The Bald Child and the Monsters

etva letva kha yala etva mesta al-rishu raba letva. ki-karivale kachaluna rabaze nakhupeva rabaze zaduyeva. hech men-beta leva plata al-vaddar.

Once up on a time, there was a lad who did not have much hair on his head. They used to call him Baldy. He was very shy and very timid. He never used to go outside of the house.

kha-yuma babu yemmu khina … bekhzayena brune garvusele, bezdayele, har-le bayye palet al-vaddar. yane azel al-deshta tavel men-khaveryatu khoravatu. rabaze gerdeye ki-maghghebva, gerdeye yan keke mendyanet kat yemmu e-dana bashlava.

One day, his father and mother notice that their son is growing up, but he is afraid and does not at all want to go outside, that is go into the field and play with friends. He very much used to like round loaves, round loaves or cakes, things that his mother used to cook at that time.

kha-yuma yemma men-goro, men-baba m-udale takhmunena mudi odi a yala mavveddile kat palet al-vaddar. marele baba, marele bashelle keke, khruzlun, yane an-gerdeye khruzlun al gu-darta atkha, kharta kha-tre-tla daneze al vaddar men-darta kat aha bet … akhel menne kharta pt-azel, bet-palet al-vaddar.

One day, the mother together with her husband, with the father, think together as to what they could do to make him go outside. The father says, he says ‘Bake him cakes, lay them out together, that is lay out the round loaves in a line in the courtyard like this, then two or three outside of the courtyard, which he will eat, then will go along and go outside.’

yemma mara hada vadela, a dana dana men danne bikhalele. ani keke bikhalele tarret dartaze shvektula ptikha. bekhzayele tarret dartaze etten. kut-dana aklu mattuyole khachcha gashukele. bezdayele varele gavay. ina medre sodu bitayele vele keka tamma pisha.

The mother does just that. He eats them one by one. He eats the cakes. She has left the door of the courtyard open. He sees that there are some at the courtyard door. Every so often he places his foot (outside of the gate) and looks (outside). He is afraid and comes back inside. But again he is tempted, (he sees) there is still a cake remaining there.

b-kul urkha kha-dana jalde jalde begnavule, varele gavay. kharta o-khina begnavule. gu-do kharaya yemma vitela tushito gano bar tarra, tarra bekhlasula. avun charchurele tile tala t-akhelli! diva pt-akhelli. mara la le shokan oret. khina gurvessele adi yala gurvessel. viyyele tmanessar echchasar shennena e-danet kat … a-shula vadula yemma b-rishu.

By any means (he can) he quickly snatches one, and comes back inside. Then he snatches the other one. By the last one, the mother had hidden herself behind the door and she shuts the door. He screams ‘A fox has come to eat me! A wolf will eat me!’ She says ‘No! I will not allow you to enter.’ Well, he has grown up, the lad has now grown up. He has become eighteen, nineteen years old, when the mother does this to him.

marele bas adi kat … let beshvaka oren e chappalti men de-skenti rappilun l-a-pat guyda kat ani bari b-de chappalta kha … en tala tile al-gani bet-makhenne yan b-skenta. anne rappuyela katu aha khina beshkalole skentu u-e-chappaltu, berrekhshele. berrekhshele, kha-dukta raba sharshuyele. miyyet ayna bekhzayele kha ayna. ita beshtayele khachcha men-de-ayna. depnet de-ayna bedmakhel sab raba shurshiyyeva betlayel.

He says ‘Now that you do not allow me to enter, at least throw that staff of mine together with the knife of mine to this side of the wall, so that those coming after me … if a fox comes after me I shall hit it with this staff or with the knife.’ She throws these to him. He takes his knife and the staff of his and goes on his way. He goes along and at a certain place becomes very tired. He sees a spring of water, a spring. So he drinks a little from that spring. He falls asleep at the side of that spring, because he was very tired, and he sleeps.

tama etva shavva deve. shavva akhunvateva. ani shabta kha-ka kha-menne k-ativa, gu-kha-mzida gurta miyya ki-maliva men-de-ayna labelva ka … ka-shtete. yane e-mzida ki-khazyava ka … kulle kha-shabta diyye. kha men-akhunvate tiyyele miyya label kha-b-kha bekhzayele marzet ayna kha … kha-nasha dule dmikha.

There were there seven monsters. They were seven brothers. Once a week one of them would come and fill up a big waterskin with water from that spring, and would take it for them to drink. That is, that waterskin would suffice them for a whole week. One of the brothers has come to take some water, all of a sudden he sees that there is a man asleep by the side of the spring.

ha makhleta men kam-dana t-iva … t-iva skida marzet da-ayna bekyarele b-de-skentu bekyarel de chappaltu khakma … mendyane bekyarele ka sodu kat danu talekla bekyarele kat mara shemmet diyyi ile pellan … pellan kas, yane shemmu bekyarule b-kha chappalta ana … arpi dane deve masen katlennun. b-kha mkhetet da chappalta ayya viyyele ktivo tama. ita akh-sherila ayen. viyyele shurshiyya telya, ayze vitela depnu.

O sorry, beforehand when he was bored by the spring he carves, he carves with his knife, with his staff, he carves some things for his amusement to pass the time. He carves saying ‘My name is so-and-so … such-and-such a person,’ that is he carves his name ‘With one staff I can kill forty monsters, with one blow of this staff.’ He had written that there. It was a like a poem. He had become tired and fallen asleep, and that was beside him.

a-deva iman bitayele kat-khazze a-nasha mudile bayye akhelle yan b-labelle akhunvatu m-uydale t-akhlile. aynu bekyatela al de-ktevta, kha-b-kha bekhzayele a mara b-kha chappalta a arpi dane deve bet-katel. bas akhnan ivakh shavva yane hech-mendivakh ka-da.

When this monster comes to see what man this is, he wants to eat him or to take him so his brothers would eat him together. His eye falls on that writing and suddenly sees that this man says that with one staff he would kill forty monsters. ‘But we are (only) seven, so we are nothing (compared) to him.’

nikha b-nikha marrushule mara ya bar-nasha ana parpuleven b-diyyukh ka-diyyan la katlet. akhnan shavva akhunvatevakh. lakhkha kum-bayyet b-yavvakhlukh. atze ta-vi akhunet tmanya ka-diyyan. halbatta a e-dan berrashel kamta bekhjalele ina iman bekhzayele a-deva dule parpule kat-la katelle mara mu pt-ave, ana le katlennokhun sab beddayele kat e ktevta keryole.

He gently wakes him saying ‘O human, I beg you not to kill us. We are seven brothers. Here we will grant you whatever you wish. You come and be the eighth brother for us.’ Of course when he wakes he is startled at first, but when he sees the monster begging him not to kill him, he says ‘What does it matter? I will not kill you,’ because he knows that he has read that writing.

ita hakuyele mara akhnan shavva akhunvatevakh. men-da ayna k-atakh miyya ki-shaklakh a-mzida ki-malyakh ka-kha shabtet diyyan. mara ku azakh beta. bas azakh labelli betokhun khina akhunvatukh makhzilun ka-diyyi. a-mzida mlayole a-deva bettanola al-khasu. turvente m-udale berrekhshena beta, berrekhshena kes deve.

Then he tells him saying ‘We are seven brothers. We come and take water from this spring. We fill this waterskin for us for one week.’ He says ‘Get up, let us go home.’ ‘Then let us go, take me to your home, show your brothers to me.’ The monster fills the waterskin and lifts it onto his back. The two of them go home, they go to the monsters.

e-dan varena gu de geppita yane e PgharP gu-tura an khine kulle kike makhrupena deve kat dule akhu-nan muyyile kha seda t-akhlakhle mara la akhunvati, la. aile kha bar-nasha. akhnan gari raba myakrakhle. ana muyyeven kha akhunet tmanya ka-ganan en makerbakhle av har parpeslan har dardeklan b-kha chappaltu mase makhe arpi dane deve.

When they enter the cave, that is the cave, in the mountain, all the other monsters are sharpening their teeth thinking that ‘our brother has brought a prey for us to eat.’ He says ‘No my brothers, no. This is a human. We should show him great respect. I have brought an eighth brother for us. If we upset him, he will totally destroy us, he will totally shatter us. He can strike forty monsters with just his one staff.’

kullanait anize kulle hammunena pyashele kesle kha-shabta tre shabay tla shabay. deve ka-gane berrekhshena seda vadena, a shvikuna beta. kharta bekhzayena khakma gahe bekhzaya bitayena ina nuyra let shira kese letten masalan kat … gari e-danet setva tiyyele talgele kul duyka kartela, kese letlun gari e-dana azi kese mayyi.

All in all, they all believe this and he stays with them for one week, two weeks, three weeks. The monsters go and hunt for themselves, having left him at home. Then they notice that sometimes they come back but no fire is lit, there are no logs of wood … they must, when winter has come, there is snow and everywhere is cold, and there are no logs of wood, they must then go and bring logs of wood.

mara at e-dan b-noshukhivet kat ganukhze la sakdet masalan khush kese melan men dayya mesha, vela mesha kurba, azet khakma kese mayyetlan, kat e-dan bitayevakh men-seda akhnan masakh jalde a-sedan bashlakhle m-udale akhlakh yan e-danet lekh beta, khisha bar-seda, aten miyyan prakena azet kha khachcha miyya mayyetlan. mara raba spay. yane b-nobane bayyi ahaze akh t-en-palekh.

They say ‘When you are alone, so that you also do not become bored, go, for example, and bring logs from that forest—the forest is over there nearby. You should go and bring us some logs so that when we come back from hunting, we can quickly cook our prey and eat together, or when we are not at home, having gone out to hunt, and our water is running out, you should go and bring us some water.’ He says ‘Very well.’ That is they want him to work as it were in turns.

kha-yuma e-mzida beshkalole berrekhshele al-ayna, kat miyya malila. mlayole ina iman begrashole ay begrashela katu sab lele msaya gareshla, letle khela. takhmunele mu aved ani miyya betlabena adi gari miyya label kate. miyya sapukole sab lele msaya gareshla, yakurtela. sapukole, mlayole pokha. mlay-ole pokha bettanole al-ruyshu bitayele beta. deveze siyyena a marele la! ana hala shurshiyyen gari kamta ana shaten. akhuna gureleze kate yane akhunet tmanya viduna.

One day he takes that waterskin and goes to the spring in order to fill it with water. He fills it but when he pulls it, it pulls him, because he is not able to pull it, he has no strength. He thinks what he could do. They are asking for water, he must now take water for them. He empties the water because he is not able to pull it, it is heavy. He empties it and fills it with wind. He fills it with wind, lifts it onto his shoulder, and he returns home. The monsters are thirsty. He says ‘No! I am still tired, I must drink first.’ He is indeed the eldest brother in relation to them, that is they have made him the eighth brother.

puzet pokha khachcha ptakhule e-hava pokho kulle bespakele. anne bekhzayena kulle mzida shetyale. a mara ayya ki-khazyava ka-diyyan … ka-kha shabta ina aha dule kha-ga, har kha-ga shetyale b-kha bina. bas aha t-akhellan. lebbe pkayena. har e-dana shadurena kha-khina khachcha azel miyya mayyilun, mara mu-pt-ave, at tuy manyekh.

He opens the mouth (of the bag of) wind a little, and that air, its wind, all empties out. They see that he has drunk the whole waterskin. They say ‘That used to be sufficient for one week for us, for a week, but he has drunk it all at once, with just one breath. Surely he will eat us.’ They are terrified. They then send another one to go and get some water for them. They say ‘Don’t worry. You sit down and rest.’

kha-yuma khinaze kese khisheva mayyiva merre hallulli khole t-azen kese mayyen. yuvvellun khachcha khole katu merrun ka-muina raba? merre la-avilokhun shula.

On another day he had gone to bring logs, he said ‘Give me ropes I will go and bring logs.’ They gave some ropes to him. They said ‘Why (do you want) so many?’ He said ‘Don’t worry.’

khzilun raba murkelle. kheshlun al-urkhu merrun khazakh … ka-mu a kha-khcha murkelle. kheshlun khzilun khola sirule men kha-kesa berrekhshele kulle marzananet mesha atkha, vele har khola besyara berrekhsha. janam akhnan, at ka-mu kha-khcha murkellukh? a mut shulukhile? merre ka-mu kul-yum atakh kese mayyakh? ana bayyen kulle a-mesha kha-ga har tenenna al-khasi, mayyenna tama. e-dan bilan maplekhkhakh menno maplekhkhakh. ani merrun atkha le-oya at har ida la dri, har le bayyakh ka-diyyan palkhet. ta shaklakh lablakh kese ganan jammakh.

They noticed that he took a long time. They went along his path and said ‘Let us see why has he has taken so long.’ They went and saw that he has tied the rope to a branch and is going all around the forest. He keeps on tying the ropes like this as he goes. ‘Oh dear, why have you delayed so much, what are you up to?’ He said ‘Why should we come every day and bring logs. I want to carry all this forest on my back and bring it there in one go. Whenever we want to use some of it, we can use it.’ They said ‘It doesn’t work like that. Don’t you touch anything. We no longer want you to work for us. Come, let us carry logs and gather them by ourselves.’

kul dakhi khzilun atkha le-oya tilun merrun vedlun EmeetingE m-udale kat aha kha-yuma kha-ketra t-ave ka-diyyan. temun katlakhle. e-dan ayya EmeetingE vaduva, aha men … kha dukta khita, leva bedda kat a rishele. lele telya, beshmayele hemezmane. mut pesla katlakhle? kha maregla gura etlan, mardekhkhakhle miyya mardekhkhakh miyya gavu miyya berdakha darakh allu e-dan t-ile telya. marena raba spay.

Anyway, they realized that it does not work like this. They came back and said—they held a meeting together—‘This one would be a problem for us one day. Come, let us kill him.’ When they were holding this meeting, he (the bald man) he hears their words from another place—they did not know that he is awake and he is not asleep. ‘How should we kill him? We have a huge cauldron. We should make it boil with water, we should boil water in it, and pour boiling water on him when he is asleep.’ They say ‘Very well.’

mardukhena miyya hazer vadena, e-dan t-ile telya. avun ganu tushyole shopu shvikele kha … kha kesa kha-mendi khina muttele anne yan julle shule muttele atkha videle akh t-en-dmikhele anne miyya makhdurena allu u- berrakena. gane tashuyona har-lena mabyune.

They boil water. They prepare it when he is asleep. He has hidden himself and has left a piece of wood in his place, (or) he has put something else, he has placed clothes or the like, and arranged them as if he is asleep. The others pour the water out over on him and run away. They hide and do not show themselves at all.

bar … kha-saat, tre saatte, bitayena kat-khazzi adi shlikele bshilele bekhzayena la, dule aynu prakhe hala taza berrasha. aybo a dule lele mita mudyukhiva? merre raba tetli, khemmeva. bekhzayena kha-khcha miyya berdakha deryena a hala mara dun tetli, yane akh-t-en anna miyya men tata tiyyena.

After an hour or two, they come to see if he has been boiled and cooked by now, but they see that no, he is rubbing his eyes and is just now waking up. Alas, he is not yet dead. ‘What was wrong with you?’ He said ‘I sweated a lot. It was hot.’ They see that they have poured so much boiling water, while this one just says ‘I have sweated,’ as if this water has come from sweat.

kha-yuma khina kha EdekisionE vadena mara kha-kipa gura bet-rappakh allu. medre ganu tashuyole, men-do kipaze prakele. bekhzayena atkha le-oya. etvalun raba dave t-iva jumme men … shkile men dukane khine. mayena yavena katu. marena basmalukh aten khina khush gu-nashet ganukh. anne dave shule kulle shkul, khush. akhnan, akhnan la-amsakh mennukh khayyakh. bezdayekh. yavuna dave, bedrayuna al-urkha, bitayele bet babu yemmu. medre men-shmayya pellun tla khabuyshe. kha ka-do kachaluna, kha ka-baba yuvvelle, kha ka-yemma yuvvelle ita ka-diyyan la peshlun khina men dan khabuyshe.

On another day they make a decision, saying that we will throw a huge rock on him. He again hides and he is saved from that rock also. They realize that it would not work like this. They had a lot of gold coins, which they had gathered from …, they had taken from other places. They bring them and give them to him. They say ‘Please go now to your own folk. Take all this gold and go. We cannot live with you. We are afraid.’ They give him the gold coins, they set him on the road and he comes home to the house of his father and mother. Again three apples fell from heaven. He (the story-teller) gave one to that bald man, one to the father, he gave another one to the mother. So then none remains for us of those apples.