div-Wua-eUb-dka-jtuld
  

raU-zid-Hwb

wNa-Lfn: tYs-Ek-Ebk, jjShx-Lfn: jjes HE-eK-rcia


SlaDp 2

¢


qhlx-aiJa nis-xp-lk-rka jjtK wls-cbks.
Dis-Qhk-rogx-Qhk-zk, jdx, VyJx Wov-DYd-Bbks.

qcd-jwok-qk-dia-dPa, rt{a, lbka-VyJx jjthc-dmg-ala.
Foa-e{a-tK-fU-rakc Smg-tK-fU-Rhla, raU-Dis-rxof Fygs-div-Ris-dbla.

And they brought along food, they brought along snacks ,
They brought blankets and games, and more books on their backs.

They ate. They played games. They read books . And they slept.
Then the cold season ended, and they went home, except ...



jrtul-qNs aU-aU QUh-dhk-rka, raU-ahln-Dpg-Hch-GF-Hfh.
“whln-FK-BUb,” aU-aU-jcoJk. “whln-FK-jRif-Grh-fp-Smg-HV.”

wK-aK-aks-jqpJ-Zia, “Vka-Gf-am? FK-jVia-lPf-eK-tK”
dmg-xp-jfid-ekx-Woa Fiv-dK-CYa-jwoJk-xk jVia-Ht-nK.

Except for brave Nuu-Nuu, a mouse you can trust.
“I will stay,” Nuu-Nuu said. “I will do what I must.”

But as Nuu-Nuu sat wondering, how soon she’d be free,
Three boys holding slingshots crept up to her tree!



jxugl-aU-aU-jria dmg-eiga-DofA jjSb-roc-FI-Spa.
jqkK-tUd-dK-CYa jja-jWPgs-jds-fis aiJa-vmg-jjxba-wls-rt{a.

“Bbk-nPs!” aU-aU-Rhls. “rkd-Cud-fis Wos-vmg-xp-via-rk,
jjSb-Chk nPs-qkf-jf? rabcn-Hwb lkf-jjSd-EocK!
xia-FK-zoJs-HV-Dogc-Ris jjtK dK-Fkn-HV-Dogc-SoJa-Hxh
Dis-dK-CYa-wls-jFoJk jjtK Soa-LS-wls-whln dmg-FK-jSix-jjSb-Hwb.”
Fkd-aiJa raU-ahln-dmg-Hrh-wyJa, Dis-eK-luJa lld-xk-WblnA
“WI-eia-nk jjtK DYd-Bbks Wos-vmg-jrtul-rnis-Fid-rahln.”

She saw them, and shook, from her head to her toes,
for those slingshots were aiming right straight at her nose!

“Don’t shoot!” cried out Nuu-Nuu. “My nose doesn’t matter.
But what if you miss? You will make my egg splatter.
It will splatter all over the nest and the tree,
All over your slingshots, and all over me.
And then,” cried the mouse, as she let out a sob,
“I’ll have broken my promise. I’ll have failed at my job!”



“aks-jcoJk-Cud!” jfid-Woa-eUs-Rhls-wyJa. “jFiv-fis vmg-via-rk,
jjSb-FK-fp-eX-Gf Chk-Hfh-Hwb-Grnb HV-Geb-jDPs-qk!
jjwd-Ga-jRul-Dbls-DbNc Wos-FK-Suga-jSiJa-fp
rkd-xp-woJc-Hwb-Grnb Geb-rxU-jWix Sla-jEoJk-apJ.”

“She’s right!” cried a tall boy. “Her nose doesn’t matter.
But there’s folks who would like that big egg... on a platter!
The folks on the cruise boat will get a great thrill
From a big breakfast omelet, with bacon and dill.”



qcd-jwok LFx-Hwb-tos Dis-nUh-raU-ahln-lld-HV,
jjSb aU-aU dmg-Rhkn-wyJa-cbk: “BYf-fNc-apJ-Hf½!”
aks-dK-Lff-wyJa-jDPs-Hwb nm-dI-ViJa vmg-Hfh-jRif-rt{a,
“eogs-Hwb-Wua-fNc-apJ Chk-vmg-Bkd-Cud-dif-Spa!”

qcd-jfid-ahl-n-roc-wcia-wyJa jjthc-dmg-jlok-Hwb-tos
HV-rk-jRul-Dbls-DbNc Dpg-dI-tis-DNv-Zigs Sla-rod-Lxs.

They carried it down, from the top of the tree.
They pushed off the mouse, but she cried, “Wait, for me!”
She climbed back on the egg, and her tiny fists rose:
“You give back my egg! Or I’ll bite all your toes!

The boys laughed and they joked, as they brought the egg down
To the spot where the cruise boat had pulled into town.



aU-aU RUh-eyd dK-coa-dK-ckn jjtK Rhls-jjRs-dcbk-jdogk.
jfid-Rbks-eUs-Rhls-Geb: “xPf-Hf½! Hwb-apJ-vmg-jjxba-wls-jFoJk
jjtK Chk-jFoJk-nis-vmg-BYf aO-eNs-lia-tI-Wka-apJ
qcd-jRok-FK-woJc-Hwb-Geb-raU jjDa-EpJa-rxU Wos-FK-fp.”

Nuu-Nuu shouted and raged, she kept making a fuss.
Till the tall boy yelled “SILENCE! The egg now belongs to us!
And if you don’t stop all this loud belly-achin’
We’ll serve eggs with fried mouse, instead of with bacon!”



Woa-wiv-jRul nbks-lld-xk jjthc-jlok-jsPa-nuga-Grh.
aU-aU vmg-nlx-xPf aks-nis-Rhls Bbks-vmg-qm-GF.

The captain came out. Some money changed hands.
Nuu-Nuu would not shut up. She kept making demands.



“qcd-jFoJk-jRif-jjvv-apJ-vmg-Hfh” aU-aU Rhls-wyJa.
Fkd-aiJa dmg-xp-eNs-raygs-fis-xk,
eNs-aiJa-WYhaA-rU,
xia-Wu-eNs-wls-aod Dpg-rkn-GF cU-cbk.

She cried out, “You can’t—”
then a new voice was heard,
A voice long forgotten:
The voice of the bird



jjxba-jjthc, aiJa-jjxba-aks-aod! aks-dI-tis-Cu-Fld-jrtoJk.
aks-aod-jVia-jjwd Ga-jRul-tbls-jjxb-wls vmg-Shls-jfok!

aks-Dis-jcoJk Dis-jjns-Fld-jrtoJk jjtK jjdcbs-roc-cygaA,
“whln-vmg-jlok-Hwb-rabcn-apJ jjtK vmg-Bkd-Hfh-xia-Wua.

FK-jlok-Hwb-HV-C{x-Ge-dmg-HV, whln-vmg-Bkd-jria-xia!
ePgs-Dpg-whln-Shls-dka-Wu Cogc-fPa jjtK jvn jDogk-aiJa.”

Yes, the bird! It was her! With a big glass of booze.
That bird was a guest, on the Mekong Boat Cruise!

And she said, looking up from her drink and her snack,
“I abandoned that egg! I do not want it back!

Take that big egg away. I do not want it here!
What I would like, right now,
is more peanuts and beer.”



“xia-jjxba Hwb-wls-whln” qmg-Woc-Rhls-wyJa.
“xia-vmg-jjxba-Hwb-wls-whln!” aks-aod-jcoJk.
“xia-jjxba-Hwb-wls-whln” raU-ahln-cbk.
Fkd-aiJa eNs-Dp-epg-dmg-fis-xk...

... Fkd-rabcn-Hwb Dpg-aod-vld-cbk vmg-Bkd-Hfh-Wua.
eNs-aiJa fis “jjWTid ...” jjRs jjtK Eif-jFa-wyJa.

“It is my egg!” the chef cried.
“It’s not mine!” said the bird.
“No, it’s mine,” said the mouse.
Then a fourth voice was heard...

From the egg, that the bird said she did not want back,
Came a sound loud and clear. What the egg said was:
C-R-A-C-K !


aU-aU jjax-jvPgs-Hwb, Sk-wls-aks-dmg-jVpf-wyJa-Dia-Dp.
aks-jcoJk-Bbks-Suga-jSiJa, “xp-aod-ahln Elf-raU Ga-Hwb-apJ”.

QUh-Woa-qk-dia-rYhx, wK-aK-Hwb-jjrs-lld-xk-EhkA,
Dis-rxof-Fhls-Sk-jvPgs, jxugl-fis-ahlnA LQb-lld-xk.

vks-Woa-Rhls-eNs-fis “Rpv-xk! fNc-vmg-Dia-jria-aI-rxUb!”

Nuu-Nuu looked through the crack. Her eyes opened wide.
And she said, with delight: “There’s a mouse-bird inside!”

They all gathered round, as the egg slowly split.
When a small nose poked out, every eye was upon it.

And the folks standing close called, “Come fast! Take a look!”



qm aod-Elf-raU vPa-lld-xk
xia-dmg-lbka-VyJx-lld-xk-qhlx!

When the mouse-bird flew out,
it was reading a book!



tUd-Rid!” aod-Rhls-wyJa, “jFoJk-jVia-jfid-eK-rtkf-jjDh!
Rpv-xk! xk-aI-dia tos-HV-Rhka-jrtoJk aI-lpg-jjxb!”

aU aU Lx-Lr-jcoJk “jFoJk-Wca-FK-tK-lkn-jjdb-GF!
jFoJk-Vbln-VK-Hwb-apJ-jjthc! FK-jVia-jjxb-Hfh-jjac-Gf!
jFoJk-jlok-jjSb-aigs jjtK fugx, jFoJk-vmg-RUh-cbk whln-WPf-jjac-Gf?
Chk-aks-jVia-tUd-jFoJk,
aks-Shls-Fiv-Fld-jrtoJk Sla-vPa lld-Fkd-Hwb.”

“My baby!” the bird cried, “What a smart child you are!
Come to me! Come to Mom We’ll go down to the bar.”

Then Nuu-Nuu got angry. “You should be ashamed!
You abandoned that egg! It’s not yours!” she exclaimed.
“You just sat here and drank. And you know what I think?
If you were her mom, she’d be holding a drink!”


Dia-Gf-aiJa aks-aod-dmg-qu-Vpd-qyv-qiv...
“whln-FK-vPa-HV-rk-aks-rthk-tUd-Rid...”
aks-jcoJk.
jjSb...

Then the bird raised her wings.
“I will fly to my daughter—”
she said.
But instead...



...aks-qif-Sod-tos-aO.

nhla-wls-jjdhx jjtK jrtoJk Dpg-aks-dPa-xk-dbla,
jRif-Grh-Vpd-Dis-els Shls-dka Bkd-qid-Qbla.
Vpd-wls-aks-BYbf-vPa, jjSb-Vkd-wls-aks nis-vmg-BYf-jcoJk.
Foa-dK-DiJs... Sc¾kx!... Dhls-aod-zkf-tos-aO Vka-aks-eK-jjfs-RUv-jsok.

...she fell into the water.

After all of that drinking, and all of those snacks,
Her wings loved one thing best. They loved to relax.
So her wings both relaxed, but her mouth did not stop
until – SPLASH! – she performed
a big belly-flop.


aks-xp-jjSb-fugx-jrtoJk, vmg-Hfh-lbka jjtK jRif-ePgs-luga.
Sla-apJ aks-Fygs-Rhls “Ebcn-jjfb! whln-dI-tis-Fox-tos-quJa!”

qm-fp-jRul-tI-raygs-Qbka-xk, Ekn-eK-tk-Fygs-Fiv-jlok-aks-aod-aiJa,
Dis-jtn-Rpx-eov jjthc-jcoJk-cbk “tkv!” Wu-lk-rka-Ga-Zia”
jjtK-aiJa
  dmg-Wu-WI-eYf-Dhkn
    Dpg-aod-wpJ-Whka
      Hfh-nPa.

She’d spent all her time drinking, not reading, not thinking,
And now she cried, “HELP!!! I’m afraid I am sinking!”

A boat floated past. An old man grabbed the bird.
He licked his lips grandly. The word “larp” was heard.
And that
  is the last
    that was heard
      of that bird.


ebca tUd-aod-Elf-raU jjtK aU-aU QUh-jVia-jjxb.
Dis-els-jlok-xu jjtK Vpd jdkK-dia-Wua-Vbk Lfn-vmg-Hfh-BYf-jjcb.

Chk-jFoJk-rkd-qov-jria aod-Elf-raU jjtK jjxb-wls-xia
aigs-lbka-VyJx xbca-Euga jjtK Bld-Hn-dia
Ga-Vbk-fos lia-eK-rsov-sNv-aiJa...
jFoJk-Wos-FK-RUh-cbk qcd-jwok-HV-BUb-Dpg-aiJa-Hfh-jjac-Gf.

And as for the baby, and Nuu-Nuu, her mother,
They walked back to the forest, wing-in-paw with each other.

So if ever you see a mouse-bird and her mother,
and they’re reading a book, and laughing together,
in the quiet of the forest... now you know how they got there.