The cuckoo and the crow became sworn friends. One day the cuckoo said to the crow, “My friend, you ornament me prettily with this gum and I will do the same to you,” and got the crow to do as he was asked. The crow [[222]]then made the same request to the cuckoo and gave him the gum. But the cuckoo cried, “My mother is calling me, my mother is calling me,” and poured the gum all over the crow’s head and ran away. That is why the crow is black and the cuckoo is so frightened of the crow that he only wanders about at night, calling, “Cuckoo, cuckoo.”[6]
II.—How Children were turned into Monkeys.
Onpoi-na man and wife otsoi children epue male ’ts child ekha one elue female ’ts ekha to child one too pōki having got vāsi having been elue-chi wife-the tchhīcho. died. Tole Then epue-chi-na husband-the elue-chi wife-the tchhicho died silo after elue wife ethăn new soa took vāncho. remained. Ole Then elue wife ethan-chi-na new-the elue wife etchhio-chi dead-the ’tsoi children t’-oni-chi two-the n-nzām not-pitying elăm much kangshi trouble ntsonshicho. gave. Osi But nchōkāchō one day mbo-na she nūngri-t’-oni (to the) children-two “li-nhyako “field-to watch wota, go otsi-cho food a-na I eng-aku day-every ni-’ni (for) you two hāntokmūngka; will have taken down; oki home ti-yitake.” do not come.” to Thus ezoa having said wotokcho. made to go. Chi-silo That-after mbo-na she otsi food kīlāto calling-it zīro-chü rat-dung hōno-chü chicken-dung māku-to husks-too tai only [[223]] nkapnkapi having tied up in leaves nungri-t-’oni (to) the children-two hantokmungcho. had carried down. Tole Then nungri-t-’oni-na children-two eng-aku day-every mbo-na she otsi food kilato calling it ziro-chü rat-dung hono-chü chicken-dung na and maku-to husks-too nkapnkapi having tied up in leaves hantokmung-chi having had taken down-that which lānphelānphei having opened zesi sicho. saw. Chi-silo-cho That-after nungri-t-’oni-na children-the two kyon man’s etsoyu food and drink n-chămcheo not-remembering ora-i jungle-in tsangti-longpen-tai nuts berries-only hlotso-hloyuta picking eating-picking drinking vancho. stayed. Ole Then nchokacho one day opo-na (their) father otsi food hānsi carrying wo going “oyi, “come, otsi food tsota.” eat.” to Thus ezoa having said tsale calling nungri-t-’oni-na children-the two “A-po, “my-father, eyo we nhungo now kyon man’s etsoyu food and drink n-chamche not-remembering kama having become yākso monkeys kamayiala.” are becoming.” to Thus ezoa saying “wu-wu” “wu-wu” to thus khuta calling yakso monkeys kamayicho. became. Chi-silo-cho That-after opo-na (the) father “Toka “Then ni-ni-na you-two yakso monkeys kama having become yi-na being-from oyan village mung-thang-mungri emung-time-keeping eli is chepya seeing ’yam-li village-fields penchü-muchü seeds-roots [[224]] shotso scratching up shoiya digging up yitake,” will go,” to thus ezoa having spoken yitokcho. let (them) go. Hochi-na This-from nhunga-liya now-till yakso-na monkeys oyan village mung-thang-mungri emung-time-keeping eli is chepya seeing ’yam-li village-fields penchü-muchü seeds-roots shotso scratching up shoiyala digging up are to thus rutala. (men) say.
The interpretation of the tale is as follows:—
A man and his wife had one son and one daughter. The wife died and the man married again. But the new wife did not love her step-children and ill-used them. One day she said to them, “Go down and watch the fields. I will send food down for you every day. Do not come back to the house.” But instead of food she only sent down rat-dung and chicken-dung and rice husks tied up in leaves. When the children opened the leaves they saw that their step-mother had sent them down filth instead of food. Then they forgot what human food was like and took to picking and eating berries in the jungle. One day their father brought down some food and called them to come and eat it, but they said, “We have forgotten what human food is like, father. We are turning into monkeys.” With these words they called out “wu-wu” and turned into monkeys. Then their father said, “You have turned into monkeys, and now you will watch for the days when the villagers are keeping emung and cannot go to the fields, and will scratch up the roots and seeds they have sown.” That is why to this day monkeys scratch up the roots and seeds in the fields when they see that the village is keeping emung.
Abuse and Nicknames.
The figurative expressions used by Lhotas in jest or for purposes of abuse are so apt and to the point that they deserve brief notice. A dwarfish person is called either [[225]]hampochütang (fowl’s-dung) or zitsenaro (mouse). A woman of loose morals is called nyanyavu (she-goat) or ntsingo (a small fish with the reputation of taking any bait thrown to it). The expression wokomhi (pig’s tail) is applied to a fussy man who is always running backwards and forwards. Nangkinangka (chrysalis) denotes a sulky man. Shamakok (wasp) is a man with a very small waist. Potak (duck) is a man who waggles his posterior as he walks. In a quarrel a man will sometimes address his opponent as sakaptso (“born under the verandah of the house,” i.e. bastard), and will be called songkoptso (“born under the granary”) in return. A man with no teeth is nicknamed okingkham (open door), and so on.