The Five Brothers
Long ago there was a family which had five children which are brothers. As for their names they were Pa"ama(thumb), Pattuchu(forefinger), Pakawkagwa (middle finger), Pa"ochong (ring finger), and Pa"i'ing (little finger). Pa"ama is the eldest, second was Pattuchu, third was Pakawkagwa, fourth was Pa"ochong, and the youngest was Pa"i'ing. They were happy family because there fought about anything and they were well off. They had much food because they are a very industrious family.
One day their father became sick and they were worried because he was shivering a lot. So what his children did was to go hunting bird to give to him as his food so his sickness would be gone. After three days, their father was very sick. They have nothing to do. Even their mother cried because she has very worried. After four days their father said, "Go and get an eel perhaps its slime will be the cure." And whichever of you will get three eels and my illness will be cured, I will give something special to him."
And the brothers said, "We will go now and come back at dusk." While they were walking towards the river the four brothers except Pa"i'ing were saying, "I am the one who will get three eels and I will get what our father will give." But Pa"i'ing was silent because he was the smallest among them. And when they reached the river they said, "We will rest awhile."
And after they rested they said, "You Pa"ama will go first and catch the eel inside the water." And when he put his goggles he said, "Wait for what I'm going to get." When Pa"ama dived in, immediately he came out because he could not fathom its depthless. And when he dived in three times, he came up and said to Pattuchu,"You better go because I can't fathom its depthless."
And Pattuchu said to him, "Just watch me. Is that what you would call a man, he can't even fathom even if it is just shallow."
When he dived in immediately he came up. And Pa"ama said, "You are worst." And when he dived in three times he came up because he could not make it.
And Pakawkagwa said, "Just watch me." You will see me and I will immediately get an eel."
"We will see." said Pa"ama and Pattuchu. And when Pakawkagwa dived in immediately he also came up hardly able to breath.
And they all laugh saying, "You are even worst!"
And when he dived in three times he came up too and he said, "It is very deep."
And Pa"ochong proudly said, "You don't know anything. Just see and I will go and get one immediately." He dived in and while he was still in the shallow part, he immediately came up hardly able to breath. And his brothers kept laughing because he was very proud. And when he dived in three times he came up and said, "It is truly very deep." And they all (four) said, "Let's go now because it is very deep." And Pa"i'ing said, "I will try to go."
And his brothers said, "More so you cannot reach the bottom since you are very small? Let's go home now so that our father will not be worried because it is near sunset.
But Pa"i'ing insisted saying, "I will try."
And his brothers allowed him and said to him, "Just dive ones and if you will not get any you will come up right away."
And when Pa"i'ing dived in he went very deep. By and by he got eel as big as an arm and his brothers were amazed. And when he dived in again and by and by he also got one and his brothers got hold of it. Finally they were jealous of him and they agreed that they will kill him so that they will be the one who will get what their father will give to them. When Pa"i'ing again came up, he also get one and he came out. When he had them hold the eel he got, they hit his head and he nearly died and they thought he died and they left him along the riverbank.
When they were walking home, his four brothers said, "What are we going to say if our father ask why Pa"i'ing is not here?"
And Pa"ama thought saying, "We will say that he immediately dived in without telling to us. And when we dived in we could not find him until sunset and he really was not there. That is why we went home to tell you." That is there agreement.
And when they were at their house they said to their father, "Be strong because we brought here three eels." Get up so we will rub its slime on you and we will cook it and you will eat it so that your sickness will be removed." And when got up and saw the three eels he was happy saying, "Come here so you rub on my body the slime."
And when they got near him, their father saw that Pa"i'ing was not there and he said, "Where is Pa"i'ing?"
And Pa"ama answered saying, "This is what happened to him, he immediately dived in the water which is very deep, he did not tell us." And when we followed diving after him we could not find him until sunset. And we came home to tell you."
And their father and mother were worried saying, "You go and find him."
And the four brothers said, "We looked everywhere in the river and we could not find him. Maybe the crocodile ate him."
And their father's sickness became even worst and he did not eat. And the four brothers said, "Give us first what you have promised so that we will look for Pa"i'ing."
And their father said, "You go first and find him before I will give it." And his brothers said," Give it first to us before we go."
Since they insisted asking what their father promised, their father said to them, "Okay, I will give all my properties to you even all the animals."
The plan of the four brothers was that after they will get all what their father will give to them they will go away to another place.
While their father was still talking to them, Pa"i'ing suddenly arrived and they were all amazed especially his four brothers. And then Pa"i'ing told them (parents) what they did to him. Even the one who got the eel he told (them) that it was he who got the eels.
Their father got very angry and sent them away to leave their house and Pa"i'ing was the one who got all the properties which his father gave. Finish.
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