| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
They worked as daily wage laborers for other people. They worked in the fields and herded the cows. They had only a few grains of rice to eat. The old lady said, "My husband, we have only a few grains of rice to eat. I think we can eat it for only three days. What should we do? Go grind these grains at someone else's mortar. Let's cook rice." He did as his wife told him. He ground the rice grains and then winnowed them. He put the rice on the bamboo tray and carried it on his head on his way back home. At that time, a strong wind blew and made the rice on the bamboo tray he was carrying on his head fall and scatter on the ground. Then they had nothing to eat. When he got back home, he said to his wife, "I was carrying the rice, but all the grains scattered on the ground because of the strong wind. Every rice is gone now. Everything has scattered." The wife said, "If it was caused by the wind, ask it to give us the rice back. The wind caused this to happen! Go ask it!" Then the old man thought about which direction the wind was blowing from. He thought that if the wind blew from the east, the leaves would move westward. He was watching the leaves to see which way the wind was blowing. He also looked at the grass to determine the wind direction and started his journey to search for the wind. Soon, he reached the forest. He followed the wind and arrived at the forest. When he was in the dense forest, he found a hut. Then he walked into it. An old lady was sitting alone in the hut. She asked him, "Where are you from? Whom do you want to meet?" The old man answered, "I want to meet the wind. I winnowed the rice and put it into the bamboo tray, then carried it on my head. The wind caused all my rice to fall. My wife and I have nothing to eat now, so I have come to ask the wind to give the rice back." She said, "Okay. Take a rest here. The wind has not come yet. When it is here, you can just ask it. Then it will give the rice back to you. Don't worry." In the evening, when the wind arrived, it asked the old man, "Why did you come here? Who do you want to meet? What do you need to say?" The old man said, "While I was carrying a tray of rice on my head, you blew it away. I couldn't even pick it up. Now, my wife and I have nothing to eat. So I came here to ask you for some rice." The wind, "Okay. I was wrong. I did wrong. I will pay you back. Don't worry. I will repay you." The next morning, the wind gave him a tablecloth. When he got the tablecloth, he said to the wind, "I asked for food, not a tablecloth. I have nothing to do with this tablecloth." The wind said, "This is not an ordinary tablecloth. If you say, "Dear tablecloth, give me food," it will give you whatever you ask for. Just say what you want. It will fulfill your wish." The old man didn't believe. He went outside and tested it. He said, "Dear, I want to eat delicious food." Surprisingly, the table was filled with delicious food. He could eat that tasty food. Then he walked back into the hut and said, "I believe it now. I believe in this tablecloth. I am so happy. I will go back now." The old man went back to his home. It was already dark before he reached his house, so he stayed as a guest in a village. He went to a house at the edge of the village. The family members in that house were full of jealousy. The house owner's wife welcomed the old man and offered him some food. She said, "Uncle, where are you from? Why did you come here?" The old man explained everything. He said, "The wind blew all my rice away, so I asked it to repay me. Then it gave me this cloth. This is the kind of cloth with which we can ask for whatever we need. I have tested it. I took this tablecloth and was on my way back home. As it was dark, I stopped by here." The house owner's wife said, "That's great for you. That's really nice. There are many thieves in this village. No one stays in that room. You can hide it there. No one sleeps there, so it will be a safe place to hide it." The old man hid the tablecloth in that room and slept in a different room. Since the lady was wicked, she ordered her daughter to replace the old man's tablecloth with the same one, and they took the real one. They secretly swapped the tablecloths. The old man had no idea what had happened. The next morning, the house owner's family gave him his tablecloth, saying, "This is the tablecloth that you hid there." He just took it and went back home. When he arrived home, he said to his wife, "My wife, we don't even need to work anymore. We can live happily by eating the food that this special cloth creates for us. I will show you how it works. What do you want to eat? Tell me what you want to eat. This tablecloth will create the food we want." The old woman said, "I want to eat tasty food." The man said, "Dear cloth, my wife also wants to eat delicious food. Please, give us some food." But the cloth didn't give them any food. No matter how many times or how hard he tried, it didn't produce any food. His wife was mad at him and said, "You have been deceived! I think you didn't explain the wind properly. Go back there and tell it that we didn't get any food. Take this fabric and go there again!" She ordered him to go there again. The old man took it and went to the wind again. He said to the wind, "This tablecloth doesn't do anything for us. It gave me food when I was here, right in front of you. But it didn't give me anything when I made my wish at home. I think you deceived us." The wind explained, "No, I didn't. Did you sleep at someone else's house for a night?" He said, "I did." The wind said, "It seemed like the members of that house were jealous of you and did something. But don't worry at all. I will give you another item." It gave him a small goat. It said, "Test it again." The old man said, "Dear goat, I want to eat delicious food." After a moment, the goat gave him a table full of food. The wind said, "I don't deceive you. Take this goat and go home." On his way back home, he happened to spend the night at the same house as before. He had to sleep there as it was getting dark. Then the house owner's wife asked him many questions. He told her everything. She became jealous of him again. Therefore, she ordered her child to swap the goat with the same kind while the old man was sleeping. The next morning, the old man took the goat and went back home. When he got back home, he said to his wife, "My wife, we will be able to eat now. We don't need to worry. This goat will provide us with food, so we don't need to work anymore." He asked her what she wanted to eat and said, "Dear goat, my wife wants to eat delicious food." But it didn't give them any food. No matter how hard he tried, the goat didn't give him any food. Then the old woman got angry again. She said, "You took it without testing it properly!" He said, "No. I did ask for food when I was there. I really got food. I ate the food that this goat gave me." She said, "Go back to the wind again! What shall we eat now?!" He took the goat and went to the wind. The wind said, "The tablecloth was not the one I gave you. Also, this goat is not the one I gave you. The house owner's wife, where you slept, was jealous of you and did these kinds of things." This time, the wind gave him a trumpet. It said, "Don't play it without the proper intention. When you play it, many strong young men will appear. They will beat everyone. If you accidentally play it, just shout, "Go back inside the trumpet!" When you shout like that, they will go back inside the trumpet. Make sure to sleep at the same house you stayed at before." The old man went to sleep at that house again. The woman asked him, "Why did you come here again? Why are you travelling this time?" Since she deceived him twice, he didn't say anything. He just played the trumpet. Once he played it, a group of five or six young men came out of it. The old man said, "Beat that old woman!" They beat her up. Then she shouted, "Help me! I am hurt! Help!" The old man said, "I won't help you! You took both my tablecloth and my goat. Give them back to me! If you don't, you will be beaten to death. These young men beat you to death." She said, "I will give them back to you. I will." She said to her children, "Go quickly and take the tablecloth and the goat!" She returned those things to the old man. The old man got the cloth and the goat back. While the young men were beating the old lady, he shouted, "Go back into the trumpet!" Then the young men went into the trumpet. The old man took the cloth and the goat and went home. The old man and his wife didn't have to work at all. They asked the cloth and the goat for food. They could live happily. Being mean and wicked doesn't do any good. It only causes harm.
Transcription (Htu Bu)
Dai yan gaw masha ni hkan e, chyang lu chang sha nna sha nga ma ai da. Shanhte gaw chyang ai nga jang nai, mam ni chyang ai, chyang lu chyang sha ai. Shan hkan chyang tawn da ai mam kachyi sha nga sai da. Gumgai jan gaw tsun ai, "E, dingla e, amam mung kachyi sha nga sai ya, masum ya sha jang gaw ndai gaw ma mat chyoi ai baw rai sai law. Kaning di na kun. Ndai nga ai mam ndai hpe oh masha ni a hka htum kaw sa bang na sa htu la su. Ndai shadu sha ga." ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi dingla wa mung n'gai jan matsun ai hte maren manang ni a hka htum kaw mam sa htu katsap la na wa. Wa ai shaloi gaw shi gaw, hku wan kaw bang na baw kaw mara nna nta de wa. Dai shaloi she nbung laru wa nna e shi baw kaw mara tawn da ai hku wan hte n'gu ni yawng agat mat ai da. Yawng ayai mat ai da. Dai shaloi gaw shan gaw shat hpa n sha sai. Nta du wa ai shaloi gaw madu jan hpe tsun ai, "E, ngai n'gu la wa ai re wa, nbung bung nna yawng poi na hkrat mat sai. Hkyep mi mung n nga sai. Yawng ayai mat sai." ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi n'gai jan gaw, "Nbung re nga jang gaw, nbung kaw bai sa hpyi ai baw rai nga ai mu. Shi she shapoi kau ya ai gaw. Htaw! nbung kaw sa su!" ngu na tsun dat ai da. Dai shaloi gaw ndai dingla wa gaw kaja wa, ohhh, nbung, nbung nga ai de sa ai gaw ndai shi gaw nbung bung wa ai gara de wa bung ai re ngu dai hpe hkan yu ai. Sinpraw de na bung wa sa i nga jang, hpunlaw hpunlap gaw sinna de nga mat na rai. Namlaw namlap ni mung gale na rai re majaw. Nbung ndai gaw gara de na bung wa ai re ngu ai. Namlaw namlap hpe yu, tsingdu tsingman hpe yu na dai hku hkawm mat wa ai da. Dai hku hkawm mat wa, hkawm hkrai hkawm mat wa ai shaloi gaw maling de me ang mat wa ai da. Maling hku na bung wa ai re ngu dai hku bai hkan tam mat wa. Tsaw dik ai maling kaw du jang nta ginsum langai mi nga ai mu nna shi gaw dai kaw shang ai. Dai kaw shang ai shaloi gaw gumgai langai mi sha dung taw nga la ai da. "Ya nang kaning ngu na du sa n'ta? Kadai hte hkrum mayu n'ni?" ngu na san ai shaloi, dai dingla wa gaw, "E, ngai nbung hte hkrum mayu ai re law. Ngai hka htum kaw na n'gu katsap nna la wa ai, baw kaw mara rai, hku wan hte mara da ai n'gu yawng shapyen kau ya ai. Ya an shat hpa n sha ai majaw, nbung kaw n'gu hka sa ji ai re." ngu na tsun ai da. "E! rai jang gaw naw hkring u. Nbung garai n du wa ai. Ya nbung du wa sa i, nga jang e, nbung du wa sa i nga jang, shi hpe hkap tsun dan jang shi jaw na ra ai. N tsang ra na re." ngu na tsun ai da. Kaja wa shana rai jang nbung bai du wa ai shaloi gaw, "Nang kaning nga na sa? Kadai hte hkrum mayu? Hpa tsun na?" nbung bai san ai shaloi, dingla wa gaw, "Ngai hka htum kaw na n'gu hku wan hte baw kaw tawn da ai, nang kawut shapoi kau ya ai, hpa pyi n lu hta la mat ai. Ya an gumgai yan dingla shat hpa n sha sai. Dai majaw nang kaw n'gu sa hpyi ai re." ngu na tsun ai da. Rai jang nbung gaw, "E, ngai shut sai rai na re. Ngai shut sai. Ngai shut sai. Dai majaw nan hpe ngai, hka dai ngai wa dat na re. Ngai jaw dat na. Hpa n ra ai. N tsang ra ai." ngu. Hpang jahpawt rai jang gaw, (sapoi hkyin) wa, sumpan (sapoi hkyin) langai mi hta ya dat ai da. (sapoi hkyin) langai mi hta ya dat rai jang gaw, dai dingla wa gaw, dingla wa gaw, "E, lusha she ngu ai wa mi, ndai (sapoi hkyin) gaw, ngai gaw hpa n di ai gaw e." ngu na tsun ai. "N re ai, ndai, ndai sumpan hpraw ndai hpe e, 'Chyeju madu sumpan e, lusha sha mayu ai law.' ngu na nang hpa ra yang hpa tsun u. Shi galaw ya na ra ai. Shi lajang ya na ra ai." ngu na tsun ai da. Dai majaw dingla wa gaw n kam ai. N kam ai myit hte shi gaw shinggan kaw sa na shi hkrai sa tsun chyam yu ai. "E, chyeju madu e, ngai lusha mu mai ai baw lusha sha mayu ai law." ngu na tsun jang dai kaw sapoi kaw lusha hpring hkra, grai grai mu hkra shadu tawn da ai kaja wa shi lu sha sai da. Nhku de bai shang wa na, "Ngai, ngai kam ni ai ndai sumpan hpe ngai kam ni ai. Kaja wa grai kabu sai. Naw wa sana." ngu tsun kau tawn da na shi gaw, wa mat ai da. Wa mat ai shaloi shi gaw jan grai du ai majaw, jan grai du ai majaw ndai kahtawng langai mi kaw, mare htumpa na nta langai mi kaw shang ai shaloi gaw ndai nta ni gaw shada grai manawn masham grai chye ni rai ma ai da. Nta madu jan gaw akaw alaw nga na gaw hkap shaga ai. Shat ni hkap shadu jaw atsang arang re. "Tsa e, nang gaw gara de e, galaw kanang ga kaw na du sa? Nhpa rai du sa n'ni?" ngu san ai shaloi gaw, dingla wa gaw mabyin lam ma hkra tsun dan ai. "N'gu nbung e kawut shapoi kau ya nna, nbung kaw hka sa ji ai shaloi, ndai sumpan jaw dat ai. Ndai sumpan gaw anhte hpa ra yang hpa mai lu ai baw sumpan re. Ngai mung chyam yu sai. Dai majaw ndai sumpan gun na wa ai, jan du ai majaw, nanhte kaw wa shang ai re." ngu na tsun dan ai da. Dai shaloi gaw nta madu jan tsun ai gaw, "E, grai hkrak nga ai. Nang chyawm me, grai hkrak sai. Grai hkrak sai. Ndai kahtawng kaw na ni lagut lagu re ni mung grai nga ma ai re. Oh ra gawk kaw kadai n nga ai re. Oh ra kaw makoi tawn da u. Oh ra kaw kadai n yup ai. Oh ra kaw shimlum ai hku makoi tawn da na re." ngu na dai hku tsun ai da. Dingla wa mung dai, dai gawk kaw shang da na, shi yup ai shara kaga re da. Dai shaloi she dai nta madu jan gaw myi magaw ai re nga yang she, Kasha jan hpe she, dai sumpan hte grai bung ai sumpan dai wa sa lagu tawn da ya. Dai sumpan, lusha mai shaman ya ai sumpan hpe rai jang gaw shannu lagu la kau. Sumpan hte bung ai kaga sumpan sa tawn da ya ai da. Dingla wa gaw n chye ai re nga yang, hpang jahpawt wa na nga ai shaloi gaw, nta madu ni gaw, "Rai sai, ndai manang nang tawn da ai sumpan." ngu na bai sa ya. Dingla wa gaw dai gun na wa sai da. Nta kaw du wa ai shaloi gaw, madu jan hpe wa tsun ai, "E, ningnu e, an gaw hpa galaw pyi n ra sai. Ndai sumpan e shaman jaw shaman ya ai ndai lu, ndai sha nna an gaw pyaw pyaw rai nga na chyu rai sai. Ya ngai shaman dan na yaw, ngai tsun na yaw dai shaloi nang nhpa baw lusha ra sha kun, nang ra sha ai lusha mung tsun u. Ya ndai sumpan kaw na pru wa na ra ai." ngu. N'gai jan mung mu mai ai si htu si mai hpe ra goi e nga. Dai kaw na gaw dingla wa gaw chyam yu sai. "E, chyeju madu sumpan e, gumgai jan mung mu mai ai shat lusha sha mayu ai da. Naw shaman ya mi law." ngu tsun. Hpa n shaman ya sumpan galai kau sai re nga yang. Kade jahtau nna tsun tim mung, hpa lusha mung n lu sha, nan nan dai hku bai rai mat ai da. Dai shaloi n'gai jan bai pawt ai, "Nang hpe maw sha ai ga rai nga ai mu. Nang atsawm n tsun sam ai re. Htaw bai sa su, hpa n lu sha ai ngu na! Ndai sumpan gun na bai sa su!" ngu na dingla wa hpe dai de bai shangun dat ai da. Dingla wa mung sumpan dai sha gun rai na htaw... nbung nga ai kaw du hkra bai sa. "Hpa mung n shaman ya ai. Nanhte kaw nga yang gaw shaman ya. Nta du wa jang gaw n shaman ya. Nang an hpe maw sha sam ai re law nbung e." ngu na tsun ai shaloi, "Maw sha ai n re ai. Nang masha ni a nta kaw lana mi n yup kau i?" ngu tsun yang, "Yup sai." ngu na tsun ai da. "Dai kaw na nta madu ni nang hpe manawn na galaw kau ai hku rai sai. Raitim hpa n tsang ra ai. Maw sha tim maw sha u ga, n tsang ra ai. Ya nang hpe e, kaga amyu mi bai jaw dat na." ngu na Bai Nam kasha langai mi bai jaw dat ai da. Bai Nam kasha jaw dat ai. "Naw chyam yu u lu." bai ngu. Dingla wa mung chyam yu ai da. "E, chyeju madu Bai Nam e, mu mai ai lusha sha mayu ai law." ngu, dai sha tsun dat jang, chyahkring mi rai jang oh si htu si mai ni sapoi she hpring hkra bai shaman ya ai da. "Yu, ndai mung maw sha ai n re ai yaw. Nang ndai dun na wa u." ngu na tsun dat. Dai dun na bai wa sai da. Dai dun na bai wa rai yang mi na nta kaw bai wa yup anga ai da, jan du mat ai majaw. Nta madu jan akri akraw nga na bai san. Byin ai lam ma hkra bai tsun dan. Rai jang nta madu jan bai manawn si wa sai da. Dai majaw shi kasha hpe dingla wa yup nga yang, shi dingla wa dun la wa ai Bai Nam hte grai bung ai, Bai Nam kasha langai bai sa lagu gyit dun da ya sai da. Hpang jahpawt dingla wa gaw dai Bai Nam dun na bai wa. Nta du wa ai shaloi, "Ning nu e, ya gaw, an gaw lu lu, lu sha na sai. Hpa n tsang ra na re ndai Bai Nam kasha shaman ya ai lu sha na an hpa n galaw ra sai." ngu. Nang hpa lu hpa sha na kun, san la hkra rai, "Bai Nam kasha e.. chyeju madu e.. n'gai jan gaw mu mai ai lusha sha mayu ai da law..." ngu yang hpa n shaman ya. Kade jahtau marawn tsun tim Bai Nam dai mung hpa n shaman ya. Rai jang gumgai jan bai pawt ai da. "Ga... nang atsawm n yu ai la wa. Atsawm n tsun ai rai nga." Dingla wa gaw, "N re, shanhte kaw nga ai shaloi gaw ngai tsun sai. Ngai mung lu sha sai, ndai Bai Nam kasha shaman ya ai lusha, lu sha sai." ngu na tsun ai da. "Htaw, nbung kaw bai sa su. An hpa sha na nga na!" ngu bai shangun dat ai da. Shangun dat ai shaloi gaw, Bai Nam mung dun, rai na bai sa wa ai shaloi gaw, "Mi gaw sumpan mung ngai jaw dat ai sumpan n re. Ya nang bai dun sa wa ai Bai Nam kasha mung bai jaw dat ai Bai Nam n re. Nang wa yup ai nta madu jan manawn ai majaw, ndai hku di kau ai re." ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi gaw, Pahtau, nga rung hte galaw ai, Pahtau langai mi bai jaw dat ai da. "Ndai majoi hkum dum yaw. Ngai dum jang masha, shabrang wa ngan ni pru wa na, majoi sa adup kayet wa ai re lu." ngu na tsun ai da. Kaja wa shi dai la wa. La wa na gaw, "Nang lama dum shut kau jang, 'Pahtau de bai shang mu law...' ngu na jahtau dat. Dai jahtau dat jang, yawng shanhte Pahtau de bai shang mat na re yaw." ngu tsun dat ai. Nang wa yup yup re nta kaw nan nan wa yup u." ngu na tsun ai da. Kaja wa dingla mung dai nta kaw bai wa yup ai. Wa yup ai shaloi gaw, "Ya, kaning nga na bai du? Kaning nga na bai hkawm ang n'ni e... salang wa e?" ngu na tsun ai da. Shi lahkawng lang maw sha sai re majaw, dingla wa mung kaga hpa n tsun sai. Dai Pahtau sha dum dat ai da. Pahtau dum dat ai hte maren, la wa ngan, wa ngan ni mali, manga, kru, kru, pru wa na, pru wa ma ai da. Dingla wa gaw, "Ndai gumgai jan hpe kayet mu." ngu na tsun dat jang, kaja wa gumgai jan hpe yawng jawm abyen ai da. Jawm abyen ai shaloi gumgai jan gaw, "Je la mi law.. machyi ai law.. je la mi law.." nga tsun ai shaloi dingla wa gaw, "N je la ai. Nang galai la kau ya ai sumpan hte Bai Nam kasha naw jaw u." ngu na tsun ai da. Dai n jaw yang gaw nang si na re. Ndai shabrang ni kayet na nang si na re." ngu jang, gumgai jan gaw, "Jaw sana law.. jaw sana law.." nga na jahtau na, shi kasha ni hpe "Dai Bai Nam kasha hte sumpan lawan la ya mu law." ngu na jahtau tsun ai da. Dai shaloi gaw dingla wa a lata kaw, mi na sumpan hte Bai nam kasha bai lu la nna, dingla wa nta de wa ai. Dai kayet nga ai shaloi, "Pahtau de bai shang mat mu law.." ngu na jahtau dat ai hte maren dai shabrang ni yawng Pahtau de bai shang mat sai da. Dingla wa gaw Bai Nam hte e sumpan gun nna shi nta de wa. Shan gaw hpa bungli n galaw ra ai, sumpan kaw hpyi ai, Bai Nam kaw hpyi rai na pyaw pyaw rai na nga ma ai da. Dai majaw myit magaw ai ngu gaw galoi mung rawt jat ngu n nga, jam jau jam hkaw sha hkrum sha ai da. |
