June 9. Story of the Day: Tiger Rhyme

This is another item from Geo. Fr. D'Penha writing from Mumbai (Salsette Island) for the Indian Antiquary, vol. 23 (1894; online at Hathi Trust). I have transcribed the English below, and you can see a screenshot of D'Penha's original transliteration at the bottom of the page which provides a sense of the rhyming structure. In his note, he says that this was a popular song for weddings; I wonder if it is still a popular song even now...?

This story does fit into an ATU tale type, and the series structure here is purely formal, showing how any series of events can be told as a chain-tale (with or without rhyme). It's just a matter of giving each action a line of its own such that the first part of each line resumes the action of the preceding line.

You will see the word "tank" here in the English translation, and it is one of many words that come to English from India; more about the word "tank" in English. The word "darbar" which appears in the translation refers to a royal court or meeting hall.

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CUMULATIVE RHYME ON THE TIGER

(photo by Moni Sertel)

To the tank my tiger for water descended;

Drinking water, my tiger felt happy;

Feeling happy, my tiger in the cave sat;

Sitting in the cave, my tiger began to play;

Playing, playing, my tiger the water-woman saw;

The water-woman seeing my tiger, the hunter was informed;

The hunter being informed, my tiger with the gun was aimed at;

Aimed at with the gun, my tiger with a bullet was killed;

Killed with the bullet, my tiger on the ground was thrown;

Thrown on the ground, my tiger with a rope was bound;

Bound with a rope, my tiger on a pole was slung;

Slung on a pole, my tiger on the shoulders was lifted;

Lifted on the shoulders, my tiger to the darbar was carried.


NOTES

This is a popular song among the East Indians in Salsette, and is sung on festival occasions, including marriages and christenings.

CHAIN: tiger/water - happy - sat - played - woman/saw - hunter/informed - gun/aimed - tiger/killed - thrown - bound - slung - lifted - carried