Reading Folktale 3: Thao Piat and Thao Toum

 

    

Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

   

 

English Translation

..................................................................................................................................

Thao Piat and Thao Toum were friends.  Thao Piet's parents were farmers, and lived in the country.  Thao Toum's parents were government professionals and lived in the city.  Thao Toum went to a school in the city, and Thao Piat went to a rural school. 

   One day, Thao Toum wrote a letter to Thao Piat at his rural school.  He invited his friend to come to town during his vacation for a visit.  He said, "My school will still be in session, so you can visit school with me.  Then we'll visit downtown with all its big government office buildings.  They have planted flowers outside the building, and it is very pretty to see.  At night, I will take you to the theater, and we'll walk around the streets to see the lights.  You'll see so many wonderful things."

   Thao Piat answered his friend's letter.  He told his friend, "Next year, when your school closes for vacation, I would like to invite you to come to visit me at my home.  I live in the country, so I don't have all those things you have in town. We'll go fishing at a big river, and we'll cook the fish for our lunch.  I'll take you to see the rice fields and walk down the roads.  A cool breeze will slowly blow around you and make you happy.  You'll hear the songs of the insects and birds, and that will make you happy too."  He continued, "If you come during the rainy season, at night, you will hear some rain, and the frogs will sing all night in the rice fields.  In the morning, you will see traditional farm life.  You'll be so happy, you' ll forget your town."

      

  

Vocabulary:

.................................................................................................................................

ກົບ, ຂຽດ

n. frogs

ຂ້າງນອກ

prep. outside

ເຂົາ, ພວກເຂົາ

n. he, they

ເຂົ້າທຽ່ງ

n. lunch

ຂຽນ

v. to write

ຈະ

aux. will

ຈົດຫມາຍ

n. a letter

ສະບັບ

clf. used to count letters (mail)

ສຽ

n. sound, voice, noise

ຊີວິດ

n. life

ຊາວນາ

n. a farmer

ເຊິນ

v. to invite

ຍ່າ

n. to walk

ຍາ

adj. Long (length)

ຍິນ

v. to hear

ດອກໄມ້

n. flowers

ຕ່າງ ໆ

adj. different, diverse

ຕອນສວາຍ

adv. phrase late morning

ຕອນເຊົ້າ

n. morning

ຕອນກາງຄືນ

n. at night

ຕຶກປາ

v. to fish (by casting net)

ຕາມແຄມ

p.p. along the river bank

ຖະໜນ

n. a road, a street

ທົ່ງນາ

n. fields

ທ້າ

prefix/title  use mainly before the names of adult/older men

ນົກ

n. a bird

ໃນເມືອງ

p.p. in town

ບ້ານນອກ

n.p. the rural area; countryside

ເບິ່ງ

v. to look at

ບໍ່ດົນ

neg. + v/adj. not too long

ປາ

n. a fish

ປູກ

v. to plant

ໄປ

n. to go

ໄປທຽ່

v. to tour, go around for fun

ຝົນຕົກ

v. to rain

ົ ພັກ

v. to rest

ພາ

v. to lead, to take someone

ເພື່ອນ

n. a friend

ພໍ່ແມ່

n. parents, father and mother

ພຽງພ

adj. sufficient

ມາຮອດ

v. to arrive

ແມ່ນ້ຳ

n. river

ແມງໄມ້

n. insect that feeds on vegetation

ເມືອ

n. town, city

ມື້ຫນື່ງ

n. one day

ເວລາ

n. time; adv. when

ລະດູຝົນ

n. rainy season

ລັດຖະກອນ

n. a government employee, an official

ລືມ

v. to forget

ແລະ

conj. and

ຫົນທາງນ້ອຍ

n. a trail

ອອນຊອນ

adv. lovely

ເຮັດວຽກ

v. to work

ໂຮງຮຽນ

n. a school

ໂຮງງານ

n. a factory

ໂຮງການລັດຖະບານ

n. a government office

ໂຮງການໃຫຍ່

n. a big office

ໂຮງລະຄອນ

n. a theatre

ຮ້ອ

v. to cry out, to sing

ຫລວງຫລາຍ

adv. many, much more

ຫລິ້ນ

n. to play

 

 

 

 

 

           

  

 Back to Reading Lao Folktales 

 

Lao Intermediate Reading contains Lao and IPA Fonts.   To view Lao and IPA characters on this website,  please download:

Lao New Light Font

IPA Font

 

 

  

SEAsite Laos | Overview | History | Art & Culture | Language | Literature

Maps | Gallery | Folklore | Other Topics | Links | SEAsite

               

2003 SEAsite Laos. Intermediate Reading
Last Modified: