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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The story I am going to tell is about a smart one and a fool. Once upon a time, there were a smart man and a fool in a village. The smart man looked down on the fool and took him wherever he went. One day, they traded salt. When they did salt trading, the smart one brought a very beautiful basket to carry the salt. But the fool brought just an old basket. On their way, they saw a deer dying near a ravine. Seem like, the deer died just recently. The smart man said to the fool, "My friend, let's cut this deer and take with us. We could get lots of money when we sell in plain area." Then, the smart one cut only the good part of the deer and put the meat in his basket till it was full. But, the fool was befuddled and in a daze. He took only the intestines of the deer with full of faeces and put them in his old basket. Then, they continued their way to a village. Since they were cutting the meat in the daytime, it was dark before they arrived at the village. So, they planned to rest in a cave. They thought to sleep inside the cave, but it was totally dark inside it. So, they just slept somewhere above the cave. At midnight, they heard a clamour and saw sparks and flames. They were frightened. When they sneaked a look inside it, they saw that there were Ndang Nats (people who died a violent death). There were full of Ndang Nats in the cave where they were sleeping on. Some were carrying long cylindrical drums and some were carrying gongs. Ndang Nats were playing those and dancing the death-dance. They put all of their valuable things and gold beside them. They also wore traditional clothes decorated with small silver studs and coins. And they were dancing there. The smart man and the fool were scared out of their wits. Then, the fool said, "Shall we put the deer's intestines down there?" The smart man said, "No! What if they come to us?" He stopped his friend. After some time, the fool said again, "Let's just drop this intestine down." The smart man said, "Okay then. Put it down." When they put that down, Ndang Nats were shocked and ran away. As soon as they ran away, the smart man quickly picked the gold which Ndang Nats left and put them in his basket. The fool was gazing without taking the gold. He was just looking at the long cylindrical drum and took it with him. After that, they continued their journey to trade salt. At night, they reached at the village. But seem like, no-one lived there. Everything was as silent as the grave. Suddenly, they heard something from an old house at the outskirts of the village. Then, they went there and saw an old man sitting in the house. The smart man asked, "Grandpa, where are the other villagers? Seem like no one is here. Everything is silent." The old man said, "It's because of ghouls. There are bad ghouls in our village. They catch people and eat every night. I might get killed tonight. You two came here. Now, they might eat all of us happily." After hearing that, the smart man said, "We shouldn't get eaten easily. We must find a way to escape from it. Let's hide somewhere." Then, they three dug a big pit under the house and hid inside it. When it was dark, the ghouls entered the village. They got human's scent and tried to smell anywhere. The old man and the smart man were so scared. At that time, the fool said, "My friends, shall I play this gong?" They scolded him, "Such a fool! You can't play that! The ghouls might eat us when they hear the sound." Later, he said again "Shall I play this gong?" The smart man was annoyed and said, "Play it then! Play it!" Then, the fool played the gong with all of his strength. The ghouls were shocked and ran away quickly. Actually, the ghouls were really afraid of the gong's sound. The fool drove the ghouls off by playing the gong after them. Since that day, the ghouls lived somewhere very far away from people.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya ngai hkai na maumwi gabaw gaw zen ai wa hte mana ai wa a lam ngu ai re. Moi da mare kaba langai mi kaw e zen ai wa hte mana ai wa nga ai da. Dai zen ai wa gaw mana ai wa hpe e shi gaw n kaw n law di na galoi mung shi woi hkawm hkawm di ai da. Woi hkawm hkawm di re yang gaw lani mi gaw shan2 jum hpaga ga sa wa masai da. Jum hpaga ga sa wa yang e ndai zen ai wa gaw shingnoi grai tsawm ai shingnoi gun ai da. Mana ai wa gaw htingga byek byek re gun re na shan 2 gaw jum hpa ga sa wa mat sai da. Re yang she oh, karaw makau langai mi kaw she shan nga langai mi si taw ai da. Dai shan nga gaw dai shaloi sha si ai zawn zawn re a katsing sha re na si taw nga ai hpe shan gaw lam kaw sa mu ai da. Dai majaw oh ra zen ai wa gaw mana ai wa hpe she e hkau e ndai shan ndai chyawm me hpya gun ga. Ndai le pala yang de du jang gumhpraw byin na ra ai ngu na she shan dai woi hpya ai da. Shan woi hpya re yang she dai zen ai wa gaw shan zing hkrai hkrai hpya la na shi shingnoi kaw tup hkra di na hpya bang la ai da. Mana ai wa re jang gaw mau hkrai mau, mau hkrai mau re na hpang jahtum gaw ndai pusin pukan ahkyi hkrai hkrai re hkyi hte nawng naw re hpe she shi htingga kaw e a nyin matsut la ai da. Dan na shan 2 gaw bai matut hkawm mat wa yang she dai shana shan gaw shani lam kaw shan ni hpya hkawm nga ai re majaw she mare ndu yang e jan du mat ai da. Jan du mat na she oh lungpu langai mi nga ai dai kaw shan 2 gaw n sin sin mat na dai kaw yup hkring sa na matu hkring mat sai da. Hkring mat yang dai lungpu kata de e shang yup na kun ngu na yu yu yang gaw asin a mun re na e hkrit si na zawn re nau sin ai majaw shan gaw hkrit na she lung pu ntsa maga kaw e lung yup ai da. Lungpu a ntsa kaw yup re yang shana yuptung tung wa ai ahkying aten hta gaw dai hkaraw ting hpraw e hpra e nga na she e ngoi garu, wan shingnan hte mawng re na she garu sai da. Dai yang gaw shan 2 gaw hkrit sai da lo, hkrit sai da lo. Jahkring nre yang gaw dai lungpu de she dai garu hte chyi, wan shingnan hte mawng dai gaw shan 2 lagu yu yang she, ndang nat ni wa re taw nga ai da. Ndang nat dai ni wa jahkring sha shan yup ai lungpu kata kaw hpring chyat re mat ai da. A bau hpai ai hte htawng hpai ai hte rai na she shanhte gaw dai lungpu kata kaw kabung wa dum ai da, ndang nat ni gaw. Shan 2 gaw aw hkrit let she lagu yu yang she, dai n dang nat ni wa she, shanhte gun ai shanhte kaw lawm ai ja rai ni gumhpraw rai ni hpe gaw makau kaw hte sumpum tawn. Shanhte gaw soi palawng hte hpa hte re na she kabung dum nga sai da. Kabung dum re yang gaw shan nau hkrit wa na she, dai mana ai wa gaw e hkau ndai shan nga kan wa jahkrat bun dat yu ga i ngu she mana mana nga mana e an kaw htim lung wa yang kaning di na ngu she dai hku tsun na bai abyik kau, raitim loi mi bai na re jang she mana ai wa gaw dan nga na sha a tsun nga ai da. Ndai shan nga kan jahkrat bun yu ga law nga hkrai hkrai tsun she, oh ra wa mung na jin na she, jahkrat bun yu loi ngu tsun dat yang kaja wa jahkrat bun dan jang she dai ndang nat ni gaw hprawng mat wa sai da. Hprawng mat wa jang she shan 2 gaw dai ndang nat ni hte sumpum tawn ai ja rai gumhpraw rai ni hpe she wa magawn la re yang she, dai zen ai wa gaw a gying magawn la sai da, dai mana ai wa re jang gaw mau hkrai mau na she hpang jahtum gaw ndang nat ni kabung dum ai kaw na htawng wa mi she hta masawp hpai sai da, dai mana ai wa gaw dan na shan bai hkawm mat wa sai da. Bai hkawm mat wa re yang she shana de e kahtawng langai mi kaw bai du re yang, dai kahtawng kaw she shan shingran madat yu yang gaw dai kahtawng kaw gaw masha nga shingran mung n ran, zim she zam, dan re jang she oh mare shingnawm na nta byep byep re kaw she duk dak nga na ngoi ai mi na dat na n hku de masen yu yang she dingla langai mi sha mau dung nga la ai da. Re jang she dai zen ai wa gaw e jidwi e ya ndai mare na masha ni gaw gara de wa rai mat ma sata. Masha nga shingran mung n ran re gaw ngu na san dat yang she, E e ndai mare kaw e sha lawa n hprang nga ai majaw sha lawa n hprang nga ai majaw, mare masha ni kahtawng masha ni hpe yawng rim sha kau ma sai. Dai na gaw ngai mung si na chyalu re sai. Ya nan 2 bai du jat, anhte 3 hpe dai na gaw a hpyaw sha bai rim sha kau na sai ngu na dai hku tsun jang she dai zen ai wa gaw e hpa mi retim anhte 3 mung lamama ladat shaw nna she makoi ga ngu na shanhte 3 jawm bawng la na shanhte rawng ai nta kata kaw n hkun htu na dai kaw shang rawng mat wa ai da, shanhte gaw. Shang rawng yang she kaja wa nsin ningrim lai ai hte gaw dai sha lawa n hprang ni gaw u, buk e bak e nga sa wa ai da. Sa wa re yang shanhte madat yang masha katsing manam ai da. Dai majaw she shanhte gaw sit manam yu, sit manam yu, masha katsing bat manam mu gaw n mu re na she, sit manam tam hkrai tam re, a hpre yu re na yang she, oh ra zen ai wa gaw hkrit sai da, hkrit she hkrit gari na nga, dingla wa mung hkrit nna myi di she di, di she di na shan 2 gaw dai hku na hkrit gari jang she dai mana wa gaw e hkau yen ndai htawng chyawm me dum dat yu na kun ngu she, Mana e hkum mai u ga le, anhte hpe sha kau na re nga le ngu, zim sha bai nga taw sai da. Loi mi hkring yang bai ndai htawng she bai dum ga law nga na dai hku chyu tsun nga jang she, grai zen ai wa gaw masin nau pawt na she dum dat yu loi ngu na, htawng she woi woi ngu na htawng dum dat jang she dai shalawa n hprang ni gaw hprawng mat wa ai da. Kaja wa nga yang ndai shalawa ni gaw ndai htawng nsen hpe grai hkrit ai re da. Dan na shalawa ni tsan tsan de hprawng hkrai hprawng mat wa re na she ndai shalawa mung hprawng mat wa ai kaw she ndai mana ai wa mung a htawng hpai na shachyut hkrai shachyut re na dai shani kaw na ndai shalawa n hprang gaw grai tsan ai shara de hprawng mat wa sai da.
Notes
1. The animated version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIcsi8XnJD8
2. The popular belief that ghosts are afraid of dirt is also found in China (Yuanzong Zhang, p.c., May 2021). |
