The Story-Teller's Start-Up Book
Page 11
Puchika Churika
Little Puchika Churika lived with his Momma and his Poppa and his Big Brother in a tent on the tundra.
One day Puchika Churika's Momma and Poppa and Big
Brother all went out to hunt for food.
Little Puchika Churika had to stay behind, all alone, in the
big empty tent.
His Momma said,
"Puchika Churika, here is a pot of porridge for your
lunch.
And here is a big spoon to eat it with.
Now, Puchika Churika, while we are gone ...
do not go outside the tent.
Puchika Churika, while we are gone ...
behave yourself.
And they left.
While they were gone,
Puchika Churika did not go outside the tent. But did he behave himself?
We shall see.
With Momma and Poppa and Big Brother gone, Puchika Churika was bored.
First he played string figures to entertain himself.
He was still bored.
So he told himself stories.
He was still bored.
He ate his porridge with his big porridge spoon.
Then he put down his spoon and said
"Thanks for the porridge, spoon.
Here is a bite of porridge for you."
And he said to the porridge pot.
"Thanks for the porridge, pot.
* * *
Here is a bite of porridge for you." Then he was bored again.
Puchika Churika took out his little knife and began to carve on the tent pole.
He should not have done that.
First he carved his name.
"P U C H I K ... A ...
C H U R I K ... A." Then he began to carve a picture of a deer. It was a good enough picture of a deer ... but it shouldn't be carved on a tent pole.
Suddenly Puchika Churika heard a whuffling noise outside
the tent flap.
A voice called.
"Puchika Churika ... are you inside?"
It was Old Man Whiskers!
"Not Old Man Whiskers!!!"
Puchika Churika knew better than to answer.
He kept very quiet.
Old Man Whiskers tried something else.
"Is little Puchika Churika's Momma home today? I've come to see little Puchika Churika's Momma."
"Oh no, she's not home," said Puchika Churika. "She's out trapping for fish."
"Then I'll go find her and give her such a scare!" growled Old Man Whiskers.
"You'd better not try it," said Puchika Churika.
"My Momma has a big fish knife.
And she will chop you in half.
And half will fly up to the sky.
And half will sink down into the ground!" "O0000hhh.
Then I won't go scare Puchika Churika's Momma.
Is Puchika Churika's Poppa at home?
I've come to see Puchika Churika's Poppa."
"No, he is out hunting black fowl."
"Then I'll go find him and give him such a scare!"
"You'd better not do that!
Puchika Churika's Poppa has a big axe.
I le will chop you in half.
And half will fly up to the sky.
And half will sink down into the ground!"
"Oooohhh.
Then I won't go scare Puchika Churika's Poppa. Is Puchika Churika's Big Brother at home?"
"No. He's out hunting grey fowl."
"Then I will go find him and give him such a scare!"
"Don't do that!
Puchika Churika's Big Brother has a knife even bigger than
his Momma's.
I le will chop you in half.
And half will fly up to the sky.
And half will sink down to the ground."
"Oooohh
Then I won't go scare Puchika Churika's Big Brother.
But if Puchika Churika's Momma
and his Poppa
and his Big Brother ...
are all out hunting food
then little Puchika Churika must be home alone!"
Puchika Churika had given himself away!
* * *
He ran quick and hid under a pile of skins in the corner.
Old Man Whiskers lifted the tent flap.
Old Man Whiskers began to snoop around the tent. "Do you know where Puchika Churika is hiding?" He asked every thing in the tent.
He kicked the porridge pot.
"Do you know where Puchika Churika is hiding?"
"Puchika Churika gives me a bite of everything he tastes," said the porridge pot.
"I won't tell where he is hiding."
Old Man Whiskers kicked the porridge spoon. "Do you know where Puchika Churika is hiding?"
"Puchika Churika gives me a bite of everything he tastes," said the porridge spoon.
"I won't tell where he is hiding."
Old Man Whiskers kicked the tent post.
"Do you know where Puchika Churika is hiding?"
"Puchika Churika carved into my back all afternoon," said
the tent post.
"And he really hurt me too!
I'll tell you where he is hiding.
Right there under those skins!"
Old Man Whiskers whisked off those skins.
Old Man Whiskers gobbled Puchika Churika down in one gulp!
Puchika Churika was so indignant.
He was stuck inside Old Man Whiskers' icky stomach!
He took out his little knife and began to poke on Old Man
Whiskers' stomach.
"Poke ... poke ... poke ... poke ..."
What a tummyache that gave Old Man Whiskers!
"Oh ... this little Puchika Churika is giving me a tummy ache!
Puchika Churika is making my stomach hurt!"
Then Puchika Churika carved himself a little door and hopped right out of Old Man Whiskers' stomach.
With a roar, Old Man Whiskers grabbed his tummy and ran out of the tent and away over the tundra.
Soon Puchika Churika's Momma and Poppa and Big Brother came home.
"Puchika Churika, come out!" called his Momma. "Come out and help carry in the fish!"
"I can't come out," cried Puchika Churika.
"I was stuck inside Old Man Whiskers' stomach. I am all yucky!"
"Puchika Churika, come out!" called his Poppa. "Come out and help carry in the black fowl." "I can't come out," cried Puchika Churika. "I was stuck inside Old Man Whiskers' stomach. I am all yucky!"
"Puchika Churika, come out!" called his Big Brother.
"Come out and help me carry in the grey fowl."
"I can't come out," cried Puchika Churika.
"I was stuck inside Old Man Whiskers' stomach.
I am all yucky!"
His Momma and his Poppa and his Big Brother ran into the tent.
There was little Puchika Churika.
Ile was all yucky!
"Quick, boil some water!" said Puchika Churika's Momma. She washed him from top to bottom.
* * *
And then she washed his clothes and dried them. And when she had dressed Puchika Churika again, he was as good as ever.
"Thank you Porridge Pot, for not telling where I was hiding," said Puchika Churika.
"Thank you Porridge Spoon, for not telling where I was hiding."
"No thanks to you, tent pole, for telling on me."
"No thanks to you, Puchika Churika, for carving on my back."
"I'm sorry," said Puchika Churika. "I won't do it again." And he didn't.
As for Old Man Whiskers,
he never came back.
If you had eaten something that gave you such a
tummyache,
would you come back for more?
I think not.
Tips for Telling
This story is a bit precious in tone, and I'm not sure I approve of Puchika Churika's gory threats, but children from kindergarten to
second grade adore this story. They like the spunky way little Puchika Churika stands up to Old Man Whiskers, understand why the tent poles turn him in, and are comforted when Momma washes and dries little Puchika Churika at the tale's end.
I changed the "Old Man the Devil" of the original to "Old Man Whiskers" since our culture has specific connotations for "devil" which probably were not intended in the Siberian original. Children often see Old Man Whiskers as a huge bear or other animal. This seems fine; he is the prototypical ogre, after all.
About the Story
This tale was inspired by "Puchika-Churika," a Selkup tale included in Northern Lights: Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the North compiled by E. Pomerantseva and translated by Irina Zheleznova (Progress Publishers, 1976), pp. 124-126. My "Old Man Whiskers" is referred to as "Old Man the Devil" in this version.
This story hinges on Motif F912 Victim kills swallower from within. This motif is found around the world. Mac-Donald's Storyteller's Sourcebook cites many sources: Zulu, Bantu, Eskimo, Haida, Sioux, Chippewa, Haitian, Nez Perce, Mexican, Cheyenne, Korean, Choco (South America), Finnish, German, Baganda, Spanish, African-American, and Congolese.
In the Norwegian tale of "Little Buttercup," the child responds to the witch's questions about his family with a similar dialogue. For a variant of that story see Margaret Read MacDonald, When the Lights Go Out: Twenty Scary Tales to Tell (New York: The H.W. Wilson Co., 1986), pp. 7-20.
* * *
Marsh Hawk
Marsh Hawk flew here.
Marsh Hawk flew there.
Marsh Hawk was so hungry.
He was looking for something good to eat.
Marsh Hawk flew over Chipmunk Village.
There were the little chipmunks.
They were running around with their tails in the air.
They were scampering in and out of their hole.
They were sitting up on their little haunches and chipping ...
"Chee chee chee chee chee ..."
Marsh Hawk perched on a tall fir tree.
He called down to those little chipmunks.
"Hey you guys!
Do you have fat fat little tummies?
I bet you've got fat fat little tummies, for sure."
The chipmunks giggled.
"Yes, we have fat fat little tummies.
Sure we do."
Marsh Hawk said to himself, "I'm going to eat those fat fat
little tummies!"
He spread his wings and soared down.
The chipmunks saw his shadow.
They scampered right into their hole!
Marsh Hawk didn't catch even one.
He peered into their hole.
They were in there ... all huddled in the back.
Marsh Hawk reached in with his claw.
He couldn't reach them.
Marsh Hawk reached in with his wing.
He couldn't reach them.
Marsh Hawk reached in with his beak.
He couldn't reach them.
* * *
"Hey you guys.
You still got those fat fat little tummies?"
"Sure, you betcha.
We still have fat fat little tummies."
"Come out here and let me see your fat fat little tummies."
"Oh no.
We don't want to come out there and let you see our fat fat little tummies."
"Please come out and let me see your fat fat little tummies."
"Well ... would you dance for us? If you dance for us, we'll come out."
"Sure, I can dance."
Marsh Hawk went to the middle of the meadow.
He began to dance.
"Uwi ha hi
Uwi ha hi
Chipmunks come out and look at me-ee!"
He was dancing around all over the place.
He threw his head back.
He closed his eyes.
He was dancing and dancing ...
turning around and around.
Those little chipmunks crept out very quietly. First one ... then another ...
scamper ... scamper ... scamper ...
Soon they had all run out of that hole and away.
"Funny I don't hear them chattering anymore ... Hunh?"
Marsh Hawk looked around.
No chipmunks.
He looked into their hole.
No chipmunks.
"You guys!
you tricked me!
I'm going away now.
But I'll be back.
I'll catch you all.
You with your fat fat little tummies."
Marsh Hawk flew away.
The chipmunks came out and began to play again in the
meadow.
Some ran around with their tails in the air.
Some ran in and out of their hole.
Some sat up on their haunches and chattered.
"Chee chee chee chee ..."
Marsh Hawk flew back.
He perched on that tall fir tree.
"I'll sing a song.
I'll make those chipmunks stick up their tails.
Then I'll fly down there and grab their tails in my
beak and carry off a whole bunch of them!"
Marsh Hawk began to sing:
"Uwi ha hi
Uwi ha hi
Chipmunks stick your tails in the air!"
He sang and sang.
Those chipmunks all stuck their tails up in the air. They looked around.
Marsh Hawk swooped down.
The chipmunks saw his shadow and scampered! Right into their hole!
* * *
Marsh Hawk didn't catch a single chipmunk.
"They're too quick for me!
But now I've got them trapped!"
Marsh Hawk backed right up against the chipmunk hole.
His broad back blocked the entrance.
"I'm not going to move until those chipmunks come
out!
I've got them now!"
Marsh Hawk called over his shoulder. "Hey you guys.
You still got those fat fat little tummies?"
The chipmunks were very quiet. "Yeah.
I'm going to eat those fat fat little tummies, for sure."
The chipmunks crept up to the hole's entrance.
Marsh Hawk's big feathered back was blocking the whole
thing.
The chipmunks poked at Marsh Hawk's back.
They poked ...
they poked ...
one of them pulled.
"Hey you guys.
Look.
Marsh Hawk's feathers come out."
"What?"
The chipmunks clustered around.
They began to pull.
They pulled ...
"They do!
They come right out!"
Those chipmunks began to sing a mocking song and pull.
"Uwi ha hi
Uwi ha hi
We can pull feathers out of Marsh Hawk's back!" They sang and pulled and sang and pulled.
Marsh Hawk began to feel chilly back there.
"My back feels cold.
What's ..."
Marsh Hawk felt his back.
"OH!"
My feathers are gone!
OH!
My back is naked!"
Marsh Hawk flew off in a hurry.
He flew here.
He flew there.
His back was so cold.
Marsh Hawk found an old rabbit skin.
"This will help."
He pulled fur out of that rabbit skin and pasted it on his back.
Some on this side.
Some on that side.
"Ohhh.
That's better."
Now he wasn't cold anymore.
Marsh Hawk flew back to the chipmunk village.
"Hey you guys.
With your fat fat little tummies.
I bet your tummies are tough!
I bet your tummies taste just terrible!
Who'd want to eat your skinny old tummies anyway."
Marsh Hawk flew away.
He never did come back.
But if you see Marsh Hawk today,
take a good look at his back.
You'll see the big patch of rabbit fur he stuck on
Where the chipmunks pulled off all his feathers that day.
* * *
Tips for Telling
This story includes a bit of slang in Marsh Hawk's comments. This is faithful to the Athabaskan source. The Athabaskan teller probably saw Marsh Hawk as resembling some bossy man he had known. The chipmunks, of course, are cute little fellows—fast, sassy, and self-confident.
I repeat Marsh Hawk's song several times as he tries to entice the chipmunks out of their hole. I have simplified Marsh Hawk's song. Here is the original, which you may prefer.
Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi
hunu-dili-ggasha. I wish you'd come out.
Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi
hunu-dili-jexa. Come out and stand up bark-
ing.
Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi Uwi ha hi uwi ha hi
hunu-dili-ggasha! I wish you'd come out.
About the Story
This was inspired by an Athabaskan story told by Alexie Evan in Dena'ina Sukdu'a: Traditional Stories of the Tanaina Athabaskans, recorded and transcribed by Joan M. Tenenbaum and Mary J. McGary (Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, 1984).
The tale includes Motif K606.2 Escape by persuading captors to dance. MacDonald's Storyteller's Sourcebook lists several variants of this story: Eskimo, Byelorussian, Cherokee, and Makah. Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature shows this motif occurring in South Africa, the Cape Verde Islands, and Indonesia.
Gecko
Once a drought came to the forest. All the animals were so thirsty. There was no water to drink at all. The people were thirsty too.
At last one woman said.
We must find water in some way.
Here is the dry stream bed where the river once ran.
Surely if the strongest animals dig, we can find water.
My beautiful daughter here will marry the one who brings us
water and saves us from this thirst."
The animals gathered to consider the offer.
That girl was so beautiful.
And perhaps the woman was right.
Perhaps they could dig for water in the dry stream bed.
To make the contest fair, the animals felt that everyone
should dig in the same way.