Nuvuza Tani
Taken from a retelling of an Australian Aboriginal fable found in Aboriginal Myths, Legends, and Fables by A. W. Reed, ©1993, Reed New Holland. No tribal provenance given. I have, of course, changed the tale.
Nuvu berenen kumoza zose tanise. Sama basa sonose, sama karu vususe. Ŋono alaza yendanen nikevas saŋiyinda samas etede piŋimeyi, pezes sara kodu,
venendanen saŋena. Yendanen nikevas saŋiyihi, saya namanen ŋiri kegevemeyizeza namas zeninoheza samas delino. Goleza nara kumu saŋiye, saya kuŋinen zase ŋiri kegeveme. Goleza venendanen saŋiyinda sanda laka azis lenese. Kozos ŋono pobomoza ŋono pideza ŋono pereteza ŋono muroza saka.
Nara zales kines luŋeta baŋibaŋi. Alaza kalatepe gohotepe lakatepe sara. Sarunos pezes yutonda seleno. Nuvonda yutu selese. Hadas tanatana luŋera.
Luŋeya sorove, “Diya liyes tesi gohorahi?” Kumoya rusuve, “Be! Liyes harazidu linda viri gohose.”
“Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahi?” “Kalanen liŋizidu viri yutuse.”
“Ŋiri kele muroza dika. Dinda yutoza tesi kalanen liŋinahido vene zeninen diŋi, liya lisataza nara mururazi.” Nuvoya ruluve, “Enda pezes ira! Lidu ese, kegevenen mape vekeve yendodo evu.”
Yozonda siŋi yaha medes luŋera. Mede yaha satas ŋelona luŋido zenizeni kumu runuŋe. Luŋeya peretenen mede kigivinda ono davara. Sasataza hara. Saya zimivina, zimenda kerekeremena.
Urinona, inda ŋono zeye oloŋira, lamana tene layisena. Tesi tarataratana, laka kahes Nuvora. Tana reŋirana, keses igaravena. Lakaza tana reŋirayi, inda pezes ŋono pobomo ŋono pidi ŋono perete ŋono muru era. Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes lakara. Medenda medes tanatana Nuvora, ŋiri mede yaha satas oloyo sape. Tana reŋirayi, inda pezes Nuvu ira. Pezes yalata zara Nuvu sazarudu luŋi sareŋe.
Nuvonda nuvume, inda nuvunuvu saruviyi.
Translation
The story is one which is about a man named Nuvu. He had a bad head and a rough tongue. Through more time spent in the vicinity of people he was filled with pain, so he went away and began to live with nobody. If he continued to stay near people, he thought that they would expect that he would continue to make work with them. For a long time he continued to live as a solitary man, and he worked as he wanted. After a long time living with nobody, there was a pile outside his hut. In there he had many spears, many baskets, many knives, and many mats.
One night a star fell to earth. They walked for a time, cold, hungry, and shelter-less. They saw light from a campfire in the distance. The light was Nuvu’s campfire. The star hurried to it.
The star said, “Could you give me some food?” The man replied, “No! There is not enough of my food for me to eat.”
“Could I make myself a little bit warm near your campfire?” “There is not enough campfire to make me warm.”
“You have some fine mats. You did not allow that I could make make myself a little bit warm near your campfire; I will put one mat around my body.” Nuvu shouted, “Go away from those! They are for me and not for lazy people who do not work.“
The star went from there to a tall smooth tree. The man expectantly watched the star climb the smooth trunk. The star took a large piece of bark with a knife. It was put around their body. They started to sing, and from the song they started to make magic.
The wind started to blow, it made many dark clouds come, and the whole sky started to be hidden. A little bit of rain started to fall and Nuvu went into the hut. The river started to flow and it covered the campsite with water. The river flowed around the hut and it washed away the many spears, the many baskets, the many knives, and the many mats. The river continued to flow and washed away the hut. Nuvu quickly went from tree to tree, but he failed to climb the trees’ smooth trunks. The river continued to flow and washed away Nuvu. The star listened to Nuvu’s voice, which was dying away.
Nuvu was changed into an owl and he continued to cry mournfully.