At Home With Cornish 28

Here's a little bilingual story involving food. When you have read it, you can try adding some recipe variations of your own!

Look at earlier lessons to find some food vocabulary.

My a venja cawas ...

means I'd like to have ...

Òbma ...

means Here is ...

or Here are ...

Òbma tabm ...

means Here is a bit of ...

Cowl Men

Stone Soup

Once upon a time a kindly old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers hid in their houses.

The stranger smiled and called,

“Rag fra ma own dhe whei?”

“Why are you frightened?

I am a simple traveller, just looking for a meal and a place to stay the night.”

 

“Voyd alebma, den òncoth!” they shouted.

“Go awere are ...ay stranger.”

“Nag eus tabm boos vyth dhe nei.

“We haven’t got a bite of food.

“Gwag o nei.”

“We are hungry.”

 

“Na amownt,” called the stranger.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I have everything I need.”

 

“My a wra gwil cowl men raga nei oll.”

“I shall make some stone soup for us all.”

 

He put down a big cooking pot and began to make a fire under it.

“My a venja cawas dowr,” he called.

“I should like to have some water.”

Some brave children fetched water for him from the pump and put it in the pot.

 

Then the stranger took a clean stone out of a silk bag and dropped the stone in the water. He sniffed the water as it heated up and licked his lips.

 

Some of the villagers came out of their houses.

“Gwag o nei,” they said.

“We are hungry.”

 

“My a venja cawas tabm cavach,” said the stranger.

“I should like to have a bit of cabbage.

That will make the soup taste even better.”

A villager came over with a small cabbage from his garden and put it in the pot.

 

“My a venja cawas tabm kig sallys,” said the stranger.

“I should like to have a bit of salted meat.

That will make the soup taste even better.”

The butcher managed to find a bit of salt beef and put it in the pot.

 

“My a venja cawas tabm onyon,” said the stranger.

“I should like to have a bit of onion.

That would make the soup taste even better.”

A woman brought an onion she had been hiding and put it in the pot.

 

“My a venja cawas tabm losow moy,” said the stranger.

“I should like to have a few more vegetables.

That would make the soup taste even better.”

 

“Òbma favow,” said a villager.

“Here are some beans.”

 

“Òbma tettys,” said a villager.

“Here are some potatoes.”

 

“Òbma caretys,” said another.

“Here are some carrots.”

 

“Òbma tabm barlys,” said another.

“Here is a bit of barley.”

 

When the stone soup was ready the stranger shared it out and all the villagers had some. The stranger put the stone back in its silk bag.

 

“Delicyous ew,” said the villagers.

“It is delicious.”

“Nag o nei gwag lebmyn.”

“We are not hungry now.”