Maglomba' si Rabit maka si Bokko' | Sinama Big Book
Sinama Big Book Series
Maglomba’ si Rabit maka si Bokko’ is the story of the rabbit and the turtle told in the context of the Philippines. The pictures below are designed to be downloaded and printed on legal paper (8.5 x 14). Clear tape should be used to tape front pages and back pages together as well as to strengthen the edges of the book. The pictures are designed to be on the left with their text on the right. Masking tape is than used to bind two pages together. The book is then sewn together with needle and thread and suitable to be used in a Sama classroom.
We hope that those working with community development in Sama/Badjao communities will take the time to print these pictures and make them into a Big Book to be used in Sama homes, kindergartens, and other education settings. The download for the pictures along with the translation of the text can be found below the pictures.
The Philippine Context of the Book Maglomba’ si Rabit maka si Bokko’
The authors of the book, Jonathan & Ermelita Erales are Sama from Davao City. The book is written in their dialect of Sinama, Sama Dilaut (known by many as Badjao). While traditional versions of the Rabbit and the Turtle are told with a land or fresh water turtle, this story uses the leatherback turtle, a sea turtle and the largest of living turtles. The story is often set in a North American or European forest setting, but here the characters are passing by banana plants, and bamboo in order to get to a salt water swamp tree, a mangrove. It is not as much the rabbit’s continual rests that lose him the race, but instead his arrogance and pride are wiped away as the whole layout of the race floods allowing the persistent sea turtle to capitalize on his skills as a swimmer.
Bay sinulat he' si Jonathan & Ermelita Erales
Posted by Sinama.org: Kauman Sama Online on Monday, 10 June 2013
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Translation
Maglomba’ si Bokko’ maka si Rabit tudju ni pahapat.
Turtle and Rabbit are racing to the mangrove tree.
Abbuwan si Rabit. Yukna, “Asapat aku min ka’a, Bokko’.”
Proud Rabbit boasts, “I’m faster than you, Turtle.”
Yuk si Bokko’, “Ōy, minsan lagi’, anganda’ug aku.”
Turtle says, “Hey! Even so, I will win.”
Asapat si Rabit. Alallay si Bokko’.
Rabit is fast. Bokko’ is slow.
Atā pa’in si Rabit, pahali-hali iya mareyo’ po’onan saging.
Rabit was far ahead so he took a rest under the banana stalk.
Halam gi’ makatuwa’ si Bokko’. Pahali-hali na isab si Rabit mareyo’ kayawan.
Turtle is nowhere to be seen. Rabbit takes a rest under a bamboo thicket.
Halam na pa’in makatuwa’ si Bokko’ he’. Pahali-hali pabīng si Rabit mareyo’ kayu.
Turtle is still nowhere to be seen. Rabbit takes a rest again underneath a tree.
Agsay patumbuk ulan alandos. Nilatapan lahat inān.
All of a sudden rain comes pouring down. The whole area is flooded.
Mbal ata’u si Rabit palangi. Patapuk iya ma lowang kayu.
Rabbit can’t swim. He hides in a hole in the tree.
Alasig si Bokko’. Palangi iya tudju ni pahapat sampay iya anganda’ug.
Turtle is happy. He swims to the mangrove. He is the winner.
Tammat
The End
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Learning in a child’s mother tongue is the best preparation for him to succeed in a multilingual environment. The problem is that many mother tongue languages don’t have enough literature in order to hold their children’s interest in reading. We have found it very difficult to find or make material, especially illustrations that we can use in order to create more literature in the Sinama language.
Therefore we strongly encourage the use of our illustrations and texts in order to create/translate reading material in the minority languages of the Philippines, Malaysia, & Indonesia.
We also strongly encourage the printing and use of our story in Sama homes and schools throughout these areas.
