Karber:Mirzali/The flea and the tick

The flea and the tick

This is an example for a short Zazaish fairy tale, which calls "Keke be kerzıki ra" in origin.

The flea and the tick go to play on ice.

The flea slips and falls down and breaks its foot.

The flea says: “Oh ice! What are you for a ice, that I broke my foot on you?”

The ice says: “If I weren’t ice, the sun didn’t shine to me.”

The flea says: “Oh sun! What are you for a sun, that you shine to the ice?”

The sun says: “If I weren’t sun, I couldn’t shine to the mountains’ summit.”

The flea says: “Oh mountains! What are you for mountains, that the sun shines to your summit?”

The mountains say: “If we weren’t mountains, the sheep and goats didn’t graze on us.”

The flea says: “Oh sheep and goats! What are you for sheep and goats, that you graze on mountains?”

The sheep and goats say: “If we weren’t sheep and goats, the wolf wouldn’t pursue us.”

The flea says: “Oh wolf! What are you for a wolf, that you pursue the sheep and goats?”

The wolf says: “If I weren’t a wolf, the dog wouldn’t run after me.”

The flea says: “Oh dog! What are you for a dog, that you run after the wolf?”

The dog says: “If I weren’t a dog, it wouldn’t be given me food on the old earth.”

The flea says: “Oh old earth! What are you for an old earth, that it would be given food to the dog on you?”

The old earth says: “If I weren’t an old earth, the mouse didn’t make holes into me?”

The flea says: “Oh mouse! What are you for a mouse, that you make holes into the old earth?”

The mouse says: “If I weren’t a mouse, the cat wouldn’t chase me?”

The flea says: “Oh cat! What are you for a cat, that you chase the mouse?”

But in this moment the cat jumps out of the window…


Translator: Mirzali Zazaoğlu (Sêşeme, 13. Tışrino Verên 2009)

Region: Dersim (Tunceli), Pülümür