Here we have a short, humorous story about a village and its priest by Påle’ Eric Forbes from his book Estoriaye Yo’. This post includes the Chamorro text, the English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

TÅYA’ ÑAHLALANG NA DINAGI

Tinige’ as Påle Eric Forbes

Åntes de sumetmon si Påle’ ayo na Damenggo, ha faisen i taotao kao siña manmåtto gi sigiente dia, era i Lunes, ya u ma fa’maolek i atof i gima’ yu’us sa esta ti u åpmam para u hålom i fanuchánan. Todo i lalåhe para u fanmanayuda gi atof yan todo i famalao’an para u na’laguye i lalåhe ni na’-ñiha. Todo i linahyan taotao ilek-ñiha na hunggan, siempre manmåtto. Lao gi Lunes tåya’ ni un taotao måtto.

Gi sigiente na Damenggo, si Påle’ ha lalåtde i taotao lao ilek-ña i atkåtde, “Ambre Påle’, hunggan manmandagi ham lao ñahlalang ha’ na dinagi. Po’lo ya agupa’ para bai in fanmåtto para u ma fa’maolek i atof.”

Ineppe gue’ as Påle’, “Tåya’ dinagi ñahlalang. Ya pot prueba, hu matdise entero este na songsong na, desde på’go para mo’na, ni uno giya hamyo ti u na’fåkpo’ i ha’åne sin u fanmandagi un biåhe.”

Mansen manman i taotao ma hungok este sa’ ilek-ñiha na ti makkat na matdision ayo i ha sångan si Påle’, i para u fandagi kada taotao un biåhe kada dia. Lao sige adumiddide’ i taotao este na songsong ti manmanangokko entre siha ha’. Todos mandududa kao magåhet na para u hånao i taotao annai ilek-ña na para u hånao, kao para u fanapåse i taotao annai ilek-ña na para u fanapåse. Ya ti gi halom este ha’ na songsong na malingo i ma angokkon i fino’ i taotao. Kontodo i taotao otro bånda ti ma hongge i fino’ i taotao este na songsong. An guaha para u ma bende pat para u ma fåhan, ti ma angokko håfa ilek-ña i taotao yanggen taotao este ha’ na songsong.

Pues manhånao todo i taotao este na songsong para u ma gågao si Påle’ kao siña ha asi’e’ siha ya u ma funas i matdision. Si Påle’ ha kansela i matdision ya desde ayo na momento tåya’ na manmandagi ta’lo i taotao este na songsong sa’ esta ma tungo’ na tåya’ dinagi ñahlalang.

NO LIE IS SMALL

Before Father preached that Sunday, he asked the people if they could come the next day, Monday, to fix the church roof as the rainy season was near. All the men would help on the roof and all the women would cook food for the men. All the people said yes, they would surely come. But on Monday not one person came.

The following Sunday, Father scolded the people but the mayor said, “But Father, yes we lied but it was a small lie. Tomorrow we will come and repair the roof.”

The priest answered him, “No lie is small. And as proof, I curse this entire village, that from now on, not one of you will end the day without lying once.”

The people were amazed to hear this because what Father said didn’t seem like a bad curse, that each one would lie once a day. But little by little the people didn’t trust each other. Everyone doubted if someone would really go when he said he would go, if the person would pay when he said he would pay. And it wasn’t only within this village that trust in people’s word was lost. Even people from elsewhere didn’t believe the word of the people of this village. When something was to be sold or bought, if the person was from this village, they didn’t believe his word.

So all the people of this village went to ask Father if he could take back the curse. The priest canceled the curse and from that moment on no one again in this village lied because now they knew that no lie is small. 

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