The Wise Brother

masalo ila hada da mettelta dakh t-i ana shemyon men nanunti, men-yemmi men-savan. manayu ila bas tre parsupe tre akhunvate. kha-menne vayele raba brikha u parmiyyana nasha, honana nasha vayele. o-khina vayel khachcha bush Armagresiv, ina honu khachcha basura vayele. basura taneta lel kha-tkha u-bakhkhulel bi akhunu. bakhkhulel bi honet do akhun-ganu, sabab but-dahada, kat-o akhunu, ganu vayel avun malka et-kha-malkuta, ina beddayele kat akhunu mennu bush honanele, bush parmiyyanele, bush msayel takhmantu mazmetla gu-nashe. u-mase bukare share ArmproblemArm share gure.

The story of this tale is thus, as I have heard it from my grandmother, my mother and my grandfather. It is about two people, two brothers. One of them is very lovable, an intelligent man, a clever man. The other is a little more aggressive and he is a little less clever—‘less’ means ‘not much’—and he is jealous of his brother. He is jealous of the intelligence of his own brother, also because his brother—he himself is a king of a kingdom, but he knows that his brother is cleverer than him, more intelligent, more able to establish his thought among the people. He is able to answer questions and solve big problems.

ka-but-hada ka-akhunu tarusel hada mendi b-rishu hadakh makhzuyul gu-de-malkutet ganu dakh akhunu ile shidana, kha mukhla honu ruppu, honu ruppu nasha, u-kulle nashe dayya malkutet do malka ka-akhunet malka besnayele. mara a shidanele. kulle khina bar-malka merre akhuni shidanele. kulle gar b-kha kala charcherri, garek kulle charcherri kat akhunet malka honu ruppule, shidanele.

Because of this he does something against his brother, in that he presents his brother in his kingdom as if he were mad, a tiresome fool, a man who has lost his mind, and all the people of the kingdom of the king hate the brother of the king. They say ‘He is mad.’ All after the king said ‘My brother is mad.’ All have to shout in one voice, all have to shout that the brother of the king has lost his mind, he is mad.

ina vazziret malka, o-vazzer kamaya, beddayel kat akhunet malka manile, kma honana nashel, a Dahlun Dewanda. kha-yuma kedamta jalde malka biyya bi-vazziru, nazziru, bi-taziyyu, b-kalbananu, platena al-seda, platena men darvazet malkuta.

But the vizier of the king, the first vizier, knows who the brother of the king really is, how intelligent a man he is, this Dahlun Dewanda (as he was called). One day early in the morning the king, together with his vizier, his overseer, his greyhound, his dogs, goes out hunting, goes out of the royal city gates.

m-mdita e-dan platena, a vazziret malka bekhzayel amman akhunet malka tivel b-de kedamta jalde dan bara barranta tivel kam-darvazet mendita u-tursel tla gure kukhan bi-ketma. anne kulle berreshshena khina m-uydal, susavatet malka bi-kalbanan berreshshena, a-vazzer kamaya beddarel baray. mara Dahlun Dewanda ana beddayen kat-akhun malka gu-danne kukhan-diyyukh etten mana anne kam tursevet anne kukhan? manaye muiva? b-da kedamta jalde anne kukhan videvet l-urkhet diyyan akhnan plitekh al-seda.

When they go out of the city, the vizier of the king sees that the brother of the king is sitting, early that morning, when dawn was breaking, sitting in front of the city gates, and that he has made three large piles of ash. They all go off together, the horses of the king, they go off with dogs, but the first vizier goes back. He says ‘Dahlun Dewanda, I know, brother of the king, that in those piles of yours there is a meaning. Why have you made these piles? What was the meaning of them? You have made these piles early this morning in our way, as we have gone out to hunt.’

a Dahlun Dewanda akhun malka ka-vazzer mara kut kukha etle tima. kut kukha daker kha-dava. ta halli tanenna manay da-kukha muila. a-vazzer palutele tla dan-dave yavvel ka do-akhun malka mara tanila manayet kukhan. mara a-kukhet ketma avini b-rish-do nashet kat-khasu besyarul b-malkuta, b-hukma, hiviyyu mattuyul al-hukma, khasu besyarul b-hukma. a-kukhet d-tre avini b-rish-do nashet kat siru hakuyel ka-bakhta, ka-bakhtet ganu. a-kukhet d-tla avini b-rish-do nashet kat-nashet ganu besravele, khezman ganu, bne mellattet ganu, besravele nash-ganu, besnayel u hayyurel ka-nashet bakhta u-ka-nakhray. anne tla kukhan.

Dahlun Dewanda, the brother of the king, says to the vizier ‘Every pile has a value. Every pile is worth a gold coin. Come, give (this) to me and I shall tell you what the meaning of this pile is.’ The vizier takes out three gold coins and gives them to the brother of the king. He says ‘Tell me the meaning of the piles.’ He says ‘May this pile of ash be on the head of the man who relies on the king, on the government, who puts his hope in the government, relies on the government. May this second pile be on the head of the man who tells his secrets to a wife, to his wife. May the third pile be upon the head of the man who disowns his own family, his own relatives, those of his community, rejects his own people, hates them and helps the family of the wife and strangers. These are the three piles.’

a betrayel betyavel vazzer al-susa, berreshshel bar malka, mtayel, seda berreshshel. a-vazzer bitayel berash beta raba takhmunel al-danne tla nukze kat-tanuyel katu a-Dahlun Dewanda. mara a khazzet mujjurra a nasha mejjet tanuyel o honana nashel. anne shulan garek jarbi. atkha le-oya.

He rides off, the vizier rides off on his horse. He goes after the king. He arrives and goes out to the hunt. The vizier comes home in the evening and thinks a lot on the three points that Dahlun Dewanda told him. He says ‘Let me see whether this man is telling the truth about them. He is an intelligent man. These things have to be tested. This cannot be.’

u-sharuyel pelkhana takhmunel al-da mujjurra jareblun anne tla nukzet da akhun malka kat tunyel katu. gu-khayyet mejjet anne vayena yan la? u men-kameta bitayel kha-yuma b-lele, kha-tre estikanda men-dugle beshtayele, khamra, bitayel mara bakhta, plut, plut. ka-bakhtu marel. marrushol bakhtu. mara kuylakh, pruk. muila vita? mara. ay nasha, kam atkha kha-taharvet? mara ku nasha ktilen. nasha ktilen, ven kurmekhkhu gu-danne julle. len-bedda mu odenna. kha mendi garek odakh. malka dile, makhnekli.

He begins to work and thinks how he could test the three points that the son of the king told him. ‘Do these exist in real life, or not?’ First he comes back one day, at night he pretends to drink one or two glasses of wine and says ‘Wife, come out, come out,’ he says to his wife. He wakes his wife. He says ‘Get up, straight away.’ ‘What has happened?,’ she says. ‘Man, why are you like this?’ He says ‘Get up, I have killed somebody. I have killed somebody. Look I have wrapped him in these cloths. I do not know what to do. We must do something. If the kings knew about it, he would hang me.’

al-maydan e-danta jammuyeva, chambuleva, bekhnakeva, ot-nasha bektalel, bi kanun de-dana. mara jalde kha-mendi garek odakh. ita mara ay nasha mu-odakh? bakhtu mara. garek kha-dukta tashakh nash la-khazzi. mara khaprakh tamrakhkhe kha-duka kat-nash la khazzi. mara ita ay bakhta, ika tamrakhkhe? tani.

At that time they used to collect people in the square, hang them and throttle them, whoever killed a person, by the law of that time. He says ‘We must do something quickly.’ Then she says ‘Oh, man, what should we do?’ His wife says. ‘We must bury him somewhere so people do not see.’ She says ‘We should dig and bury him somewhere, so that people do not see.’ He says ‘Oh, wife, where should we bury him? Tell me.’

mara gu-paga. me-morakhkhe, tamrakhkhe avva gu-pageni kat-nash la khazzi mujjurra bekhparekh. mara d-pruk, jalde ku. gora bakhta bekyamena albal lapatka beshkalena, kha-dana muyra, kullung. bekkarena, tamuruna gu-paga tahar tammez, kha-nasha lel bedda. bedmakhena.

She says ‘In the stable. Bring him and we’ll take him in there, we’ll bury him in our stable, so people do not see us digging.’ She says ‘Quickly, get up.’ The husband and wife get up, straight away take a shovel, a spade and a pickaxe. They dig and bury him in the stable very neatly, and nobody knows. They gotobed.

al-do-yuma khina a vazzer jens beshtayel medre, ganu shop-ravaya mattuyole. dakh akhchi ruyele, bitayel beta, sharuyel ka-bakhta mkhaya, ka-bakhtet ganu. mkhayol, mara aten spay bakhta let at. a-bakhta mara adi makhziyyanna ka-diyyukh ana. adi makhziyyanna ana. duz t-azan kedamta kes-malka tanyan aten mu videt, nasha ktilet, katlan-nash, tiyyet ka-diyyida mkhayet. aha mkhayol, khina mattuyul rishu dmakhel.

The next day the vizier drinks heartily againand pretendsto be somebody who is drunk. When he is as if drunk, he comes home and begins to beat the wife, his own wife. He beats her and says ‘You are not a good wife.’ The wife says ‘Now I’ll show you. Now I’ll show you. In the morning I shall go straight to the king and tell him what you have done, that you have killed a man, that you are a murderer and you have come and beaten me also.’ He beats her, then puts his head down and sleeps.

a kedamta jalde bakhtu mtayela duz kes-malka. mara malka t-avet basima, aten let bedda vazziru mut nashel. vazzirukh nasha ktilele. vazzirukh nasha katlanet nashel. aten khamuyut dakh-vazzer. berashda tiyyel ka-diyyida mekhyele. mekhyil, byayeva katelvali. avva garek makhnekkette, la shokette.

Early next morning his wife goes straight to the king. She says ‘King, be well, you do not know what kind of man your vizier is. Your vizier has killed a man. Your vizier is the murderer of a man. You have kept him as a vizier. Last night he came and beat me too. He beat me and wanted to kill me. You must hang him, do not spare him.’

malka khina bara burrennel, khina kheshla keslu. hala tre sahatte lela vaya verta, men-vazziru lel hamzumada malka, bekrayel jamahat al-maydan mattuyul mara gari makhnekni vazzer. vazzer nasha ktilel.

As soon as it became light, she went to the king. Two hours have not passed, the king does not speak with his vizier, he summons a crowd to the square. He brings them there and says ‘The vizier must be hanged. The vizier has killed a man.’

khina vazzer bedvaka beta bitayele khina koshun malka. bedvakuna, labuluna al-maydan, besyaruna al-do stolba, kat-gari khankil, khutu kersha bedrayena kat makdile m-odil? ita e-dan vayena siru al-do stolba, kat-gar chambellile u-makdile, aha atkha pakurele, a-vazzer ganu, pakurel al-malka, malka ganu, kat-m-uydal plikhena, nash-d-trele. lel bakura katu mut nasha ktilet? ika ktilut? ka-but-mu ktilut? mujjurra ktilut? mara d-pruk.

Then they seize the vizier. The army of the king comes to the house. They seize him and take him to the square, and tie him to the post where they must hang him, under which they put firewood in order to burn him. What will they do to him? Then, when they have bound him to the post, where they must hang him and burn him, he looks, the vizier himself, he looks at the king, the king himself—they have worked together, he is the second (in command). He does not ask him ‘Which man have you killed? Where have you killed him? Why have you killed him? How have you killed him?’ They say ‘Finish the job.’

ita pakurele kulle anne kat-ganu muttele al-dargha ellaya, khezman-bakhtu, nakhraye. kha-menne kholamayele. o-khina sabun mayele. o-khina kersha mayele. o-khina mara d-pruk, malka t-avet basima, pruk a khankakhkhe parkakh, ina kam maryukhot? raba kam maryukhot. jalde khankakhkhe parkakh.

Then he looks at all those whom he has put in positions of high rank, the relatives of his wife and foreigners. One of them brings a rope. Another brings soap. Another brings firewood. Another says ‘Finish the job, king, may you be well, finish the job, let’s hang him and finish. Why are you taking so long? You are taking a very long time. Let’s hang him quickly and finish.’

ita a-vazzer pakurel ina an-khezman-ganu kat-srivele kat-lel kate huyyerra, hech dana, kha-esra ganay atkha al-marza kha anne tivena bekhyena katu, kat-avun gu-khayyu shlamada lel derya alle, e-dan viyyel al-vazziruta, e-dan al-rumta viyyel. adi kat-avva bekhnakuna kha-anne esra ganay, khamsar ganay khezman-ganu anne bekhyena allu.

Then the vizier looks and sees his own relatives, whom he has disowned, whom he has not helped, ever, some ten people like this on the edge (of the crowd), he was surprised to see that they are sitting and weeping for him, people whom he has not greeted in his life, when he was in his position of vizier, when he was in a high position. Now that they are throttling him, these ten people or so, fifteen people, his relatives, they are weeping for him.

anne khine kat-muttel al-dargha ellaya kulle pruk malka t-avet basima. mara pruk jalde makhnekkakhkhe a khankakh parkakh. a-ber-kalba atkha atkha khina nash ktilele. ka-de bakhtuda mekhyele. prukun!

The others whom he has put in high positions all say ‘Finish the job, king, may you be well.’ They say ‘Finish the job quickly, let’s hang him. Let’s hang him and finish. This son of a dog’—and so forth—‘he has killed people. He has also beaten his wife. Finish the job!’

ita a gashukel khina malka kala lel vada. vazzer gashukel khina adi b-khankile. byayena nurada tapile khut-aklu. mara malka t-avet basima, kha-ijaza hal kha khabra tanennukh khina ana vazzirukhven la kat dranukh rasteven, o-nash d-treven? har la bakura bekhnakivet, hech mendi la bakura? khabret kharaya let-yavu ka-diyyi? har-atkha bekhnakivet la hech mendi tanuya. mara ijaza hal kha-mendi tanen khina.

He sees that the king does not utter a sound. The vizier sees that now they will hang him. They want to light the fire under his legs. He says ‘King, may you be well, permit me to say something. I am your vizier. Am I not your right arm, the second man (in command)? Are you hanging without asking (questions), without asking anything? Are you not allowing me a final word? You are hanging me like this, without saying anything.’ He says ‘Give me permission to say something.’

mara tani kha khabra tani, dan praktola. mara kha baker men-danne nashe, ana byayen anne al-da-maydan jumyena, jamahat alma, bakri ka-man ktilen ana, u-katlana manile, o kat-ktilun manile, u-ka-but-mudi ktilun. kha-kam let bakura? baker men-da bakhti. mara tani bakhta. kam ktilun? ana mut yattan man ktilut? mara d-kha-khzimun mejjet nasha ktilen yan la. ka-bakhtu mara mut nasha ktilel? ika ktilel? mara vel gu-pagenida tumrukh. ana men-davva tumrukh o-nasha.

He says ‘Speak, say one word. It is time to end the matter.’ He says ‘Ask these people, I want these people who have gathered in this square, this crowd of people, to ask whom I have killed, who is the killer, who is the one whom I have killed, why have I killed him? Go on, why do you not ask? Ask my wife.’ He says ‘Tell me wife, why have I killed him?’ ‘How should I know whom you have killed?’ He says ‘Just check whether I have truly killed a man or not.’ He (the king) says to his wife ‘Which man has he killed? Where has he killed him?’ She says ‘We have buried him in our stable. I have buried the man together with him.’

shadurel koshun mara jalde khushun. m-gu-paga bakhtuda menne palutuna mayuna. gu-julla kurmekhkha al-de-maydan mattuyuna. mara d-shri, ptukhun khazzen manile a-nasha, kam ktilut.

He sends an army. He says ‘Go quickly. They take him (the putative murdered man) out from the stable, while his wife is with him, and bring him back. Wrapped in a cloth, they put him in the square.’ He says ‘Untie it, open it so I can see who this person is, why you have killed him.’

ptakhuna ina pakurena kha-pira, erba, beryan vida shapira gu-lavasha kurmekhkha, shapira. e-dan ptakhuna, rekhu shapira basima bitayel. a-malka atkha pakurele mara a-mut masaleva, la purmili. a mut mendiva kat atkha vila. a kam vidut, atkha shula?

They open it. They see a lamb, a sheep, made into a nice roast dish, wrapped in bread, very pleasing. When they open it, it makes a lovely, pleasant smell. The king sees this and says ‘What has happened? I do not understand. What is this that has happened? Why have you done this, this thing?’

mara malka t-avet basima, ana shmili al-do akhunukh, Dahlun Dewanda. raba honana shula tunyile kat an-kukhan kat-a-kukha av b-rish-do nashet khasu yaser bi-malkuta. ana khasi sirunva bi-diyyukh kat at bet-avetva ka-diyyi khasa, p-hayyerretvali e-dan gu-duka ekta avenva npila. aten kamtet kulle ka-diyyi zubenlukh dakh malka? ana la kat-nashet d-trenva gu-da malkuta? at la bukerrukhda ka-man ktilen ana. bekhnakitva la bakura.

He says ‘King, may you be well, I listened to your brother, Dahlun Dewanda. He told me a very clever thing, saying “The piles— may this pile be upon the head of the man who puts his trust in the king.” I put my trust in you, that you would support me, that you would help me, when I fell into a tight spot. But you were the first to abandon me, how could you, king? Was I not the second man in command in this kingdom? You did not even ask whom I killed? You were going to hang me without asking.

o kukhet d-tre kat-merre avini b-rish-do nash kat siru hakilun ka-bakhtu. ana ka-bakhti dugle duglenva, mirenva nasha ktilen. ana nasha lenva ktila. pira beryan vidunva. tuyay vidunva, busle gavu melyenva, bi-lavashe muttunva. bakhti har-kamtet kulle uldiyyenna. zubnenna bakhti. tila kam-kulle zubnenna atda mukhnekkennukh.

The second pile was the one concerning that which he said “May it be on the head of the man who tells his secrets to his wife.” I told lies to my wife and said that I have killed a man. I had not killed a man. I had grilled a lamb, I had made it into a roast, filled it with onions and put it in bread. My wife tricked me in the presence of everybody before everybody else tricked me. My wife betrayed me. She came and tricked me before everybody anybody else betrayed me. You too would have hanged me.

u-o kukhet d-tla kat-avini b-rish-do nashet khezman ganu bnet umtet ganu rappilun, nakhray daveklun. a-kukhada ana pakuren kha-anne khezmani an-kaseb kat hech dana ida alle len mumtiyya, vena anne tamma. kha-anne khamsar ganay, esri ganay alli bekhyena.

The third pile, concerning which he said “May it be on the head of a man who rejects his relatives, people of his own community, and takes on foreigners.” As for this pile, I see that some of my relatives, poor people, to whom I have never offered a helping hand, they were there. These fifteen people, twenty people, wept for me.

anne kulle kat-mutten al-dargha ellaya bikhala, beshtayena, kep vadena, anne kulle byayena khankili jalde, men-kulle kamta byayena khankili. u-akhun diyyukh men-kulle honana nashel gu-da malkuyta. malka t-avet basima, men-udyu mara khina ana keslukh dakh-vazzer le palkhen. push b-shlama aten. ana shvekli kheshli m-gu-da malkuta.

All those whom I had put into a lofty position, who eat, drink and enjoy life, they all want to hang me quickly, in the presence of everybody else they want to hang me. Your brother is a more intelligent man than anybody else in this kingdom. King, may you be well, from today,’ he says ‘I shall not work with you as a vizier. Farewell. I am leaving and going away from this kingdom.’

platel berreshshel m-gu-da malkuyta u-betlakel. bakhtuda beshvakol. a vazzer beshshele. kha shita varela. al-shitet d-tre berza vayel gav … gu-do atra, gu-de malkuta. malka lel bedda mujjur aved. jamahat kpentela, kepna benpalel gavo. lel bedda mujjur aved jamahat khamila. mujjur odakh mara men-da ArmproblemArm paltakh, gu-da eskuta paltakh?

He leaves and goes away from the kingdom. He disappears. He leaves his wife. The vizier goes. A year goes by. In the second year a drought afflicts that land, that kingdom. The king does not know what to do. The people are hungry, famine afflicts them. He does not know what to do to look after the people. ‘What should we do’ he says ‘to get out of this problem, to get out of this difficulty?’

ka-akhunu bekrayele. akhunu beddayel kat khishele o-vazzer. ka-akhunu beddayel honana nashel mara akhuna tani kha-mendi odakh. o-vazzer gari machkhakhkhe kmat tavvuyen baru len machukhu. avunva kulle a-atret diyyi tagburu. adi vazzer khishel, hona lel pisha. kulle ArmproblemArm bitayena bar-uydal. mujjur odakh a-shula khamakhkhe, p-urkha lablakh? mujjur machkhenne ana o-vazzer, nonen biyyu pakhalta mennu talben, kat-atini baray?

He calls his brother. His brother knows that the vizier has gone away. He says to his brother—he knows he is a clever man—‘Brother, tell me something that we can do. We must find the vizier. However much I search for him, I do not find him. He used to administer all this land. Now the vizier has gone away, no brains are left. All the problems come one after the other. What should we do to cope with this matter and go about dealing with it? How can I find the vizier to plead with him and beg forgiveness from him, so that he will come back?’

mara beddayet mu vud? krilun kulle anne RspetsyalistR gu-menditukh gu-atrukh, anne damurchiyyena, khetan-solena, anne kat nakkashkarena, Rspetsyalist.R kulle krilun, kut-menne kha-dana pira hallun, erba. u-hal kate atkha takhmanta tani: kha yarkha katokhun dana yavven. a-pira betkalun al-maseta. esri kiloyel pira. bar kha-yarkha mayyitun duz esri kiloye avini al-duka kelya, la zadni, la baserni. la vile al-duku kelya kullokhun rishokhun makhenne bi-balta. katlennokhun.

He says ‘Do you know what you should do? Call all the craftsmen in your city, in your country, those who are blacksmiths, who are shoemakers, craftsmen. Summon them all and give each one a lamb, a sheep. Give them the following challenge: I give you a period of one month. I am weighing this lamb on the scales. The lamb is twenty kilos. After a month you should bring it back here weighing exactly twenty kilos, no more and no less. If it is not this weight, I shall behead you all with an axe, I shall kill you.’

a vazzer vayele khisha kes-kha-dana damurchi pelkhana, dakh-shagerd, kat-khayye, ganu tushyo tama, pelkhana. u-e-dan bitayel tama, gashukel o-shefu bitayele khina, pira p-idu mayul beta mara malka yuvvanle atkha kha bukara, ArmproblemArm etlan, kat-a pira kha-yarkha akhnan mujjurra khamakhkhe kat men-esri kiloye la zadni, la baserni?

The vizier has gone to work with a blacksmith, like an apprentice, in order to live, hiding himself away there, working. When he comes there, he sees his boss coming, with a lamb in his hands, bringing it home saying ‘The king has given us a challenge, we have a problem, for how can we keep the lamb for a month without it becoming more or less than twenty kilos?’

mara at halle ka-diyyi, ana b-khamenne. shul-diyyukh lele. vazzer marele. u-gu-metkhet kha yarkha makhulul, mashtuyul a-pira. kut-berash b-de shullukhtet diva belvashel allu, bi-pum diva, varel ganu, mazduyul, m-bar-khalta, shteta khina, dan dmakhtu. u-m-bar kha yarkha e-dan mattuyul al-maseta, kha vayele.

He said ‘Give it to me. I shall look after it. It is not your problem,’ the vizier says. During the period of a month he feeds the lamb and gives it drink. Every evening he wears the skin of a wolf, he comes in with the mouth of a wolf and frightens it, after eating and drinking at the time it slept. After a month, when he puts it on the scales, it is the same.

ita ka-do damurchi mara k-amset spay arkhayen azet, rahat azet kes-malka. a esri kiloye, la zida, la bsirel. mara he a mujjur atkha khumyut? mara khumyun. malka kulle betkalel anne. emma ganay vayena pire lubla, kulle kha-menne vayel zida, kha-menne bsira. gashukena kha-dana pishel esri kiloye, kha pira.

Then he says to the blacksmith ‘You can go safely, you can go at ease to the king. This is twenty kilos, no more, no less.’ He says ‘Oh, how have you managed to keep it like this?’ He says ‘I have kept it so.’ The king weighs them all. One hundred people have taken a sheep, among all of them, some have increased (in weight) and some have diminished. They see that one lamb has remained twenty kilos.

a ka-damurchi mara a et-manle? mara et-damurchi aha, o prezla tapteppana damurchi beddayet la muile? mara akhuni a mujjurra khumyut? mara aha khumyun, dakh-duz ana len khumyu, shagerdi khumyul. kha-beta etli palakha shagerd, avun khumyul. ana len bedda mujjur khumyul, atkha pishel.

He says to the blacksmith ‘Whose is this?’ They say ‘It belongs to the blacksmith, the hammerer of iron, blacksmith’—you know don’t you what it is?—He says ‘My brother, how have you kept it?’ He says ‘I have kept it, but to be accurate I have not kept it, my apprentice has kept it. I have an apprentice worker at home. He has kept it. I do not know how he has kept it, but it has remained like this.’

jalde mara khushun memunle. shadurel koshun albal polis mayula. mayula gashukena amman o vazzirule. mara pakhalta betlaben mennukh ana. malka katu tanuyel. ta plukh. medre al-dukukh, ana khelta viyyen.

He says ‘Quick, go and bring him.’ He sends an army and at once the police bring him. They bring him and they see that he is his vizier. He says ‘I beg forgiveness of you,’ the king says to him. ‘Go and work again in your place, I have been in error.’

mara ana mennukh khina le palkhen, malka t-avet basima. en p-sazgerret akhunukh avini malka, ana aven medre vazziru, bet-palkhen. en le sazgerret, medre push b-shena, ana kheshli. mara yavon a malkuta, kulle gu-ArmproblemArm vayela, raba ArmproblemArm vayela malkuta ka-mu klita? u-dezhmenne vayol. men-marza agar makhi allo, parpessila malkuta. mara yavon ka-akhuni a-malkuta u-ka-diyyukh, u-ana berreshshen. kha-akhchi la-azet, ta tuy. ta tuy lakhkha.

He says ‘I shall not workwith you again, king, may you be well. If you agree that your brother should be king and that I should be his vizier, I shall work. If you do not agree, then farewell again, I am going.’ He says ‘I give you this kingdom. The kingdom is all full of problems, many problems. Why is it still so? It has enemies. If they attack the kingdom across the border, they will destroy it.’ He says ‘I give this kingdom to my brother and to you and I am going away.’ ‘Don’t go. Come and sit down. Come and sit down here.’

ayyada kha manay gano etla khina a-mettelta. khina adi li yatten ekro m-ikel a mettelta, ina beddayen kat avahan a mettelta hukyona.

This story has its own meaning. I do not know what the origin of this story is, but I know that our forebears told this story.