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Monday 24 June 2024 LOCAL
                                      A10

            Keeping up with the conniving spider…

            Nanzi fools Cha Tiger


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