Akhula Khe Inisala Net Hyutse: The Story of Tiger And The Rabbit

Akhula khe Inisala net Hyutse

The Story of the Tiger And The Rabbit A Mongsen Ao Folktale

Copyright Š by the authors All rights reserved First published in 2014 in Singapore Translated language: Mongsen Ao Folk tale based on a story narrated in 1999 by Rongsenlemba Jamir of Mangmetong Village, Mokokchung District, Nagaland, India Translated by: Assoc Prof Alexander R. Coupe and Asst Prof T. Temsunungsang (English and Foreign Languages University, Shillong India) Illustrated by: Lesley Tang Supervised by Asst Prof Joan Marie Kelly, in collaboration with Assoc Prof Alexander R. Coupe

Akhula khe Inisala net Hyutse The Story of the Tiger And The Rabbit A Mongsen Ao Folktale

Khén hmapang à ku, sàràre tèluh athensirr mungthang à khà. Ípáh mungthang cu ku, akhu tèpètípáh, tèluh rungku cuphà, pa ne themzeng à khìh.

“Ní ípáh càkà táng ku làyùh, terr nìngkhèla càìpàh níh à, níh à, tè ketangne rang!”

Tè ípáh la themzeng à cu làchet.

Once upon a time, all the animals gathered together for a conference. In that gathering, the biggest tiger of them all gave an order, by virtue of being the king.

“I’ll just stay at this place and you all come to me each day, one at a time, to be eaten!”

And thus, an order was passed.

Mungthang ku làchetpah asiyà cu, sàràre lung se tsèngikhu sih tanglanglang tanglanglang tè akhula tangne wa.

Níh kàh à ràli, pa càli, níh kàh à ràli, pa càli, tè sàràre se kúlàngà càke rà.

And then, in the manner in which the law was proclaimed in the conference, the animals were made to go to the tiger, one by one.

Every day an animal would come and the tiger would eat it, until many of them came to be eaten up.

Tè chàke ràtangku, inisala kàh akhula tang se ne waipah hmapang ne hener ra.

Tèpakukàh, inisala cu ne, pa la mèsemìpàne íyáh táng phìlèm.

“Nì pi kúté chàr khèmlakì i?”

Akhula tangne tsephaseteke wa tangku, pa ne hmapang tetshe à menucuk.

Soon it also became time for the rabbit to go to the tiger.

But, because she didn’t want to die, the rabbit really thought a lot about her predicament.

“How can I be saved?”, she asked herself.

Because she was so frightened of dying, at the time of going to the tiger she was a little late for her appointment.

Inisala menur ràpàh se ne, akhula se càsi.

“Sépáh ràìpàh, nì itè hyimeke, mèràr”, tè ahrè.

Càsiya like, inisala se pa matang se ne tsephake wa.

Since the rabbit was late, the tiger got angry.

“The one who is supposed to come is not coming, and I’m getting hungry!” he roared.

While the tiger was roaring angrily, the rabbit fearfully went to his side.

Sàràre tèluh se càmayukpàne, tuwapah cangse táng li, miyipeke ràpàh cangse la mèkhàlà chà!

There were lots of footprints going towards the tiger, but there were no returning footprints – because he had already eaten up all of the other animals!

Tè inisala cu akhula matang ne thùngke warr, akhula ne càsike semtse, “Nàng cépáh chàlih, itè menuke ràr?”. Inisala ne langli “U, Au! Nì èntirem ku nàng then tèpètipah à ne yùngthàngerr, nì mèrachetlàùh, tè thaku áng ràrùh”.

Then, when the rabbit finally reached the tiger’s side, the tiger angrily asked “Why are you coming late like this?”. And so the rabbit replied “Oh, Grandfather! On the way here, one bigger than you blocked the path and I wasn’t able to come, so I’m only coming now.”

Acu yarr, akhula ne “Áit! Nì then tèpètipah lir pà?”, tè inisala tangku semtse.

“Hàuh”.

“Kútángi ku li”.

“I ne warr liauh”, tè inisala ne sa.

“Tèpàla aung”, tè chàrr tunget miyenteperr wa.

Upon hearing this, the tiger roared “What? Is there one bigger than me?”.

“Yes”, replied the rabbit.

“Where is he?”

“He’s this way,” said the rabbit.

“In that case”, said the tiger, “Let’s go find him”, and off they went together.

Tsetu tèpèti à ku, langpa à lichà. Tè ípáh langpa cu ne nìrr hyarr, “Pacu ku liauh!”, tè inisala ne ayim.

And over a big pond there was a bridge. Leading the tiger to the bridge, the rabbit shouted “He’s there!”.

Akhula se langpa cu ne hyarr, tsetu taruk cu ku atsetseku, pa hmila se atse ku hùng.

Atseyarr, ahrèke pa hmila cu ku pùngtsheng, terr pa atse se ne zayuk.

The tiger went over to the bridge, and when he tried looking into the deep pond, he saw his reflection in the water.

Looking and roaring, he pounced on his reflection as he plunged into the water.

Zarr, pa atse se ku arekset. Tè, inisala se pa tasàh ne pa khèmlak.

Ípáh la hyutse ku hngalakpàh ne,atsekhemer cuphà cu tasur matang à ku lentùng chàrùh.

Tè hyutse pi azenti ne sake rà.

And there he drowned to death. Thus, the rabbit was able to save her life by her cunning.

From this story we come to understand that a proud king can come to grief in front of a meek individual.

So this folktale was told by the old people.