A Dragon in the Well

etva letva gu-matet Spurghan kha-dana nasha kat-pelkhaneva. bayyeva bakhta gaverva. tavvuyele tavvuyele kha-bakhta begvarele shemmo Maheva.

Once in the village of +Spurġān there was a man who used to work hard. He wanted to marry. He searches and searches and marries a woman whose name is Mahə.

a Mahe ukhcha ka-da-nasha ajjuzela. la pelkhanela, tartumela, hatta kipe rap-puyela b-rish da-nasha. iman bitayele beta, khurrak lela yavu. khulasa a har-khina beskadele, men-khayyu skidele.

This Mahə annoys this man so much. She does not work, she moans, she even throws stones at the man. When he comes home, she does not give him food. In the end he gets fed up, he is fed up with his life.

kha-yuma palget lele ka-Mahe marrushele mara Mahe kha-dana … marganitela gu-kha-dana kunya vela gurta ukhcha gurtela kat … bekhshaven ka-diyyakh khoshakh atya menno. ta-khzile muile. mara azakh.

One day in the middle of the night he wakes Mahə and says ‘Mahə, there is a pearl, it is in a well, big, it is so big, which I think you would like. Come and see what it is.’ She says ‘Let’s go.’

berrekhshele kha-khola besyarele al-da Mahe sara baru rap-puyele gu-de-kunya makh marganita raba gurta mabyunela. kha-khola al da-Mahe besyarele shadurolegu-de kunyakate… marganita paltala.

He goes and ties a rope to Mahə. The moon is casting its light in the well and appears like a huge pearl. He ties a rope to Mahə and sends her into the well in order for her to take out the pearl.

Mahe berrekhshela hal-eltekh mtayela. mara idakh ketla? mara hi khola rappuyule. kha-dana kipa guraze mattuyele al-de bezza. Mahe beshvakole tama. berrekhshel kha-PnafasP-rahat men-khayyutu begrashele. khina mara manshi baset bakhta khina.

Mahə goes until she reaches the bottom. He says ‘Has your hand touched (it)?’ She says ‘Yes.’ He throws down the rope. He puts a large stone on the hole. He leaves Mahə there. He goes and breathes a sigh of relief concerning his life. He says ‘Forget about the wife from now on.’

kma-shenne varela. kma-shenne vertela kha-dana choban vele erbe marruye tama. duz betyavele kes do-kipa kes do-kipet kat-e-Mahe gu-do-bezzela.

Several years go by. Several years have gone by and a shepherd is grazing sheep there. He sits exactly by that stone, by the stone of the hole where Mahə is.

atkha kat-betyavele, kipa dule bejvaja. khachcha kharbusule. kha-b-kha-ga kha-dana tanina men-do-bezza bekyamele ullul, besyakele ullul u kipa albal mattuyule shopu.

As he is sitting in this way, the stone moves. He pushes it a little. Suddenly a dragon rises upwards from the hole. It goes upwards (into the air) and immediately puts the stone back into its place.

mara avet basima. ka-diyyi khayyi purkelukh aten. magar mu vitela? mara kha kma-shenne m-kam-adi kha-bakhta pushtalun men-tama, shemmo Maheva. kha raba mukheltela biyyi kat let bedda khina. adi kum bayyet gu-da-dunye ana ka-diyyukh yavven, kat khayyi purkelukh.

He says ‘Thank you. You have saved my life for me.’ ‘What has happened?’ He says ‘Several years ago they sent from there a woman whose name was Mahə. She has made me so fed up, that you cannot understand. Now I’ll give you anything you want in this world, since you have saved my life.’

mara len-bedda mu-tanen mu-bayyen. mara ana beddayen mu t-oden katukh. kha-dana bratela gu-de atra khita. brat-malkela. t-azen kharden marzananet de-brata. kut tile t-akhlenne, makdenne.

He says ‘I do not know what to say, what I want.’ He says ‘I know what I shall do for you. There is a girl in another land. She is the daughter of a king. I shall go and wrap myself around that girl. I shall eat and burn anybody who comes.

ina iman at tilukh, gani parkenna, azad t-odenna kat brata yavvila ka-diyyukh avet brun-malka.

But when you come, I shall release myself and free her, so that they will give the girl to you and you will become the son of the king.’

mara raba spay. har a-shula vadule. berrekhshele kharduyele al-de-brata. koshun berrekhshela men-atravay khine, khelane nashe berrekhshena, lena bashure ka-da tanina majvejji.

He says ‘Very good.’ He does this very thing. He goes and wraps himself around the girl. An army marches (there) from other countries, strong men go (there), but they cannot remove the dragon.

a-choban nikha nikha urkha berrekhshele, mtayele al-de mdita. berrekhshele ka-malka marele ana bratukh parkenna. mara en brati purkalukh, ana malken, malkuyti ka-diyyukh yavvenna.

The shepherd slowly walks along the road. He reaches that town. He goes and says to the king ‘I shall save your daughter.’ He says ‘If you save my daughter, I am a king, I shall give you my kingdom.’

mara raba spay. a choban besyakele, tanina har aynu bekyatela al da choban brata rappuyole. ka-chobanze marele, mara en kha-ga khita ana kha-ga a-shula katukh t-odenne, chun at kha-ga khayyi purket. ina en kha-ga khita tilukh kha-mdita khita a shula bayyet nashe khine parkettun, t-akhlennukh. la-atet bar-diyyi bar-diyyi la-atet fakat kha-ga atet. mara raba spay. choban a brata rappuyole. berrekhshele malka ka-da-choban malkuyta yavole. brun malka vayele.

He says ‘Very good.’ The shepherd goes up. As soon as the dragon notices the shepherd, he releases the girl. He says to the shepherd, he says ‘If once more—I shall do this for you only once, since you saved my life once. But if you come once more to another town on similar business and want to save other people, I shall eat you. Do not come after me. Do not come after me. Come only once.’ He says ‘Very good.’ The shepherd releases the girl. He goes and the king gives the kingdom to the shepherd. He becomes the son of the king.

malka vayele. kma-shenne medre varela. kma-shenne varela, khabra mayena ka-da-malka kat … malka, avet basima. gu-de-mdita khitaze o taninet kat … bratukh khurdiyyeva khishele kha-brata khita khurdiyele. hayyarta bayyakh.

He becomes the king. Again several years pass by. Several years pass by and they bring word to the king saying ‘King, may you be well. In another town the dragon that wrapped himself around your daughter has gone and wrapped himself around another girl. We need help.’

malka mara bah khetna diyyi kha pahluvvan nashele, shadrenne tama kat bratukh parekla. mara raba spay.

The king says ‘Well, my sonin-law is a champion of a man. I shall send him there in order to save your daughter.’ He says ‘Very good.’

bitayele ka-da-khetnu marele kessat marole. marele kat khush gu-de-mdita khita. kha tanina vele al kha-brat-malka khita purtellele. parekla. ana mennukh betlaben chun ani raba dostina. kurba mditela men-diyyan. mara raba spay.

He comes and says to his son-in-law, he tells the story. He says ‘Go to the other town. A dragon has wrapped himself around another daughter of a king. Save her. I am asking you because they are very good friends of mine. It is a town that is close to us.’ He says ‘Very good.’

choban urkha berrekhshele. berrekhshele b-kma rakave. berrekhshena tama al-de-mdita mtayena. berrekhshele besyakele o-duktet kat tanina brata khurdiyyole.

The shepherd sets off on the road. He goes with several horsemen. They go there. They arrive at the town. He goes and ascends to the place where the dragon has wrapped himself around the girl.

tanina har ayno al-da-choban bemtayela brata rappuyole, bitayele kat ka-choban akhel. partulele marzananet choban.

As soon as the dragon notices the shepherd, he releases the girl and comes to eat the shepherd. He twists himself around the shepherd.

choban tanina kli kli ana tanen men-kam-akhletti tanennokh. at khayyi purket ka-diyyi malka videt. ana shidana len kat-aten ka-diyyukh mendi … et-at akhletti.

The shepherd (says) ‘Dragon, stop, stop so that I can speak before you eat me, so that I can speak to you. You have saved my life, you have made me king. I am not mad enough to come to you, and so forth, for you to eat me.’

bas mara ka-mu tilukh? ana len mira katukh kat kha-ga ana katukh atkha t-oden gat tre t-akhlennukh? mara hi beddayen at miret ina ana tiyyen ka-diyyukh parken.

‘But’ he says ‘why have you come? Did I not tell you that I shall to do this for you only once and the second time I would eat you?’ He says ‘Yes, I know you have said so, but I have come to save you.’

mara mut ka-diyyi parket? mara shemyen o-kipa betkharet? mara hi. mara kha-nasha khina vele khurbessu Mahe gu-urkhela vela bitaya ka-al-ganet diyyukh. choban har-a tama, tanina e-brata rappuyole khina berrekhshele.

He says ‘What do you mean “save me”?’ He says ‘I have heard—do you remember that stone?’ He says ‘Yes.’ He says ‘Another man has pushed it back. Mahə is on the way, she is coming for you.’ While the shepherd was standing there, the dragon releases the girl and goes away.