Children and the Wolf (Henan Dialect)
by Kairui from Henan
English Translation:
Once upon a time, there was a woman who had three children. One day, she went to her mother-in-law’s home. When she was returning to her own home, the woman met a wolf spirit. Suddenly, the wolf spirit changed into a human being and spoke to the woman.
Wolf asked, “Which village are you from?”
The woman said, “The one in front of us.”
Wolf asked, “Where is your home?”
The woman said, “My home is at the east end of the village. There is a big jujube tree in the yard of my home, which can be seen from a distance.”
Wolf then asked her, “How many children are there in your family?”
The woman said, “Three children in my family.”
Wolf asked, “What are their names?”
The woman said, “Their names are Men Shuan Er, Men Bi Er, and Tiao Su Ge Da Er.”
Then, Wolf asked, “Does the man in your family stay at home?”
The woman said, “My children’s father does not stay at home because he is doing business in the city.”
Wolf said, “Well, I see a grey hair on your head. I’ll grab it for you.”
The woman said, “Okay.”
Unsuspecting, the woman leaned forward and Wolf swallowed her into his stomach! Then the wolf spirit transformed into the image of the woman herself. Except for one detail: Wolf’s tail would not go away. So, Wolf hid in amidst the village’s crops in the sunlight. Only when it was dark, did the Wolf dare to travel through the village. Using the moonlight alone, Wolf found the house at the east end of the village, with a big jujube tree in its yard.
Wolf arrived, knocked on the door, and said,
“Men Shuan Er, Men Bi Er, and Tiao Su Ge Da Er, open the door.”
The three children looked through the crack in the door and said, “Who are you?”
Wolf said, “I am your mother.”
The children knew in their gut something was wrong. They said, “You are not our mother. There is no pockmark on our mother’s face.”
Quick-thinking, Wolf responded, “I was walking on the road in a hurry and didn’t wash my face. I’m going to wash it now.”
Wolf cleansed its face a little bit, knocked on the door again, and said,
“Men Shuan Er, Men Bi Er, and Tiao Su Ge Da Er, open the door for your mother.”
The three children looked through the crack in the door. Again, something felt off and they said, “You are not our mother. Our mother has big feet.”
Wolf said, “It’s dark. You can’t see clearly. I am your mother.”
The children refused to open the door.
So, Wolf made his feet bigger. Then, Wolf knocked on the door again, and said,
“Men Shuan Er, Men Bi Er, and Tiao Su Ge Da Er, open the door for your mother.”
The three children looked from inside. Okay, this time it appeared to be their mother. They opened the door.
As soon as Wolf entered the door, it did not sit on a stool like normal. Wolf sat directly on a bucket, to hide its tail. Because it had a tail, if it was to sit on a stool, the children would see its tail.
The children asked, “Mother, why don’t you sit on the stool.”
Wolf said, “I’m too tired from walking. My buttocks hurt. I’ll sit on the bucket to rest.” (Note that in Henan dialect, the Wolf made a pun. The stool is called a “Dun’er.” The place whereon sits is also called “Dun’er.” So, Wolf deliberately played down the difference between the bucket and the stool!)
The children didn’t doubt Wolf’s explanation. It was dark, and the family went to sleep together as usual. The three children slept with Wolf in the family bed. But, the eldest brother suddenly brushed up against Wolf’s tail!
The eldest brother asked, “Mother, what’s in our bed? It’s furry.”
Wolf said, “It is a feather duster I brought from Grandma’s home.”
The eldest two brothers thought about their mother’s strange behaviour, and began to feel uneasy. They shook hands, to exchange a signal that something was wrong.
The eldest brother said, “Mother, I should bring Tiao Su Ge Da Er (the youngest brother) to go poop.”
Wolf said, “Let me do it.”
The eldest brother responded, “Don’t you think it is too smelly? Usually, I do it with second-eldest brother.”
Wolf said, “Then do it in the room.”
The eldest brother said, “It is so smelly! We should do it outside.”
Wolf said, “Then do it outside the door.”
Eldest brother insisted, “It is so smelly. Let’s go outside to the outhouse.”
Wolf said, “I will go with you.”
The eldest brother replied, “You forget that you think it is so smelly. Usually, the second-eldest brother and I do it.”
Wolf said, “Fine, go ahead.”
The eldest brother picked up the youngest brother. The Second-eldest brother opened the door, and the three children went outside without locking the door. They worried that the sound of locking the door would startle the imposter mother in the house. But, these smart kids had a plan.
They went to the kitchen and got a rope and a pot of oil. Eldest brother climbed up the jujube tree with the youngest brother on his back. The second-eldest brother spread oil on the jujube tree. Then, the eldest brother pulled the second-eldest son onto the jujube tree with the rope.
Wolf waited and waited. When the children did not come back, Wolf went out to see.
Wolf opened the door and asked, “Men Shuan Er, Men Bi Er, and Tiao Su Ge Da Er, where are you?”
Men Shuan Er and Men Bi Er said, “We are eating jujubes on the tree.”
Wolf said, ” Why are you eating jujubes in the middle of the night? Come down quickly!”
Eldest and second-eldest brothers said, “The jujubes are sweet. Do you want to climb up too?”
Wolf gave in, saying “Okay.”
However, no matter how the Wolf tried, it can’t climb up the tree. After the tree been soreaded by oil, it was too slippery.
The eldest brother said, “Let us pull you up.”
Wolf said, “Okey.”
Eldest brother threw the rope down. Wolf tied the rope to its waist. Eldest and second-eldest sons pulled the wolf up together. Halfway through, they suddenly loosened the rope, and letting Wolf fall to the ground.
Wolf was so angry! It yelled, ” Are you going to let your mom fall to her death?! Come down immediately!”
The eldest brother said, “Mother, we blame our slippery hands. Let’s try again. The jujubes are really sweet.”
Then, they began to pull Wolf up again, this time they pull the Wolf higher than before. When Wolf was about to reach them, it felt happy. Eldest and Second-eldest brothers exchanged another signal to each other. At once, they let go of the rope together. This time, Wolf fell to its death. With its death, it changed back to its original form as a wolf spirit.
The three children came down from the tree and looked at the body of the wolf spirit. They cut open the wolf’s belly and rescued their mother.
When their mother came out into the night, she opened her eyes, and said, “I came back from Grandma’s home and fainted while walking. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Eldest and second-eldest brothers explained, “Mother, you met a wolf spirit.”
The youngest brother was still sleeping. Eldest and second-eldest brothers, along with their mother buried the wolf spirit’s body in the yard.
After a while, it rained and a cabbage grew from the yard. One day, a trader came from the village, and they used this cabbage in exchange for sweet beans.