NQARE TC'AAM TCGAISE (eyes on his feet)

KURU artist Coex'ae Bob tells a story in her language Naro.
You can listen in streaming realaudio or download an mp3 version. The English translation and the original transcription in Naro are displayed below.

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MP3 (96 Kbps, 22 Khz, size: 2,58 MB).

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The graphic 'Eyes on his feet' by Coex'ae Bob

   Pisamboro had eyes in his head where normal people's eyes are, but the other man, Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise's eyes were situated on the top of his feet.
The two men sat together while talking Pisamboro tried his best to find out where Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise's eyes were. He did not know that his eyes were on his feet. He moved his hands back and forth in front of Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise's face where his eyes should be.
Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise said, "Why are you moving your hands in front of my face ?". Pisamboro was now more puzzled than before. After he watched him for a long time, he realised that his eyes were on his feet. He was much surprised. He then put his finger in his mouth to wet it. He put it in the sand and shot the sand into Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise's eyes.
Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise blinked with his eyes when the sand got in them. Then Pisamboro said, "Do you see those coffee bushes? Let us go to pick some beans from them to roast". He was lying. He now wanted to kill Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise.

They went and pick the coffee beans. Pisamboro made a small hole in the sand. He put the beans in it and made a fire on top. When the fire had died and there was only the hot ashes, he told Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise to step on the hot ashes to push the beans down, so that they will roast even better.
Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise did not want to do that. He was afraid for his eyes. Pisamboro again and again told him that he should do it. Nothing could happen. In the end Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise did it. The ashes burned his eyes.
The tears ran out of his eyes.
He was crying and he became blind and then he died. Pisamboro fried him in the ashes and ate him. Nqare Tc'aam Tcgaise was actually a worm.
The people here call it the eland worm.

As told by Coex'ae Bob, 20 October 2000


Naro transcription

To view the Naro transcription, click here (will open in a new window).