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| CONTENTS Discussing: Contemporary Issues Challenging: Women Issues Reading: Research Article Learning: History Guessing: Proverbs & Riddles Studying: Literature Visiting: Photo Gallery Admiring: Art Gallery Listening to: Hmong Radios Enjoying: Tales for Children Taking: Courses of Cult & Language |
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| TOPICS OF 2006 January Tsab rau Tsab Mim Xyooj Lettre ouverte à Chamee Xiong, la plus célèbre chanteuse hmong The Open Letter to Chamee Xiong, the Most Famous Female Hmong Singer February Kuv tus Phauj Nyob Asmeslivkas Teb thiab "cov nkauj laug" Ma Tante d'Amérique et les "vieilles filles" My Aunt from America Handling the "Old girls" Ib tug ntxhais kev hlub rau nws leej niam Les soins d'une fille à sa mère A Daughter's Care for her Mother March Qav Xav Loj li Twm La Grenouille qui désire devenir aussi grosse qu'un boeuf The Frog who aspired to become as big as the Ox Cov lus, cov duab thiab cov siab tuaj koom lub rooj sab laj poj niam hmoob Paroles, photos et sentiments à propos de la conférence sur les femmes hmong Words, pictures and feelings at the Hmong Women Conférence, Minnesota 2005 May Taaj kev zais siab tsis pab nws tus kheej rov ua neej Les mensonges de Taah à propos de son divorce ne l'aident pas à trouver son intégrité Taah's Lies about her Divorce Kept her far from her Integrity Guest Writer: Lindy Lee-Her Hmoob Nkes: Thaum txij neej rov nyiam txiv neej,poj niam rov nyiam poj niam Gay et lesbians Hmong en Amérique Hmong Gay and Lesbians Phauj Xis raug muag ua niam peb Ma tante Sy a été vendue comme troisième épouse Aunt See had been sold as a third wife June Guest Writer: Lig Vaaj Xub Thoj Lub Neej Ua Yeeb Yam Kiab Un morceau de l'histoire du développement du cinéma hmong: Su Thao A Piece of the Making of Hmong Films: Su Thao Tsheej Kim, Tus neeg hu xov Tooj tsis tseg L'homme-Chencki The Chencki-man, the night caller July Tus txiv neej uas hais lus rau cov tsawb L'homme qui parlait aux bananiers The Man Who Talked to the Banana Trees, August Raug dab thawj thiab los sis siab phem xwb? Possédé par un démon de chagrin ou simple méchanceté? Possessed by a Lost Spirit of Grief or Simple Wickedness? September Guest Writer: Npoos Xyooj (Bong Xiong), Young Master of Hmong Wedding Kab Tshoob Kev Kos: Piav Txog Tshoob Coj Le mariage traditionnel: le cas du mariage par fuite Traditional Wedding: the case of marriage by elopement November Guest Writer: Kou Xiong Kub Xyooj Tsev Neeg Kev Nrhiav ib Lub Teb Chaw uas Muaj Kev Yeej Pheej La recherche d'une terre de choix par la famille de Kou Xiong Kou Xiong's Family Search For a Land of Choices December Niam Nkauj Kab Yeeb La rencontre avec la déesse miséricorde Guanying. The Meeting with Guayin, the Goddess of Mercy. |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES The Frog who Aspired to Become as Big as the Ox A French Fable to Enlighten Hmong Contemporary Behaviors By Kao-Ly Yang, Ph.D. Sau ua lus hmoob Version française Keywords: qav / frog / grenouille; twm / ox / boeuf; kev hu loj / greediness / avidité; kev khav theeb / vanity / vanité; tsiag qhia neeg ua neej / social parody / parodie sociale; Fabkis txuj ci paj nruag / French literature / littérature française ; neeg paj lug / metaphor /métaphore Have you ever heard about a certain Frog Bul-Foast whose stomach was burst in the lakeHurt? This frog loved wearing red clothes even if he was only a green frog. He had a low front and a steadfast smile at his face. He was quite pretentious, very enterprising, always whispering rumors everywhere. Everyone admired his sweet voice, which made him gain lot of face. One day, Frog Bul-Foast spoke French. No one knew how such a thing could happen. Frog explained: after a walk where he felt down, he started to speak French. Since that day, Frog read (loudly) so much in French that everyone got tired of listening to his voice. Still, he kept reading for all, so happy to be so good. One night, the moon was full; Frog Bul-Foast found a French fable about a frog. - Oh! That is really inspiring, Frog said, after finishing reading. The fable was about an another frog who wanted to become as big as an ox. -Er! How can I become as big as the Ox? Our small Frog Bul-Foast loudly hoped. The truth was that Frog Bul-Foast did not understand French at all. (He was deciphering, and not comprehending the (hidden) meaning). The writer, Jean de La Fontaine, wrote this parody to warn people about the dangers due to greediness and vanity. Frog took the story for real: he thought he could be as huge as an ox. However, Frog did not know what to do exactly to become as large as the Ox. He thought very thoroughly when a piece of idea came out: -I just need to behave like Oxes to be as big as Oxes. In the county of Hurt, when a frog is nicely huge, potbellied, and tall like the Ox, the community loved inviting him to give speeches and, all looked at him very highly as an excellent role model. In addition, Frog was depressed: he could not any girl. He was thinking that if he became like an ox, he might attract a girl. -How does Ox behave? The frog now wondered when suddenly, another piece of idea cropped up. No one knew if the idea was good or bad. As Frog Bul-Foast was mistrustful and narcissist, he did not want to share his idea with others because he was afraid that people might steal it. (This was a fatal mistake of judgment on his behalf.) Since that day, Frog Bul-Foast behaved with so much arrogance; he believed he was superior. With this overconfidence, he, of course, told whoever wanted to listen that he knew everything: he taught mathematics, history and even Hmong language at his school. His behavior was so outrageous that his own kin did not recognize him. The small frog who had a thin shape became quite plump and greasy with a big stomach. Even if he kept repeating that he suffered hypertension and diabetes, he still attended all feasts, parties, funerals or weddings where there were good meats and drinks. All murmured: - This frog is too pretentious. Times passed; Frog Bul-Foast was full aware of his failure: nobody liked him or applauded his exploits. He went to give speeches, but no one was listening. Only people who did not know him well still invited him; the attendees were just some vain hypocrites. Nevertheless, he did not care about that because he wanted to be the pioneer of bigger size frogs in this lakeHurt. He now re-questioned his idea: - Maybe I misunderstood. It was not to behave with overconfidence. There is something else ? Frog had thought that being like the Ox was being arrogant, contemptuous, condescending, and vain. Sitting on a bamboo branch, Frog thought hard, when a solution sprang out of his mind: -How come I did not think of this first! Of course, the Ox lives near water. The Ox is huge because he drinks water! The little Frog Bul-Foast ran as fast as he could to the lake Hurt. Arrived, he put his head into the stream, and drank with all his heart. His stomach was becoming as big as a balloon, but still, too small, he thought, so he kept drinking until he heard a cracking sound then a bursting. He was looking around when realizing that his intestines were slipping out. Frog knew his stomach has broken. Sad is the tale! However, it is not a fiction; it is a metaphor. Frog Bul-Foast did not have the same luck as the frog in the Hmong tale "The Weaver Maiden and the Herdsman" where it was possible to sew again the stomach. The poor Frog Bul-Foast of the LakeHurt died. There was nothing else to do. Jean de La Fontaine already gave the morals of the fable. However, there might be need to emphasize it again for the Hmong men and women in America: Do not envy others because you could lose your life. Just accept the way you are. Even if you have the knowledge, but not the skills, the strength or the mean to realize your project, you may not be able to succeed. Do not hope too much, or too little, just hope for what you need. When you see people with talents, learn from them. Do not be jealous. Do not hate people because of their wealth or poverty. You may be small or big in size, there will be always something awaiting you. Do not take example on Frog Bul-Foast who reveals to be simply Boast-Ful, and for a stupidity, lost his life. written March 2006 Copyrights 2006 to Kao-Ly Yang All rightsreserved ORIGINA FABLE AND TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH AND HMONG La grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse qu'un boeuf Une Grenouille vit un Boeuf Qui lui sembla de belle taille. Elle, qui n'était pas grosse en tout comme un oeuf, Envieuse, s'étend, et s'enfle, et se travaille, Pour égaler l'animal en grosseur, Disant : "Regardez bien, ma soeur ; - Est-ce assez ? - Dites-moi. - N'y suis-je point encore ? - Nenni. - M'y voici donc ? - Point du tout. - M'y voilà ? - Vous n'en approchez point". La chétive pécore S'enfla si bien qu'elle creva. Le monde est plein de gens qui ne sont pas plus sages : Tout bourgeois veut bâtir comme les grands seigneurs, Tout petit prince a des ambassadeurs, Tout marquis veut avoir des pages. Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) The Frog Who Aspired to Become as Big as the Ox A Frog espied an Ox that seemed to her of a noble size. She, no bigger than an egg, Envious, stretches, puffs up and labors To match the animal in size, Saying: "Hey watch me sister; Is this enough? Tell me; am I there yet? -No way! -How about now? -Not at all. - IIs that it ? You aren't even close." The puny, pretentious creature Swelled up so much that she croaked. The world is full of people who aren't too wise: People with some money wish to build like royalty, Every minor prince has ambassadors, Every marquis wants servants. Tus Qav uas Xav Loj li tus Twm Ib tug Qav tseem pom ib tug Twm Uas cev loj thiab kheej heev Tus Qav, uas twb tsis luaj li ib lub qe, Cia li ntshaw Twm. Niam pw rub nthawv nthav, nqus pa dhiv dhawv, ua yeeb yam Kom loj li Twm; Hais tias: "Saib seb, leej muam; Puas piv tau? Qhia mas! Puas tau loj txaus? - Lam nab. -Ntsia pem no? -Piv tsis tau li os. -Ntsia nram no? - Koj twb loj tsis cuag es." Tus nyuag qav ces khav khav Ua tus plab zais zais ces plab tawg kiag. Hauv lub ntiaj teb no muaj coob leej uas yeej tsis paub nws kev coj Txhua tus neeg nyuam qhuav nplua nuj twb xav muaj tsev li nom Txhua tus tub huab tais cia li xav muaj tub txib cev lus Txhua tus niag nom cia li xav muaj tub mab tub qhe. (Traduction du français au hmong par Kao-Ly Yang) Courtoisie de Jean de la Fontaine, Site réalisé par la famille Vidaud |
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