Armenian Falk Fables

Table of Contents

THREE NECESSARY THINGS

THE EXE-KING

THE ELEPHANT AND THE LION

THE OAK-TREE AND THE PUMPKIN

SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF A FARMER

THE LAW OF THE ELDER

SUCH PEOPLE DIG THEIR OWN GRAVE

THE GREEDY MAN

THE BEAR THAT ENJOYED READING

WHEN THE KING SLEEPS

WHEN THE ACCUSED SPEAKS GOLD

THE DONKEY AND THE WOLF

THE MULLAH WILL MANAGE TO FIND THE LAW IN THE SHARIA

THE CAT AND THE MICE

THE DONKEY REMAINED THE SAME DONKEY

THE IMAGE OF THE DEVIL

THE FEAR OF THE BEAR

THE HUNGRY WOLF

THE IGNORANT MAN GOT RICH

THE FOX AND THE DOG

OH‚ MY BACK

ARCHANGEL GABRIEL AND THE SEVEN BROTHERS

THE RICH AND THE THIEF

THE DOG AND HIS CHAIN

A DONKEY HAD A COLT

THE FLEA WAS ASKED

GOD AND THE MAN

THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD

THE HOUSE

A MALCONTENT IS ALWAYS MALCONTENT

MAY BLESSED BE THE GARDEN FROM WHICH BEARS KEEP AWAY

THE HUNTER AND THE HOUND

THE ALIVE AREN’T TREASURED

THE HELPLESS

THE BENEFACTOR

SLANDER

THE PLATE ISN’T HOTTER THAN THE SOUP IN IT

EVERYONE MEASURES BY HIS OWN YARDSTICK

THE CRAZY KING AND HIS MINISTERS

FOX’S CONGRATULATIONS

YOKE IS STILL A YOKE

THE RELATIVE AND THE ENEMY

GOD AND THE ARMENIANS

EVERYONE DREAMS ACCORDING TO HIS APPETITE

THE REASON AND THE LUCK

TIE TO MY TONGUE

HARNESS YOUR CALF

A CROSS-EYED WAS ASKED

THE DOG AND THE OLD MAN

THE ADVICE OF SOLOMON THE CHILD

MAKING FRIENDS WITH GOD

FOX THE DIVISOR

THE GREEDY MAN AND THE CARRIER

THE FATE OF THE POOR

ONLY THE SALT CARRIER IS AWARE OF THE WEIGHT OF HIS LOAD

THE OLD MAN AND THE NUT TREE

WOMAN’S SLANDER

THE CROW AND THE FOX

THE MICE AT THE COUNCIL

THE GREEDY MAN

WHAT SHOULD HE EAT IF THERE WAS NOTHING

THE MOST BITTER AND SWEETEST THINGS

WHO IS BETTER

THE TREES AND THE AXE

THE PRICE OF THE BUFFALO

HOW LONG?

THE OLD MAN AND ARCHANGEL GABRIEL

THE FATHER AND HIS SON THE MOWER

THE RUINED AND THE BUILT

THE DROWNING PRIEST

WHEN YOU DEMAND LESS THAN YOU GIVE

THE BEAR AND THE WOLF

THE LIAR

GIVE AND GIVE

THE SNAKE AND THE FOX

MANTASHOV AND THE FISHERMAN

THE WIDOW AND HER SON

THE LAY BROTHER AND THE DEVIL

THE WANDERER AND THE MAHTESI

ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS WILL BE WRECKED

WHO IS YOU MASTER

I HAVE A LOT TO TELL BUT –

THE SMITH AND HIS PUPIL

FOX THE PILGRIM

THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT

THE URGENT MATTER

THE ASS AND THE HORSE

THE POMEGRANATE BEAN

MATCHMAKING

THE DEVIL AND THE MAN

WE TAKE NOTHING WITH US WHEN DYING

THE MOUNT’S FEAR

ST. PAUL’S DEBT

LUCK IS A TAILOR

THE POT OF GOLD

EAGLE’S ANSWER

THE FATHER’S LESSON

A MAN IS KNOWN BY HIS DEEDS

THE POTTER AND THE FARMER

THE FAIR MULLAH

ASS’S TALENT

DEEDS AND WORDS

THEREFORE IT IS SO DEEP…

THREE WEALTHY MEN

THE FEAR OF DEATH

THE BEST THING

NIGHT ALWAYS TURNS INTO LIGHT

IN DEATH AGONY

THE SORCERER

THE KING AND THE WISE MAN

WHICH IS EASIER

THE CLERGYMAN AND THE PEASANT

THE HEN AND THE GOOSE

THE RAVEN AND HER NESTLINGS

THE GRIEF

THE GREEDY MAN

THE WIND AND THE HAYLOFT

THE SNAKE AND THE LARK

THE LOYAL VIZIER

THE KING OF ONE

THE WHEAT AND THE BARLEY

THE OATS AND THE TREFOIL

AS YOU SOW YOU SHALL MOW

THE PRAYER PLEASANT TO GOD

THE WILD ONION

THE WOLF AND THE PIG

THE CAMEL AND THE KING

THE HERDSMAN AND THE OLD MAN

THE UGLIEST ANIMAL

THE UNHAPPIEST ANIMAL

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

THE OLD WOMAN AND THE SEA

BONELESS TONGUE

THE MODEST AND THE BOASTER

CAMEL’S PAIN

THE FINGERS

THE UNITY ENSURES POWER

THE BEAR AS A PEAR-TREE GUARD

THE BRAVE VIZIER

WATCH YOUR TONGUE

THE PRIEST AND THE BUFFALO

THE TRICK OF THE TAILLESS FOX

THE DEACON WOLF

HOW DO YOU DARE

TREAT ACCORDING TO MERITS

TELLING LIES IS A SKILL, TOO

THE TWO FRIENDS

THE MAN AND THE DEVIL

THE BLIND MAN AND THE LAMP

THE POOR CONFECTIONER

THE PRINCE AND HIS PEOPLE

THE SINGER BIRD

THE RICH MAN AND THE JUDGE

YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR PROMISE

THE MERCHANT AND ST. PAUL

THE BISHOP AND KING THE COAL

IT IS BETTER TO DIE THAN…

THE DEVIL’S NOSE

THE DROWNING ASS

THE FOX’S CREDENTIAL

THE WISE DOCTOR

THE MAN AND THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

THE DOG’S MILK

THE BLIND MAN AND THE ANGEL OF DEATH

LEAVE A ROOM FOR BLESSING

MY MOTHER HAS DIED

THE KING AND HIS SON

LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING

NOAH AND THE DEVIL

THE POOR MAN

GOD IS IN THE SHADY FOREST

THE FLINT

A MAN’S EYE IS SATIATED ONLY WITH LAND

ONE SHOULD NOT BELIEVE EVERY KISS

THE MAN AND THE BEAR

THE LITTLE GROWS UP AND THE BIG GETS LITTLE

THE PARTRIDGE

DO YOUR JOB BEFORE TELLING ABOUT IT

THE HEIGHT OF THE CAMEL

MONEY BEGETS MONEY

EVERYTHING IS IN ITS RIGHT PLACE

THREE LOAVES OF BREAD

HAVE A LOOK WHEN EXCHANGING

ONE GETS FORTY WHILE FORTY IS REDUCED TO ONE

THE RIGHT OF A RICH MAN

THE PILGRIM AND THE GOLD

A MAN IS REMEMBERED BY HIS NAME AND ACTIONS

WHEN IS IT CONVINIENT?

AS YOU SOW YOU SHALL MOW

CAPTURED BY HIS OWN LIES

THE ACQUAINTANCE

THE BLIND BARD AND THE PASSER-BY

THE THICK-NECK WOLF

LOW PRICES FOLLOW THE HIGH ONES

THE PIG ATE THE BUTTER

THE TRAVELLER AND GOD

DISTRIBUTION OF FATE

THE CUSTOMER AND THE PAINTER

THE JOKER

THE ‘CLEAN’ PRIEST

WHEN WATER IS MIXED WITH MILK

THE WEALTHY MAN AND THE PEASANT

I KNOW ENDS IN DUNG

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PEASANT AND GOD

BBB

EVERY MAN GRIEVES FOR HIS OWN ‘CAMEL’

THE GREEDY MAN’S SHARE

MONEY IS A GOOD SERVANT BUT NOT A MASTER

THE PROPHET AND THE SHEPHERD

CAT THE HAJJI

THE FOX AND THE CRANE

I FOUND MY STRING A LONG TIME AGO

SOLOMON’S TRIAL

THE ‘CLEVER’ APPRENTICE

WHEN YOU’VE GOT NO ROOM TO MOVE ABOUT

THE SCORPION AND THE FROG

THE PEASANT AND THE KING

Illustrated by Naira Poghosyan

The fable is one of the most interesting and valuable forms of literature. Fables are always edifying and present the moral values of the nation they have been made up in. Fables can be found in the literature of almost every country. And Armenia is not an exception; Armenian people have many interesting and edifying fables. Some of them have been invented by the Armenians themselves and some have been borrowed from other peoples. Armen Sargsyan’s collection of Armenian folk fables contains many famous Armenian fables. And I have translated this collection of fables into English to acquaint other nations with the fables that are popular in Armenia.

Preface

The first large collection of Armenian Folk Fables was compiled and recast by folklore specialist Artashes Nazinyan. This collection was published in 2008. Later, I compiled a new collection of Armenian Folk Fables. This new collection of fables was published in 2011. Basically, my collection was the continuation of Nazinyan’s work, for the collection contained valuable material and the folk fables were of edifying worth.

The first large collection of Armenian Folk Fables was compiled and recast by folklore specialist Artashes Nazinyan. This collection was published in 2008. Later, I compiled a new collection of Armenian Folk Fables. This new collection of fables was published in 2011. Basically, my collection was the continuation of Nazinyan’s work, for the collection contained valuable material and the folk fables were of edifying worth.

Armenian literature of 19-20 centuries was used while compiling the new collection of fables. The major part of the material was chosen from folklore and ethnographic collections, the other part was chosen from among the section of fable examples involved in dialect studies, some fables were chosen from books about several districts, also from several personal collections. When choosing the fables their modernity, the distinct and deductive value of their morals was taken into consideration.

And now, I have pleasure in presenting to our readers this new collection of Armenian Folk Fables translated into English.

This collection includes the following types of fables:

• Classical allegorical fables; the characters of such fables are animals, partly.

• Short folk tales

• Fairy-tale fables

• Satiric fables and tales

• Fables with dialogues and proverbs

Armen Sargsyan

Translator’s Note

Some of the fables have not been included in the translation because of their recurrent plot in the Armenian variant. Some descriptions and explanations of the fables being considered irrelevant and unnecessary have also been excluded from this book.

The titles of the fables are, mainly, the same as in the Armenian variant of the collection. I have changed some Armenian names and toponyms used in the fables to conform them to the English language.

Alina Mirzoyan

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THREE NECESSARY THINGS

They asked a wise man:

What does a man need to live a full life in this world?

"Three things are essential to people: