The Brave Mouse / वीर मूस

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar
Translation edits by Coralynn V. Davis

Teller: Dr. Rani Jha
Location: Madhubani
Date: 12/15/16

December 15, 2016: Session 2
Maithili Folklore Story 16_12_15_02

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा रहै मौगी। ओकरा बाल बच्चा नै रहय। 

There was a woman. She had no children.

एक दिन ओ काज करैत रहै नै तऽ एकटा बिल्लइया एकटा मुसरी के बच्चा के खिहारैत एलय तऽ ओ एना कऽ कि केलकय ओकरा बचबऽ दुआरे आँचरि तरमे नुका लेलकय ओ मूस के मूस के बच्चा के।

One day she was working when a cat that was chasing a baby mouse came near her. She then picked that baby mouse and hid him under her saree wrap.

तऽ बिल्लइया ओकरा देखलकय तऽ भागि गेल। 

Now, the cat saw her and ran away.

तकरा बाद से ई मूस एकरे लगमे रहि गेलय।

After this, the baby mouse began living with her. 

एकरे घरमे रहय बिल्लाइर के नै आबऽ दय। 

He would live in her very house and would not let the cat in.

मूस होयत होयत होयत पैघ भऽ गेलय तऽ ओ बजय आदमी जकाँ बजय तऽ देखय ने माय के काज कऽ लय आ माय जे जलखय बना लय आ जाय मने मौगी के घरवाला खेती करैत रहय ओ तऽ खेत पर चलि जाय। 

The baby mouse gradually grew up, until he spoke like a grown-up man. He would watch his mother working, and his mother would cook breakfast for her husband. That woman’s husband would work in the fields, and so he would go to the fields.

तऽ ओ जलखय लऽ कऽ चलि जायत रहय मौगी। तऽ ऊ मूसबो के से अप्पन आँचरि तरमे एना कऽ कऽ लय आ माथ पर रोटी लऽ लय आ चलि जाय खेत। 

Now, the woman would go to the fields with the breakfast. She would take the baby mouse wrapped in her saree, would carry the pack of bread on her head and would go to the fields.

तऽ मूसा कनी पैघ भऽ गेलय ने तऽ कहलकय कि एकरा माय के कहय माय आब तू नै जो। 

When the baby mouse had grown up a bit, he would say to his mother, “Mother, don’t go to the fields anymore.”

आब हमहीं जैब जलखय लऽ कऽ बाबू के जलखय देबय आ हमहीं जेबय। 

“Now I alone will bring the breakfast to give to father,” and “I alone will go from now on.”

तऽ कि करय ओ मौगी रोटी बाँधि दय आ ओ गमछा के एना कऽ पकड़ि लय लोल लऽ कऽ आ एना कऽ घीच कऽ खेत तक लऽ कऽ चलि जाय मूसबा आ ओतऽ जलखय कऽ लय तहैन फेर ई टुघरल टुघरल अप्पन चलि अबय घर। 

Then what that woman would do was to pack the bread, and then that mouse would clutch it with his mouth, would drag it to the field, and would return home.

एक दिन कि भेलय तऽ ओ हर जोतैत रहय ने… रस्तामे अबैत रहय ने तऽ एक आदमी से बड़द लऽ कऽ हर जोइत कऽ अबैत रहय तऽ ओ बड़द जे अथी केलकय न गोबर केलकय न तऽ ओइ तरमे ओ झंपा गेलय। 

One day the man was ploughing the field…and was on his way home; he had taken ox from somebody and was returning home after ploughing the field. But when the ox defecated, the mouse got buried under the heap of ox’s dung.

तऽ आब एकरा चलले नै होय तऽ कहय छै हो हरबाबा भैया, हो हरबाबा भैया कनी गोबर हटाबऽ। 

Now being unable to walk, he said, “Hey, ploughman brother, hey ploughman brother, please, could you remove the dung that is covering me?”

हरबाबा कहय कतऽ गोबरमेसँ के बजय छै। 

The ploughman would say, “Who are you, speaking from under the dung heap?”

तहन देखलखन ओइमेसँ जैं गोबर हटेलकय कि ओइमेसँ निकलल देह हाथ झाड़लक आ ई अप्पन फेर चलि आयल। 

Then he saw, as soon as he removed the heap of dung, that the mouse emerged, shaking his body and hands, and then returning home.

एतऽ ई अप्पन  सबटा काज करैत रहय।

Back there his mother was doing house chores.

एक बेर एकर जतऽ मौगी ओतऽ रहैत रहय ओकर बड़द ने से राजा के खेतमे ढूकि गेलय। 

Once the man’s oxen, where the woman was living, strayed into the king’s field.

ओकर जजात खा गेलय, फसल रहय ने से ओकर दुनू बड़द खा गेलय जजात। 

The oxen ate the crop, both oxen ate the crop that was there. 

तऽ राजा ओकर दुनू बड़द के पकड़ि लेलकय आ अपना ओतऽ लऽ गेलय। आब ई बेचारा के आब खेती केना हेतय? 

Then the king caught both oxen and took them to his place. Now, how would this poor man be able to plough his field?

आ एकरा लगमे पाइ नै रहय जे ओतऽ जा कऽ छुड़ैबता बड़द के। तऽ ई कि केलक कहलकय माय गे, बाबू, हर जोतऽ कियै नै गेलौं आ बड़द कतऽ गेलौ?

And this man had no money to get his oxen released from the king’s place. Now, the mouse said, “Mother, why didn’t father go to plough the field, and where did the oxen go?” 

कहलकय देखि रे मूसना से ई राजा हमर बड़द पकड़ि कऽ लऽ गेल आ केना कऽ हेतौ खेती। 

She answered, “Look, mouse, this king has caught my oxen, now how can the farming be done?”

तऽ कहलकय अच्छा थम तू हम करय छी जोगाड़। 

Then he replied, “Ok, wait, let me find a way.”

ओ कि केलक लोल लऽ लऽ खर कटलक आ ओइ से एकटा गाड़ी बनेलक। 

Now that mouse cut the dried grass with his teeth and made a cart.

ओइमे लकड़ी के से अथी दऽ देलकय आ गाड़ी बनेलक आ लोलसँ ओकरा घींच कऽ विदा भेल तऽ रस्तामे ओकरा भेटलय एकटा बिड़हनी। 

He put a bar of wood across it to make the cart and began dragging it with his mouth. And then came across a honeybee.

कहलकय हो मूसना भाई, हो मूसना भाई, कतऽ जाइ छ? कहलकय हो मूसना भाई, कतऽ जाइ छ? 

She asked him, “Hey, brother mouse, hey brother mouse, where are you going?” 

तऽ कहय छै कि,

To which he replied, 

“नाक काक काट कर गड़ी बनाया

मूसा जोतम जोता

आ राजा बहनचोद हर बैल ले गया

उसे पकड़ने जाता।”

“I cut my nose and so forth and made the cart,

The mouse ploughed the field,

And the fucking king took the oxen,

So I am going to catch him.”

तऽ कहलकय हमहूँ चलियह। 

Then she asked, “Shall I come along?”

तऽ हँ चलू। 

He said, “Yes, fine, come along.”

तऽ ओ बिड़हनी ओइ पर बैसि गेलय गाड़ी पर। 

So the honeybee sat on that cart.

फेर कनी दूर गेल तऽ रस्तामे एकटा लाठी भेटलय। 

Along the way they came across a stick.

कहलकय हो मूसना भाई, हो मूसना भाई, कतऽ जाइ छ? 

The stick asked, “Hey, brother mouse, hey brother mouse, where are you going?”

कहलकय,

“नाक काक काट कर गड़ी बनाया, 

मूसा जोतम जोता

आ राजा बहनचोद हर बड़द ले गया

उसे पकड़ने जाता।”

He replied, 

“I cut my nose and such and built the cart,

The mouse ploughed the field,

And the fucking king took the oxen,

So I am going to catch him.”

हमहूँ चलियह? 

“Shall I come along?”

तऽ चलऽ। 

“Ok, fine, come along.”

ओहो संग लागि गेल। रस्तामे पानि भेटलय। 

The stick also came along. Then they came across some water on their way.

ओकरो कहलकय, ओहो संग लागि गेल। 

He asked the same and came along.

आगि भेटलय ओहो पूछलकय, कतऽ जाइ छी? 

Now, they came across fire. He also asked, “Where are you going?”

ओकरो यैह बात कहलकय, गेल। 

They told the fire the same thing. They took the fire along.

ओतऽ गेल ने रस्तामे ओ कहलकय कि दरबानकेँ जे गेट पर रहय, ऐ हमरा राजासँ भेंट करऽ के अइ। 

When they arrived, they told the guard at the gate, “Hey, I have to meet the king.”

कहलकय भागऽ कि मूस भऽ कऽ एला है ई राजासँ भेंट करता। 

The guard said, “Get lost! You’re a mouse, so how dare you come to meet the king!”

कहलकय हमरा जै दे कहि दय छियऽ नीक बात नय हेतऽ। 

The mouse replied, “Let me through; I am telling you to not challenge me.”

आ तऽ तू कि बिगाड़बें? 

“Come here, show me what harm you can do to me.”

देखबहक तू। 

“You want to see?”

कहलकय कथी तू हमरा देखेबैं। 

He replied, “Show me how you can do anything to harm me.”

कहय छै कि बिड़हनी रे तू ऐसन ऐसन सिपाहीकेँ देख ले रे तू। 

The mouse then said, “Hey, honeybee, deal with such guards.”

बस बिड़हनी ओकरा काटऽ लगलय। लुधकि गेलय ओकरा। 

Then the honeybee began stinging him, she started hovering around his body.

कहलकय से हँ तू जा। 

Then the guard acquiesced, “Hey, ok, go ahead.”

गेल ओइ ठाम। राजा दरबारमे घुसल। कहलकय हमर बड़द दियऽ।

He went there. Went inside the palace. He demanded, “Give me my oxen.”

कहलकय कियै देबौ बड़द तोरा।

The king said, “Why should I give you the oxen?”

तऽ कहय छै कि नीक चाहय छी तऽ हमरा बड़द दऽ दियऽ।

To which he answered, “If you want no trouble, then give me the oxen.”

तऽ नै नै देबौ।

“No, no I won’t give them to you.”

तऽ कहलकय नै देबय ?

Then answered, “You won’t?”

तऽ नै।

“No.”

रस्तामे ओकरा रस्सीओ भेट गेल रहय तऽ रस्सीओ के संग कऽ लेने रहै,रस्सी, डोरी। ओहो भेटल रहय ओकरा।

He had also found a rope on his way, he had taken it along, as well.

तऽ कहलकय दऽ दियऽ नीक चाहय छी तऽ, 

He again asked the king, “Give them to me if you want no trouble.”

नै नै देबौ राजा कहलकय।

“No, no. I won’t,” the king responded.

तऽ रस्सीकेँ कहलकय कि रस्सी रे तू ऐसन ऐसन राजाकेँ देख ले रे तू।

Then the mouse told the rope, “Hey, rope, you deal with such a king.”

बस रस्सी कि केलकय राजाकेँ बांधि देलकय।

 And then the rope tied up the king.

फेर लाठीकेँ कहलकय लाठी रे तू ऐसन ऐसन राजाकेँ देख ले रे तू। बस लाठी ओकरा मारऽ लगलय।

Next he asked the stick, “Hey, stick, deal with such and such a king.” And then the stick started beating the king.

कहलकय, रे , रे, छोड़ि दे रे, छोड़ि दे रे हम दऽ देबौ।

The king exclaimed, “Hey, hey, leave me alone now, spare me.”

फेर रानी लगमे गेल। तऽ रानी एलय ओइ ठाम से, अहाँ कियै देलियय बड़द?

Then he went to the queen. And the queen came, asking him, “Why did you give the oxen to him?”

तऽ कहलकय जे आबि कऽ हल्ला नै करू एतऽ।

But he retorted “Don’t come here and shout.”

अहाँकेँ नीक चाहय छी तऽ हमरा जाय दियऽ।

“If you want to avoid trouble, then let me go.”

कहलकय जे नै नै जाय देबौ। 

He said, “I won’t let you go.”

फेर कहलकय कि आगि के कहलकय…तहन कहलकय जे हम देखा दियऽ।

 Next he said the fire, and said, “Shall I show you?”

कहलकय हँ देखो तू।

He said, “Fine, show me.”

कहलकय आगि रे तू ऐसन ऐसन महलकेँ देख ले रे तू। बस महलमे आगि लगा देलकय कि रानी ओकरा पैर पकड़ि लेलखिन।

The mouse next asked the fire, “Hey, fire, deal with such a palace.” And so the palace caught on fire, and then the queen fell at his feet.

कहलकय कि जे छोड़ि दही,छोड़ि दही तू लऽ जो अप्पन बड़द।

She beseeched him, “Hey, let them go, let them go. You go retrieve your oxen.”

तहन पानिकेँ कहलकय, पानि रे तू ऐसन ऐसन आगिकेँ देख ले रे तू।

Then the mouse said to the water, “Hey, water, deal with such a fire.”

पानि उठलय आगि मिझा गेलय। दुनू बड़द ओकरा राजा रानी दऽ देलकय। ओ लऽ कऽ अप्पन चलि आयल।

And so the water rose up and doused out the fire. The king and queen gave him both oxen. He took them with him and returned home.

खिस्सा खत्म।

The story is over.