targh lut (Tale of a Targ)

tachDaq maghom jIH jupwI' je.              I met my friend in a bar.  He
'Itlaw' ghaH.                           looked depressed.  "What's up,"
<qaStaH nuq> vIyu'.                     I asked. "Why do you look like
<qatlh nuv'e' SoptaHbogh targh Darur?>  a man being eaten by a targ?"

jang jupwI' <<targh> Dajatlh.              My friend answered.  "'targ',   
  tlhaQ wanI'.>                         you say.  Very funny."

<nuqjatlh?> vItlhob.                       "Huh?"

<toH, nI' lut, 'ach SoHvaD jItey'.         "Well, it's a long story, but  
  lut tagh targh.>                      I'll confide in you.  A targ
                                        begins the story."

<targh - qatlh Dajatlh?>                  "A targ?  What do you mean?"

<jIqarmeH <<targhHom>> vIjatlhnIS.        "More precisely, a targlet.  
  yI'Ij.>                               Listen."  My friend began his
lutDaj tagh jupwI'.                     story.

<Hatlh HopDaq Qoghmey vIwamtaHvIS         "I was hunting krogs way out 
  bIQtIqHom DopDaq jIleSlI'.            in the countryside and I stopped
jIleStaHvIS jISop.                      by a stream to rest.  While I
pay' ghogh vIQoy.                       rested, I ate something.  Suddenly
jatlh ghogh <<SuvwI' quv, HIQaH.        I heard a voice.  'Honored warrior', 
  jIHvaD Soj yInob.>>                   the voice said, 'help me!  Give me
jatlhwI' vInejtaH 'ach pagh vIleghlaH.  food!'  I looked around for the
jatlhqa' ghogh <<jIghungqu'.  HIQaH.    speaker but couldn't see anyone.  
  Soj yInob.>>                          The voice spoke again. 'I'm very
                                        hungry.  Help me, give me food.'
                                           
<QIt bIQtIqHom tIDaq vIlegh.               "Slowly I looked into the
pa' targhHom machqu' vItu'.             vegetation alongside the stream.
pay' jatlhqa' targhHom <<HIQaH.>>       There, I saw a tiny targlet. 
mumerqu' wanI'vam!                      Suddenly the targlet spoke. 'Help
not jatlhlaHbogh targh vIleghpu'.       me!'  Was I surprised!  I'd never
<<chay' targh Hol vIyajlaH?>> vItlhob.  seen a talking targ. 'How can I
                                        understand targ?' I asked.

<jatlhqa' targhHom <<SuvwI' quv,           "The targlet spoke again.  
  jIghung. jIHvaD SojHom yInob.>>       'Honored warrior, I'm hungry. Give
toH, loQ targhmey vIpar, 'ach           me some food.'  Well, I never liked
  pImlaw' targhHomvam.                  targs very much, but this targlet
vaj targhvaD SojHom vInob.              was somehow different, so I gave it
<<jatlhlaH targhmey 'e'                 some food. 'I didn't know targs
  vISovbe'>> vIchel.                    could talk,' I added.


jatlhqa' targhHom <<SuvwI' quv,            "Again the targlet spoke.
  jIbIrqu'.  weplIjDaq jIlIgh           'Honored warrior, I'm very cold.
  'e' yIchaw'.>>                        Let me ride in your coat pocket.'"

<Dachaw''a'?> vIyu'.                       "Did you?" I demanded.

<toH, le' targhHomvam; ngoDvetlh           "Well, this was a special
  vIyajlaHchu'.                         targ; I could see that clearly.
wepwIjDaq lIgh targhHom 'e' vIchaw'.    I let it ride in my coat pocket.
juHDaq jIjaHrupDI' wepvo' targhHom      When I got ready to go home, I 
  vIlel vIneH,                          went to take it out, but it said
'a jatlh targhHom <<SuvwI' quv,         to me, 'Honored warrior, take
  juHlIjDaq HInge'.>>                   me home."

pagh vIjatlh.  qatlh jIjatlhlaH?           I didn't say anything.  What
                                        could I say?

jatlhqa' jup <juHwIjDaq targhHom           My friend spoke again.  "I 
  vInge'.                               took the targlet home.  When I
juHDaq jItuQHa'choHtaHvIS wepvo'        was undressing at home, I took
  targhHom vIlelDI'                     the targlet out of my coat and
jatlh targhHom <<SuvwI' quv,            it said, 'Honored warrior, I'm
  jIDoy'qu'.                            very tired.  Let me sleep in 
QongDaqDaq jIQot 'e' yIchaw'.>>         your bed.'"

<Dachaw''a'?> vIyu'qa'.                    "Did you let it?" I asked again.

<toH, le' targhHomvam; jatlhlaH            "Well, it was a special targlet, 
  targhHomvam.                          a talking targlet.  I let it, and
vIchaw', 'ej QongDaqDaq QottaH          so the targlet was lieing in my
  targhHom.                             bed.  I went to the toilet, and
puchpa'Daq jI'el 'ej tugh               soon returned to my bedroom.  The
  QongDaqwIj ngaSbogh pa'Daq jIchegh.   targlet was no longer in my bed!
QongDaqDaq QottaHbe' targhHom!          The targlet had been transformed
Sut tuQbe'bogh be' 'IH Qup'e'           into a beautiful, young, naked
  mojta' targhHom!                      woman!  The woman said, 'Honored
jatlh be' <<SuvwI'oy, HIghoS.>>         warrior, come here.'"

<nuqjatlh!> vIjach.                        "What?" I cried.

<lutwIj DaHarbe''a'?> tlhob jupwI'.        "Don't you believe my story?"
                                        asked my friend.

<chay' bIQub? vIHarbe'bej!>                "What do you think? Of 
                                        course not."

'IQchoH jup.                               My friend grew sad. "I
<jIyaj. QongDaqDaq QottaHvIS targhHom   understand.  My wife wasn't home 
  juHDaq ghaHtaHbe' be'nalwI''e',       when I put the targlet in my
  'a be' mojta'DI' targhHom pay'        bed, but as soon as the targlet
  juHDaq chegh be'nal.                  turned into a woman, she returned
SIbI' pa'wIjDaq 'el.                    home.  She came right into the
lutwIj Harbe'bejtaH be'nalwI' je.       bedroom.  My wife didn't
pagh mu' Har.>                          believe my story, either.  Not
                                        one single word."

        lut ghItlh <F. Szilagyi>                Story by F. Szilagyi
        <Esperanto>vo' vImughta'                Translated from Esperanto

© 1997, Terrence Donnelly