Is-Sultan kibritlu Għadma
Framed mixed medium on wood
Created by Mark Mallia & Farrell
Size: 40cm x 40cm
Is-Sultan kibritlu Għadma
Darba kien sultan li aktar ma beda jixjieħ, aktar beda jikrieh. U biex tkompli tagħqad, fuq il-qurriegħa ta’ rasu, bdiet tikbirlu għadma twila, donnha qarn. Is-sultan inkwieta mhux ftit u ordna kuruna ogħal minn dik li kellu biex ikun jista’ jaħbi kollox. Iżda meta wasal biex jaqta’ xagħru, is-sultan inkwieta ħafna. Qatgħaha li jhedded lill-parrukkier li jekk xiħadd isir jaf bl-għadma, jħanxarlu għonqu. Dan wiegħed li kien se jżomm is-sigriet. Iżda xahar wara xahar l-għadma kompliet tikber u l-parrukkier beda aktar isibha bi tqilha biex iżomm sigriet bħal dan għalih. X’għamel? Mar fil-bosk, ħaffer ħofra fonda, daħħal rasu fiha, u nfexx jgħajat li s sultan kibirlu qarn. Meta kien żvoga sew, għatta l-ħofra. Iżda x-xorti riedet li fuq dik ir-roqgħa kiber ħafna ħafur, li t-tfal kienu jaqtgħu biex jonfħu ġo fih. B’għaġeb kbir tagħhom, meta bdew jonfħu, il-bdiebet bdew jirrreptu dak li kien għajat il-parrukkier, “Is-sultan kibirlu qarn!” It-tfal daħku mhux ftit, u daħlu jsaffru fil-belt. Is-sultan tmasħan u bagħat għall-parrukkier. Dan, imwerwer, irrakkuntalu x’kien għamel. Is-sultan, ta’ bniedem għaref li kien, għaraf li jekk ikollok sigriet u tgħidu mqar lil bniedem wieħed biss, ma jibqa sigriet xejn. Iddeċieda li dakinhar stess, joħroġ quddiem in-nies mingħajr kuruna xejn, biex juri li ma kellux minn xhiex jistħi. U għaġeb tal-għeġubijiet, x’ħin xiref fil gallarija, l-għadma għebet!
The Horned King
There was once a king who got uglier as he got older. To make matters worse, he started to notice that a horn was growing on the top of his head. He tried to hide it by ordering a higher crown, but he soon realised that he could not keep this secret from his barber. In order to keep his secret safe, the king threatened the poor barber, who swore to keep his mouth shut. But as months progressed, he could no longer keep the secret for himself. He ran to the forest, dug a very deep hole, and shouted the king’s secret inside it: “The king has grown a horn!” When he felt relieved, he covered the hole. Soon wheat grew on that soil. Children were used to blowing in these reeds. But this year, to their surprise, the whistle that came out was the very cry of the barber, “The king has grown a horn!” The children laughed and ran to the city, making the king furious. He sent for the barber who confessed what he had done. The king, being a wise old man, soon realised that if you truly want to keep a secret, you must not tell anyone. Not even a single soul. He decided to appear in front of his people without the crown, to show them that he had nothing to hide. And guess what; as soon as he went out into the balcony, the horn disappeared!
