Duus

I will begin a story here, a little (one).

Hen t'ong para a ndoe k'wal / b'ak le.

I start the thing that I will speak (about).

Hen langoede / bi goepe hen t'ong / kut yi.

My speech is not about anything.

Kut noe / a k'a nye ndoe bi ba.

This speech is about the vulture, the cricket, the snake and the stork.

Kut nnoehoe / a k'a nkya / ndoe d'ûûs / ndoe nwo / ndoe nago.

The vulture rose.

Nkya / yool.

The vulture sat here.

Nkya doe t'ong.

The vulture said: "(It is) him (who) is the chief of the stork and the cricket."

Nkya wai: "Ji toe long / nago yi / ndoe d'ûûs."

The cricket said: "(It is) him (who) is the chief of the vulture and the stork."

D'ûûs / yin: "Ji toe long nkya yi / ndoe nago."

The stork rose (and) sat here.

Nago yool doe t'ong.

The stork said: "He is the chief of the vulture and the cricket."

Nago yin: "Ji toe / long / nkya / ndoe d'ûûs."

The stork said, somebody who--, uh.

Nago / yin / ndoe gurum goep-- / uh.

The vulture started.

Nkya para toe.

The vulture said: "Someone who when (he) has grown big, like he (has), he would receive the chieftancy."

Nkya wai: "Ndoe gurum goepe / la f'yer / goebi ji yi / ni t'ong lap long hok toe."

The cricket said: "Someone, when (he) has hair, hair on his body, when (it) is hard, he would turn chief."

D'ûûs / yin: "Gurum la goe d'ip / d'ip nsek muk la b'al nb'al / ni t'ong yir long hok toe."

The stork said: "Someone, when his body has become white, when (it) has received whiteness, he would receive the chieftancy."

Nago / yin: "Gurum / sek muk la pya / la lap goepya / ni t'ong lap long hok toe."

They went (and) called here the father--, of them (all), who is piercing (i.e., installing) them with the chieftancy.

Mûep mûen doe yong nda-- / k'ek mûep / goed'e nhes / mûep goe long.

The stork said: "(It is) the truth."

Nago yin: "Gaskiya."

"He, (it was) trouble (that) made (it) so that the middle of his head has become bald."

"Ji / a wala sa toe / dakd'ûe k'a ji daal yi."

"Since past times, he has been (there) so that he seaches for the chieftancy."

"Tun boedok / ji d'e ji tang long yi."

"(But) he didn't get the chieftancy."

"Ji kat long ba."

The cricket said: "He would rise with his wings."

D'ûûs / yin: "T'ong ji yool goe shaat ji."

"He moves (and) returns home to the place where he would get the chieftancy."

"Ji lang ji wa mpe goepe / t'ong ji kat long yi."

"The chief--, the thing that--, uh, those, birds that fly above."

"Long-- / bi goe-- / uh / gwen-- / yar goeleng goet'eng."

(He) said: "He would receive the chieftancy, he would, the crickt."

Yin: "T'ong ji lap / long hok / t'ong ji d'ûûs."

The stork said: "He would receive (it) because he is whiter than them."

Nago / yin: "T'ong ji lap tun nyegoepe ji pya ji ma mûep."

"And also he is more beautiful than them."

"Kuma ji d'ong ji ma mûep."

"Because of this, (it is) him, he would receive the chieftancy."

"Nye poenoe / a ji t'ong ji lap long hok toe."

You see, (****), they should--, (they) waged war on the cricket and--, the hawk.

Goe na [??] / mûep goe-- / lyak shal / ndoe d'ûûs / ndoe-- / nkoeleng.

The father about them (all), the hawk.

Nda nk'ek mûep / nkoeleng.

The hawk said: "Sit, (and) you would argue this argument."

Nkoeleng yin: "Gu t'wot gwen t'ong b'yool nyeb'yool nnoe."

"I know the person who would receive the chieftancy."

"Hen man / gurum goepe t'ong lap long."

"But I will not tell (it) with my own mouth."

"Amma hen t'ong t'em goe pûe san ba."

"Lest there is no arguing, when I am deciding."

"S'a ba boek'wal / goepe hen d'e np'en yit yi."

"Because of this, only when a person wins, so that (he) knows the truth amongst them."

"Sabo ndoe poenoe sai gurum la s'oe / de man / gaskiya yi dakd'ûe mûep."

The stork and the vulture said: "Come (and) measure their mouths."

Nago / ndoe nkya / wai: "Doe k'am pûe dwen."

They measured their mouths.

Mûep k'am pûe mûep.

The mouth of the stork was more pointed than that of the vulture.

Pûe nago s'walak ma mmuk nkya.

The mouth of the vulture, however, was more ugly than that of the stork.

Pûe nkya zak nyan ma mmuk nago.

The mouth of the stork was more beautiful than that of the vulture.

Pûe nago d'ong ma mmuk nkya.

They repeated (this and) prepared (and) measured the feathers on their body, they watched (and) saw.

Mûep b'ep nyap k'am / d'ip nsek mûep / mûep sh'ang na.

The feathers of the body of the stork were more beautiful than those of the vulture.

D'ip sek nago d'ong ma mmuk nkya.

They repeated (this) again, (and they) measured their legs.

Mûep b'ep zak-yit / k'am sh'e mûep.

The legs of the vulture, really ugly, really being crooked.

Sh'e nkya / nyan-nyan / ngorong-ngorong.

The legs of the stork stood, (it was) them that stood lean.

Sh'e nago / d'yam / a moeras d'yam yi.

But they were beautiful.

Amma ni d'ong.

So that that (he) would receive the chieftancy.

De goepe t'ong / lap long toe.

Because the places where the stork would go (to), the vulture would not be able to go there.

Nyegoepe / pe goet'ong mûaan nago / nkya t'ong b'oot goe mûaan d'i ba.

The cricket said: "He, too, he is following them."

D'ûûs / yin: "Ji ma ji d'e goede k'ek mûep."

(He) said: "Maybe when they talk what (-ever) thing?"

Yin: "Ko mûep la k'wal a bi nd'ang?"

The cricket said: "Okay, when (it is) not like this, everyone (who) has weapons (should come), so that we see."

D'ûûs yin: "To / la ba a poenoe / ko-wuroe goe le shal de moe na yi."

"(It would be) him, he would--, he, the cricket."

"Ji / t'ong ji-- / ji d'ûûs."

(He) said: "He has teeth to bite them with them." (He) said: "He also, he (can) kick them with his legs."

Yin: "Ji goe hoos de-goe narap nwa nni." Yin: "Ji b'ep zak-yit / ji t'at mûep goe sh'e ji."

"Because his legs are like a needle, a thorn."

"Nyegoepe sh'e ji / a goebi nyir / nk'een."

They started a fight, uh, the cricket and the vulture.

Mûep soma shal / uh / d'ûûs / ndoe nkya.

They started a fight.

Mûep soma shal.

The cricket kicked, (he) brought out his leg (and) kicked the vulture with it.

D'ûûs / t'at / p'en sh'e muk / t'at / nkya nni.

The vulture really heard his own (i.e., it really hurt).

Nkya k'oeleng / la muk fa.

(He) again brought out his second leg, (and) again kicked teh vulture with it.

B'ep p'en sh'e muk goevel / b'ep t'at nkya nni.

The vulture heard his own.

Nkya k'oeleng la muk.

(He) again bit the vulture.

B'ep / at nkya.

The vulture went to bend his mouth to catch (him).

Nkya mûaan de-goe ndum pûe muk de-goe ya.

The cricket, the cricket ran and eventually fell--, into the feathers of his body.

D'ûûs / d'ûûs su / goe-goe t'a-- / nd'ip sek muk.

When the vulture went to put his mouth inside.

Nkya la mûaan de nloe pûe muk nd'ûûn.

The cricket (then) rose, (and he) returned and bit his side.

D'ûûs yool / ba goe at t'oor muk.

The vulture was feeling (it) here, when (he) would return here, the cricket eventually bit (him).

Nkya d'e nji goe b'ak / la t'ong ba b'ak / d'ûûs / goe-goe at.

(This is) the thing that makes (it that) if a person watches, (he) will see (that) the stork--, uh, (he) will see (that) the vulture is sitting, does not often sit on the ground like this, (he) only is (there to) see (to) the animals.

A bi goesa toe / gurum la sh'ang / t'ong na / nag-- / uh / t'ong na / nkya / d'e nt'ong yi / shika goe t'ong nyil poenoe ba / nba d'e na lwa ba.

But when (he) refuses to see (to) the animals, (he) would never sit on the ground.

Amma la nyang goe na lwa ba / t'ong tab'a t'ong nyil ba.

Whatever (he) finds at the place, (he) would sit--, on a tree, up on a tree, so that (he) should find (and) sit down there in the place.

Komi kat pe hok / t'ong t'ong a-- / k'a t'eng / goet'eng nsh'ep / de goe kat yi goe t'a goe t'ong d'i mpe hok.

The stork, because of--, because of his beauty, the stork has never descended to a place for nothing.

Nago / nye s'-- / nye d'ong muk / nago tab'a zak sam / pe goe goelong ba.

For his descending, (it is) at the edge of a river, or maybe, (he) descends at a place where (there) would be a few of his people, all (of them).

De nsam muk / a pûe kong / ko kuma / sam / pe goepe t'ong d'e / la / mutane muk yi / dip.

Because the brother, the brother of the cricket, uh, the brother of--, the stork is the cricket.

Nyegoepe yam nûûn / yam nûûn d'ûûs / uh / yam nûûn-- / nago / a d'ûûs.

When the stork wants to see the vulture, the stork would enter on his leg, so that (he) should bring out the vulture with it, uh, so that (he) should bring out the cricket with it, with his legs.

Nago la zem de-goe nna nkya / nago t'ong ru nsh'e ji / de goe p'en nkya yi nni / uh / de goe p'en / d'ûûs yi nni / goe sh'e ji.

When the cricket bites his leg, (he) would never feel (it), (he) would bring (him) out, (he) would bring out the cricket from inside a hole, so that the cricket should find (and) come out, so that (he) should rest.

D'ûûs la at sh'e muk / t'ong tab'a k'oeleng ba / t'ong / p'en / t'ong p'en d'ûûs / nd'ûûn t'uun / de d'ûûs goe kat yi goe p'et / de goe s'wa nhat yi.

(This is) the thing that makes (it that) the vulture and the stork, their mouths are not the same.

A bi goesa toe / ndoe nkya / ndoe nago / pûe mûep goeme ba.

And their mouths have never returned home as one.

Pûe mûep zak tab'a yok bi goe goeme ba.

They are upset (lit., their hearts are being spoiled) with each other, indeed.

T'yak mûep a goendam ndoe shak mûep dai.

But the cricket and the stork, uh, the cricket and the stork, they are--, the same thing.

Amma d'ûûs / ndoe nago / uh / d'ûûs / ndoe nago / mûep a m-- / bi goe goeme.

(This is) the thing that makes (it that) when someone sees the stork and the vulture, they are--, they aren't people who **** (i.e., they don't like each other).

A bi goesa toe / gurum la na nago / ndoe nkya / mûep a-- / mûep a moegoeshiri ba.

When someone sees the cricket and the stork, they (are) different, they are people who are good to each other.

Gurum la na d'ûûs / ndoe nago / mûep k'em mûep a mutane moed'emen ndoe sek mûep.