| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The story I am going to tell is about a toad which always tells a lie and a mouse which believes what others say. Once upon a time, there was a toad in a forest. And there was a mouse too. That mouse believed whatever the others said. He believed everything. He was a muggins. There was a toad which lived in a lake. And they two were friends. One day, they met each other. They were playing together. Then, the toad told a lie to the mouse. When the toad told a lie, the mouse didn't know that it was a lie and totally believed him. He was the mouse which believed everything. One day, the mouse went to a lake. And he got so hungry. Then he went to the forest to find food. But he couldn't find any food. He dejectedly sat beside the lake. He thought, "I am so hungry. I will just drink water." He was gazing at the lake. At that time, the toad from the lake told the mouse, "I have been looking for the food the whole day as I am so hungry. But I couldn't find any food." Then the mouse replied, "Me too. I have been finding food the whole day, but I didn't get any food. So, I came here to drink water." The toad also said, "I have been finding the food in water too, but I didn't get any." Then they two were thinking about something. The toad thought to himself, "Ummm, this mouse believes whatever I said." Then he tried to lie to the mouse. The toad said, "If you want to find food, then come down. Let's go and find food in the water." Since the mouse was a muggins, he believed what the toad said. He followed the toad. The toad was slick. Then the toad tied one of his legs and the mouse's leg together with a rope, so that the mouse would not run away. The mouse asked him, "Why are you tying?" The toad said, "Nothing. I just want to make sure not to separate us when we swim." Then the mouse believed him. The mouse forgot that he couldn't swim at all. He was such a muggins that he trusted in the toad. And he forgot the fact that he couldn't swim. And he followed the toad. As soon as they went into the water, the mouse suddenly remembered something. He remembered that he couldn't swim. Then he quickly went to the ditch to run away. The toad was also pulling him hard not to run away. While the toad was pulling the mouse hard into the deep water, the mouse was also pulling the rope and tried to go to the ditch. They two kept pulling the rope so hard. At that time, the crow was flying towards them. The crow was hungry too. Then the crow saw that mouse and that toad. He thought, "If I eat those two, I will be full." Then he flew towards the lake. He pecked at them and dropped them on the ditch. Then the mouse and the toad tried to untie the knots. But they couldn't untie it because the toad tied tightly. They both were struggling with untying the rope. At that moment, the crow said, "You two will be my meal." And he ate them. Finally, the toad couldn't eat the mouse, and the mouse couldn't find his food as well. They both became the meal for the crow.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng)
Ya ngai tsun na maumwi a ga baw gaw masu ga tsun chye ai Shu chyit hte grai kam ja ai Yu kasha a lam re. moi shawng e da, nam maling langai mi kaw da, Shu chyit langai mi nga ai da, (aw) Yu langai mi nga ai da law, Yu langai mi nga yang she, Yu dai gaw da masha ni hpa tsun yang hpa kam ai da, shi gaw grai kam ja ai da. Kam ai ngu loi dik, masha ni hpa tsun yang hpa kam rai yang she, hka nawng langai mi kaw da, Shu chyit langai mi nga ai da. Shut chyit langai mi nga re yang she, Shan lahkawng yan gaw manang rai na hku nga, rai yang she manang rai yang she, dai hku manang rai yang she lani mi shan lahkawng yan arau nga sai da. Arau nga yang shan lahkawng yan hka ni arau gasup chyai na hku nga, rai yang she tsun ai da. Shu chyit wa gaw dai Yu wa hpe masu ga tsun na hku nga, dai hku masu ga tsun na she Yu wa gaw ''Re i'' nga nna grai kam ai da. Shi gaw masha ni hpa tsun yang hpa kam ai grai kam ja ai Yu langai re ai da. Dai Yu gaw lani mi gaw da, hka nawng kaw sa ai da, hka nawng kaw sa re yang she, dai Yu wa gaw shat grai kawsi wa sai, htaw nam maling hkan ni shat hkan tam ai da. Shat hkam tam re yang she shat langai mi n mu ai da, rai yang she, n mu na shi gaw hka kata kaw sa dung ''E ngai shat grai kawsi ai hka sha pyi naw sa lu la na re'' ngu na shi gaw shi gaw dai kaw mau taw yang hka kata kaw Shu chyit wa mung ''Ke ngai dai ni shat hkan tam ai re wa shat mung n mu ai shat nau kawsi nna shat hkan tam ai shat mung n mu la ai le'' ngu she ''Ngai mung le shat nau kawsi ai majaw ngai shat ni hkan tam ai shat langai mung n mu la ai ngai dai majaw nang, nang na, ndai hka kaw hka sa lu ai rai nga ai le'' ngu tsun ai da. ''Ngai mung oh hka kata hkan ni hkan tam ai hpa shat mung n mu sha ai'' nga tsun taw shan lahkawng yan myit sai da. Myit yang she ''Yu ndai gaw ngai tsun ai ga mung grai kam ai'' shi gaw myit sai da. Myit nna she Shu chyit wa masu sai hku nga Yu hpe ''E nang shat tam mayu ai nga yang oh anhte na hka kata de hka de wa tam ga le'' nga Yu wa gaw masha ni tsun ai nau kam ai majaw shi gaw hkan nang ai da. Hkan nang re yang she Shu chyit wa gaw (le) na hku nga, dai yu wa n hprawng na hku shan lahkawng na lagaw langai hte langai sumri gyit da na hku nga ''Hpa na gyit ai ma ngu yang hpa na nre ai an lahkawng yan hka (Ku ) ai kaw n hka mat hkra arau sha (ku) na matu le'' ngu na gyit da ai da. Gyit da yang she ''Aw re i, Yu wa gaw shi hka n she (ku) ai hpe shi malap kau ai da, shi gaw nau kam ja ai majaw shi hka nchye (ku) ai hpe mung malap kau na she shi gaw hkan nang na hku nga, hkan nang nna she, dai hku hkan nang na hku nga, rai yang she hka de kalang ta shang mat ai shaloi Yu wa dum sai da. Shi hka n chye (ku) ai hpe shi gaw hka de kalang ta shang mat yang she shi gaw dum mat ai da. Dum mat re shi gaw dai Yu wa mung hka nchye (ku) nna oh shi gaw hka hkawng de sa da, hka hkawng de sa re yang she, Shu chyit wa mung Yu wa n hprawng na hku shi mung gang ai da, hka grau sung ai de gang re yang she oh ra langai mung hka hkawng de gang, oh ra langai mung hka grau sung ai de gang nna shan lahkawng gang hkrai gang hkat ai da, dai kaw she oh kaw Uhka langai mi pyen sa wa na hku nga, Uhka dai mung shat grai kawsi ai hku nga dai she dai Shu chyit hte Yu wa hpe mu na hku nga Yu wa hpe mu ai shaloi she ''Ndai yan lahkawng hpe sha kau yang ngai hkru sa na re'' ngu na shi gaw myit na hku nga myit sa na hku nga shi gaw oh hka kau maga de shi gaw pyen sa wa ai da. Pyen sa wa na dai Yu hte Shu chyit hpe kalang ta sa achye nna hka hkawng kaw jahkrat kau ai da. Shan lahkawng na kanoi hpyan na ngu ai she grai ja taw na hku nga, grai ja hkra Shu chyit gaw n kaja ai myit hte grai shaja hkra makyit kau ai rai nga she shan lahkawng yan n lu hpyan hkraw ai da, n lu hpyan hkraw nna yak hkrai yak makyit taw yang Uhka wa gaw da, Uhka gaw ''Nan lahkawng ya gaw ngai na shat byin mat sai yaw'' ngu na tsun yang she Uhka dai gaw sha kau ai da. Dai Yu hte Shu chyit hpe sha kau yang she, Shu chyit wa mung dai Yu hpe n lu sha mat ai da. Dai Yu wa mung shi tam na ngu ai shi shat pyi n lu tam sha shi yang shi gaw shan lahkawng yan tup Uhka na shat sha byin mat ai da.
Notes
1. ATU 278, Perry 384 |
