Senay is to be commended for sharing the rich variety of folk tales
around the world. Thanks to Wolbert Smidt, I have a collection of
Eritrean stories published in German. For practice, I've translated the
German (which is originally a translation from the Tigrinya). Some
ideas may be lost in the process, and I'm bound to make mistakes, but
here is the first of several I'll offer for your entertainment. (Not so
cute, perhaps, as the old lady's "bombs" from Zagher to Woki, but I hope
you enjoy these stories, nevertheless.)
How a Clever Snake Turned an Evil Deed Into a Cure
Once a man, a monkey, a mouse and a snake were journeying together.
While on the journey, they asked a rich man to give them shelter. "You
three come on in," he said, "but you, snake, I will not shelter you."
The snake replied, "Take me in! I may be evil, but I'm not as evil as
the man."
"No," said the rich man, "I don't want you to frighten my family when
they see you. You may stay over there, in a nook in the wall."
After the rich man had given them shelter and the travelers had moved
on, a drought descended on the village. Unable to endure it any longer,
the rich man fled in misery. He went looking for those he had given
shelter to, in order to seek compensation for what he had freely
offered.
"Support me," he begged of the mouse. "You are a generous man," replied
the mouse, and he opened his purse of gold, re-paying the rich man.
The rich man next visited the monkey, who was delighted to see him. The
monkey assembled his whole family in the field, and brought the rich man
sheaf upon sheaf of grain, with which he compensated him.
The rich man then visited the man to whom he had given shelter. "I
haven't any money at the moment," said the man, "but I will pay you
later." After he sent the rich man away, he went out into the street
and told everyone he saw that the rich man had robbed the mouse and the
monkey.
Sadly, the rich man went to the snake and explained the misery that had
befallen him, including the treachery of the man he had just visited.
He then asked the snake for compensation.
"Don't you remember?" asked the snake. "Didn't I tell you that no
matter how evil I seemed to you, that the man was more evil? Such is
man's behavior! Even so, I will compensate you for the shelter you gave
me, and here's how: The son of a king is about to be married. I will
surprise the young man and bite him. The guests at the wedding and the
host will cry out, begging for a remedy for snake-bite."
The snake gave the rich man some remedy, telling him to present it to
the king's son. "I have compensated you more than fully. Cure the boy
with my help, and the king will give you enough gold to last the rest of
your life."
And so the snake bit the prince, the rich man provided the cure, and the
king gave half his treasure away, just as the snake had said. The rich
man became very rich indeed.
Memhr Yohannes
(John Rude)
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