The Snake’s Dilemma

kha urkhachi, bar-nasha, vayele urkha berrekhsha. u men-depnet mesha vartu pakurel kat-nura bellayele u-mesha bekyadel. u-pakurel kha-ilana rama allu chrikhel khuvva men-nura rikel khuvva, men-nura men-ultukh rikel, purtellel l-ilana, l-rishu kelyel. ilanada men-khutu bekyadel.

A wayfarer, a man, is walking along the road. Having entered a forest, he notices that a fire is blazing and the forest is burning. He notices a high tree on which a snake had encircled itself. The snake has escaped from the fire. It has escaped from below, wound itself around the tree, and remained on its top. The tree is burning from below.

u-zultu pashutule, p-idu vayel kesa, p-id bar-nasha. pashuto l-o-khuvva mara ta-sli parkennukh. khuvva bi-kesa beslayel men-idet bar-nasha u-karmukhel b-kdalu. karmukhele l-kdalu mara adi bet-nesennukh. mara ka-but-mu byayet nesetti? la ana katukh purekli men … kyada? men-nuyra purekli katukh. bar-nasha marel ka-khuvva.

He stretches out his stick. In his hand there is a wooden stick, in the hand of the man.He stretches tothe snake and says‘Come, come down, I’ll rescue you.’ The snake comes down on the stick from the arm of the man and encircles his neck. It encircles his neck and says ‘Now I shall bite you.’ He says ‘Why do you want to bite me? Did I not rescue you from the conflagration? I have rescued you from the fire,’ says the man to the snake.

mara ka-diyyan mirena akhnan beddayakh anada khuvva beddayen kat bar-nasha men-kulle kherba mendile. iket khzilukh tama garek nesette. bar-nasha raba kherba u-pis gu-da-brita. itar bar-nasha mara yala khlapukh aven, akher atkha lela kaydet dunye. akher ana ka-diyyukh khayyukh purkeli men-nuyra.

It says ‘They have said to us, we know, and I as a snake know, that man is the worst thing of all. Wherever you see him, you must bite him. Man is a very evil and bad creature in this world, in this creation.’ Then the man says ‘My boy, may I be your substitute, but this is not the custom of the world. After all, I saved your life from the fire.’

a raba nonuyel bi khuvva kat-la nasle. mara spay en-let hammune alli, khuvva mara, ta-bakrakh kha-men-tla … nash, men-kha-nasha, tre-nash bakrakh ya nashe, ya mendi biyyan tapek hayvana, t-aved ku-mendit aved. bakrakh khazzakh hala … et-mejjet ana khelteven yan truseven kat-byayen katukh nesen, ka-bar-nasha. mara azakh. atkha kurmekhkha l-kdalet bar-nasha khuvva urkha berrekhshena.

He pleads with the snake not to bite him. It says ‘Fine, if you do not believe me’ the snake says ‘Come let us ask one of three people, three … people, one person, two people, let us ask, either people or whatever meets us, an animal, whatever he may do. Let us ask and see if it is still the case that I am truly wrong, or am I right to want to bite you,’ (i.e. bite) the man. He says ‘Let’s go.’ With the snake wrapped around the man’s neck, they set off on the road.

betpakena bi … kha tora. mara shlama-allukh akhuni tora henna bedrayele. shlama khuvva. ayya muyyona dakht khuvva men-tora bakurel. mara a bar-nasha byayen nesenne. mu maret? nesenne yan la nesenne? maskettenne, khina? nesenne matni. mara pruk jalde nusle, kmat lele b-rishukh kha mendi tukhmenne. kmat k-amset jalde nusle a-nasha!

They meet an ox. It says ‘Greetings, my brother ox.’ The snake offers greetings. They have transmitted it (the story telling) of how the snake asks the ox. It says ‘I want to bite this man. What do you say? Should I bite him or not bite him? Should I paralyse him? If I bite him, he will die.’ He says ‘Finish (the job), bite him quickly, while he has not thought of doing something against you. As quickly as you can, bite the man!’

mara ka-mu akher? bar-nasha mara. tora ka-but-mu atkha tanuyet akher? ka-but-mu nasli? ana purkun men … nura ka-da-khuvva, purkun kat-la-akedva. maren khush b-urkhukh, avva byayele nasli. mara but-hadakh akhtokhun raba pis. bar-nasha raba pis-mendile. bar-nasha men-morisha hal-berashe, m-bara barranta ka-diyyi hal-yuma gneta kheshka betrayen upra, maplukhile. kha vadra miyya yavil, kha-perka miyya yavil, kha-perkada lakhma yavile bikhalen. ka-dada akhtokhun bar-nasha garek la khayye mara, garek nasni. har-ika k-amset nusle. pisuta ud katu. khuvva nusle mara.

He says ‘But why?’ The man says. ‘Ox, but why are you saying this? Why should it bite me? I have saved it from the fire, the snake, I have saved it so that it would not burn. I say: “Go on your way.” It wants to bite me.’ It says ‘Because you are very evil. A human is a very evil thing. A human being makes me work until the evening, from first light until the setting of the sun, in the dark and I plough the earth. He gives me a bucket of water. He gives me a little water. He gives me also a little food and I eat. For this reason you, a human being, must not live.’ It says ‘He must be bitten. Bite him wherever you can. Do evil to him. Snake, bite him’ it says.

khuvva ka-bar-nasha mara shmilukh akhuni mu-merre a tora? adi b-nesennukh. mara khlapukh aven kha-menneda bakrakh ita. mara bakrakh. bitayena, khachcha bitayena, raba bitayena b-urkha. betpakena b-kha-aynet miyya. aynet miyya betpakena biyyo.

The snake says to the man ‘Did you hear, my brother, what this ox said? Now I shall bite you.’ He says ‘May I be your substitute. Let us ask another one.’ It says ‘Let us ask.’ They go. They go a little, they go a lot along the road. They meet a spring of water. They meet a spring of water.

mara shlama-allakh khati ayna. khuvva shlama bedrayel al ayna. mara b-shena akhuni khuvva. a-mut shulule? a m-ika bita? mara a bar-nasha byayen nesenne. mu maret? duziven yan-la? mara jalde nusle. kma t-ila jalde pruk. la-shuk pashni.

It says ‘Greetings to you, my sister spring.’ The snake greets the spring. It says ‘Welcome my brother snake. What is the matter? Where are you coming from?’ It says ‘I want to bite this man. What do you say? Am I right or not?’ It says ‘Bite him quickly. Finish (the job) as quickly as possible. Do not let him live.’

mara ka-but-mu? a-bar-nasha mara akher ka-mu? ana ka-diyyakh muin vida-ana? ka ayna mara. mara madenkha pratta, madenkha pratta, kedamta, hala hech-kha hayvana, hech-kha mendi lel jvija, bar-nasha bitayel patu idu khallulel gav ayna, aynet miyya. u miyya beshtayel mara. praktuda berrakel gu-miyya u-berreshshel. ka-da mara at mendit pyasha let ka-davva jalde nus. khush matni avva nasha, la shukle sagh.

He says ‘Why?’ The man says ‘But why? What have I done to you?’—he says to the spring. It says ‘At dawn, at dawn, early in the morning, when no animal, nothing has moved, the human comes and washes his face and hands in the spring, the spring of water, and he drinks the water’ it says. ‘When he has finished, he spits in the water and goes away. Therefore’ it says ‘You are not something worthy of living. Bite him quickly. Let that man die, do not leave him alive.’

mara shmilukh? khuvva mara ka-bar-nasha, shmilukh akhuni mu-merre? adi b-nesennukh kat-metet. mara khlapukh aven, kha kha-nashada bakrakh itar, nusli jalde jahannam khina adi bar atkha atkha atkhela. et-d-tlada bakrakhkhe ita nusli. mara spay azakh.

It says ‘Did you hear?’ the snake says to the man ‘Did you hear my brother what it said? Now I shall bite you so that you die.’ He says ‘May I be your substitute. Let us ask another person, then bite me quickly, the hell with it, so be it after that. Let us ask a third then bite me.’ It says ‘Fine, let us go.’

urkha berreshshena medre. atkha bi-urkha bitayena kha-kha-ga gashukena men-do risha kha tala. rkhata rkhata bitayel berrakel. mara akhuni tala, kha-kli kli! khuvva kal bedrayele. mara mu byayet menni? mara kli ka-da bar-nasha byayen nesen. mu maret? nesenne yukhsa la? mara ana belyazen jalde nusle, jalde khush matni-avva. la shoketle sagh.

They go along the road again. They come along the road and suddenly see on one side a fox. It runs and runs, it flees. It (the snake) says ‘My brother fox, stop, stop!’ the snake shouts. It says ‘What do you want from me?’ It says ‘Wait. I want to bite this person. What do you say? Should I bite him or not?’ It says ‘I am in a hurry. Bite him quickly and let him die quickly. Do not leave him alive.’

mara a-bar-nasha mara kam? ita a-tala tala bisha vayele la khachcha. tala ptalel ka-da-khuvva mara ina muila vita? kam bennasut? m-ika dvikut avva muyyut? mara. dakh atkha samm deryut, b-kdalu kurmekhkhet? mara akhuni, nuyra pileva, mesha bekyadeva. anada bekyadenva, chrikhenva l-ilana. a-bar-nasha zultu muttale, kesu muttile, ka-diyyi purekle. adi kurmekhkhen b-kdalu byayen nesenne.

The man says ‘Why?’ Well, the fox is not a little wicked. The fox turns to the snake and says ‘But what has happened? Why are you biting him? Where did you catch him and bring him from? How have you put poison in him and encircled his neck?’ It says ‘My brother, fire had broken out and the forest was burning. I also was burning and I had climbed up a tree. This man put out his staff, put out his stick and saved me. Now I have encircled his neck and I want to bite him.’

mara akhuni, jalde nusle, kma-t-ila jalde, kmat lele b-rishukh kha-mendi vida. ina dakh-duz? mara aten alduyit aten. tala ka-khuvva marele. ana len hammune nura ave pila bi-ilana. aten men-ilana amset salet bi-kesa al-kdalet davva nasha. mara khuvva, mara dakh let-hammuna? ana k-amsen men-ilana salen bi-kesa al-idet bar-nasha. mara len hammuna akhuni,

It says ‘My brother, bite him quickly, as quickly as possible, before he does something against you. But how can it be true?’ it says ‘You are tricking me,’ the fox says to the snake. ‘I do not believe that fire broke out in the tree and that you could come down by the stick onto the neck of that man.’ The snake says ‘What do you mean you do not believe (me)? I can come down from a tree by a stick onto the hand of a man.’

dakh-duz! dugle dagulet! ana belyazen mara. malyuzen, berreshshen. bari pilena nash kat-katlili. ana berraken. ina len hammuna atkha shula avet vida, at-amset men-kesa men-ilana salet l-idet bar-nasha. mara agar let hammuna, k-amsen khachcha makhzenna ka-diyyukh, khuvva marel ka-tala. mara d-sli! khazzen hala k-amset a-shula odette. khazzen ita tanennukh nusle yan-la.

It (the fox) says ‘How can that be true! You are telling lies. I am in a hurry’ it says ‘I am in a hurry. I am going. People are coming after me to kill me. I am fleeing. But I do not believe that you have done this thing, that you are able to go down from a tree by a stick onto the hand of a man.’ It (the snake) says ‘If you do not believe, I can quickly show you,’ the snake says to the fox. It (the fox) says ‘Come down! Let me see whether you can still do that. When I see, then I shall tell you whether to bite him or not.’

a-khuvva beslayele, akhchi charekh al-ilana. tala ka-bar-nasha mara PburP la-spay nasha jalde b-rishu blusle! rishet khuvva blusle. kmat selyel m-kdalukh l-arra rishu blusle. maset katletle. kam shvikut?

The snake comes down and is about to climb on a tree. The fox says to the man ‘Go, you bad man, quickly stamp on his head! Stamp on the head of the snake. While he has come down from your neck onto the ground, stamp on his head. You can kill him. Why have you let him (go)?’

a bar-nasha albal mkhayel khuvva, maskutul. mara akhuni, vay avenva khlap diyyukh, ka-tala marel, at m-ika brilukh al-da duka? m-ika tpeklukh biyyan? mut spayuta oden ka-diyyukh kat-parken m-khut-da spay shul-diyyukh kat-vedlukh ka-diyyi? pureklukh ka-diyyi men-mota. khuvva bennasiva, ana katu spayuta videnva.

The man at once strikes the snake and paralyzes it. He says ‘My brother, oh may I be your substitute,’ he says to the fox ‘How did it happen that you came to this place? How did it come about that you met us? What good deed can I do for you so I can return the favour that you have done to me? You saved me from death. The snake was about to bite me, (although) I had done it a good deed.’

mara hech kha-spayuta lazem lela. bari pilena sayade bi-susavate, bi-taziyye, bi-kalbanan. byayena doki khankili. vena bita! anne tre urkhavay atkha ptalena mara. ana gani tashenna lakhkha khut-henna. anne mennukh bakri, kli-at b-da-urkha, makhzi khush azi. mara al-ayni, al-ayni, ba-a mara spayutela. al-garet ayni a-shula odenne ka-diyyukh.

It says ‘A good deed is not necessary. Hunters are chasing me with horses, with greyhounds, with dogs. They want to catch me and strangle me. Look they are coming! These two roads are bending like this,’ it says ‘I shall hide myself here under … If they ask you, stand on this road and show them (the road) and let them go (on it).’ He says ‘Of course, of course. Well, this is a good deed. Of course I shall do this for you.’

d-mara ana beslayen tamma gani tashenna. aten har-tilun, tani atkha kheshle. mara al-ayni. a beslayel varel gu-de-chekkurta, gu-de-chal. ganu tashuyol tala. men-do-yba bitayena susavay alle sayade bi-tup, bi-kalbanan an-taziyye. mara shlama-allukh akhuni bar-nasha. b-shena. mara lakhkha la-khzilukh kha-tala berrakeva? la dilukh bi-dem-urkha kheshle?

Then he says ‘I shall go down there and hide myself. As soon as they come, tell them that it (the fox) has gone.’ He says ‘Of course.’ It goes down and enters the hollow, the hole. The fox hides itself. From the other side horses come, on which there are hunters with guns, with the greyhound dogs. They say ‘Greetings, my fellow man!’ ‘Greetings!’ They say ‘Have you seen a fox running away around here? Do you know which way it went?’

avun garek taniva bi-da-urkha kheshle a-tala. bar-nasha mara dul-lakhkha ganu tushyo. dul ultukh ganu tushyo. dbishena an-kalbe b-rishu bedvakuna, bekhnakuna, palutuna, mayuna. khina-ga, zambellile, akhlile. a-tala ka-bar-nasha mara. yala akhuni, ka-but-mudi akher ka-diyyi atkha vedlukh? la ana ka-diyyukh khayyukh purkeli? mara akhuni, pakhletti, amma khasyattila atkha. ana lipen, gu-demmila garek zabnenvalukh. ayyada metteltet tala u-bar-nasha kat-shemyokh men avahatan baba savan.

He should have said ‘The fox went this way.’ But the man says ‘It has hidden itself over there. It has hidden itself under there.’ The dogs attach themselves to his head and seize him, they strangle him and bring him out. They then tear him apart and eat him. The fox says to the man ‘My brother, why did you do this to me? Did I not save your life for you?’ He says ‘My brother, forgive me, but this is my nature. I am accustomed to it, it is in my blood, I had to betray you.’ This is the story of the fox and the man, which I have heard from our forebears, our father and grandfather.

ita bayyen tanen atkha bar-nasha zabunel ka-tala, tala ot men-kulle bishele kat spay beddayel mujjur azel. ina bar-nasha kat vayel tala khayyu purke, khayyet bar-nasha, bar-nasha ka-do tala zabunele. maktulul b-dan-kalbe, b-dan avchiyye, sayade. len bedda kma tusa muyyitela al-bar-nasha gana. anne tala, aynet miyya, khuvva, u-tora. anne kulle tusena tuse muyyen-ana but-t-ila al-peslet khayyet bar-nasha. kat gu-metkhet khayyu bar-nasha kma masni aved spay shulan u-kma kherba shulan gav-bar-nasha ganu etten.

So, I want to say that the man betrays the fox in this way, the fox, which is the most wicked of all (animals), which knows well how to go about things. The man, whose life the fox had saved, the life of the man, the man betrays the fox. He causes it to be killed by the dogs, by the hunters, the hunters. I do not know how many examples have been adduced about mankind. These, the fox, the spring, the snake, the ox, these are all examples, I adduced examples about the way of life of mankind, whereby in the course of the life of a man, he does as many good deeds as he can and (I show) how many bad deeds there are in man himself.

u-men-dayyen m-uydalda ana le-amsen adi pashkenne okha khabret kat shemyun medre men avahati m-babi savi kat gu-da mettelta hukyuna. e-dan prakta kat kalbanan u-an-avchiyye sharuyena bikhala ka-do-tala parpusu, chamburuna, tala ka-bar-nasha mara e akhuni et-mejjetda bar-nasha khalvanaya, misele. adi manaya davvo khalvanaya myasta muila ana len beddaya. khalva beddayet muile? khalvet yemma. ita tala ka bar-nasha mara ay akhuni ka-diyyi zubennukh aten. et-mejjetda tanuyeva kat-bar-nasha khalvanaya misel, mennu hashyar garek aved. atkha k-amsen atkha pashkenna, ina manayu but-t-ila t-oya gu-kha pushaka khina amsitun biyyu tapkitun.

I cannot now explain everything together relating to this tale which, as I say, I heard from my forebears, my father and grandfather, that which they related in this story. In the end, when the dogs and the hunters begin to eat, tear apart the fox, tear it to pieces, the fox says to the man ‘Hey, my brother, it is true that man is a mammal, he has sucked (milk).’ Now I do not know what the significance is of this mammal and sucking. You know what milk is? The milk of a mother. So, the fox says to the man ‘Oh, my brother, you have betrayed me.’ They spoke the truth—that man is a mammal that has sucked (milk) and one has to be cautious of him. That is how I can explain it, but you could find another explanation of its meaning.