Page 6 - AHATA

A7
LOCAL Thursday 10 OcTOber 2024
Keeping up with the conniving spider…

Nanzi fools Cha Tiger

Many years ago, Cha* Tiger did been saying about Cha Tiger. He
not live in the mondi*, but among was really curious to see if Nanzi
civil society. Back then, he was was brave enough to put his mon-
feared by everyone. When he ey where his mouth is. Cha Tiger
walked past in a halfway, every- walked past.
one around would make room im- “Hey, Cha Tiger!” someone called
mediately, that’s how ferocious he to him. He growled at the person.
was. “Hey, Cha Tiger! Listen!”
“Nanzi made fun of you, said he
One night a group of friends was wasn’t afraid of you at all! Said he
hanging out and they were talking could sit on your back and that
about Cha Tiger. “You know, that you weren’t as strong as we think
tiger sure is incredibly strong and I you are.”
don’t trust him one bit. He proba- Cha Tiger stopped dead in his
bly eats a lot too. Oh, I’m so scared tracks, furious. “Well, I’ll set him
of him!” one person said. straight!” Cha Tiger ran toward
“Oh, don’t be stupid! What can Nanzi’s house, prepared to teach
Cha Tiger do? He’s all bark and Nanzi a painful lesson. The entire
no bite, that’s it. I certainly am not way there he was growling and
afraid of him. I bet you guys that yelling, making everyone around
I could even sit on his back like I aware what was going to happen.
would any donkey.” It was Nanzi They all ran inside and peaked
who said this. The people around through the blinds to see the fight
him laughed at his remarks, think- that was going to unfold.
ing how silly it was for him to say Nanzi also heard Cha Tiger’s
such things. screams, slowly getting closer and
“You, Nanzi? You are such a liar! closer. He was terrified. His face
He’ll stomp you into next Tuesday, turned pale, and his teeth started
stop saying such nonsense.” chattering like someone with a
“I’m not lying!” Nanzi defended high fever. Sweat was dripping
himself. “He’ll take me all the way down his forehead.
to Shon Arei*.” When Cha Tiger arrived at Nan- Cha Tiger?” Nanzi asked, his voice Cha Tiger and said: “These mosqui-
zi’s place, he stormed in and saw trembling. “I Heard you were mak- tos are so annoying! Cha Tiger, do
The next morning, Shon Arei al- Nanzi’s frail body lying face down ing fun of me in front of your little you mind if I cut a piece of branch
ready knew of what Nanzi had in the corner. “Hey, how are you, friends, so I came to hear from your so I can keep these mosquitos
own mouth what you have to say away?” Cha Tiger let him take his
to me,” Cha Tiger retorted, still fum- branch.
ing. Eventually they made it out the
“Me? Talk bad about you?” Nanzi mondi to where everyone else
chuckled nervously. “People are was. Nanzi immediately perked up
such liars, I swear. Can’t you see and whacked Cha Tiger with his
how sick I am here?” Nanzi took a branch, making the tiger jump. He
pause, like someone who couldn’t ran all the way to Shon Arei’s cas-
breathe properly. In his case of tle. Exhausted, he plumped down
course, it was probably from ex- in front of His Majesty.
treme fear. “Shi Maria* wanted to “See, Shon Arei? Cha Tiger ain’t
take me to Shon Arei, where some- nothing but a big donkey!” Nanzi
one can heal me from my illness.” said proudly. Everyone around
Still wrapped up in his act, Nanzi cheered: “Hurray, Nanzi!” Poor
turned back face down. “Me, a Cha Tiger was so embarrassed that
father of nine little children…” he was fooled by the conniving spi-
Cha Tiger was shocked. Nanzi der, and so he ran into the mondi
looked absolutely terrible, God to hide. To this day, it’s said that the
knows he was dying. tiger still hides away in the mondi.
“Cha Tiger, you’re strong. Could
you put me on your back and take
me to Shon Arei, I can barely walk,” Cha: Nickname placed in front of
Nanzi pleaded. Cha Tiger took pity someone’s name and can mean
on the spider and agreed to do this anything, like friend. However, it of-
favor. Nanzi climbed on the tiger’s ten has negative connotations first.
back, letting his body fall down
and grabbing on to Cha Tiger’s Mondi: dry wooded areas found
neck. “Would you mind putting a on the ABC islands.
rope in your mouth so I can hold
on? That way I can sit up straight,” Shon Arei: The King
Nanzi asked. Cha Tiger growled
in reluctance but said OK. And so Shi Maria: Nanzi’s wife.
they made their way to Shon Arei.
Story and pictures are from “Kon Nanzi
Once they started traveling a Nek Shon Arei (i otro kuentanan an-
through the mondi, Nanzi turned to tiano di e araña sabi)” by Nilda Pinto.