Khânâ khuzâ nî khorâng.

The Story of the Blind Man and the Hunchback.

Sânùi khânâ khuzâ zang phisi­khî man. Phâre bîsùr sânse railainaise “Zang-fùr mâlâi-nî gâmiau bîbaibâ zang-nî gâmî-nî-khrî bângsin mangan.” Hanlainâ­nai khuzaiâ khânâkhô lauthiau homnânai, bùlângnaise. Thângùi thângùi nâmâ gezerau dîdung sorûi manse gâ-fnâng-nânai phisikhî-nû khithânaise “Sikhî, be lai mâ, herâ? Mâbâ galâu zibô baidi gâfnângdang.” Khuzâiâ bungnaise “Be hâthî khânai dîdung sorûi.” Hanbâ, khanâiâ, “Obâ bekhô lâ, herâ, sikhî”; hannânai bungnaise, Khintu bî lâê-khai “Ângnù dîkhângnânûi hu;” hannânai, khânaia didung-khô lânaise.

There sprang up a friendship between a blind man and a hunchback. And one day they said to one another “We shall get more if we beg in some other village than our own.” The hunchback made the blind man hold his stick, and so dragged him along. And as they went, the blind man trod upon an old elephant rope which lay upon the road, and said to his friend “Ah! friend, what is this thing like a long snake which I am treading upon?” The hunchback said “Why, it is only an old elephant-rope.” But the blind man said “Take it, my friend, take it.” But, as the hunchback refused, the blind man bid his friend hand it to him, and so they went their ways thence.

Phâre bînîfrai thângùi dûisâ manse man-hûi-nî-au bâtlangbâ khûsûng mâse khânâiâ gâfnâng-naise, ârù bungnaise “Sikhî, ne ne! Âng mâbâ mâse gâfnâng­dang.” Hanbâ, khuzâiâ “Onthai-frâ-khô-nù mâthù bungbai thâiù, herâ, sikhî, nang-lâi?” Khânâiâ bungnaise “Nonggâ, nonggâ, sikhî, nang gùgrùmnai.” Hanbâ bî gùgrùmnânai khusum-khô mannânai, khânâ-nù khithâbâ, bungnaise “O sikhî, obâ bekhô lâ herâ: zangfurnù bekhô nâng­gan.” Khuzaiâ “Ilit ilit lâiâ, herâ” han-nai-khai, khânâiâ bîkhô-bù gagai-nù lânaise. Bînî­frai bibaidî-nù thângùi thângùi dâpse-au dol dâmnai khnânânai khânaiâ khuzânîau sùngnaise “Sikhî bî dolâ-lai sùr thù? Mau thù dâmdang, herâ?” Hanbâ khuzaiâ khithânaise; Beaunù sùrbâ gurkhiâ gåthåfùr dâm­dang” hanbâ, khânâiâ bîkhô lânù lâgi thin-naise.

And presently they came to a river; and as they were wading across it, the blind man trod upon a tortoise and told his friend that he had trod upon something living; but the hunchback said it was only a stone, and asked what was the use of standing there talking. But the blind man begged him to feel and see. And when the hunchback announced that it was a tortoise, the blind man begged his friend to take that, too; and on the hunchback declaring that it was too heavy, he finally carried it himself.

Then they went their ways and came to a meadow, and heard a drum being beaten. And the blind man asked what that was, and where the drumming was going on. On which the hunchback said it was only cowherds drumming. On which the blind man was for sending the hunchback to fetch the drum.

Khintù bî, “âng mâbrùi lâbogan? Bîsùr-khô âng bùlù hâiâ zâgan, manâthù bîsur gabâng dang,” hanbâ, khânâiâ manse buddhi khâmnânai phisikhî-nù khithanaise “Sikhî, nang hâgrâ sing sing thâng-khmâ-nanai, bîsùr nî khâthî manbâ, mosâ baidî sùgùmnânai hù! Obânù bîsùr gînanai khâtgan,” hanbâ, bîbai­dînù khuzâiâ khâmnai-au, gåthå-frâ gînanai dol khô zrâpzrup gâr-lâng-bâ, khuzâiâ dol khô lâbona­nai khânânù hoṛ-hù-naise. Obasù bînîfrai sânùi zang hâgrâ gezer gezer thângùi thângùi nå nunanai, khuzâiâ bungnaise “Sikhî, dâ sân hâpbai, manâ faibai, Dâlai ârù mâu thâng-bâu-nù? Beau-nù nå danga. Zangfùr beau-nù thâ-dù-nî,” hanbâ, khânâiâ bung­naise “Hagra gezernî nåkhô âng gabâng gahâm man-srâiâ, herâ, sikhî,” hannânai mâ mâ nå dang gahâmùi nainù thinbâ khuzâiâ khithânaise “Nåiâ gâng-ne gâng-thâm. Bândâr bù gong-se dang,” hanbâ khânâiâ “Bî bândârau-nù thâgan,” hannânai, phisikhî-nù khithâbâ, bândâr-sing-hà bùlângnaise, ârù dor-fur-khô gahâmùi khâ-fthâ-nù thinnânai, beaunù thânaise. Unau beau thânai Râikhô-frâ fainânai, bungnâise—

But the hunchback said “How shall I fetch it? They will be too strong for me, for they are many.” Then the blind man devised a plan, and bade the hunchback crawl through the jungle and roar like a tiger. Which the hunchback did; and the cowherd boys, on hearing his roaring, ran away headlong and left the drum, which the hunchback gave, as before, to the blind man to carry.

Then the friends went through the forest, until they came to some houses. On which the hunchback said “My friend, the sun has set, and evening has come. How much further are we to go? Here are houses, let’s stop here.” But the blind man said he did not think very well of houses in the jungle, and sent his friend to have a good look at them.

Presently the hunchback returned and said “There are two or three houses and a granary.” On this, the blind man decided that they would stay in the granary, and so was dragged into the granary, where they carefully fastened the doors and prepared to stay for the night. And while they were there, Rakshashas came and said—

“Zùsâ zùsâ manâmdang;

“Zânù zânù lubuidang.”24

“Fine rice, fine rice, I can smell;

“And better things to eat as well.”

hannânai, nå gong frùm-bù namâi-giding-bai-bâ, khânâiâ rai-dau-hoṭ-naise “Âng beaunù dâng.” Hanbâ, raikhoâ bungnaise “Nang lai sùr?” Khânâ bù bung­naise “Nang lai sùr?” Raikho khithânaise “Âng Raikhô!” Khâ­naiâ bungnaise “Âng Zâkhô! Bebaîdînù be-sùr brâp-lai-naise Unâu khânâiâ bung-naise “Brâp-nù bù nânggâ, munù bù nânggâ Nangkhô bù âng nuâ­khùi, ângkhô bù nang nuâ­khùi. Bînîkhai manse buddi khâmbâ, zanghâ gahâm zâgan,” hannânai khânâiâ raikhônî khenai bîhot-bâ, Raikhoâ gaigainî khù-mùn daise phunânai khithîhoṭ-naise. Obâsù khânâiâ bungnaise “Dâniâ ângnî khenai-khô nai.” Hannânai, hâthî dîdung khô dî­honnânai hùnaise. Bîkhô nunâ­nai Raikhoâ gîkhrongbâ, khânâiâ ârù themâ bî-hoṭ-naise Raikhoâ bù gaigainî themâ khô khithî-hoṭ-bâ, bî khusung khô khithîhoṭ-naise. Obâsù Raikhoâ be Zâkhoâ-nù nunggô nungnânai, gî-sin-bai. Khanâiâ ârù bînî udui dâmnù thinnânai, dâmbâ, bungnâise, “Dindù dindù hâmbai, âng khnâbai. Dâniâ ângnî khô khnâsong!” hannânai, dol khô dùm dùm dâmnânai hùbâ, Rai­khofrâ gînanai, khât-thro-lâng-naise.

And while they were gliding round the house, the blind man shouted loudly “Here am I!” “Who are you?” said the Rakshashas. “Who are you?” shouted the blind man. “I am a Rakshasha,” said one of them. “And I am a Zakshasha!”28 said the blind man. Whereupon they all got very angry. Then the blind man said “You need not get angry and you need not get noisy. I can’t see you and you can’t see me. Let us make an expedient by which you can be satisfied.” So saying, the blind man bade the Rakshasha show him a lock of his hair. On this a Rakshasha tore out a bunch of hair and showed it to him. On which the blind man said “Now see mine!” And so saying, thrust out of a chink the elephant rope. And on seeing it, the Rakshasha became very afraid. Then the blind man demanded to see a flea (from his body). And when the Rakshasha had shown him one, the blind man put forth his tortoise. Then the Rakshasha thought “This must indeed be a Zakshasha,” and was greatly afraid. Then the blind man bade him beat his breast. And, on his doing so, cried “Well done, well done! I have heard you. Now hear me!” and straightway began to beat his drum “rub-a-dub-dub.” On which the Rakshashas were greatly frightened and ran right away.

Unao, khânâiâ phisikhîkhô bungnaise “Sikhî mâ mâ gahâm bastù dang, bifurkhô khâ ârù nang bâse, ângnù bù bâse hù, ârù mâmâr thângdù-nî thù” hannâ­nai bîsùr bînîfrai mâmâr failainaise. Ârù dâpse gazân thâni-au thâng­nânai khuzâiâ be bastufarkhô rânnù nâmainânai rânnaise, Rân-khângbâ khânâ-khô bungnaise “Sikhî nangthâng bobekhô lâiu lâ,” Hanbâ bî dângnainanânai khuzâ thing-nî bhâgù-khô bângsin man-dâng-nânai, rânnâiâ hâmâ khùise hannânai, golaigothai khâmnaise. Phâre khuzâiâ “Nang-thâng-lai nuâ-labâ mâbrùi mithînai, herâ? Khonle khonle rânnù gnâng khâm-hùiù!” Hannânai ârù rân-phâphinbâ, obâbù bâng­sin man-dâng-nânai, ârù “Hamâ-khùise, hamâ-khùise,” hannânai golai-gothai khâmnaise. Bîbaidî nù khonbrùi khon-bâ khâmbâ khuzâiâ brâpnânai, âkhâiau bâli lânânai “Nanglai gomâ khânâ nâ misâ khânâ lùi?” hannânai gahâmùinù megonau bâlizang hùnânai hùnaise. Ârù obânù bî nunai zânaise. Ârù bî bù brâpnânai; “nunglai” mâ sâbâ dângâ lùi, nunù hâma hannânai godo-au zo-sin-nânai lânânai, khuzâ bikhung-au gomâgom sobai thâbâ bîbù gahâm zânaise. Unau sânùi zang gahâm zâ-lai-nâise, ârù bastù-fùr-khô gahâmùi rân­lainânai, nå-i-au thâng-lai-naise. Zapbai!

Then the blind man said to his friend “Take any good things that there are, and tie them up. You take some and give me some, and let us go;” and, so saying, they went away together. And when they were come to a far place, the hunchback began dividing the spoil. And, when that was done, he bade his friend take which share he would. But the blind man groped about and found that the share nearest to the hunchback was the biggest. So the hunchback said “How did you, without seeing, find that out? Now I have got to divide it all over again!” So he made a fresh division.

And the same thing happened again, and the blind man turned everything topsy-turvy. And, when this had occurred four or five times, the hunchback became angry, and taking sand in his hand rubbed it into the blind man’s eyes, saying “Now we shall see if you are really blind or not;” whereby the blind man recovered his sight. But he, too, was angry and said “What a hideous thing you are, and hateful to look upon.” And he jumped on the hunchback’s back and belaboured his hump till he made him straight and well. And when the two were hale and well, they divided their spoil fairly and went home happily. And that’s all!