Il-Ggant u l-Iskarpan
Framed mixed medium on wood
Created by Mark Mallia & Farrell
Size: 40cm x 40cm
Il-Ġgant u l-Iskarpan
Mela darba kien hemm skarpan li kien idur l-irħula biex isewwi xi sandli jew żarbun. Min ma jkollux flus, kien iħallsu b’xi frott, ġbejna jew tajra. Kien ta’ kuljum jgħaddi minn ġo bosk li kienu jgħidu li fih kien jgħix ġgant b’saħħtu ħafna. Darba fost l-oħrajn, waqt li kien għaddej mill-bosk, l iskarpan iltaqa’ mal-ġgant. L-iskarpan kellmu mingħajr biża u l-ġgant interessa ruħu fih. Staqsih x’kien jaf jagħmel, u l iskarpan minnufih wieġbu li kien kapaċi jagħmel dak kollu li kien jaf jagħmel hu. Il-ġgant refa’ġebla mill-art u farrakha f’idu. L-iskarpan kien pront ħareġ ġbejna mis-sorra tiegħu, għamel tabirruħu qed jiġbor ġebla mill-art, u għaffiġha f’idu. Il-ġgant stagħġeb meta ra l-‘ġebla’ ssir ilma. Il-ġgant qabad ġebla u garaha ‘l bogħod u staqsa lir-raġel jekk kellux il-ħila jagħmel l-istess. L-iskarpan makakk, ħareġ għasfur mis-sorra, għamel taparsi qed igara ġebla, u l-ġgant tħawwad x’ħin ra li l-‘ġebla’ tal-iskarpan baqgħet għaddejja fis-sema sa ma għebet bla ma misset l-art. Wara ħafna mħatri oħra bħal dawn, il-ġgant tilef sabru u stieden lill iskarpan biex jiekol ikla ravjul miegħu ħa jaraw min jiekol l aktar. L-iskarpan libes xkora ma żaqqu. Ravjula kien jiekol, u tlieta jitfa fl-ixkora. Meta lestew, l-iskarpan stieden lill ġgant biex jgħoddu kemm kielu ravjul. Qabad sikkina, fetaħ l-ixkora taparsi kienet żaqqu u beda jgħodd. Iżda meta l ġgant għamel l-istess, waqa minxur fl-art.
The Giant and the Shoemaker
Once upon a time, there lived a shoemaker who used to travel through villages to mend shoes and sandles. He used to accept almost anything as payment; money, cheeselets, fruit or birds. He had the habit of passing through a forest where a strong and fierce giant was said to live. One day, the shoemaker came face to face with the giant. He pretended that he was not scared and the giant was amused. He asked the man what he was capable of doing to which the shoemaker promptly replied that he could do anything that the giant could. The giant picked up a stone and crushed it. The man pretended to do the same, but used a cheeselet instead. And when the giant saw that the ‘stone’ was reduced to water, he was intrigued. He then threw a stone using all his strength and aksed the man if he could also throw a stone that far. But once again the shoemaker tricked him and used a bird instead of a stone. This ‘stone’, finding freedom never landed on the ground and the giant was amazed. After a series of such challenges, the giant came up with the idea of seeing who was able to eat the most number of ravioli. The shomaker tied a sack around his waist. For each one he ate, he threw three inside the sack. When all the food was finished, the shoemaker slit his sack, pretending to be his stomach, and started to count the ravioli inside. But when the giant did the same, he fell down dead.
