The Wife who Learns How to Work (version 2)

kha-yuma kha-brata men-madrasa balket t-avivala eshtassar shenne berrekhshena talbila ka-brune. baba yemmet brata marena kat hech mendi lela bedda, hech mendi, la bashulela, la julle msayela, la khyapta, la mseta, la knashta. hech mendi lela bedda bratan. mujjur magverrakhla? mara brunan byayole akhnanda byayokh. akh-kha-brata b-khamakhla. akhtun hallunla la-avilokhun shula.

One day (some people) go and ask for the hand of a school-girl, perhaps sixteen years old, for their son. The mother and father of the girl say ‘She knows nothing, nothing, she does not cook, she does not wash clothes, (she does not know anything about) bathing, washing laundry, sweeping. Our daughter knows nothing. How can we give her in marriage?’ They say ‘Our son wants her and we also want her. We shall look after her like a daughter. Give her (to us) and you need not worry.’

PbelakhareP kul-danta berrekhshena bitayena, berrekhshena bitayena, kabulona kat-brate yavvila. mara ku-mendit oyani b-kdalet diyyokhun. akhnan marekh bratan hech-mendi-lela bedda. hala brat-madrasela. akhchi beddayela kreta ktuyta.

In the end, they (the parents of the suitor) go back and forth, back and forth, and they (the parents of the girl) agree to give their daughter (in marriage). They say ‘Whatever happens is your responsibility. We say that our daughter knows nothing. She is still a school-girl. She only knows reading and writing.’

labulona beta. kha-yuma bekhzayela ina duna kime, khile, shetye, ayya peshtela kpenta. yumet d-tre hada, yumet d-tla hada. hal-t-ila bekyama ina anne kulle khile shetye. goro marel kato, yala, mara kam-atkha rangakh zurdennele? mara kpenten. dakh kpentet? kha-khcha mendi gu-beta! mara ana kpenten. ana len lepta b-noshi akhlan, hal bekyamenda kat-akhlana, kulle vayena khile. lakhma let kay.

They take her home. One day she sees that they have got up, eaten and drunk, but she has remained hungry. The second day the same, the third day the same. By the time she gets up (she sees) that they have all eaten and drunk. Her husband, the young man, says to her ‘Why has your colour become so pale?’ She says ‘I am hungry.’ ‘Why are you hungry? There are so many things in the house!’ She says ‘I am hungry. I am not used to eating by myself, but before I get up to eat everybody has eaten. There is no food for me.’

yala marele, goro, mara kedamta kat-bekyamet, ku khachcha dekka, dekka dri gu-tanuyra, anne dayke mayke kat men-patukhe, men-kamre ki-tanilun dekka. dekka dri gu-tanuyra adi t-akhlat tamta. dan kavutra vayela ku-khachcha knush, karkez, t-akhlat kavetra. berashe kat-vayela, khachcha mane khallel t-akhlat kha-ramsha. lakhkha gu-da-beta kul-kha nasha gari palekh. e-dan la palkhat, le akhlat.

The young man, her husband, says ‘When you get up in tomorrow morning, go and put some little pellets of dung (dək̭k̭a) in the oven—those small pieces of dung, of droppings, are called dək̭k̭a. Put pellets of dung in the oven, then you shall eat breakfast. When lunchtime comes, go and sweep, clear up, and you shall eat lunch. When evening comes, wash some dishes, and you shall eat dinner. Here in this house everybody must work. When you do not work, you do not eat.’

brata morisha jalde bekyamela. khachcha dekka bedrayela gu-tanuyra. bekhzayela tamta yuvvellun kato. o-yuma khina bekyamela morisha jalde. men-kamt ani kemi bekyama bekhyapela u-miyya pyashena kato. kamta miyya le peshiva kato. kavutra bekyamela, tammuzela, beknasha, karkuzela. u-kha-ramsha mane chamche khallulla. a-brata nikha nikha lepla al-danne kat-gare-palkha menne kulle pelkhane ayda palkha. ayya khella, shtila, raba rahat vila.

The girl gets up early in the morning. She puts some pellets of dung in the oven. She sees that they gave her breakfast. The next day she gets up early. Before they get up, she gets up and she washes herself and water is left for her. Previously water was not left for her. At lunchtime, she gets up, she cleans, she sweeps, she clears up. At dinnertime she washes the dishes and spoons. The girl gradually learnt about the jobs that she had to do with them, all the jobs that she also had to do. She ate, she drank and became very content.

arpi yumane varena. bakhta ka-goro marela ku-azakh khazzakh e-bratan mu-vila b-risho. ku-azakh khazzakh e-bratan mu-tila b-risho. anne arpi yumane kheshtela. balket mettela, peshtela, ktilona. lekh bedda mu-tila b-risho, azakh.

Forty days pass. The wife says to her husband ‘Let’s go and see what has become of that daughter of ours. Let’s go and see what has happened to that daughter of ours. She went away forty days ago. Perhaps she has died, or is alive, or they have killed her. We do not know what has happened to her. Let’s go.’

berrekhshena gu-beta varena. har-gu-beta gu-varte, brata mayela khachcha tuyma, mattuyela kam-babo kam-yemmo. mara shkulun avva kalpulle. en-la, le-akhlitun lakhma, le yavvilokhun lakhma. kalpulle! kalpulle! plukhun! anne kha-ka-do-khina mara a-khita mulpona. a-khita mulpona. kut la-palekh le akhel.

They go and enter the house. As soon as they enter the house, the girl brings some garlic and puts it in front of her father and mother. She says ‘Take this and peel it. If not, you will not eat any food. They will not give you food. Peel it! Peel it!’ They say to one another ‘They have taught her. They have taught her. Whoever does not work does not eat.’