Ацгуы Иақутәаз Аҭакуажә
The Old Woman Who Sat On The Cat

Ари ажәабжь ҭаарыхыуп, аргама иыҟалаз акы ауп иара.
This is a story, that really happened.

Ауаа зегьы еицырдыро хҭысыуп.
Everyone knows this event.

Сан рыцҳа, иахааныз сара срыхьӡеит лҳәон, урҭ рҿынтә ауп ларгьы иызлаҳаз.
My poor old mother heard this tale and told it to me.

Иҟалеит Арыҩҭа ақыҭан.
It happened in the village of Aruta.

Иыҟан ҩыџьа аишьҵәа.
There were two brothers.

Аха иалабхи, рыҩны ҧҳәыс дыҩнамызт.
They lived alone.

Дара шьханыҟуара рыгмызт.
They had enough cheese.

Аха арахь еиҧыл рымамызт.

Ркуац ахақуа ирықуҵаны идырҩон, ахш-хырҵәы усгьы ирыгмызт.
Meat was hanging in the smoking-shed, they had a lot of milk.

Ҧыла рымамызт арахь акумзар.
They didn't understand what was happening.

Изыхҟьозгьы, ркуац ааныӡааны ицон, рышә акузар гуырӡ, шашәарӡ иыӡон.
Where the meat was, was no more. Where the cheese was, was no more.

Уама иақушәаны абас иыҟан.
It was a nightmare.

Ас иахьа, ас уаҵәы.
It was the same every day.

Аҧхасҭа ҕуҕуаны ирауан.
The damage was great.

Аҵыхуа ҧымҵәеит.
There was no end.

Ргуы аныҧҵәаӡа иааицәажәеит «уара ари уамаганы иаҳзыҟалеит.
When they'd had enough they said "listen, something terrible is happening to us.

Џьара аӡәы даҳхыччоит, аха дабанӡа ҳхыччоаабап», рҳәан илеицәажәан абас ҟарҵеит.
Someone is laughing at us, we'll see how long he'll laugh at us". They sat down and talked and decided what to do.

Шәандыҟура дыуӡӡак рыман иаарган уадак аҿы иладыргылт.
They had a large wooden chest which they moved from one room to another.

Ахҩа аадыртыит.
They opened the lid.

Ашә рҩеи акуац рҩеи лҭарҵан, дара ршәақьқуа ааиҵаҵаны аӡәы ацәырдҕуы аҵҟа дыхухуаӡа дыҵаеит.
In it they put the smoked meat and smoked cheese, they loaded a rifle and one brother laid under the bed with the gun.

Егьи ааҵра дтәеит.
The other hid in the barn.

Ус истәаз хулеит, арахь џьара ҕбакгьы рбом.
Night came, but they couldn't see anyone.

Уаҳа нагарҭа амамкуа ргуы ҿыҕьӡаны ишыҟаз мкуа аҟыҧҳәа цгуажә дыуӡак ыҧан аҧенџьыр иаақуҧалеит.
They'd already had enough when suddenly a huge cat jumped onto the windowsill.

Ифҩыс-фҩысо уа иааҩналт, ани ахырга абом.
He sniffed around, but couldn't find anything.

Адыхҳа ацәырдҕуы инықуҧалт.
He jumped onto the bed.

Ашәындаҟурагьы абеит.
He saw the wooden chest.

Ацәырдҕуы аҵҟа иыҵаиаз зегьы ибоит усгьы, ашәындыҟуара иынҭаҧлар ахҩа ахызҩап ҳа игуы иҭоп.
The brother who lay under the bed saw everything. "When he jumps into the chest I'll close the lid", he thought.

Ус иаргьы ашәындыҟуара инҭаҧалт.
The cat jumped into the chest.

Иаргьы уи акуымзи дыззыҧшыз аҕьеҩҳа ашәындыҟуара ахҩа лаиыркыит.
The brother had waited for this moment and he closed the lid.

«Уааи, уааи, абаа анцәа иҳаиҭит» ҳа иашьа иышҟа дыҳәҳәеит.
"Come, come, I've caught him", he screamed to his brother.

Уигьы дыҩны дааит.
His brother came running.

Ршәақьқуагьы мазеины иыркыуп.
They closed the lid firmly.

Иаргьы ахҩагьы хьынҭын, иьҩахан ныҩдәылыргет.
They took the closed box.

Агуарҧ агуаны илаганы ныладаргылт.
They placed it in the middle of the yard.

Лабаӡа дыук ааныикылт рыуаӡәы, исшьыр ацкьыс нысхуахуап иҳәыит.
One of the brothers took a big stick, not to kill him but to beat him.

Длахагылт.
He stood by the chest.

«Ашьшьаҳа ахы ҵраа», иҳәыит ани адәахьы иыҟаз.
"Open the lid slightly", said the other.

Ахы ывҵрааны иааҟарҵт.
The lid stood ajar.

Ус адыхҳа иыҩҭыҧеит ани ацгуажә алақуа цыр-цыро.
With flashing eyes the cat jumped out.

Аҟуақҳәа ахы даасын азлак ааҭихыит.
As he was hit on the head one eye fell out.

Иыҩныҳәҳәан арҵәаа ахга ицеит, аха иахца ҳа акррдыро.
He screamed and ran away, they knew not where.

Ус маҷӡак ааҵхьаны ауаҩы дааит дкылххы.
In a little while someone came to them.

«Абаа аҩны шәыҟоу.
"Are you at home?

Шьакуа (ргуыла аҭакуажә лоуп) арҵәаа дыҳәҳәо цәгьала дыҟоуп, даҳзеиқуком», нҳәит.
Shakwa (the old woman next-door) is screaming and shouting, we can't calm her", he said.

Иалаҧхи, еибарыҩны ицеит.
They ran.

Ианне, ргуыла аҭакуажә лызлак ҭыҵит лыӡҕы иақужьуп, дшьаӡабааха.
When they arrived, the saw the old woman, with one eye missing and beaten around the head.

«Ибыхьзеи, нан-дыу» рҳәан иналхагылт.
"What's wrong old woman?", they asked.

«Сыҧсот, абаа, сыҧсот», лҳәыит.
"I'm dying, I'm dying", she said.

Аишьцәа иыҟалаз ауырзымдырх`уаз, аха иыуҳәои.
The brothers knew what was up, but they couldn't say.

Ус дсыҟаз дыҧсо далагт, дааикуыркт.
She was dying, and she died.

Уи нахыс аишьцәа рышәгьы ыҟан, ркуацгьы аҭыҧаҿы иыҟан.
After that everything with the brothers was in it's place, the cheese and the meat.

Абас аргама иҟалеит.
This really happened.

Дара аишьцәа Ҭаҕса лҧацәа ракун.
These brothers were the sons of Takhsa.

Лара аҭа куажә дзыусҭаз ҧхашьароуп лҳәан сан исалымҳәеит.
Who the old woman was, my mother wouldn't say.