,e ;
f~ ~ i
Story
ff95
(Tape
Narrator: Suzan Kora1ttirk Location: Informant a resident of Trabzon but working as dressmaker in Ankara
ff5")
'G{I..I- \'11.2.
~
;
.I
~:
May 1962
Stuck to SomeGreatf~:~
t
~~
Once there
~
~
was in
the hay,
father's
cradle
was and once there
wasn't
in
the olden
when the camel was an auctioneer,
days,
when the sieve
and when I was rocking
my
""
~
tlnglr
mlnglr,
there
was ~~~~:;~::?)
Onenight Keloglan saw~n
h1s(S~:d
the saint said, "You,
~
fellow,
J..
can't
be any good this
go and get yourself You'll
stuck
earn your
way,
Tomorrow morning
to some great living
doorl
as soon as you get up,
and your
life's
work will
be
there."
';;'
f
there. ~
The next went,
morning
and looked
Finally
as soon as he got up he got on his way.
he came to the gates
"I've
found my door."
himself
saray
in Istanbul.2
He got someen
the gardener
and when he saw Keloglan
began to shout. Keloglan somebody!
of the
them seemed to please
the back of his
"Well," clothes
him. he said, and got
stuck on the door by his robe.
In the morning gate,
But none of
at many doors.
He went and
"What is
this
began to laugh,
of the
saray
came to the gate.
stuck
on the
stuck
on the door?"
and he said,
He opened the
gate he became frightened said
and
he.
IIGh, I have been able
to
frighten
II
lS~uck
to a great
2A saray probably the word headman
door means to find
a patron
or to
get a steady job.
is a palace or a government building. The saray in Istanbul is meant to mean the palace of the Sultan. While in some tales padi~&~ is the title of any ruler or leader--sometimes even the of a village or city--it is here applied to no less a figure than
the head of the empire.
Story
99
1195
The
said,"What "
And
.
Keloglan
is
"Well,
sa1.d,
this
that
you do here?"
I got stuck on the door,
and I'll
never get
away from here." "You must go away from here," And Keloglan can work here, All all
'IN0, I won't
and you can't
this
this
said,
noise
noise?
Keloglan
go anywhere else.
inside
the saray,
... Keloglan
this
slipped
the gardener. This
is
a saray
and I
make me go away."
was heard
Bring
said
out of his
and the8said,
to me, and let's
robe
"What's
see what's
ailing
and went to the padi~ah.
him.'1
The padi~ah
asked, "What's your name?" Keloglan call
answered, "My name is Ahmet, but they don't
me Keloglan.
"Well,
to get myself That's
how I
"All
"I had a dream,
said, stuck
to some great.
came to your
right,"
you always
While
~ vegetables.
door,
and this
said
it
a saint
and there is
I would
how I'm
going
"Can you work in
Keloglan.
And Keloglan
and there
little
told
things
me what to do: find
my life's
to earn
the kitchen
work.
4i
my living." and help
went down to the kitchen, to be done.
... So Keloglan
in the kitchen.
to chase you out
without
and in
said the padirah.
One day the to do,
door,
cook showed him here
went to work
They
what do you want, Keloglan?"
I can,'1 and the
me that.
II
then,
Keloglanl
call
breaking
What Keloglan
cook said
..."
to Keloglan,
do the opposite. of my kitchen. I
am gone,
a single
one."
did was to
This
"Now, look
time be careful,
I am going
And the cook went the plates
Whatever
I
or else
I'll
out to the market
you wash the dishes
take
here.
and arrange
for
tell
them nicely
one by one and break them.
.: 1 '-,
have
some
out to market.
you
t
f
;
Story //95
Then he piled When the
the pieces
cook came back,
the
cooking
he said,
pot.3
"Have you done what I told
I did,
and they
are all
arranged
you to do?" neatly
in
the
II
When the
cook looked,
he found
have you done ?" he shouted. he chased Keloglan
The cook said, right,"
stay
with
it
me.
that "All
"I said
The padi~ah
said
Keloglan
the padi~ah.
"Bring
any more.
"What
Get out!'1
And
it
all
about?'!
Take him away from me."
him to me
"Now listen
makes any noise,
to me, son.
you'll
You are going
to
and you'll
see
make no noise,
either."
said Keloglan.
said the padi~ah. went and filled
mirror. mirror,
he thought
it
padi~ah
asked for
saw his
image repeating
shouted
and shouted
"Now go and bring a glass
in
the mirror.
at his image. and of course heard
"It
the mirror
the noise,
there was a in
the
was from me the
before
he began to quarrel
Finally
On the way
When he saw himself
and he said,
own actions,
of water."
and ran back.
Why do you hurry
of water. his
water
me a glass
across from the stairs
was someone else,
a glass
When the padi~ah
with
and right
saw himself
at him,
were broken.
"What is
have had enough of him.
back., he came up the stairs, ~ '" ./
the glass
the plates
he said,
Only when I go to sleep,
right,"
all
keep you here
the noise,
to Keloglan.
nobody else
"Fine,"
I won't
heard
)
"All
that
out of the kitchen.
When the padisah
to
in
"Certainly
Keloglan said, pot.
neatly
he became so angry
me?" with
When he
it.
He
that
he threw
"What's
all
broke.
he came out and said,
noise about?"
farm,
3when dummers in folktales are assigned tasks they often wreak havoc of this kind on their
in a household or on a employers' property.
this
,
Story
1195
'II was bringing
Keloglan said, do it
before
you the glass
I' A mirror?
What is a mirror?"
The padi~ah
took
saw him bringing
"Now,"
Keloglan.
said
give
orders
trying
ticked
,
i ;;c
~
"
"-
he took
clock
"All After
i,
intended
the clock
wouldn't
time
And the padi~ah
'IBe quiet, that
was quiet
down off
explained, listen
it
said,
is--to
right,"
to me. "Oh, tell
to declare
that
nobody makes
the clock Keloglan
on the began to
you know the padiljah
cannot
"And
became so angry
on the floor.
by the noise.
me to keep everything
That I s why I
gave
it
stop.
what
That's
quiet, it
but
deserved!
its
duty,
II
to
and day
"I won't
a representative
Keloglan
frightened
do it
again."
came from a foreign
war on the padi~ah's
"r will
except
and smashed it
it
ask some questions
you
went to sleep
"Don't
Finally
told
the night
said Keloglan.
a few days,
"
sleep,
son,
it
Don't you hear me?" he shouted.
the wall
"you
"When
again."
said.
I' he said.
noise!
jumped up in his
Keloglan
~o the padirah,
Tick-tock-tick-tock, ~
to
before?"
own image.
See to
it
Stop
And the padi~ah show what
go to sleep.
the more you tick-tack!
The padi~ah
that
"r'll
do it
away.
to sleep?
"Sir,"
try
he explained.
I won't
everything
to the clock.
the more I say, that
"Now I know.
slept,
seen a mirror
and showed him his
was only you,"
the padiljah,
the padi~ah
which
is
it
and nob ody wakes me up. II
wall,
he
asked Keloglan.
him to a mirror
the water,
"Oh ,'I said
While
Why did
I did?" Haven t t you ever
any noise
of water.
country. in signs,
country
The representative and if
those
which said questions
~
Story
fl95
t
F
! ~
are answered
'"
party
ti
;
will
correctly,
answer
then we won' t Wag~gainst
in signs,
too,
you.4
and we must be apart
The opposite
from each other.
I
i
will
t
be on anothe(:~~::~:~::)
we're
said,
"What sort
)
before
I answer.
see any sense his
answers
';
won't
it.
be of
II
of thing
is
this?
I do about this?
He'll
think
any use.
"Well, ~
of Keloglan. about
What shall
in this.
,
t f
the answers
aren't
correct,
it's
If
I must think I ask a clever
stupid.
If
What should
I
I do?"
called
Keloglan
and told
Let's
be on one minaret without
saying
IIAll
and he'll
be on the other.
a dumb one there, he thought
see what he'll
him all
about it.
righ t , 'I said
minister
held
For the second sign, flat
circle.
Keloglan.
right
hand under
sign,
the minister
got
"What's
the minister
his
left
!'You'll
him in
signs
held answered
his
than that?" For the
.,
his
bent his
elbow and put his
hand out with
the fingers
his
fingers.
left
of his
by holding
the
his
arm at the
right
arm.
hand out with
waist
sign,
arms out before
to show one half
right
first
In answer Keloglan held up ~ held
Keloglan elbow,
easier
up on the minarets.
up one finger.
In answer,
down. Keloglan
i
answer
say
a word. II
The two representatives foreign
You'll
this
man, he won't
And finally
.lay some eggs about it.5
The padi~ah
put
about
0.
i.
then
at war." The padisah
..
Remember, if
in
a
For the third
and thumb hanging the
fingers
and
4In real life wars are often waged for ridiculous reasons; in folktales these ridiculous reasons often involve riddle solving. Aarne-Thompson Type 924B (Sign Language Misunderstood) and Eberhard-Boratav Type 312 (Die Zeichensprache) both are based on misunderstood sign language, but EberhardBoratav lists as a variant the tale in which war can be averted by the correct r~sponses in sign language. Our own collecting would suggest that in Turkey the basic type involves the threat of war and only an occasional variant does not.
with
5To lay produce
some eggs about it some answers right
is a slang expression which may be equated out of the blue, or to come up with something.
answered, round.' pilav.'
ItJ3 Story
fl95
thumb pointing ~. the minarets The padi~ah questions
said
to
the minister,
'Oh,
answered, but
the
last
I said,
grow
from the bottom
there
will
'The rains
sir,"
half
Keloglan
'We have five
them.'
is water
one God.'
what the
and half
the questions
and mine."
And Keloglan 'The world
is
is land.'
And he answered,
are two.'
in
me.
provide
who will
planted
what the questions
he said,
me there
II
'But
And
the plants
correctly,
The foreign
so minister
the
and the answers were.
am the mighty
He wanted
Then he said,
one around here.
to frighten 'Here
is
me, a tray
the meat to go on top.'
drop down on your ground
five
land.'
sharpened
full
of
Then he said,
And to stakes
and I
this
I said,
on which
to
"
the boy had saved the country stay
it
country
"first
'We shall
generals
already
is
And then I said,
answered
were some to help
I answered,
of
asked Keloglan
said Keloglan,
showed him there
always
me, please,
own land
And I answered, 'Behind
for
makes two.'
'But
up.'
to his
'There
come from above.'
Then the padi~ah
impale
I said,
not be war between your
to return
'We have
"First
Prophet
And he answered,
"Well,
you tell
were?"
The minister
left
"Could
in
this
saray,
but
from a war.
there
He said
to Keloglan,
must be no fighting,
"You will
and you must always
be good to others."
..,
And Keloglan what I dreamed,
replied, and this
"Well,
the saint was right,
is where I shall
stay
all
after
my life."
all.
This is
