An Orphan Duckling

kha-yuma malla Nasraden leva mabyune. nashe raba bitayeva berrekhsheva mareva malla dakh-vilukh? ika kheshlukh malla Nasraden? tilun tarru mkhilun tukteklun merrun malla Nasraden, raba narahativakh. ikevet? let mabyune.

One day mullah Nasradin did not show up. People were coming and going a lot and saying ‘What has become of you, mullah? Where have you gone mullah Nasradin?’ They came and knocked on his door and said ‘Mullah Nasradin, we are very worried. Where are you? You do not make an appearance.’

merre bekhzayetun a-ordak? mettela yemmu. aha zayele. ina kha-dana geddala, geddala derya b-aklet da-ordak, muttol al-havuz. labulole mayole labulole mayole. mara mu vadet? mara bezdayen khanka chunket surele, yemmo mettela. malupon skheta kat-la meta khanka.

He said ‘Do you see this duck? Its mother is dead. This is a duckling.’ (They see) that he has put a string on the leg of the duck and put it in the pool. He pulls it back and forth, back and forth. They say ‘What are you doing?’ He says ‘I am afraid it may drown because it is small and its mother had died. I am teaching it to swim so that it does not drown and die.’