How the Cocks Started Crowing by Jessie Tiong

How the Cocks Started Crowing

Vêukōuh nu ̈̄ ālî thìhku ̈̄ tsōlōuh — How the Cocks Started Crowing

Copyright © the authors 2021 All rights reserved First published in 2021 in Singapore Translated language: Patsho Khiamniungan of Noklak District, Nagaland, Northeast India Folktale based on a narration by Shangchiu of Patsho Village Translated by Assoc. Prof. Alexander R. Coupe and Pakhiu Khiam Illustrated by Jessie Michelle Tiong Xiang Yan Supervised by Sr. Lecturer. Joan Marie Kelly, in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Alexander R. Coupe

Vêukōuh nu ̈̄ ālî thìhku ̈̄ tsōlōuh — How the Cocks Started Crowing

̄ thīh tsīnáih-hò, Lōutu ̈ ́ ātsī nu ̈ ́ tàh āpā līngku ̈̄ hü ̄ ātsī nô tà “īe ātsī!” tà thūhkèi. nyü Now the sun, if it shined too much, the people scolded it, saying “You fiery sun!”

̀̈ hē, ō nu Lōuhō nu ̈̄ ūh’ku ̈̄ náih’hò “Nyu ̈̄ khāu hīe ó nō!” tà tìthūhkèi. Thūhkèi ku ̈̄ thìh.

And again, even if the day is rainy, they cursed the sun, saying “May you be eaten by a tiger!”

̀̈ h tèi Ku ̈̄ tu ̈̄ tō ātsī nu ̈ ́ nōng “Yá! Naíh tu ̈̄ eītu thūhkèi tíe ju ̈̄ phìe tà ju ̈̄ shōngshīku ̈̄ nòikāvâ”. So the sun thought “Because they always scold me like that, I will stay away without rising”.

̀̈ tu ̀̈ tô “Yá! tu Lōutu ̈ ́ ju ̈̄ shōngshīku ̈̄ nòivā ku ̈̄ nōknyù nōh ātsī ju ̈̄ hōku ̈̄ nâih tu ̈̄ ju ̈̄ mêi. “Shu ̈̄ hāuóh thūhkèi ku ̈̄ tu ̈̄ h nòivāhī nyê nò?” ̄ nòng mītīng kāmku Tü ̈ ́ nòng thōîe shà.

Now when the sun stayed away, all the villagers said “Aiyah! Without the sun it’s no good”. Like that they discussed the matter, and asked each other, “Who scolded the sun like that and made it stay away?” Like that, they discussed in the meeting.

Tu ̈̄ ntu ̈ ́ shōnghíshīku ̈̄ lu ̈̄ mê, ātsī nōng ̀̈ shāuòh nyu ju ̈̄ kīku ̈̄ tu ̈ ́ ju ̈̄ mêi tu ̈̄ thūhkèishī. After that, they said it would be good to have the sun rise again. It would be good. So nobody should scold the sun again.

Tu ̈̄ nōng, ālī thìhnàih mêi-è tu ̈̄ nòng kāmshīku ̈̄ thōîe náihtu ̈̄ lōutu ̈̄ ālī thìku ̈̄ tāh nyīelūm ̀̈ nòng thō hìe. kìuhku ̈̄ tāh shònghíê tu Lōutu ̈ ́ nōng “Āshōnghíshī”, tu ̈̄ thōîelòuh. “Ku ̈̄ tāh nòng ālī thìhkō nyīelūm nō kīuh-è?”

Thus, they discussed how it would be good to give the sun praise, to let it rise again. “We must let the sun rise”, they agreed. “But how will we give it praise?”

̀̈ náih nòng vēupōngnyū nu Tu ̈̄ āshôngānaíh hò vēupōngnyū nu ̈̄ hàu nòng kōuh híê. ̀̈ “Āshōngshī! Ju Tu ̈̄ shōngku ̈̄ náih tu ̈̄ nòng ju ̈̄ mêi.”

So, they decided: “Just before the sun is about to rise, we will let the big cocks crow, saying ‘Arise sun’! If it does not rise, it will not be good.”

̀̈ nōng āhūm āpu Tu ̈̄ āshōng tsōlōuh-ānáih nōng vēupōng āmēimêi nu ̈̄ hàu nōng āpèm háu ̀̈ nyīelūm kìuhshìku ̀̈ tàh, nòng ātsī nòng, kōuh-hiku

So, in the morning, just when the sun started to rise, all the selected cocks were allowed to crow, giving praise to the sun.

̀̈ lu ̀̈ tîa. Ku ̈̄ tāh jûashá lóuhshì ku Thus, once upon a time they called upon the sun again.