veraa_gaqg

I will tell a story.

No me kakan kaka ne vōwal

The story is about a pigeon and a rat.

kaka 'anē dim 'a... 'amēn qono won gusōwō

One day, there were a pigeon and a rat. The two didn't know each other.

lēn qōn̄ ne vōwal n qono won gusōwō duruō e lama'i kēl rōs duruō

So, how would the two become friends?

so duru me bulsal sēvēe

The pigeon, it was eating here and there.

qono dim gegen valakra vavan

It came here and it sat down high up above a river, on top of a tree right there.

di ne van ma di ne sag kal kēkē lēn qoro bē kal sag kēkēn woqen ge ne vōwal sa kēnē

Now sat down in order to sleep.

'enei ne sag 'amēn ga mi'ir

As it was sitting there now, it glanced down and spotted a rat down there that had come out of a hole in a nanara (trunk) in the river.

di ne sagsag 'i di ne rērē qēl suwē di ne 'ēn suwēn gusōwō ne kalu den ēn qoro nanara lēn lōlō qoro bē

And so it said to the rat:

'ei di ne tēk suwō mēn gusōwō

'Hey, what are you up to here?'

so 'ei nikē dada vie... sivie kēnē

The rat got up and said upwards to it:

gusōwō ne kalraka ne tēk sag mē die

'Hey, friend, now we'll become friends,

'ei bulsal 'enei gudu me bulsal

because you sleep up there and I sleep down here.

sir e nik ga mi'ir kēkē no ga mi'ir qēl suweē

But I want to ask you:

ba no ga mōrōs vesir nikē so

Do you see whether there will be big rain tonight or not?'

nik ga 'ēn so qiri n wede luwo si ne gitag

pigeon got up to answer him and said to him:

qono ne kal raka ne vol die ne tēk mē die so

'Oh, friend, it will indeed rain tonight, but it shouldn't rain a lot.

'o bulsal di me wede qiri ba di mas wede luwo m̄as

The place is alright.'

n 'ekē ga gitok giva

'Alright, friend, I asked because you sleep high up there, but I sleep down here.'

'o ga gitok bulsal sir ēn ... nom vesir sir e nik ga mi'ir kēkē no ga mi'ir suwē

Then the rat got up and went back into the hole in the nanara (trunk)

gusōwō ne kal raka ne kal ba'a kēl lēn lōlō qoro nanara

that was lying in that dry creek.

as ōn 'i lēn qoro bē kōkō' 'i

When it got night, they slept.

'ekē ne qōn̄ ma' duruk mi'ir

The rain, it rained, it got really heavy

wede dim wede dim mul mō'ōl

and so the water came out and carried the nanara trunk out to the sea going out (towards the deep sea).

da bē dim kalu ma dim 'ōn bē nanara 'a nē 'ō luō 'a lo van lēn vemimie

When it got morning the rat saw that

ma'ava ma gōsuwō ne kal... ne ... ne lam̄a'a di ne 'ēn so

his house which he was sleeping in was seesawing, going back and forth.

n ... n m̄ogi a dis mi'ir 'i lōlōgi a ... a tam balbal ne van rōw ne van sar

Then he realized that he had floated out somewhere into the open sea.

dim lama'i raka so di man sal luō l... 'a vie lēn vemimie lēn naw

Then the rat got up and jumped on top of the nanara (trunk), jumped out of the hole at the bottom, jumped onto the upper side and sat there (for now).

gōsuwō ne kal raka ne rōw lēn nanara luma sag k... kēkē' rōw? den ēn qorogi luma suwē ne rōw kal luma sag kēkē ne sag 'i

And sat there. His thoughts went and went, on and on.

ne sag 'i dōdōmia mugi ne van ne van ne vavan

When he thought about one thing,

lēn masōgi di me dōm 'ar ēn sava ne vōwal

(that) will take him and (he) will go back onto the village.

me le die me van kēl lēn lōlō vunuō

As he was sitting and sitting (there)

dim sag sag sag vavavan

he saw down in the deep sea, (s.th.)'s neck and head were suddenly visible, a turtle

di ne 'ēn rōw ma ne 'awokal ne 'awokal 'anēn nuō

'Hey, friend, what are you doing on this nanara trunk?'

'ei bulsal nikē dada sēvēe lēn bē nanara 'anē

'Oh, friend' said the rat to him [turtle],

'o bulsal gōsuwō ne tēk mē di

'Me, I was staying (there) and I was sleeping in a hole in the nanara trunk.

no nom 'ōg 'i nom mi'ir 'i lēn qoro nanara

But this nanara (trunk), it was lying in a dry creek.

ba nanara 'anē di ga ōn lēn qoro bē kōkō'

And a pigeon lied to me saying that there wouldn't be heavy rain.

ban qono sam gal no ē so di mas wede luwo m̄as

Consequently, when I went back into my house at night,

lēn qōn̄ da so nom kal ba'a lēn kēl lēn m̄ōk

at night the rain, it rained

lēn qōn̄ ēn wede dim wede

and the water took me, on and on,

n bēm 'ō ... 'ō no van vavavan

went out into the open sea, into the saltwater here.

kalu ma lēn veminie 'anē lēn lōlō naw 'anē

Now I am sitting here and I don't know how I will get back to the shore.'

'enei nos sag 'i 'anē no lama'i ros so no me van kal kēl sēvēe lēn n̄ērē'iē

As the turtle heard this

nuō dim rōn̄ 'esenē

he said to him: 'Friend, me, I will help you to bring you back.

di ne tēk mē di so bulsal no no me birin̄ nikē 'amēn ga van 'ō nikē

Sit (down) here onto my back and I will take you.'

nikē sag kēkē ma lēn kolok nok van 'ō nikē

As the rat had heard this he got up, and his inside was glad. Then he jumped onto the turtle, and the turtle went with him [i.e. carried him].

son gusōwō dim rōn̄rōn̄ 'i senē dim kal raka lēn lōlōgim malaklaka di ne rōw kēkē lēn nuō nuō ne van 'ō die

When the rat had climbed onto the turtle's back, the turtle went.

nuōm ... n gō... gōsuwō dim r... r... rem kal rōw lēn kolo nuō nuō ne van van

They swam and swam until they reached the shore where he was gonna put him.

duruk siw siw vavavavavan van din̄ man n̄erē'iē 'a vie di me mom di bēne

The turtle took him up to the shore,

nuō ne rem 'ō kal di lēn n̄ērē'iē

went up to the beach. Then the rat jumped off down

van [UNCLEAR] sar lēn nōn gusuwō ne rōw sur den

ran up into the bush and started to dig a hole? in order to say thank you to the rat?

ne virig sar lēn 'ōm̄... wōm̄ōm̄ō ne gilgil ēn qorogi 'amē tēk ēn tata mēn e ... 'amēn fga tēk ēn varian mēn e gōsuwō ... 'ee ... nuō

in order to say thank you to the turtle. (?)

'amēn ga tēk ēn tat... 'm varian mēn e nuō

Then two people showed up at a point in .

wo n 'an̄sar ne vōruō ne kalu wōl lēn n̄ērsigi wōlē

The two came closer and closer, and when they were close they spotted the turtle in .

durum van ma van ma vavavavan ma din̄ ma duruk 'ēn mulen nuō

One of them went wards and turned (it)

ge'ew'i ne mulō ne tanem

turned ... the one turned the turtle onto its backside.

ne v... vil... wil 'a lan̄ ge'ew'i ne v..v..wil 'a lan̄ ēn nu.. nuō ē

After this the two rushed back into the village, reported (this) to the chief:

qē' duruk vrig kal kēl lēn lōlō vunu 'aram mēn e maranaga

'Chief, a huge (piece of) meat (is) down at the sea.

maranaga godēn kēl bigbig rōwē

We two have already turned (it) on its backside.'

kadu man wil 'a lan̄ die

'What?'

son sava

'A turtle.'

n nuō

Then the people, they went down to the sea, tied up the turtle tightly and brought (it) up here.

sul dirēk 'ēqēl 'al marmar ēn nuō 'anē van 'ō kal ma

They brought it up into the village.

dirēk van 'ō sar ... van 'ō sar lēn vunuō

In the afternoon they started to make fire in the stone oven in order to bake the turtle.

lēn revrev dirēk qē'ēg 'ewen nev 'amēn ga ban̄ris ēn nuō 'anē

When they were about to light the fire, the pigeon came flying.

dirēk 'ewe kal sag ēn nev won qono ne gav ma

The pigeon came flying and said to the rat:

n qono ne gav ma di ne tēk mēn e ... mēn e gōsuwō

'Rat, for helping you, you will help your friend who brought you back to the shore.

gōsuwō 'amēn ga birin̄ nikē wo nik mē birin̄ ēn vuvulum a rekson 'ō nik ... 'ō nik ma den ēn naw 'ō ba ... 'ō ma nik lēn n̄ērē'iē

I will conduct the following plan.

no me dan dōdōmia 'a segēn

When they will have gone landwards and will have lit the fire, I, I will dance in .

lēn masōgi dirēm van sar dirēm 'ewe kal ēn nev no no me laka wōlē

I will put on all kinds of things so that they see how good they are on me, like a 'qeseg'.

no me sor ēn 'erē m̄ēm̄ēlege rekson n sav... n..no... dir me 'ēn ga gitok mē no rekson qeseg

I will go and stand on the village square and dance.

no me van no me 'ir lēn serege no me laka

All the people, they will come and watch me dancing.

n sul dōl dir me van ma dir me ... dir me 'ēn nok laklaka

You, you go and bite the vine to pieces which they tied up the turtle with, and so the turtle will go down to the sea again, will return to his home.'

nikē nikē van nikē kur kirm̄ō san gaga a dirēm 'al ēn nuō bēne dan nuō ne 'ēqēl kēl ne mul kēl lēn vonogi

The rat said: 'Oh, friend, that's alright.'

gusuwō so 'o bulsal ga gitok

(Time) went on until it was time to light the fire. When they had lit the fire

som van din̄ man masōgi rekso 'amēn 'ewen nev dir'ōlm 'ewe kēl ... kal sag qēn nev

the news came that a pigeon would dance in so for the people to see.

n rōrōgi ne van ma so n ... n qono di me lak wōl gēn 'amēn sul dirēk 'ēn

Then the pigeon came with his qeseg, landed on the village squared, danced.

son qono dim van ma 'ōn nōgin qeseg 'ir suw lēn serege 'anē laklaka

Danced, and the people, all the people who were busy with lighting the fire, they had not lit the fire yet, all of them were on the square. And now they saw the pigeon dancing.

laklaka n sul dōl 'e raga dōl len qan̄ris 'a dirēm 'e'ewe ... 'ewe kal 'ēn nev dir qē wōl lē..lēn serege dirēk 'en ēn qono ne laklaka

While the pigeon, he was dancing and dancing

qono dim laka laka laka laka laka laka laka

the rat jumped out of the hole and went

gōsuwō ne rōw sur rōw lu den ēn qorogi ne van

until he reached the place where they had lit the fire. Oh, the turtle was lying ready so that they would cut it to pieces and bake it.

van din̄ man 'ekē a dirēm 'ewen nev bēne ne ... n qo.. 'ōon nuō ga 'ōn salma 'amēn dirēk ... dirēk 'ēv dirēk qan̄ris

He jumped up onto the turtle's belly, bit and bit, bit the vine to pieces.

dim v... rōw kal sag lēn n n 'aqa nuwōm kur kur kuuōkur kur kirm̄ō qēn gaga

The turtle, he flailed his arms until he had turned himself around again.

n nuō dim lan̄lan̄ ēn bēnēgi wēl wēl '.. wēl 'a vir kēl die

He went down to the sea, went down following the path,

di ne 'ēqēl van 'a'ag ēn mē'ēsala ne 'ēqēl

went on and on, and then reached the saltwater.

van van vavavan ne van din̄ man n naw

When he had come to the saltwater, he got up and smacked the saltwater.

dim van din̄ man naw di ne kal raka di ne wōswōs ēn naw

He slapped the saltwater thrice

dim lan̄ ēn naw vag'ōl

The pigeon up on the village square, it understood that when the turtle has gone he will smack the saltwater thrice, and the pigeon will stop dancing up on the village square.

qono sar lēn sērēge di ga rōn̄ 'i so nuō di wom van qē' di me lan̄ ēn naw vag'ōl qono ne qē' laklaka sar lēn sērēge

So, when he arrived down at the sea he slapped the saltwater thrice and the pigeon, he realized that the turtle had reache the sea.

so dim van din̄ rōw ēn naw dim lan̄ ēn naw vag'ōl n qono dim rōn̄ so n nuō di man din̄ lēn naw

He [pigeon] got up and said to the peopleː

di ne kal raka di ne tēk mēn 'e raga sul so

'Probably, people, there is something I would like to express to you, or the dance I would like to convey a message to you through my dancing. That's it.

wunva 'e raga sul ēn sava nom ... no me ... no me da 'aram mē kimi sin laklaka no me lak 'aram mē kimi di ... di vuva sa nē

I will stop.'

no me qē'

At this point in time, the people got up and went back to the place where they would bake their turtle.

so lēn masōgi 'anē 'e raga dir'ōlm kal raka van kēl lēn 'ekē a rekso dirē me qan̄ris ēn nuō gore bene

When they arrived

dirēk din̄ ma

they only found the vines lying around there, (but) there was no turtle.

dirēk 'ēn vuva ēn gagas ōn 'i ne gitag ēn nuō bene

The turtle had already returned.

nuō man van kēl

So that's the story (about) how the rat floated on the trunk of a tree

son n kakaka 'e sēvēen gōsuwō dim sal 'i lēn bē wōqē'enge

and how he got back to the shore.

wo dim kēl ma lēn n̄ērē'iē

How he talked to the pigeon, or how the pigeon talked to him.

a... 'esēvēen dim 'm...'m... m tēktēk lēn qono sin qono dim kaka mē die