Tin Iswed, Tin Abjad
Framed mixed medium on wood
Created by Mark Mallia & Farrell
Size: 40cm x 40cm
Tin Iswed, Tin Abjad
Raġel kien miexi meta lemaħ siġra miżgħuda tin iswed. Waqgħetlu żaqqu u niżel fl-għalqa u kiel minnha kemm felaħ. Ma damx ma ntebaħ, iżda li sforz dak it-tin kien kibirlu denb twil iswed! Minnufih deher quddiemu xiħ li tah parir jiekol tin abjad minn siġra li kien hemm qrib. U meta kiel minnha, id-denb għeb. Ir-raġel qata’ salt tin iswed u abjad, u l-għada mar bit-tin l-iswed ħdejn il-palazz tas sultan. Kien jaf li l-prinċipessa kienet tħobb ħafna t-tin. Din xtratu, kilitu, u għeliet mhux bi ftit meta ftit wara kibrilha denb twil u iswed. Is-sultan ikkonfonda u bagħat għall għorrief, tobba u professuri kollha li kien hemm fis-saltna biex ifejqulu ‘l bintu. Iżda ħadd ma kien jaf minn fejn ser jaqbad jibda. Meta ra li s-sultan kien iddispra sew, u beda jwiegħed li jżewweġ lil bintu lil dak li jirnexxilu jeħilsu minn dan l-għali, ir-raġel għamel ġamm mit-tin l-abjad, u deher quddiem is-sultan. Qallu li mill-mediċina speċjali tiegħu, il-prinċipessa kellha tieħu sitt imagħref kuljum. Il prinċipessa kienet tieħu din il-mediċina bil-qalb għax kellha togħma tajba ta’ tin u ma kinitx morra bħal tat-tobba. U fi żmien ftit jiem, id-denb ċkien sa ma sparixxa għal kollox. Is sultan żamm kelmtu u r-raġel iżżewweġ lill-prinċipessa. U dakinhar li sar sultan, reġa tfaċċa quddiemu x-xiħ li spjegalu li hu kien irjali minn twelidu u li kien misruq u mċaħħad mir-renju tiegħu meta kien għadu tarbija.
Black Figs, White Figs
One day a man was walking when he spotted a tree full of black figs. He jumped into the field and feasted on the ripe fruit. Unfortunately, he did not realise that by eating the fruit he had grown a long black tail! An old man appeared before him and advised him to eat from the tree that gave white figs. The man obeyed and the tail got smaller as he ate the white figs, until it disappeared altogether. He picked as many black and white figs as he could carry, and the following day he went to sell the black figs next to the palace, knowing that the princess loved figs. She bought and she ate and she grew a tail. The king sent for all the wise men and doctors, but no one could find a solution. In despair, he declared that he would offer his daughter’s hand in marriage to the man who healed her. Upon hearing this, the man made some jam using the white figs, went to see the king and told him that the princess had to take six spoonful’s of the medicine daily. The princess liked this medicine because it tasted just like figs. And very soon the tail started growing smaller and smaller, until it vanished completely. The king kept his word and the man married the princess. When the man was declared king years after, the old man of the fig trees appeared again and told him that he had been stolen from his kingdom when he was a baby, and that this kingdom had been rightfully his all along.
