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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