Recordings from the Estonian Folklore Archives 3

The Hawk Game

Liisa Kümmel Tori (1961)

Kuus, kuus, kul´likene,
mis see kul´li meile tul´l?
Kul´l otsib küla kanusida,
tahab talu anisida,
mõisa paari partisida,
kõrtsi kirju kalkunid.

Kuidas kul´li piakene?
Nii kui mõisa mõõduvakk.
Kuidas kul´li silmakesed?
Nii kui kulla karbikesed.
Kuidas kul´li nokakene?
Nii kui talu taarinaga.
Kuidas kul´li küinekesed?
Nii kui küla kajukooku.
Kuidas kul´li sabakene?
Nii kui mõisa tuuliluuda.

Haw, haw dear sweet hawk.
Why did this hawk come to visit us?
The hawk is looking for the village hens,
he wants the farm's geese,
a couple of ducks from the manor,
mottled turkeys from the inn.

What is the hawk's little head like?
Like the manor's big bushel.
What are the hawk's little eyes like?
Like little tiny golden boxes.
What is the hawk's little beak like?
Like the spigot of the farm's ale keg.
What are the hawk's little claws like?
Like the hook for the village well.
What is the hawk's little tail like?
Like the manor house's winnowing broom.

Niisugune oli laul. – See oli siis päris alguses kohe? – See oli kohe laul jah, es´ti laulavad sedasi ja sis: “Tere, tere, mees, mis auku sa kaevad?” – A-kes need laulavad, kõik või? – No laulavad siis kõik või, ku nad oskavad, või laulab see vana kana üksinda või, ükskõik sis.

No see on, tuleb – teine on nüid nagu kull. See seisab seal kuskel ja kana tuleb oma poegadega, inimene nüüd ja nüüd lapsed järel, ja ütleb: “Tere, tere, mees, mis auku sa kaevad?” – “Süte auku.” – “Mis sa süte peale paned?” – “Panen paja.” – “Mis sa paja sisse paned?” – “Panen vee.” – “Mis sa veega tegima akkad?” – “Akkan kuke-kana karva võtma.” – “Mis kuked-kanad sulle kurja tegid?” – “Sõid ära kõik isanda uad, emanda erned, neitsi läät´sid, toapoisi tubakad, seapoisi sibulad ja karjapoisi kapsad.” – “A-kus sa isi ol´lid?” – “Olin metsas aida tegimas.” – “Kus naised-lapsed olid?” – “Olid teibid kätte andmas.” – “Kui pikk see aid ol´li?” – “Siit senna.” – “Kui kõrge?” – “Maast taeva.” – “Kui lai?” – “Nagu kirvelaba.” – “Kui tihe?” – “Nagu jõhvisõel.” – “Ah sa valelik! Isi olid ahu pääl, koorekirn oli kõhu pääl, konnareis oli pius, kastsid konnareit koore sisse, tõmmasid läbi suu limps ja limps.” – “Ku sa sedasi räägid, ma söön su lapsed ära.”

Sis küsib: “Kas selle?” Kõige esimene akkab sis oma jalga näitama, mis kõige selle vana-kana järel on, nõnnakaua kui kõige viimane näitab oma jalga. “Jah!” ja siis akkab ta seda kinni võtma ja püidma. Ja siis nad, ema kaitseb ja pojad sääl taga siis kõik vinda-vända. Oh sa jumal seda igavest kiirdu-käärdu, sii veike sääl taga, sii tunneb igavest tuld, enne niikaua, kui kull ta kätte saab. Ja siis jääb see ära ja akatse jälle teist püidma.

That was the song. – It was sung right at the start then? – That's right, the song right away, first of all they sang the song and then: “Hello sir! What's that hole you're digging?” – But who were the singers, all of the players or how? – Oh, all of them sing the song, if they know it, or just the old hen sings by herself, or it doesn't matter who sings.

Well, there it was, the other one was like the chicken-hawk. He stands over there somewhere and the hen comes with her chicks – now a person with all her children behind her – and says: “Hello sir! What's that hole you're digging?” – “It's a coal pit.” – “What are you going to put on the coals?” – “Going to put a pot.” – “What are you going to put in the pot?” – “Going to put some water.” – “What are you going to do with the water?” – “Going to pluck the cocks and hens.” – “What did the cocks and hens do?” – “They ate up all the master's beans, the mistress' peas, the maiden's lentils, the kitchen boy's tobacco, the swineherd's onions and the shepherd's cabbages.” – “And where were you all this time?” – “In the forest, making a fence.” – “And where were your wife and children?” – “They were handing me the slats.” – “How long was this fence?” – “From here to there.” – “How high?” – “Up to the sky.” – “How wide?” – “Like the blade of an axe.” – “How tightly spaced were the slats?” – “Like a horsehair sieve.” – “You liar! You were sitting on the stove with a jug of cream on your belly and a frog's leg in your fist. You were dunking the frog's leg in the cream and pulling it through your mouth, smacking your lips.” – “If you keep this talk up I'll eat your children!”

Then she asks: “This one?” the first one then shows her leg, the one right behind the old hen, and so on until the very last one shows her leg. “Yes!” and then he tries to grab hold of her and capture her. And then the others, the mother tries to protect her and all the chicks behind her all going all over the place. Oh my Lord, all that running about, and that little one at the end, has to really run like mad until the hawk finally catches her. Then this one is out of the game and the hawk chases after the next one.

RKM, Mgn. II 521 b < Pärnu raj., Tori kn., Ore k. (Tori khk.) – H. Tampere Kirjandusmuuseumi ekspeditsioonil 1961. a. < Liisa Kümmel, 73-a.
[LP VII 5; CD3-5].