The Story-Teller's Start-Up Book
Page 13
She did not know the names of her husband's brothers. She took her mush.
She went back home.
Next day when the girl was pounding her mush,
a little bird lit in the tree above her.
The bird began to sing.
"Look at that girl
(she pounds she pounds)
She doesn't know their names.
(she pounds she pounds)
Four brothers-in-law.
(she pounds she pounds)
She doesn't know their names!"
"Get out of here, you screeching bird!"
*A porridge made cassara flour
* * *
The girl waved her pestle at it.
But the bird kept on singing. "Listen, I will tell you! (she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Sikundu! (she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Sikundu Muna!
Listen, I will tell you! (she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Kaulu!
(she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Kaulu Muna!"
"Get out of here, bird! Stop that racket!"
The girl threw her pestle at him and drove him off.
That night she cooked the mush. She took it to her brothers-in-law. She set it in front of them.
"Your mush looks good. Say our names,
then we will eat your mush."
That girl was still embarrassed. She did not know their names.
She took her mush and went home.
The next day she was pounding her fungi again.
Here came that little bird.
"Listen, I will tell you
(she pounds she pounds)
One is Tumba Sikundu!
(she pounds she pounds)
One is Tumba Sikundu Muna! Listen, I will tell you
(she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Kaulu!
(she pounds she pounds) One is Tumba Kaulu Muna!"
"Stop that racket!" screamed the girl.
And she threw her pestle at the bird again.
Then she went on pounding.
"One is Tumba....
Oh, my!
What was that little bird singing?
Was he singing the names?
If only I can remember....
What was he saying....
One is Tumba Sikundu?
Yes!
One is Tumba Sikundu Muna!
That's it!
Two more....
One is Tumba ... Kaulu!
One is Tumba Kaulu Muna!
Those are their names!"
The girl ran home.
She cooked her mush.
She took it to the home of her brothers-in-law. She set it in front of them.
"Your mush looks good. But say our names.
Then we will eat your mush."
The girl smiled. "You must be ... Tumba Sikundu! And you are Tumba Sikundu Muna!
You would be ... Kaulu.
* * *
And you are Tumba Kaulu Muna!"
"That's right!
You have learned our names. Now we will eat your mush. Thank you, sister-in-law."
This is the story of a girl
Who did not know the names of her brothers-in-law. But when she went to pound her fungi
A little bird told her.
I have told my little tale. It is finished.
Tips for Telling
When telling this tale try to get your audience pounding out the rhythm as the girl pounds her mush. We are all pounding together as the bird speaks, "Look at that girl" (she pounds she pounds) ... we bring our fist down even harder as the bird says "pounds." Keep the pounding going throughout the bird's calls.
Here is a sample chant. Pound on every capitalized syllable:
LISten, I will TELL you
(she POUNDS she POUNDS) ONE is Tumba Slkundu!
(she POUNDS she POUNDS) ONE is Tumba Slkundu MuNA!
You might use this story to start a unit about names. Read or tell other stories of the magic of names. See MacDonald's Storyteller's Sourcebook subject index under "Names" for many such tales. Continue by studying the meaning of names and the history of family names. Collect the stories that go with nicknames and pet names used by people your students know.
About the Story
This telling is elaborated from "A Bride and Her Brothersin-Law" collected by Heli Chatelain in Folk-Tales of Angola: Fifty Tales with Ki-Mbundu Text, Literal English Translation, Introduction, and Notes (Boston and New York: Published for the American Folk-Lore Society by G.E. Stechert & Co., 1894), pp. 141-145. Chatelain had been a United States Commercial Agent in Loanda, West Africa.
World folklore contains many stories of the magic in guessing names, best known perhaps is "Rumplestiltskin" (Motif D2183). MacDonald's Storyteller's Sourcebook mentions also several Caribbean tales in which Old Woman Crim is defeated by guessing her name (C432.1.2), a Native American tale in which Skunny Wunny defeats fox by guessing his name (C432.1.3), and a Yoruba tale in which the King of the Spirit World is defeated when Tintinyin learns his identity from an ega bird (B216.4).
Since our story involves a newlywed, it may be more closely related to Motif H323 Suiter Test: Learning Girl's Name. MacDonald's Storyteller's Sourcebook includes variants from Nigeria, Ghana, and Jamaica of a story in which Tortoise, Lizard, or Ananse listen and overhear three girls calling each other by name. In a Luban variant, Swallow tells Muskrat the secret name of a tree, allowing Muskrat to wed the chief's daughter.
* * *
Aayoga with Many Excuses
Aayoga was the most beautiful girl in her village.
She knew just how beautiful she was.
Every day Aayoga would sit and gaze at her reflection.
Her mirror was a shiny brass bowl.
In its bottom she could see her pretty face reflected.
"Just look at my dainty little eyebrows!
Just look at my red little mouth!
Just look at my rosy rosy cheeks!
It's no wonder everyone says I am beautiful!"
One day her mother called to her
"Aayoga, go down to the stream and bring some
water please.
I want to make some cherrycakes."
But Aayoga could not be bothered.
And that girl had an excuse for everything.
"Oh Mother, I couldn't do that...
I might fall in the stream and drown."
"Just hang onto a branch, Aayoga. You will be all right."
"Oh no, I couldn't do that ... The branch might break."
"Then hang onto a stout branch."
"Oh no, I couldn't do that ... My mittens might tear."
"Then you could mend your mittens."
"Oh no, I couldn't do that ... My mittens are made of leather.
* * *
The needle might break." "Then use a bigger needle."
"Oh no, I couldn't do that ... I might prick my finger."
"Then put on a leather thimble."
"Oh no, I couldn't do that ...
It would pinch my little finger."
Her mother was too frustrated. "Then never mind, Aayoga. I'll send your sister."
And she did.
Aayoga's sister brought water from the stream.
Her mother made lovely cherrycakes.
When they had finished baking they smelled so good.
At last Aayoga looked up from her mirror.
"Give me a cherrycake, Mother.
They smell delicious."
"Oh Aayoga," said her mother, "I couldn't do that ... They are still hot.
You might burn your little hands."
"That's no problem, mother. I will wear my mittens."
"Oh no, you couldn't do that ... You might get your mittens dirty."
"That's no problem, I could wash them."
"Oh no, you couldn't do that ... They would get all wet."
"That's no problem,
I could put them in the sun to dry."
"Oh no, you couldn't do that ...
The sun would ma
ke the leather stiff."
"That's no problem.
I could beat them with a stick to soften them again."
"Oh no, you couldn't do that ...
You might get a splinter in your pretty little hands."
"No Aayoga, you must not touch these cherrycakes.
They are too dangerous for a delicate beauty like yourself. I will give them to your sister."
And her mother gave Aayoga's sister a large cherrycake.
The girl took the cherrycake down to the stream and sat on
the stream bank to munch her cake.
Aaoyga came and sat near her.
Aayoga began to stretch her little neck out
looking ... looking...
looking ... at her sister's cherrycake.
Her little neck seemed to grow longer and longer each time
she cast a jealous look at that cherrycake.
"It's OK, Aayoga," said her sister.
"Here, you can have the rest."
And she reached out the half-eaten cherrycake.
Aayoga was furious!
"You think I want that cake
after you have been slobbering over it?
Get out of here with your old cherrycake!"
And Aayoga began to flap her arms at her sister.
"Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!
Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!"
The sister jumped up and ran.
* * *
But Aayoga followed her making shooing motions.
"Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!
Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!"
Aayoga became more and more excited.
She flapped her arms more and more rapidly.
"Go ... go ... go ... go ...
Go ... go ... go ... go ...
Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!"
Then something began to happen to that girl.
She was flapping her arms like bird's wings.
Suddenly feathers started to form on her arms.
She kept stretching her long neck out to see that cherrycake.
Her neck began to lengthen into a goose's neck.
Aayoga was turning into a goose!
"Go ... go ... go ... go ...
Go ... go ... go ... go ...
Go ... go ... go ... go ... go!"
That silly girl fell over right into the stream!
But not a bit did it matter!
For her arms were now wings,
her body was now the body of a great white goose!
And what a beautiful bird it was.
The goose began at once to admire itself in the water.
"Just look what a beautiful yellow beak I have!
Just look what smooth white feathers I have!
Just look what lovely darting eyes I have!"
To this day the white goose swims on the banks of that
stream.
She turns her long neck this way and that, admiring her
beautiful reflection in the stream.
And so that no one will ever forget her name, she calls
constantly
"Ay0000ga-ga-ga-ga-gaaaa!
Ay0000ga-ga-ga-ga-gaaa!
Ay0000ga-ga-ga-ga-gaaa!"
That is the story of Aayoga who made excuses.
Tips for Telling
When telling this story I carry on the conversation between mother and daughter by turning my body just slightly to the right and then to the left as I look at the imaginary mother and then at the daughter. This eliminates the necessity of stating "said the daughter" and "said the mother" after each line. I do not change my voice for the two characters, but I do change my tone. The mother is strict and put out with her lazy daughter. The girl is whining and trying to think up excuses. When Aayoga changes into a goose I flap my arms a bit and stretch out my neck while making the goose's call.
"Aayoga" could make an interesting playlet for a small group of students to perform.
About the Story
This tale is inspired by a Nanai folktale in Folktales of the Amur: Stories from the Russian Far East by Dmitri Nagishkin (illustrated by Gennady Pavlishin and translated by Emily Lehrman, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1980). If possible, obtain this book so you can show Pavlishin's lovely illustration of Aayoga in her transformation. I have elaborated the story considerably but left out the fact that Aayoga is the daughter of "A Nanai of the Samarov clan named La."
The Nanai story presents interesting development with its banter between daughter and mother, and the daughter's gradual change into goose form. See also "Aloga" in The Sun Maiden and the Crescent Moon: Siberian Folktales by James Riordan (New York: Interlink Books, 1989).
This unusual story has an interesting parallel in Tinguian tales from the Philippines. In one a child, impatient because food takes too long to cook, makes nipa leaf wings and turns into a dove (MacDonald, Storyteller's Sourcebook Motif A1948.1). In others a lazy bride or a lazy boy become birds (Motif A1999.4.1). Many European tales are told of a baker's daughter who objects to the large size of the dough to be given to a beggar (Jesus) and is turned into an owl or woodpecker (Motif A1958.0.1).
* * *
Kanu Above
and Kanu Below
Kanu Below was a chief. He lived on this earth. Kanu Above was a God. He lived in the skies.
Now Kanu Below had a beautiful daughter.
He cared for her more than for all his wealth.
How he loved that child.
But one day Kanu Above reached down and took the child
away.
He carried her off to the sky and kept her there.
Kanu Below wept and wept.
He could not be comforted.
In his sorrow he forgot to look over his people.
His under-chiefs began to take more and more responsibility
for the village.
One day those chiefs came to him and said
"Kanu! Kanu Below!
A stranger has come into our village.
His name is Spider.
That person is causing much trouble.
He weaves sticky webs over everyone's doorways.
He leaves webs across the paths.
People are tripping and falling.
People keep stumbling into spider webs.
You must send this person from the village.
We do not want him here."
Kanu looked up from his grief.
"I will handle this problem. Tell Spider to come here."
* * *
To Spider he said
"Spider, you must not leave webs across the paths.
People will trip and hurt themselves.
You must not spin webs across the doorways.
People will stumble into them.
Do you understand?"
To the chiefs he said
"See this Spider?
This Spider does some things we do not like.
But this Spider has much good in him.
We will keep him in the village.
We will keep him among us."
And it was so.
Two days later the chiefs came again to Kanu.
"Kanu! Kanu Below!
A stranger has come into the village.
His name is Rat.
This Rat is sneaking into people's houses.
He is taking rice.
He is taking meat.
He is taking kola nuts.
This Rat cannot stay in our village.
Tell him to go."
Kanu said, "Tell Rat to come here."
To Rat he said
"Rat, you must not go into people's houses and take
things that are not yours.
They are hungry too.
Do not take their rice.
Do not take their meat.
Do not take their kola nuts.
Do you understand?"
To the chiefs he said
"See this Rat?
He does some things we do
not like.
But there is much good in Rat.
We will keep him in the village. We will keep Rat among us." And it was so.
Two days later the chiefs came again.
"Kanu! Kanu Below!
A stranger is in this village.
His name is Anteater.
He is causing trouble.
This Anteater is digging holes in everyone's yard.
People are falling into them and breaking their legs.
Send this Anteater out of the village.
He cannot stay here."
Kanu said, "Tell Anteater to come here."
To Anteater he said
"Anteater,
you must stop digging holes in people's yards.
People are falling.
They are hurting their legs.
You must stop doing this.
Do you understand?"
To the chiefs he said
"See this Anteater?
He does some things we do not like.
But there is much good in this Anteater.
We should keep him in the village.
We must keep him among us."
And it was so.
Two days later the chiefs came again "Kanu! Kanu Below!
There is a stranger in the village. His name is Fly.
He is driving everyone crazy. He buzzes around our heads. He bites us on the neck.
He bites us on the behind.
* * *
Send him away from here. Get him out of our village."
Kanu said, "Tell Fly to come here."
To Fly he said
"Fly, you must not buzz around people's heads.
This is very annoying to people.
You must not bite them on the neck.
You must not bite them on the behind.
This hurts our people.
Do you understand?"
To the chiefs he said
"See this Fly?
He does some things we do not like, yes.
But there is much good in this Fly.
We must keep him in the village.
We should keep him among us."
And it was so.
Days passed, and Kanu was still so sad for the loss of his daughter.
One day he said
"If only someone from our village could climb to the
sky and speak to Kanu Above.
Perhaps he could be persuaded to return my
daughter."
Kanu Above was powerful.
Kanu Above was frightening.