Tamil

Text 1: Bird Story

This story is based on a wordless picture book:
Mercer Mayer. 1974. Two Moral Tales. New York: Four Winds Press.

Listen in Tamil

1

Oru  naal Kuku endra paravai salai valiye nada-ndhu selumboludhu oru thopiyai kandu eduthadhu.


One day  Kuku mean bird      road via     walk-ing     while             one hat       found   took


One day, the bird Kuku was walking along the road and found a hat. 



2

Kuku thopiyai thalaiyil maati perumithan adaindhadu.


Kuku hat        head     wore gracious      felt.


Kuku tried  the hat on her head and felt gracious.


3
Siridhu tholaivu  nadandha pin,   Kuku, Chikku engira oru budhisaaliyana palaya tholiyai sandhithadhu

Little    distance  walk        after Kuku  Chikku mean  one clever.minded  old      friend   meet.


After a little walk, Kuku happened to meet an old friend named “Chikku” who was clever-minded.



4
Kuku Chikku-vai   ketadhu “Yen thopi epdi irukiradhu?” 

Kuku, Chikku-to   asked      my   hat   how look

Kuku asked Chikku, “How does my hat look?” 


5
Chikku sonnadhu, “ Oh Kuku, Yen un    alagaana koondal-ai  thopiyin adiyil maraithukondaai?

Chikku said            Oh kuku,  why your  beautiful hair-POSS hat         under hide

Chikku replied, “Oh! Kuku, why did you hide your beautiful hair under the hat?” 


6

Adhumattumindri, “Nee thopi illaamal alagaai   irukirai.” Yendradhu.


added.that             you  hat    without beautiful looking   meant

She added, “You look beautiful without the hat.”



7
Kuku alaga      illai endru ninaithu thopiyai thooki yerindhu sendradhu

Kuku beautiful no  meant  thought hat        lift       throw     went


Kuku thought that the hat didn’t make her beautiful, threw the hat,  and went away. 



8

Chikku thopiyai thanadhu koodaaga vaithu kondadhu.

 

Chikku hat        her          nest          keep  used

 

Chikku used the hat as a nest. 

   
9 Matroru naal, Kuku, Chikku thaan thooki yerindha thopiyai adhan koodaaga ubayogipathai paarthadhu. 
  Another day  Kuku  Chikku her     lift       throw     hat         her     nest          used              saw.
  Another day, Kuku saw that Chikku was using the hat that she threw away as a nest. 
   
10

Kuku kobapattu thanadhu thopiyai thirupi kodukumaaru ketadhu.

 

Kuku angry         her         hat         return give                asked

  Kuku got angry and asked her to return the hat. 
   
11

Chikku thopiyai thirupi koduthavudan Kuku adhai anindu kondadu.

 

Chikku hat        return give                 kuku  that   wore    had.

  Chikku returned the hat and Kuku wore the hat again.
   
12 Kuku tan thalaiyil yedho      vithyasamaga irupathai unardadhu.  
  Kuku her head    something strange           present  realized.     
  Kuku realized that something was strange on her head. 
   
13 Adhu thanadhu thopiyai kalatiyavudan, Chikku-vin        kulandai adhan thalayil utkaardu irundadhu. 
   It      her          hat        remove           Chikku-POSS   baby      her     head    sitting        present.
  When she removed the hat Chikku’s baby was sitting on her head. 
   
14

Chikku-vin      kulandai tan thayidam, “ Amma, enakku pudiya koodu migavum pidithirukiradhu” endradhu.

  Chikku-POSS baby     her mother        Mom    I          new     nest so.much     like                     said
 

Chikku’s baby told her mom  “Mom, I like the new nest.”

   
15 Kuku Adirndhadu
 

Kuku Shocked.

 

Kuku was shocked.