Problems Lighting a Fire

kha-yuma malla Nasraden raba vayele kpina. marele kat-kut-yum bakhti beshyarela nuyra. a-sapar ana gani bayyen nuyra sheren u-bashlen kha kusarta ka-gani. bakhtu pletteva. bitayele kat-kmat bayye nuyra tape nuyra lele betpa. mara ha adi dili kam let-betpa. chunket hammasha bakhti ki-tapyavalukh nuyra. adi ana tapuyukhven let kabulo.

One day mullah Nasradin is very hungry. He says ‘Every day my wife kindles the fire, this time, I myself want to kindle the fire and cook a pot (of food) for myself.’ His wife had gone out. He comes but however much he wants to light the fire, the fire does not light. He says ‘Now I know why you do not light. (It is) because my wife used to light you, fire. Now I am lighting you and you do not accept it.’

berrekhshel belvashel jul-let bakhta. yalekhta bedrayel b-rishu, ganu vadol bakhta. bitayele nuyra tapuyele. sheppeshke mkhayole nuyra betpayele. nuyra betpayele, bakhtet malla bitayela. mara malla, oyan khlapukh mu videt? kam atkha ganukh vidot? vidot ganukh bakhta!

He goes and puts on the clothes of a woman. He puts a scarf on his head and makes himself into (the image of) a woman. He comes and lights the fire. He strikes matches and the fire lights. The fire lights and the wife of the mullah comes back. She says ‘Mullah, with respect, what are you doing? Why have you made yourself like this? You have made yourself look like a woman!’

merre la hamzem atkha! nuyra b-yatte, b-chamme. leva betpaya. ana gani vidon bakhta khshevle kat-atitva. en-yattiva medre ana, le tapiva. nuyra khshevle atitva tpile. gu-da-danta kha-PjaraqqeP men-nuyra platela, berrekhshela betpa al-paghret malla. malla bekyadele. malla bekyadele, mara khzilakh mu-vedlakh b-rishi. kati muddilakh, nuyra khoshu la tila, khachcha pisheva khayyi shakelvale.

He said ‘Do not speak like that. The fire will know and will go out. It was not lighting. I made myself into (the image of) a woman and it thought that it was you. If it knew (it was) me again, it would not light. The fire thought it was you and kindled.’ At that moment a spark comes out of the fire and sticks to the body of the mullah. The mullah burns. The mullah burns and said ‘You see what you have done to me! You have made known who I am and the fire was not pleased. It almost took my life.’