung na u ga, she marawn yu u.” Ngu nna bai tsun ai da, “Nang marawn ai hte ngut ai hte gaw, E..nau n na jang anhte Shu ni nang hpe shat lusha jaw na.” ngu yang she, Hkanghkyi wa mung grai marawn sai da. “Wah….” nga ti shi marawn jang she n-gup mahka ti marawn jang she, Shu gaw dai Hkanghkyi a n-gup hta hkumpup kabai bang ya ai da. Dai Shu hkumpup kabai bang ya ai majaw Hkanghkyi gaw n lu marwn nna zim! nga kalang ta ngap rap re grai pawt sai da. Grai pawt nna, grai pawt nna she shi hpe e sha na, amya sha na nga jang, “E! Hkum sha, hkum sha mayu. Naw shingjawng yu ga.” ngu da. “Dai shingjawng ai kaw nang, nang sum yang gaw ngai hpe dat. Ngai sum yang nang ngai hpe sha u.” ngu nna ga sadi tawn nna, shingjawng ma ai da. Dai yang Hkanghkyi gaw “Nang nte sha law ai mi ngai daram ram n-gun ja ai wa hte shingjawng ai nga gaw shingjawng ga le.” Bai ngu ai da. Hkanghkyi gaw grai kaba ai majaw Shu gaw kaji sha re majaw shingjawng ga ngu da. “Dai re gaw ndai ngai rawng ai hka nawng hpe shing kawt ga. E shing kawt ga. Oh-ra hkran de shing kawt ga. Grau shing kawt lu ai hte Oh-ra grau tsan ai de du ai wa gaw dang ai yaw. E shing kawt lu tim grau tsan ai shara de n du yang gaw n dang ai yaw. Dai myit hkrum ai i?” ngu Shu e... san ai da. “She myit hkrum le.” Dai Hkanghkyi gaw Shu hpe shing kawt n jin na re ngu nna dai hku yu kaji ai hte she shingjawng ga ngu nna shingjawng ai da. Dai hkanawng kaw shingjawng shingkawt shingjawng na hkyen jang she, Hkanghkyi wa n-gun dat nna lahkam na matu shing kawt na matu n-gun dat nga yang, Shu gaw Hkanghkyi a maitsan maga, maitsan oh wung wung re kaw dai kaw e gawa kap di nna noi nga sai da. N dum shami re nna e, ndum shami e Shi gaw kalang ta Hkanghkyi hka nawng hpe shingkawt shingjawng ai hte dai Hkanghkyi a maitsan kaw kap re nna, kap re ai hte Hkanghkyi n-gun dat nna shingjawng ai hte, dusat gaw E shingkawt shingjawng yang maitsan ntsa de lang i, maitsan hpe ntsa de malang re ka-aw ai rai nga. Dai kaw Shu kap re nna, Oh Shu oh-ra hkan de kap. E shingkawt ai hte hpuk nga shi kaw Hkanghkyi kaw na Pe 7-8, dawng 7-8 tsan ai de hpuk re na hkku rai nga. Ya ngai dang sai n re i?” ngu yang, “Ngai nang kaw dai kaw she du ai. Ngai gaw na shawng kaw dawng 7-8 tsan ai kaw du ai. Ngai grau chye ai n re i?” bai ngu sai da. Dai majaw sha na hkyen yang she “Nang ngai hpe masu ai! Sha na! Nang hpe rim sha na! nga yang, “Hkanghkyi, nang myit yu u! i, Nang nye n-gup hpe yu u!” ngu da. “Hpa baw mu ai rai?” ngu yang “Hkanghkyi mun mu ai.” ngu da. Hkrak wa dai Shu a n-gup kaw Hkanghkyi mun kap ai gaw, dai Hkanghkyi na maitsan kaw na mun re. Dai hpe she, Shu gaw Hkanghkyi hpe ningngu nna bai tsun ai da. “Ndai gaw moi na n-wa na mun re gaw. Nang na mun wa sha du i? Ya moi n-wa hpe sha kau yang na mun ya daini du hkra kap ai. Nang n chye ai i?” ngu yang gaw, “Ya nang hpe ngai sha kau na le. Na n-wa na mun pyi ngai shan pyi sha kau ai. Nang kaw na n-wa na mun.” dai kaw hkrit nna Hkanghkyi gaw hprawng mat ai da. Hprawng mat ai dai shani Hkanghkyi gaw Hkawhkam aya tat kau ai da i, Hkawhkam aya n tai sai. E dai hpe e, moi na salang ni gaw “Hkanghkyi Hkawhkam, dusat Hkawhkam aya tat kau ai hpa tai na lu. Sadi mu lu.” nga nna tsun ma ai. Dai Hkanghkyi gaw Hkawhkam dusat Hkawhkam aya tat kau ai majaw, kalang bai Hkawhkam lata ai da. Hkawhkam lata re jang she e Hkawhkam lata jang she ndai e, bai lata re gaw kadai hpe lata i nga jang gaw, grai nga ngoi ai Chyahkyi hpe lata ai da. Chyahkyi hpe lata, mi na hte maren Chyahkyi hpe mung langai hpag langai sha hpa, Chyahkyi ra hpa sa jaw jaw na matu, lit garan ai da. Lani mi gaw lit garan re gaw dai Chyahkyi hpe shat sa jaw na kadai ang i nga yang, Taukawk ang ai da. Taukawk rai yang she e ndai Chyahkyi gaw maihpang si grai ra sha ai mi re da. Re yang she, ra sha yang she, Chyahkyi gaw Taukawk hpe ga kaw si ai maihpang si ma ai hpang, “Hpun kaw noi ai, hpun ntsa kaw noi ai maihpang si hpe bai di jaw rit.” ngu da. Taukawk hpe rai yang, Taukawk gaw hpun lung n chye tim dai Chyahkyi e dai hku ngu ai majaw, hpun lung n ngut tim, hpun pawt kaw na ntsa de langai lahkawng lahkam dat yang galau, galau, dai hpe gaw, dan re nna byin ai da. Maihpang si di mu n lu re gaw, ndai Chyahkyi gaw i “Hpun lung n chye wa ai hpe, hpung ntsa na shi ra sha ai, maihpang si di shangun ai gaw, ndai Chyahkyi mung, Mung up n chye ai. Ndai gaw i kaga hpe Woi hpe i, Kadu Hka La hpe shangu yang gaw hkrat na wa. Shi gaw shi shara kaw shi shara hpe shangun sha n chye ai. Ndai Chyahkyi mung, e mung up n chye ai majaw Hkawhkam aya kaw na i Hkawhkam aya dawm la ga.” nga ma ai da. Dan na Chyahkyi dai mung Hkawhkam aya dawm la sai da. Dusat ni gaw e hpa majaw ngu, shi.. Taukawk hpe wa mi, maihpang hpun de lung nna maihpang si di shangun ai dai majaw shi hpe dawm la kau sai da. E Hkawhkam aya kaw dawm kau ai majaw mi gaw grai nga ngoi ai i Chyahkyi wa she, kaya ai majaw e masha ni a man e myi man n hpaw gwi ai. Myi man n hpaw gwi ai majaw myi wa ni myi bri bri byin mat ai da. Dai jang, Dai kaw Jawngnyi ngu byin mat ai da. Tsawm gaw tsawm tim Jawngnyi. Chyahkyi Jawngnyi ngu gaw myi bri bri re na byin ma ai da. Dai hpe ning nga ma ai. Grai kaya yang, grai kaya masha a myi man, masha a myi man kaw myi man n hpaw gwi yang, “Dai ni gaw kaya kaya sai wa i..myi man pyi gara kaw n chye makoi sai. Kaya kaya sai wa nye a myi man gaw, Jawngnyi myi man hpa she re.” nga ai ga ni pru wa ai. Dai majaw Hkawhkam aya, Hkanghkyi Hkawhkam aya tat kau ai. Chyahkyi mung shi a Hkawhkam aya tat kau ai. E ning re gamung ga n tai na matu sadi ga nga nna maumwi hkai ma ai. |
