The Bird and the Fox

etva letva kha sepperta. hi sepperta etvala zaye. vetteva kha danta GebudaGe ka-gano beta. en-zaye, biyye muttila, zaye brile. kut-yum kut-yum kut shita, kut-yum, kut-yum, e sepperta en zayo k-ativa kha mendi k-akhelvale, k-azelva. k-atyava e meskenta sepperta gashkava let anne zaye gu-da beto.

Once upon a time there was a bird. Yes, the bird had young. She had made a nest, a home for herself. The young—she laid eggs and young were born. Every day, every year, every day something used to come and eat the young of the bird and go away. The poor bird would come back and see that the young were not in her home.

medre al-de shita khita medre atkha biyye muttila, medre zaye viyyale. medre tila, medre khelle, gashka en zayo let, khilele. va muiva janam aha mu bikhalele? medre shitet tla medre a sepperta muttila biyye, medre viyyala zaye. kharta har byayeva en zayo ativa akhelvale. la tani tala viyyele. tala lipel bi-dani. bitayel en biyyet den zayet de sepperta hayvan bikhalel.

Again the next year she again laid eggs and she had young again. She came back again, again it ate (the young). She sees that the young are not there, it ate them. Oh dear, what was it? What was it that was eating them? Again in the third year the bird laid eggs and had young again. Then it still wanted to come and eat those young of hers. What do you know, it was a fox. The fox is used to (eating) them. He comes and eats the eggs of the young of bird, poor creature.

kharta kha sedachi berreshsheva, berreshsheva bar sedu khina. gashekni ina a tala besyakele al-ilana. besyakele al-ilana, ita o sedachi sedle ka-da tala. merre kha khazzen mu vadele. gashek ina anne zaye sira sire, vesta veste hayvane bekhyena, charchurena.

Then a hunter was going after his prey. He sees that the fox is going up the tree. It is going up the tree, then the hunter hunted the fox. He said ‘Let me see what he is doing.’ He saw that the young are yelling and whining, the poor creatures are crying and screaming.

kale shmile a sedachi kheshle gashek ina ani en akhelle, shakel a tupi dare biyyu ka-da tala munpelle, mkhile ktelle. ktelle ka-da tala. kharta tila e yemma u-e gashka yan-en zayo t-i purtekle ekha shita khina.

The hunter heard their voice. He went to look whether it is eating them. He takes the rifle and shoots it. He brought down the fox. He shot him and killed him. He killed the fox. Then the mother returned and sees that her young have survived that year.

atkha razuyta viyyala men-da sedachi roba atkha duay yuvvella katu. khdila psekhla a sepperta. shkella en zayo muttela al-khaso. teryela prekhla. kheshla gu-kha malkuyta khita. khina khdarto, munyekhla men-da tala. ba atkha. vila prekla a mettelta atkha. henne kli tanyannukh. parta tama, kamkha lakhkha. marran tushnakan tama, khubba khedyuyta lakhkha. atkha atkha prekla a mettelta.

She was so pleased with this hunter and offered him her warmest gratitude. The bird was happy and joyful. She took her young and put them on her back. She drove them (onto her back) and flew off. She went to another kingdom. So, it turned out that she was relieved of the fox. Well, that is it. The story finished like that. But wait I’ll tell you. Chaff there, wheat here. Our illness and suffering there, love and joy here. The story ends like that.