A. RIDDLES.
THE NAVEL.
1. Tishkóreya ushkúrey halól.
“The perpendicular mountain’s sparrow’s nest. The body’s sparrow’s hole.”
A STICK.
- 2.
- Méy
- my
- sazik
- sister
- heyn,
- is
- súreo
- at day
- peréyn,
- [she] walks,
- bás
- at night
- darre
- door
- pató;
- behind;
- búja.[15]
- listen!
“Now listen! My sister walks in the day-time and at night stands behind the door.” As “Sas” “Sazik” also means a stick, ordinarily called “Kunali” in Astori, the riddle means: “I have a stick which assists me in walking by day and which I put behind the door at night.”
3. The Gilgitis say “méy káke tré pay; dashtea” = my brother has three feet; explain now. This means a man’s two legs and a stick.
A RADISH.
4. Astóri mió dádo dimm dáwa-lók; dáyn sarpa-lók, buja.
My grandfather’s body [is] in Hades; his beard [is in] this world, [now] explain!
This riddle is explained by “radish” whose body is in the earth and whose sprouts, compared to a beard, are above the ground. Remarkable above all, however, is that the unknown future state, referred to in this riddle, should be called, whether blessed or cursed, “Dawalók” [the place of Gods] by these nominal Muhammadans. This world is called “Sarpalók,” = the world of serpents. “Sarpe” is also the name for man. “Lók” is “place,” but the name by itself is not at present understood by the Shins.
A HOOKA.
- 5. G.
- méy
- my
- dadi
- father’s mother
- shishédji
- on her head
- agár,
- fire
- lúpenu
- is burning.
The top of the Hooka is the dadi’s or grandmother’s head.
A SWORD.
- 6.
- Tutâng
- “Darkness
- gotéjo
- from the house
- rúi
- the female demon
- nikai
- is coming out,”
viz., “out of the dark sheath the beautiful, but destructive, steel issues.” It is remarkable that the female Yatsh should be called “Rûi.”
RED PEPPER.
7. Lólo bakuró shé tshá lá há—búja!
In the red sheep’s pen white young ones many are—attend!
This refers to the Redpepper husk in which there are many white seeds.