Tessol singing (sparrow)

Tessol singing (sparrow)

Narrator: Golab Qeytasi

Job: The farmer

Place of collection: Gach Boland village from Likak subsidiary areas, Kohkiluyeh Boyer Ahmad state, Iran.

Date of collection: SEP. 29/ 2019

Collector: Zeynab Mosaddeq, PhD. candidate

The old women was cooking bread. Tessol (sparrow) was flying around her. When the smell of bread came over the old woman’s head and said, “Give me a piece of bread!” The old woman said to him, “Go get me some dry firewood to give you some bread. The Tessol went around and took some dry, thin firewood to his tip and brought it to the old woman and said:” Well! I did what you said. Give me some bread but I was full. The old woman said get up! How can I give you bread while you know how is difficult baking bread! The Tessol insisted on giving some bread! She said, I won’t. He told the old woman:” Now I jump from that and pick up the tray and take it.” The old woman said, “I also break your wings with this bread stick and hang on your neck.”

The Tessol picked up the bread tray and flew into the sky, as far as he could got away. He flied until reached a place where a man had two goats and was grazing them. He told him: Chop some of this bread and put some milk in it and let’s eat together. The man did the same. When the eating was over, the Tessol said, “You ate all the bread. Did you think that I gave you free?! Now you have to give me two Pazans (Large mountain goat) instead of the bread. The poor farmer had no choice so gave him the Pazans and went. The little Tessol in the back and the Pazans in front. As he went forward, he noticed that a wedding ceremony was taking place in a village. The owner of the wedding intended to kill the dog and feed the guests instead of cattle and sheep. Tessol went forward and said very politely, “Don’t do that! Instead, kill two of my Pazans which has consequences, don’t kill the dog it is a sin”. The wedding owner was happy to do so. They set the food on fire with Pazan’s meats, and the musicians began to sing and sing. When the feast was over and the bride was taken to the bridegroom’s house, Tessol went to the bridegroom and said: “Then, what about my Pazans? Did I give you for free and owe it to your gusts to eat it? Hurry up! Instead, give me something!”

The groom said,” I have nothing to give you in return.” Tessol said:” Give me the bride!” As the bridegroom refused to give up the bride, he jumped over and picked up the bride and went away. A little further on, the same wedding party band which he saw before, are passing through. He said:” O musicians you are kind! I’ll give you the bride, give me your instrument and your drums. The musicians who prayed to God, instantly accepted the bride and gave him the instruments and drums.

Tessol went and sat in the middle of mountain, played instruments, knoked on drum and song aloud: I stole bread from the old woman, gave it to the owner of the Pazans,  I grabbed  the cows instead of taking Pazans. Then I got the bride, in return for the cows. I changed beautiful bride instead of musicians singing. Now I’m the singing bird.”