Si Kalbaw maka Si Kallo’
Sinama Big Book Series
Si Kalbaw maka Si Kallo’ is taken from the folklore of Mindanao. It is an anecdote for why the carabao doesn’t seem to care when the white heron perches on his back. The pictures below are designed to be downloaded and printed on A4 paper (8.27 x 11.69). Clear tape should be used to tape front pages and back pages together as well as to strengthen the edges of the book. The pictures are designed to be on the left with their text on the right. Masking tape is than used to bind two pages together. The book is then sewn together with needle and thread and suitable to be used in a Sama home or classroom.
We hope that those working with community development in Sama/Badjao communities will take the time to print these pictures and make them into a Big Book to be used in Sama homes, kindergartens, and other education settings. The download for the pictures along with the translation of the text can be found below the pictures in this post.
Cultural Items in the Story
Si Kalbaw maka Si Kallo’ was originally written in Maguindanaon by Naguib Solaiman. It’s original title is Si Kalabaw enggu si Talaung. The animals in the story are well known to the Sama but are much more common in the Maguindanaon context of mainland Mindanao where they are farmers. Still, almost anywhere in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao where there is agriculture you likely will see a carabao and to this day the white heron still claims his right to perch on the carabao’s back. Of special cultural interest to the Sama is the importance of the tide in this story. The Sama who are fishermen must be aware of tides as they navigate their boats. As foolish as drinking the ocean sounds, it is just as foolish of carabao for not having a good understanding of how the tides work.
Library Sinama
Si Kalbaw maka Si Kallo’ is the second edition to our project Library Sinama. We appreciate how the story was made readily available for our translation from a Maguindanaon text. We hope to add to the collection of stories in Sinama by 10 books a year. Illustrations are one of the largest barriers to our increasing the Library Sinama. We are grateful for being able to adapt this already illustrated text in order to make it available to the Sama. We hope to find more stories from other Southeast Asians that can be used for the Library Sinama. Having a Sama illustrator is another need of the Library Sinama.
Si Kalbaw maka Si Kallo' | PDFDownload
Click to Download the story of “Si Kalbaw maka si Kallo'” Aniya’ isab kissa itu ma PDF Size maka Booklet Size.
Translation
Dakayu’ llaw, amowa maglomba’ si Kallo’ ma si Kalbaw bang sai ma sigām akosog anginum.
One day White Heron competed against Water Buffalo to see who could drink the most.
Yuk si Kallo’ ni si Kalbaw, “Na Kalbaw, parahū ka anginum.”
White Heron said, “Water Buffalo, you take the first turn.”
Magtagna’ si Kalbaw anginum. Paginumna itū, tahik tuwi’. Ya sadja, sōng palalom tahik inān hinabuna anginum.
So Water Buffalo began to actually drink from the sea. But the tide was rising while he was drinking.
Anginum na pa’in tahik si Kalbaw sampay ang’tting b’ttongna. Minsan lagi’ buwattingga kosogna anginum, halam na pa’in pakō’ tahik inān.
Water Buffalo drank until his stomach was swollen with salt water. He drank all that he could, but the water level still had not fallen.
Ma katapusan, ah’lling si Kalbaw ni si Kallo’,yukna, “Kallo’, surendel aku. Pas’lle’ na ka anginum!”
At last Water Buffalo told White Heron, “White Heron, now you take your turn to drink.”
Pas’lle’ na anginum si Kallo’. Salta’ hinabuna anginum sōng na t’bba tahik.
White Heron took his turn at drinking the sea. But during his turn, the tide began to fall.
Palanjal magbau’-bau’ anginum si Kallo’ sampay at’bba na. Ta’nda’ isab e’ si Kalbaw pakulang na pa’in tahik.
White Heron kept pretending to drink until the water receded. Water Buffalo soon began to notice that the water level was falling.
Pagnda’ si Kalbaw at’bba na tahik sampay sikaluwasan na saga batu, ah’lling iya ni si Kallo’, yukna,”Arōy, tara’ug aku!”
When Water buffalo saw that the sea was low enough to expose the stones, he told White Heron, “I am the loser.”
Magsusun si Kalbaw ati yukna pabalik, “Tara’ug aku, kallo’. Anganda’ug ka.”
Sadly, Water Buffalo said again, “White Heron, I am the loser. You have won.”
Ya ī’ sababanna bang angay makaruwa’ kallo’ ma bukut kalbaw minsan ai waktu.
That is the reason why White Heron can ride on the back of Water Buffalo any time he wants.
License
Learning in a child’s mother tongue is the best preparation for him to succeed in a multilingual environment. The problem is that many mother tongue languages don’t have enough literature in order to hold their children’s interest in reading. We have found it very difficult to find or make material, especially illustrations that we can use in order to create more literature in the Sinama language.
Therefore we strongly encourage the use of our illustrations and texts in order to create/translate reading material in the minority languages of the Philippines, Malaysia, & Indonesia.
We also strongly encourage the printing and use of our story in Sama homes and schools throughout these areas.
