Hmong Folk T a l e s Retold i n ESL

S e r i e s E d i t o r : Cha r l e s Johnson

MINNESOTA CURRICULUM SERVICES CENTER 3554 W ~ t e 80.1 AM While Bear Lake. MN 55l10

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Copyright 1981 Cha r l e s Johnson

Published and distributed by L i n g u i s t i c s Department Macalester Co l l ege 1600 Grand Avenue, S t . Pau l , Minn. 55105

HM- Sum 1991

The Woodcutter, His Rooster And His Wie: A Hmong Folk Tale In I I ---- A--1 me-:--:-- I -..-I - - Johnson Charles

TUS NEEG TXIAV TAWS,

NWS TUS QAIB

THIAB NWS POJ NIAM

THE WOODCUTTER,

HIS ROOSTER

AND HIS WIFE

A Hmong Folk T a l e

in Hmong

and Beginning ESL

L e v e l 2

Charles Johnson Editor

TUS NEEG TXIAV TAWS, NWS TUS QAIB TBIAB NWS POJ NIAM

THE WOODCUTTER, HIS ROOSTER AND HIS WIFE

A Hmong Folk Tale i n Hmong

and Beginning ESL Level 2

Story Tel ler : Shoua Vang Written Hmong: Se Yang and Tou Doua Yang Translation: Se Yang and Charles Johnson ESL Adaptation: Ava Dale Johnson Editor: Charle s John son I l l u s t r a t i ons : Xiong L i a Vang

Ser ies Editor: Charles Johnson

This publication i s funded i n p a r t by the Northwest A r e a Foundation.

TUS NEEG TXIAV TAWS,

NWS TUS QAIB .

THIAB NWS POJ NIAM

THE WOODCUTTER,

HIS ROOSTER

Thiam ub muaj ob niam txiv txom txom nyem txiav taws muag xwb nkawd noyb ze hav zoov. Nkawd tsis muaj ib nyuag qho hyiaj

hlo li. Muaj qee zaus nws tus txiv tau muab taws coj mus pauv mov thiab pauv ris tsho hnav.

One time a poor woodcutter and his wife

lived near the forest. They didn't have any money

at all. The woodcutter sometimes

traded wood for food or cloth.

Nkawd tsis muaj ib nyuag qho nyiaj hlo li.

Tiamsis nkawd muaj tib tug nyuag lau qaib uas nws tus txiv nyiam heev. us txiv xav hais tias tus lau qaib zoo nkauj thiab ntse.

They didn't have any money. But they had one rooster

that the woodcutter loved very much.

He thought the rooster was beautiful and intelligent.

Txhua txhua t a i g k i s uas nws yuav mus t x i a v taws tom hav zoov, nws yuav tsum n r e s n t s i a nws t u s q a i b t s o . "La mus lawm nawb, kuv t u s q a i b zoo nkauj , "

h a i s li ntawd r a u ces mam li mus.

Every morning when he went t o t h e f o r e

t o c u t wood, t h e woodcutter would s t o p

and see t h e r o o s t e r . "Goodbye, m y beauty,"

he would say.

Thaum t s a u n t u j rov 10s txog t s e v , nws rov h a i s r au nws t u s q a i b dua t h i a b

t i a s , "Hello dua, kuv t u s me nyuam l a u q a i b n t se . "

In t h e evening, when he came home, he always spoke t o t h e r o o s t e r

again. "Hello again , you smart l i t t l e r o o s t e r ,"

he s a i d .

Kuaj i b t a i g k i s , tom qab t u s neeg t x i a v taws l a nws t u s l a u q a i b mus ua hauj l w m l a m . N w s poj niam cheb v a j cheb t sev . Thaurn nws tseem cheb cheb t s e v muaj i b t u g neeg muaj t x i a g t u a j txog ntawm nws lub qhov roo j .

One morning, a f t e r t h e woodcutter

s a i d goodbye t o t h e r o o s t e r , he went t o work. H i s wife cleaned house. While she was sweeping,

a r i c h man came t o her door.

Nws hais tias, "Kuv yog huab tias. Kyv xav so me ntsis. Kuv thov 10s tsev thiab puas tau?"

"I am the king," he said. "I need to rest. May I come in?"

Tus po j niam teb h a i s t i a s , "LOS l a s m a s . Zaum 0s. Kuv muaj l u s zoo s i a b

ua ko j 10s so hauv kuv t s e v . "

" O h , sir, p l e a s e come i n and s i t down, l1

t h e wife answered. "I am happy t o have you

i n my home."

Tiamsis tus poj niam xac hais tias, "Ntuj es, kuv yuav ua li cas mov 10s tsis muaj, nyiaj 10s tsis muaj. Kuv yuav muab tus dabtsi coj 10s ua ib pluag mov rau huab tais noj?"

But she thought, "Oh, dear, what can I do? I don't have any food or

any money. What can I give the king

to eat?"

Tus poj niam tsis muaj d a b t s i k i a g t s u a s t shuav t i b t u g l a u q a i b xwb ua li nws t h i a j li muab t u s l a u q a i b t u a ua i b pluag mov r a u huab t a i s no j .

She had noth ing b u t t h e r o o s t e r , s o s h e k i l l e d it and

cooked it f o r t h e king.

Tsis ntev nws tus txiv 10s txog tsev. Nws nrhiav nws tus lau qaib, tiam sis tsis pom. Nws cuab nws tus lau qaib tabsis tsis hnov teb qhov twg hlo li.

Soon her husband came home. He looked for the rooster, but he couldn't see it.

He called to the rooster, but there was no answer.

Ces nws tsawm mus tom tsev mov thiab noog nws poj niam hais tias, "Kuv tus lau qaib rau twg lam?"

Nws tus poj niam teb hais tias, "Kuv muab tus lau qaib tua lam."

Then he went into the kitchen and asked his wife,

"Where's my rooster?"

His wife said, "I killed the rooster."

Nws qw hais tias, "Dabtsi? Koj muab kuv tus lau qaib tua?" Ces nws txawm muab poj niam ntaus ces poj niam txawm quaj quaj, "Vim li cas koj muab kuv tus lau qaib tua?"

Nws poj niam teb hais tias, "Kuv muab koj bus lau qaib ua ib pluag mov rau huab tais noj."

He yelled, "What? Killed my rooster?" Then he hit her and

she began to cry. "Why did you kill it?"

She answered, "I cooked your rooster

for the king. "

Huab t a i s hnov suab q u a j ces txawrn noog h a i s t i a s , " V i m li c a s a i s k o j qua j?"

The k ing heard t h e n o i s e and asked,

"What's t h e ma t t e r? Why a r e you c ry ing?"

Tus poj niam t e b h a i s t ias , "Kuv t u s t x i v chim

vim r a u qhov kuv ua i b nyuag p luag mov m e m e r a u k o j n o j xwb.

Koj yog huab t a i s ua li c a s a i s kuv yuav tsis muas npua t u a r a u k o j no j .

A i s kuv yuav muab i b t u g nyuag q a i b m e m e u s r a u ko j n o j xwb."

The woman s a i d , "My husband is angry

because I cooked a smal l d inner .

You a r e t h e king. I d i d n ' t buy a p i g

f o r your d inne r . I j u s t cooked

one smal l chicken. "

Huab tais zoo siab heev thiab hais tias, "Koj hais lus raws kev raws cai heev. Koj thiab koj tus txiv neb yog neeg zoog kawg. Neb yog neeg txom nyem tiamsis neb muab rau kuv ib puas yam tsav uas neb-muaj. Kuv yuav muab me ntsis nyiaj thiab kub pub rau neb. Koj tus txiv yuav tau 10s ua ib tug nom kav lub zeev no, mas neb yuav muaj nyiaj myuaj txiaj."

The king was pleased and said, "You speak very politely. You and your husband are

good people. You are poor but you gave me all you had.

I will give you some silver and gold.

Your husband will be the headsman

of the district. You will be rich."

L I NTAWD, NCO NTSOOV HAIS TIAS TAU POJ NIAM ZOO, NWS KUJ YUAV PAB TAU TUS TXIV MUS TAG NWS LUB NEEJ.

SO REMEMBER, I T I S IMPORTANT

TO HAVE A GOOD WIFE. SHE WILL KNOW HOW TO HELP A MAN

ALL HIS LIFE.

Hmong Folk T a l e s

T i t l e s i n t h i s series:

THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD: How We G o t G r a i n and M e a t

THE BEGINNING O F THE WORLD: T h e Sun and M o o n

*YAO TKE ORPHAN *THE F I R S T FARMER: Why F a r m e r s

H a v e t o C a r r y Thei r C r o p s *THE WOMAN AND THE T I G E R *NGAO NJUA AND SHEE NA *THE MONKEYS AND THE GRASSHOPPERS

( f r o m NJIA AND N J O ) SHAO AND H I S F I R E THE ORPHAN AND N I A NGAO ZHUA PA

*THE WOODCUTTER, H I S ROOSTER AND H I S WIFE

THE FLOOD: HOW HMONG NAMES BEGAN ( f o r a d u l t p r o g r a m s )

E a c h s to ry appears i n ~ m o n g - E n g l i s h and E n g l i s h - o n l y edi t ions, on both B e g i n n i n g 1 and B e g i n n i n g 2 levels. T h o s e m a r k e d * appear together i n an advanced level E n g l i s h - o n l y reader.