| Brai bùrùini khorâng. | The Story of the four Thieves. |
| Sâne brai bùrùi dangman. Bîsurhâ nå-â-bù gongne man. Phâre sikhau sâbrùi be brai bùrùi nî nåi-au mâbâ mâbî khaunù lâgi fainai. Faibâ brai bùrùiâ boi sikhaurùrkhô khùikhâ[25] khâmnù lâgi buddi manse khâmnânai dinnai. Zerehai gôbar-khî ârù zùzai ârù gâzri-dùi hâsong-se bîfùrkhô thoplâ zunânai dhinki sâli nî mâroliau khâ-sai-nânai dinnaise. Phâre unau manâblâ sikhau-frâ fainânai brai bùrùînî nå injurau mânsùiâ srî mandang na manâkhùi bannânai khnâsongbâ, brai bùrùiâ bîsùrnî khorâng khnânânai, braiâ bùrùikhô bungnaise “Bùrùi, nang zangnî sorai ârù gur-gâkhirâ mau dinkhù?” Beaunù bùrùiâ bungnaise “Hâm srâ-bai de, brai! Bîfùrkhô dhinki-sâli-aù-nù khâ-sai-nânai dinnai zâbai.” Be khorâng-khô sikhau-frâ khnânânai dhinkî-sâliau thângnânai, bîkhô man-hùi-nânai bâri-nî-frai thâlit-lai lâbônânai rânnânai zânùlâgi zånaise. Obânù bîsùr mâbâ manâmnai mannânai sùng-lai-naise “Bîbù bângù mâ manâmdang? Bîbù bângù mâ manâmdang?” Phâre sâseâ boikhô âkhâiau lânânai manâm-sù-naise. Obânia mithînù hânanai, boibô minîlaibâ, braiâ sikhângnânai thokon-thorâ lânanai hù-sù-bù-bâ, bîsùr khátlângnaise. Ârù sânse brai bùrùiâ boi sikhau-fùrkhô fainai khnânânai brai bùrùi-khô sùngnaise; “Zangfùr-hâ songkhrùi thoplâ mau dinkhù?” Obâsu bùrùiâ bungnaise “Dâsù gahâm zâbai, brai! Songkhrùi thoplaiâ zang udunai nå-nî khùlâ-fât-sî inzurau senânai dindang! Sikhaufrâ maubâ lâng-nù hâgô.” Bîsùr railainai-fùr-khô sikhau-frâ khnânânai inzùr dân-sî-nânai âkhai sùnânai songkhrùi-thoplâ-khô dâng-grùm-baibâ braiâ khâthrùi-lângô lânânai thângnânai âkhâi dân-hùi-naise. Obâ bî “Âng manâ khùise” hannânai thângbâ, ârù sâse sikhauâ bîbaidînù dâng-grùm-bâ, bîkhô-bù âsî-au dân-fnâng-naise. Phâre bebaidî-nù sâse sikhau-nî khùmâ dânnai, ârù sâse-nî gonthong dân-fnâng-naise. | There was an aged couple who lived in a pair of houses. And four thieves used to prowl round their houses, seeking to steal. And the old man set to work to contrive devices to disappoint them. And first he filled a joint of bamboo with cowdung and dirty water and rice-chaff, and hung it up in the rafters of the dhenki-shed. And when at nightfall the thieves began prowling round and listening to hear if the inmates were asleep, the old people overheard them, and the old man said to his wife “Old woman, old woman; where have you hung up the molasses and milk and chira?” And the old woman replied “A nice business! I have been and gone and hung them up in the dhenki-shed, where the thieves can get at them.” And the thieves, hearing this, slipped off to the shed, and, getting the bamboo-joint, gathered plantain leaves for plates, and divided the spoil and sat down to eat. And one of them, smelling at the stuff, said to the others “Smells rather strong, doesn’t it?” Then one of them took his mess in his hand and smelled it, and, seeing what had happened, they all burst out laughing. Then the old man came out with his big stick, and the four thieves ran away. Another day, the old man, hearing the thieves prowling about, said to his wife “Where have you hung the packet of salt?” And the old woman replied “A fine affair! I have hung it up on south wall of our sleeping-house, where the thieves can easily get it.” And so one of the thieves thrust his hand in, and began feeling about for the bundle, on which the old man took his knife and cut his hand. But he only said “I can’t find it,” and went away. |
| Phâre unau bîsùr gârai gahâm man-nu lâgi dùi nâmai-bai-nai-e-aù sethlau-nù thâlit khârùi sâmnai megongdù-au dùi mannânai âkhai hù-sùm-naise. Beaunù bângsin âlunai manbâbù, lùgù-nî mânsùifùr-nù khithâiâlâbâ “Gahâm manbai,” hannânai bungnaise. Bebaidînù sâbrùi-hâ-bù zâbâ, brâplainaise. Obânù braiâ nå-nî frai onkhâtnânai thokon lânanai bîsùrkhô hu-hoṭ-naise. | On which the other three felt about, and one got his finger cut, and another his ear, and the fourth his nose. Then they looked about in the yard for something to ease the pain, and the first, finding a cooking pot in which acrid plantain ashes had been steeped, plunged his hand in, and, getting more pain than before, only said “Ah! that’s good.” On which the others followed his example. And, while they were hopping about in pain, the old man came out and took his stick, and drove them away. |
| Bînîfrai ârù sânse brai-bùrùi-nî bâriau thâlit bîfong dangman, ârù bînî khâthiau phânlù bîfong fângse dangman. Beaunù bere-thinklî bâhâ lâdang. Phâre hoṛau be sikhau sâbrùiâ brai bùrùinî nåiau faibâ, braiâ bùrùi-khô sùngnaise “Bùrùi, nang zang-fùr-nî thâkâ-thinkhlî-khô mau fopnânai dinkhu?” hanbâ bùrùiâ khithânaise “Dinîbù gahâm zâbai, de, brai! zangnî thâka-thinkliâ thâlit-guriau fopnânai dinnai-au-nù thâbai. Bînî khâthi-au-nù fânlù-fîfâng-bù fângse dang. Dâ sikhaufrâ manù-khî-mâ-sù!” Bekhô sikhau frâ khnânânai, be thâlit guri-hâ thângnânai nâmai-lai-hùi-bâ bere-bâhâ-khô man-naise. Phare bîkhô besùr dikhângnânai lâbobâ, bâhâiâ gùbrùnânai berefrâ sikhau-fùr-khô oṭbâ, besùr “Aiâ! aiâ!” hannânai, khâtnaise, ârù braiâ thokon lânânai hùsùnaise. | Another day, the old people found a wasps’ nest on a chili plant under a plantain tree. And when the thieves came, the old man said to his wife “Old woman, old woman, where have you put the lota with our money in it?” And the old woman answered “To-day’s luck is the worst of all. I have left the lota under the plantain tree in the garden, by the chili bush, and no doubt the thieves will get it.” Hearing this, the thieves went and disturbed the wasps’ nest, and the wasps flew out and stung them. And when they cried in pain and ran away, the old man ran after them with his stick and beat them soundly. |
| Bînîfrai ârù sânse braiâ thâthî dânnù lâgi sekhâr lânânai hâgrâiau thângbâ, boi sikhau sâbrùi-khô thaigrit guruiau udulângbâ thânai nunânai thaigrit bong-fângau uthînânai thâri gnâng thaigrit thaibrùi khânânai lâbô-nânai be sikhau sâbrùi nî kheneau thaise thaise khâ-khmâ-naise. Phâre unau “Sikhau! sikhau!” hannânai braiâ gâpzrî-khâu-bâ bîsùr srî mannânai sikhângnânai khâtlângnaise. Khâtbâ, zesenu khârù, esenù thaigrit fithâiâ bikhungau dup dup bulângnaise. Bîsùr braia khîthù khîthù fainânai zang-fùr khô sodang nungnânai khâre-thâng-naise. Phâre unau gazân thângnânai zirai-hùi-bâ, thaigrit khô nunânai gârnaise. | Again, another day, when the old man went out to cut reeds for his fence, he found the four thieves asleep under an O tree (the fruit of which is hard and heavy), and the old man, climbing quietly into the tree, cut four of the fruits, with the stalks attached, and tied them to the thieves’ hair. Then he suddenly cried out “Thief! thief!” And the more they ran, the more the heavy fruit bumped on their backs, so that they thought the old man was running after them and beating them. And they ran a very long way before they discovered their mistake, and unloosed the fruit from their hair. |
| Bînîfrai ârù sânse braiâ mai duliau thânânai bùrùikhô fùrùngnaise “Bùrùi, nang hoṛau sikhau faibâ gaigainù sùngnânai, gaigainù khithâ de, ereùi hannânai “Brai, brai hùn! nang thurse khurui mau dindang?” “Dhinkhî-sâliaunu maiduli-au bîfùr khô dinnai zâbai. Dâ sikhau faibâ, man-lâng-sî-gan dâ! Mâ khâmkhù!” Be khorâng-khô sikhau khnânânai, mâmâr dhinkhi saliau thângnânai naihùibâ be dulikhô dikhângnânai “O! beaunù thorse khurui-fùr dang le! Ilit mâthù!” Obâsù bîsùr khânânai bânnânai lâng-lâi-naise. | And, again, the old man climbed into the mat receptacle in which the paddy was stored; but, before doing so, he instructed his wife to imitate his voice and ask where the brass plates and cups had been put; and to answer in her own voice that they had been put into the paddy receptacle in the dhenki-shed. And when the thieves heard all this, they hurried to the dhenki-shed, and, lifting up the paddy receptacle, said with one accord: “My! isn’t it heavy?” And so they tied it to poles and carried it away on their shoulders. |
| Phâre unau thângùi thângùi dùisâ gathau manse man-hùi-naise. Beaunù bâtbâ braia; “Sîhâng sihâng zâbai, um, um, dikhâng!” hanbâ bîsùr “Mauhâ sùr raidang lùi.” Khaise bungnaise, “Be duliau rainai baidî khnâ-i-ù.” Ârù sâseâ “Beau mungbô gùiâ; nangsùr erenùsù khnâdang!” Obâsù thângùi thângùi zâbrâ gathau mannânai, braiâ sî-sam-bâ khithânaise “Phutu-khoâ, golâm-bundî-fur! Mânù gahâmùi dikhângâlùi? Nangsùr kânâ nâ? nunù hâïâ-khùi?” Ereau bungbâ sikhau-frâ bikhô dùi-au gârnânai khât-lâng-naise. Zapbai! | Presently, they came to a deep river, and as they were wading across, the old man cried “Look here! I am getting wet, carry it higher.” On which they said to one another “Surely, some one spoke?” But, thinking it was a mistake, they went on, and came to deeper water. On this the old man called out again “Stupid brutes! Sons of slaves! Can’t you see your way? I am getting wet through.” And the thieves were frightened, and, dropping the old man in the water, ran clean away. That’s all! |
[1] A “Bengali ghusâ” is said to be a blow inflicted with the fist, the thumbnail protruding between the first and second finger so as to give a scratch! [↑]
[3] “gadân rai-hùi-nânai” = observing omens. [↑]
[6] A child from whose mouth milk oozes if you squeeze its throat. [↑]