The Hermit Crab and the Needlefish
Õm eõ im Tãk eõ

An Oral Tradition of the Marshall Islands
Juõn Bwebwenãtõ in ãelõñ Kein

Adapted by Jane Downing

 

One bright sunny day the needlefish was swimming
        about the lagoon feeling very happy with himself.
But there was no-one to tell.
Then he heard a little sound from the island,
         a small scratch, scratch, scratch.
It was a hermit crab moving slowly along the shore.

"I'm the fastest fish in the world" boasted the needlefish.
The hermit crab did not stop crawling.
"I can swim faster than a shooting star"
        shouted the needlefish louder.
Still the hermit crab did not stop.
He was not even listening.

The needlefish became very angry.
He was the fastest creature on the whole atoll
        and the hermit crab who was so insignificant
                he had to live in a thrown-away shell
                        was paying him no attention.

 Juõn jibbõñõn emmãn tãk eõ ekãr ãõ bãjjek
iãrin ãneõ im emmõnõnõ ippãn mãke. Ejjelok en ekãr jelã tã eõ ej lõmnãke.
Ej Melãnlok ãk erõñ juõn ãinikien weerer ijõ iãne,
Ãinikien ãn õm eõ tõbãllok ijõ iõõn bõk iãne.

"Ña ij mãke wõt mõkãj jãn ãõlep ek ipelããkin lãl in," tãk eõ ekãr jãjjãj.
Ijõke õm eõ ekãr jãb ellok ãk ekãr tõbãl mããnlok wõt.
"Imõkãj jãn iju kõ rej wõtlok jãn lãñ," tãk eõ ekãr lãmõj im kõlãplok ãinikien.
Ãinwõt ñe õm eõ en jãb rõñ, ekãr jãb bõjrãk ãk tõbãllok wõt.

Tãk eõ ejinõ ãn illu.
Ej mãke wõt mõkãj tãtã iããn ãõlep menin mõur kõ ipelããkin ãelõñ eõ
im õm eõ ejjelok uwããn ãikuj jõkwe ilõwããn libukwe bãjjek
ejjãb rõñjãke tãk eõ.


If we had a race around the atoll I would win"
        said the needlefish in anger.
"Are you going to race me?" he taunted the hermit crab.
"Yes" the hermit crab replied very quietly.
The needlefish could not believe the hermit crab had answered
         and the answer had been yes!

"You can't win" the needlefish laughed.
He was happy again
        because he was the fastest creature on the islands
                and in the lagoon
And he loved to win.

"We will race tomorrow" said the hermit crab
        "Then we will see who is fastest."
On this, the hermit crab and the needlefish agreed.

 "Elãññe kõjro nããj iaekwõj im kapoole ãnin innaaj mõkaj jãn eok,"
tak eo ekar illu im ba.
"Kookõnaan ke iwekwõj ippa?" ekar kõnnan ilo an kalluik om eo.
"Aeet," ekar mõkaj an om eo iuwaak.
Ke tak eo ej roñ an om eo iuwaak, ekar jab tõmak ñan jidik.

"Koban wõt im ban wiin," tak eo ekar ettõñ ilo an ba.
Ekar kanooj utiej buruõn tak eo kõnke ej ba ej make wõt iãne im barãinwõt ilo malo in ãelõñ eo.

"Kõjro naaj iaekwõj ilju im lale wõn wõt eo emõkaj tata," om eo ekar jiroñlok tak eo.

Tak eo ekar rejtake lõmnak eo ñan aerro iaekwõj raan eo juon.


The needlefish swam away.
He was happy and confident.
The hermit crab moved away too.
He did not like being teased
        and he did not like a big-mouth.
He had lots of work to do.

The hermit crab visited all his relatives
        on all the islands
                in the whole atoll.
To his mother, his father, his sister, his brother
        his uncle, his aunt, his cousins
                 his children and his grandchildren
To all his relatives he said one thing:
"Tomorrow when you hear a shout from the lagoon,
A shout asking: little crab where are you?
Answer quickly
Answer: here I am, here in front of you."
The family understood.

Tak eo ekar wanmetolok. Ekar kanooj buñ buruõn im kõjatdikdik ippãn.
Om eo ekar bar emmakũt. Edike kajirere im kain ne elap loñin.

Om eo ekar pukotlok om ko jet ilo ãneo im ipelaakin aelõñ eo.
Ekar pukotlok jinen, jemãn, ledik ro im ladik ro jein im jatin, leo rũkorean, kõrã ro jet jinen, im ro jet nukwin, ajri ro nejin im ro jibwin.
Ekar jiroñlok er juon wõt men.
"Ilju, elaññe kom naaj roñ juon ainikien jãn lojet ej kajjitok "kopãd ia le om?"
komin kab mõkaj im iuwaak im ba, "ña e ije imaam."
Aolepãn ro nukwin rõmelele.


The next morning the hermit crab waited for the needlefish
        on the shore.
The needlefish appeared as a streak of lightening
        on the water
"A race, a race" he was laughing.
"Off we go."

"Wait" commanded the hermit crab in his little voice.
"Wait? You do not want to race?
        Are you scared of losing?" teased the needlefish.
"The lagoon is round" continued the hermit crab in
        his slow, methodical way
"We will travel along the shore
        starting here
                finishing here."
"Yes, yes. The needlefish was impatient to start.

 Jibbõñõn raan eo rej tõn iaekwõj, ettõ wõt ke om eo ekar ilãm pãd ioon bõk im Kõttar tak eo.
Ejjab to tak eo ej jãjjãj tok ioon ãejõt tok. ekar ettõñ dikdik im ba, "Iaekwõj, iaekwõj,"
"Kõjro moot."
"Kõttar ," om eo ekar jiroñlok tak eo.
"Kõttãr," kwoj jãb kõnaan iaekwõj ippa ke?"
"Ta komijak in luuj ke?, tak eo ekar jiroñlok om eo.
"Meto ne elap," om eo ekar ba,
"Kõjro naaj ettõr wõt ije iparijet, jinõ ijin im bõjrak ijjuweõ," om eo ekar ba.
"Iññã, iññã," tak eo ekar kijerjer in jinõ ettõr.


The hermit crab got to the point.
"I will not know if you are travelling the same distance that I,
        on land, will have to.
You could just swim around here, back and forth, back and forth,
        and claim you won."
"A good idea" said the needlefish. "I wish I'd thought of it."
"So you cannot cheat
we must talk to each other along the way.
Each time you come to an island call out to me.
Ask: little crab where are you?"

The needlefish agreed
         though he thought he'd have to shout very loudly
         for the hermit crab to hear him.
The hermit crab would be so far behind.

"Are we ready now?" he asked.
"Yes. "
And they were off.

 Om eo ekar tõbbalok ñan ijo rej jino iaekwõj eo jãne.
"Inaaj jaje elaññe joñan kõtaan eo kwoj ettõr ie ej joñan wõt ijo iãne
inaaj ettõr ie. Kwomaron ettõr to ettõr tak ijin im bajjek erroolol ie im ba kowiin."
"Ij rejtake eok kõn lõmnak in am," tak eo ekar ba. "Etke ikar jab baj lõmnake in wãween."
"Ilo wãween in kwojamin mone eo kõnke kõjro naaj kõnaan ippãn doon ilo arro iaekwõj.
Elaññe kwonaaj tõpartok kijjien ne ãne, kwonaaj lamõje eõ im ba, "ewi kwe le om, kopãd tok ia kiio?"

Tak eo ekar reel ilo lõmnãk eo an om eo, ijõke ekar ba ippãn mãke bwe enããj ãikuj in lãmõj im kõlãp ãinikien bwe om eo en roñ kõnke enããj bat im ettõ liklok im ebãn roñ an küri.

"Kwo pojak ke kiiõ," om eo ekar kajjitok.
"Aaet, ipojak." Innãm erro kar jino ettõr.


The needlefish leapt into the air
         Flying high through the sky
                  And down into the water miles ahead.
"I'm winning" he was shouting as he swam
         through the crystal blue water.
"And little crab where are you?" he cried toward the shore.
"Here I am. Here in front of you."

In front of him!
The needlefish stopped.
He was astonished.
The hermit crab was winning.
He had to go faster.
So he did.
         He swam faster
                  he leapt higher
          he was the fastest creature on the atoll.

 Tak eo ekar kãlõñlok im kãlok imejatoto; im lak tubar, elukkuun mootlok imaan.
"Iwiin," tak eo ekar lamõj ke ej kaiüm metolok ñan ijo imeto.
"Kopãd ia le om," tak eo ekar reãnelok im añiñini om eo.
"Ña e ije, ij pãd wõt imaam," om eo ekar lamõjlok.

Ke tak eo ej roñ ekar jab tõmak im ekar bõjrak. Ekar kanooj in bwiloñ.
Emõkaj om en kõn menin ij aikuj in buul lok jidik bwe in le jãne.
Tak eo ekar kõmaat joñan im bar ettõr im kãlok ioon dan.


The needlefish came to another island.
"Little crab where are you?" he cried
         certain he was now winning.
"Here I am. Here in front of you."
In front of him!
The needlefish could not believe it.
But he had to believe his own ears.
The hermit crab was winning.
He had to go faster.
So he did.
         He swam faster
         he leapt higher
         he was the fastest creature on the atoll.

But each time he came to another island
         he cried "Little crab where are you?"
And the answer came from the shore
         "Here I am. Here in front of you."

 Ke tak eo ej tõpar ne ãne im kür om eo, om eo ebar lamõj im ba, "Ña wõt e ije, ij le wõt imaam." Ke tak eo ej bar roñ ekar jab tõmak ñan jidik. Ijoke, kõn an kar bar roñ an om eo iuwaak im ba ej le wõt imaan, ej bar kõmaat an maroñ im ettõr im bar kãlok ioon dãn.

Aolep iien ñe ej tõpar arin ne ane im kür om eo epãd ia, juõn ainikien ej lamõj im ba, "Ña wõt e ije, ij le wõt imaam."


The needlefish was exhausted from swimming
        faster than a shooting star
        vfaster than lightening.
But he could see the last island.
"Little crab where are you?"
"Here I am."
The hermit crab was on the last island too.
But he was not in front of him. "I can win. I will win" cried the needlefish.
And he swam to the finishing point.
 Tak eo kiiõ ekar kanooj in mõk im ikkijelok kõn an kate im buul ettõr. Kiiõ mõttan wõt ãne eo ãliktata. Ke ej bar kür om eo im kajjitok epãd ia, om eo ej bar ba ej le wõt imaan.

Om eo ekar bar pãd ilo ane eo ãliktata, ekar jab pãd aolep iien imaan tak eo. "Imaroñ wiin, im inaaj wiin," tak eo ekar ba. ekar ba im kaieoklok jemlokin ijõ rej kõttõparlok.


What took you?" asked the hermit crab from the shore.
The hermit crab was not even breathing heavily.
The needlefish let out a shriek of pain
        and disappeared below the surface of the lagoon
                 never to be seen
                         never to tease
         again. 		"Ta eo ekar karumwiji eok?" om eo ekar jijõt ioon bõk im jiroñlok tak eo. Ejjab mejan mõk im ikkijelok ñan jidik.
Tak eo euwaak ilo an mõk im jakõlok ibulõn dãn im ñan rainin jebãn bar maroñ loe, im kõmman kõjak ippãn.


That night the hermit crab celebrated with all his family.
         Young cousin giggled
                 because he'd forgotten his lines at the last moment.
The family joined him in laughing.
They were very happy.

They may not be the fastest creatures on the atoll
        But together they had won the race.

Joteenlok eo om eo ekar kürtok aolep ro nukwin erwõj emmõnõnõ ippãn doon kõn wiin eo an.
Leo rilikin ekar ettõñ kõnke ekar melokloke ijo kwonaan ke ej itõn jemlok iaekwõj eo.
Erwõj kar aolep ettõñ im mõnõnõ ippãn doon.

Emaroñ jab er ro remõkaj tata iaan aolep mennin mour ko ilo aneõ, bõtaab kõn aer kar bõro wõt juõn raar marõñ wiini iaekwõj eo.


Original publication:
Downing, Jane (1992)
The Hermit Crab and the Needlefish. An Oral Tradition of the Marshall Islands retold by Jane Downing. Majuro Atoll: Ministry of Education.

Downing, Jane (1992)
Õm eõ im Tãk eõ. Juan Bwebwenato in aelãñ kein Ekkar in Jane Downing. Majuro Atoll: Ministry of Education.


(c) Jane Downing 1992-2000
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