Tikki tikki tembo

You know one of the most beautiful things about a storytelling workshop? I listened to so many stories! Here’s one of them (not told by Nell, but by one of the workshop participants).

Long, long ago, in a village in China, there lived a family with two sons. The elder son was called Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo. The younger one was simply called Chang.
One day, the two brothers were playing near the well. Suddenly, Chang fell into the well!
The elder brother ran to his mother. “Mother, mother!” he cried. “Chang has fallen into the well!”
“Quick!” cried his mother. “Go to the old man near the well and ask him for help!”
So Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo ran to the old man. “Old man, old man!” he cried. “Chang has fallen into the well!”
Hurriedly, the old man got to his feet, took a ladder and rescued little Chang.
And then, one day, ‘Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo fell into the well!
The little boy Chang ran to his mother and said, “Mother, mother! Tikki-rembo- that is – Tikki-tikki-”
“What nonsense are you muttering? I can’t understand anything!”
“Mother,” pleaded Chang, urgently. “Tikki-tikki- pembo…”
His mother rolled her eyes.
“Mother!” Chang tried again, “Mother, Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo has fallen into the well!”
“Oh, no! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Go to the old man near the well and ask him for help!”
So Chang ran to the old man. . “Old man, old man!” he cried. “Tikki-rembo… That is… Rembo-pembo… I mean…”
“What nonsense are you muttering? I can’t understand anything!”
“Old man, please! Pembo-rembo… I mean…”
The old man rolled his eyes.
“Old man!” Chang tried again, “Old man! Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo has fallen into the well!”
The old man rose to his feet hurriedly “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Oh, the poor boy!”
He took his ladder and went to the well.
Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo had taken in so much water that he was barely alive. Somehow, with prayers and hard work, they managed to bring the boy back to life.
But that day, the Chinese learned a valuable lesson. Never again did they give their children long names.

Workshop facilitated by Nell Phoenix!