A Sama Tale of the Turtle and Her Child

 Bay waktu kamattoꞌahan heꞌ, aniya dangan mattoꞌa lꞌlla, balu. Halam aniyaꞌ seheꞌna ma lumaꞌna. Dakayuꞌ llaw anoleꞌ iya ni kapūꞌ-pūꞌan. Pagsoleꞌna paꞌin makabāk iya dakayuꞌ tohongan ati

In this Sama tale a sea turtle brought home by a Sama fisherman turns into a beautiful lady.

binowa eꞌ na amoleꞌ. Niꞌipat eꞌna pinaheya. Pagubus pilambulan aheya na tohongan.

Dakayuꞌ llaw palꞌngngan mattoꞌa lꞌlla eꞌ, pagpoleꞌna lingantu iya. Halam aniyaꞌ amꞌllahan iya sagōꞌ pagsōdna ni lumaꞌ aniyaꞌ patꞌnnaꞌ ginisan kinakan mainaꞌan. Ainu-inu iya. Pagdaiꞌ-llaw palꞌngngan na isab iya. Pagpoleꞌna buwattēꞌ na paꞌin. Inaꞌan na isab patꞌnnaꞌ pagkakan. Sinōꞌ eꞌna paluwaꞌ sai amatꞌnnaꞌ kinakan hēꞌ sagōꞌ halam aniyaꞌ paluwaꞌ.

Pagꞌllaw dakayuꞌ, patapuk lꞌlla ē’ ma deyom lumaꞌna. Jari angꞌnda iya. Pagꞌndaꞌna ma bay tohongan he’ tahinang ahāp dꞌnda makalanduꞌ. Paragan lꞌlla agtūy boꞌ gapusna dꞌnda inān.

Yuk dꞌnda, “Bbahin aku! Aku itu tohongan.” Sagoꞌ mbal bilahi lꞌlla. Kabilahiꞌanna tahinang hꞌnda eꞌna ya bay tohongan eꞌ. Tinaimaꞌ iya eꞌ dꞌnda inān.

Manjari makapagdakayuꞌ paꞌin sigām, angiram na hꞌndana sampay anganak dakayuꞌ manusiyaꞌ. Anangis anak sigām.

Pagtangisna yuk lꞌlla inān, “Angkan du ka mbal anak tohongan. Panangis ka!”

Rang,” yuk hꞌndana, “Daꞌa ōnin anakta anak tohongan, sabab bang buwatte’ pabalik aku buwat bay tagnaꞌ.”

Na, palabay pilambulan takalipat na eꞌ lꞌlla ya bay pamissala hꞌndana ma iya. Jari dakayuꞌ llaw anangis anak sigām. Mbal pahondong.

Akagit atay lꞌlla inān ati yukna ma anakna, “Panangis ka sidda anak tohongan!”

Na, akagit atay hꞌndana angkan tahinang agtūy tohongan pabalik ati pakuppa ni tahik. Pakuppa isab lꞌlla angapas sagōꞌ mbal na taꞌabut eꞌna hꞌndana.

Na, anangis na isab anakna. Lingantu na iya. Jari magsuwala tohongan min tahik, yuk-i, “Bang paduruꞌnu anak ilu bowahun ni kalang. Patꞌnnaꞌun mailu sagōꞌ palawak ka min aku.” Patuwaꞌ tohongan eꞌ, tahinang manusiyaꞌ amaduruꞌ anakna. Asso paꞌin anakna, pakuppa dꞌnda pabīng boꞌ tahinang tohongan. Na minnēꞌ angkan aniyaꞌ usulan tohongan itu.

English Synopsis

An old man, a widower, happened to find a sea turtle and bring it home to raise it.  After some time he discovers that the turtle he brought home turns into a beautiful lady and has been cooking his meals for him.  He takes her as his wife and they have a child who is a crybaby.  Out of frustration the man yells at his child, “You son of a turtle, that’s why you are always crying.”  His wife gets upset at this and says if it happens again she will leave and become a turtle again.  However, the man can’t control himself and she leaves him and becomes a turtle again.  However, her child still needs to be fed and so when the child is hungry she has the man bring the child to her at the coral and she feeds her child.

Sama Cultural Insights

This story addresses common family issues within Sama culture.  Issues of the need for a spouse, values on how one should treat their children, and also relationship issues where parents are separated with children.

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