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LE PÜS RĒRĒ A'SANENE
THE WICKED CAT
(English version adapted from story by Vilsoni Hereniko)
(Rotuman translation by Jotama Vamarasi)
Terȧn het, ta kạmit mösmös lelei 'e mȧl ne magkō hūut,
One day a dog was sleeping well beneath a mango tree,
ka ta pusit 'esa la leuag ma 'ȧf so ma se feu 'on kȧm ta.
when a cat came along and bit the tail of the dog.
Kȧm ta ne mamaf se' ma, ma auau a'ti' 'e rēko rū ta.
The dog woke up and barked loudly from the pain.
Ia 'io kạl'ȧk se' ka ia kat räe ra se ta le'et.
She looked around but didn’t see anyone.
Ka ia 'esa la a'fạia rue ne rau 'ại 'e 'on rere,
Suddenly she heard the rustling of leaves above her,
Ka ta liot tō tape'im:
and a voice saying:
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Kȧm ta hoi 'e feke, ka tes ta ia la rē?
The dog was very angry, but what could she do?
Ia ȧs'ȧk la lak 'ại hū ta, ka ia kat pō'ia ra.
She tried to climb the tree but she couldn’t.
Ia let'ȧk ia se rā 'el'el pau heta, ka ia kat lȧf ra sin.
She tried jumping to the nearest branch, but she couldn’t reach it.
Kȧm ta fạiȧk ka hoi 'e feke, ma tä ia päe'ȧk sio ia, ma kamat ouou,
The dog was tired and angry, and she sat down and began to cry,
ka ne le pusi makmak a'sanenem kikia:
while the cat kept up his rude singing:
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Avat kȧm ta ouou, ka tä kuneit 'esa la leuag.
While the dog was crying, a goat came along.
Ka tes tä ouou e 'äe?”
“Why are you crying?”
Kȧm ta ȧs'ȧk la i' 'on sui ne mafa, ma 'ea tape':
The dog tried to wipe her tears, and explained:
"Le pusi.
"The cat.
Ia tä'ȧf 'oto feu heta 'e avat gou mosmose e.
He bit my tail while I was sleeping.
'Ioa se rere, tä mȧlmȧlumum, ka ne gou kat lȧf ra.
Look up there, he’s smiling, but I can’t reach him.
Figalelei ma hạiasoagam.”
Please help me.”
Kunei ta a'häe la hạiasoag, rēko ia tape'ma kat 'oaf ra se püs ta.
The goat agreed to help, because she also didn’t like the cat.
Ma te'is 'on pot heta.
This was her plan.
Kunei ta fū sio se fȧn rā ta, ma tä kȧm ta fer se' se 'on fumafua.
The goat stood under the branch, and the dog jumped on her back.
Kȧm ta fū 'e 'on lā-hap-rua 'e fạ' heta, ma ia le … t ma le … t.
The dog stood on her hind legs, and she stretched and stretched.
Ka ne le pusi lak hoi'ȧk se' se ta rā lamlam'ȧk het, la kȧm ta la se lȧf.
But the cat climbed to a higher branch, so the dog couldn’t reach him.
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä lā jiakjika?
Who’s got skinny legs?
Kȧm ta ma kunei ta fạiȧk ka hoi 'e feke, ma tä iria päe sio ma oueria,
he dog and the goat were tired and angry, and they sat down and cried,
ka ne le pusi makmak a'sanenem kikia:
while the cat kept up his rude singing:
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä lā jiakjika?
Who’s got skinny legs?
Ta pulmakau fāat 'at'atē 'eleaf se tekäe ta' a'fại tape'ma se tō ta,
A bull grazing nearby in a field heard the noise
ma tä ia leuag la 'ioa ne tes tä soko.
and came to see what was happening.
La ferehit pau se' ma 'e 'on räeag se ta kạmiet ma kuneit ououeria.
He was very surprised at the sight of a dog and a goat crying.
Pulmakau ta saio' tape',
The bull asked,
“Ka tes tä soko?”
“What happened?”
Kotä kȧm ta ma kunei ta i' 'oria sui-ne-mafa, ma rē la fak se iria kat ou ra.
The dog and the goat dried their tears, and pretended that they were not crying.
“Pusit 'e rā ne 'ại ta,”
“The cat in the branch of the tree,”
ma kȧm ta sok tape'.
the dog complained.
“Ia 'ea gou ma feu luak het.”
“He said I have a short tail.”
Ka kunei ta 'ea tape' sio,
And the goat added,
“Ia he' lā jiakjiak gou.
“He called me skinny legs.
Figalelei ma hạiasoagam se 'ạmiar.”
Please help us.”
Pulmakau ta a'häe la hạiasoag, rēko ia tape'ma kat 'oaf ra se le pusi.
The bull agreed to help, because he also did not like the cat.
Ma te'is 'on pot heta.
This was his plan.
Pulmakau ta fū sio se fȧn rā ta, ma tä kunei ta fūof se 'on fumafua,
The bull stood beneath the branch, and the goat stood on his back,
ka kȧm ta 'e fumafua 'on kunei ta.
and the dog on the back of the goat.
Kȧm ta fū 'e 'on lā-hap-rua 'e fạ' heta ma l … e … t, ma l … e … t,
The dog stood on her hind legs and stretched, and stretched,
ka ne le pusi jor hoi'ạkiag se lamlam'ȧk het, ma ia kat lȧf ra.
but the cat climbed still higher, and she couldn’t reach him.
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä lā jiakjika?
Who’s got skinny legs?
Ka sei tä 'ipes feifei?
Who’s got crooked horns?
Pulmakau ta fek ti' pau 'e 'on a'fạiag se mak a'sanen 'on püs ta, ma ia ferfer mö'.
The bull was so angry upon hearing the mocking song of the cat, that he kicked wildly.
Kunei ta ma kȧm ta vil 'e 'on fumafua se lop ka 'oria lā 'el se' ma la to'ia,
The goat and the dog fell off his back to the ground and their legs nearly broke,
ka ne kou ta te' kạlkạl'ạk 'i 'ại hū ta 'e ti' ne 'on feke.
while the bull circled the tree out of his great anger.
La a'a'nojoaf ma se 'ại hū ta ma 'ipes ta sar, ka is ne 'on 'ipesit tö' tape'ma.
He headed straight for the tree but his horn missed and the tip of his horn broke off.
Ta hoi ne mamas ta a'fại tape'ma se 'ifaliag ta ma tä ia leuof la 'ioa ne tes.
A tortoise heard the noise and so she went to see.
Ia sạio' tape',
She asked,
“Ka tes tä soko?”
“What happened?”
Ma tä kȧm ta 'eag,
The dog said,
“Sạio' se pusit 'e rā-ne-'ại ta.
“Ask the cat in the tree branch.
Ia 'ea gou ma feu luak het.”
He said I have a short tail.”
Ma kunei ta 'ea tape',
And the goat said,
“Ia 'ea gou lā jiakjiak.”
“He said I have skinny legs."
Ka pulmakau ta 'eag,
And the bull said,
“Ia kaha'ȧk 'otou 'ipesi,
“He laughed at my horns,
ma 'ea 'ipes feifei.”
and said they are crooked.”
Ma tä iris folu 'eag,
Then the three of them said,
“Figalelei ma hạiasoagam.”
“Please help us.”
Ma hoi ta rērē a'häe rēag roa.
The tortoise thought a long time.
Ma kotä ia 'ea se iris folu 'on pot heta.
Then she told the three her plan.
Ka ne le pusi makmak a'sanenem kikia:
Meanwhile the cat continued his rude song:
Ka sei tä feu luka?
Who’s got a short tail?
Ka sei tä lā jiakjika?
Who’s got skinny legs?
Ka sei tä 'ipes feifei?
Who’s got crooked horns?
Ka sei tä rue gere?
Who’s the slowest coach?
Hoi ta nōaf se iris rēko ia kop la la'.
The tortoise said goodbye to them for she had to go.
Kotä kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta noh sio se mȧl 'ại ta ma 'io'ioaf se as ta 'on sologa.
Then the dog, and the goat, and the bull sat down under the tree and watched the sun set.
Terȧn fol, ma pög fol 'atakoa iris tȧr'ȧk 'e täe, 'e rēko ta'ag tēet iris la rē mumua 'e 'oris pot heta.
For three days and three nights they waited there, because that was what they would do first according to their plan.
Ma 'e 'on häk ne terạnit, ka le pusi tokana 'e mak, 'e rēko ia rēag sög'ia.
On the fourth day, the cat stopped singing, because he was very hungry.
Pot heta kamatana la garue.
The plan was beginning to work.
'E 'on liam ne terạnit ka for 'ole pusi tuk ma jaojao fak'ia se rā-ne-'ạit.
On the fifth day the cat’s body was thin like a twig on a tree.
Ia 'af'af'ia, ma sög'ia, ka hanon'ia tape'ma.
He was sick, hungry, and lonely too.
La tuk ma kikia se fạ' ma hele' la rēag a'noa 'on hēhē 'e rā-ne-'ại ta.
He was so weak he had difficulty hanging on to the branch of the tree.
Nōnō ma iris ferehit se' ma 'e tēet rü'.
Then they were surprised by a noise.
Le pusi tä vilim.
The cat had fallen.
La tokana 'e pō la sasap'ȧk mou se rā-ne-'ại ta,
He no longer could hang on tight to the branch,
ma tä viliaf se gasav 'on mạnmạn fol ne tȧrtȧr 'e lop heta
and he fell into the middle of the three animals who were waiting below,
la fak se pot het hoi ta rak'ȧk sio se iris.
according to the plan that the tortoisehad told them.
Kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta ös la rēa ta tēet se le pusi, ka iris 'esa la a'fạia ta lio mea'mea' het.
The dog, the goat, and the bull were preparing to do something to the cat, when they heard a tiny voice.
Le pusi 'eag,
The cat said,
“A'hanisim se gou.”
“Have pity on me.”
“Ka tes tä 'ạmis la pa a'hanisi e se 'äe?
“Why should we want to have pity on you?”
Kotä kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta 'ea ag'esea,
the dog, and the goat, and the bull said together.
“'Äe kat a'hanisim ra se 'ạmis.
“You did not have pity on us.
'Äe hạitauag la al.”
You deserve to die.”
Le pusi hoi 'e fēat, ka hele' la 'on foro la te' rūtrūt 'i fak se rā-ne-'ạit 'e ir ne lȧg ta.
The cat was full of fear, and his whole body shook like a twig in the wind.
Avat ne ia falaf ma äe e se maf köskös 'on kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta,
When he looked up and saw the furious eyes of the dog, and the goat, and the bull,
ma ia 'ohō 'e ti' ne 'on fea ma hele' la ia la a'mat ia.
and he shouted in fear until he wet himself.
Kotä kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta toktokir'ȧk iris se mạ'us ta,ạma kahkaha'ȧk keleag mlum 'ole pusi.
The dog, and the goat, and the bull rolled on the grass, and laughed at the funny sight of the cat.
Avat ne iris kamat la noh totoka e ma kotä iris a'häe la se rē ta tēet sele pusi.
When they started to calm down they decided not to do anything to the cat.
Ia noh sög roa 'e rā-ne-'ại ta ka a'mat ia tape'ma.
He had been hungry a long time in the branch and he was wet too.
Ma kop hạitauag lelei ma tē ne hel' se ia.
Surely it was very fitting, what had happened.
Kotä kȧm ta 'eag,
The dog said,
“Ka 'ạmis kat seminte sai'ạkia ra 'äe ka 'äe kop la fäeag reut se 'ạmis ne 'äe kal rērē a'sanen hoi'ȧk ra.”
“But we won’t yet free you until you promise us that you will not act rudely again.”
Ka ne le pusi kal faksor tē pau ra.
But the cat would not apologize.
Ia vala'an kikia la la' tūen, ka ne lā hapat pāag kikia se lā hapat, ma ia siag sio kikia se pear ta.
He got up to get away, but one leg knocked into the other, and he fell down on the ground.
“Uh. Figalelei ma se rē ta tēet se gou!”
“Oh. Please don’t hurt me!”
Ma 'on sui ne mafa huar sio kikia 'e rēko ti' ne 'on fea.
His tears ran down because of his great fear.
Kotä le pusi fäeag reut se kȧm ta ma 'eag,
The cat made a promise to the dog, saying,
“Gou kal 'ȧf'ȧf hoi'ȧk ra 'ou feu.”
“I will not bite your tail again.”
Ka ne kunei ta ma pulmakau ta pa 'es tape'ma la faksor iria.
And the goat and the bull demanded that he also apologize to them.
Kotä le pusi huar'ȧk sui-ne-maf hoi'ȧk ma faksor tape'ma se le kunei jaojao ma le pulmakau is 'ipes to'i.
When the cat shed tears again and apologized also to the skinny goat and the bull with the broken horn tip.
Kȧm ta, ma kunei ta, ma pulmakau ta mạlmạlum iris 'e avat ne le pusi taparea ag'ạki e se vao 'ạit 'eleaf se tekäe heta'ag.
The dog, the goat, and the bull chuckled to themselves as the cat staggered away toward the forest near to that place.
