Tikki Tikki Tembo - Chinese Folktale

In the southern part of Asian continent stretches a vast land of China. In those lands a custom was to give a very long name to the first born son. Hardly any name was given to the younger son. The story will tell more.

In a small village nestled on a high mountain top lived a mother with her two sons. The first born was given a special name according to traditions. He was named Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, which meant ‘the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world.” The second son was also named according to customs. He was simply called Chang, which meant ‘little or nothing.’

Every morning the mother went down the hill to a little stream, where she washed the clothes. On a small hill not far away from the stream stood an old well. Every morning, the mother warned her sons, “Don’t play around the well or you will fall in.”

One such morning, the boys followed the kite, which took them up and up the small hill. It got tangled at the roof of the well. Chang wanting to reach it fell down the well. The older brother run down the hill to his mother, “Dear mother, Chang has fallen into the well.”

The water rumbled down the stream. “I can’t hear you,” said the mother.

The son repeated a bit louder, “Dear mother, Chang has fallen into the well.”

“Run and get the Old Man with the ladder to help us out.” As mother ran up the hill, the son ran to fetch the Old Man.

The Old man ran as fast as he could. Dropped down his ladder. Went down the well and brought Chang out. As soon as he pumped the water out of him once and pushed the air into him, Chang was as good as ever. This incident kept them away from the well for some months.

During the Eighth Moon Festival celebrated for a good rice harvest, the boys ate lots of rice cakes and played with lots of flying kites. The rice cakes lasted for a few days as well as the kites.

One morning the mother trotted down the hill to the stream as usual, and the boys played with the kites. They followed the kites floating in the air along the stream, around the hill and up the mount. They played around the well until the older brother fell down into it.

Chang rushed down the hill, “Dear mother, Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo has fallen into the well.”

“I can’t hear you,” yelled the mother over the rumbling water.

“Oh mother, Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari…” The boy gasped, then continued quickly, “…bari ruchi-pip peri pembo has fallen into the well.”

“Child you need to speak up,” bellowed the mother.

Poor Chang was out of breath from rushing down the hill and saying such long name. He tilted his body to the side with his hands going down and one leg up. Now his mother moved away from the stream, “What did you say?”

“Dear mother, Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo has fallen into the well,” repeated Chang.

As the mother rushed up the hill, she sent Chang to fetch the Old Man with the ladder.

The Old man ran as fast as he could. Dropped down his ladder. Went down the well and brought Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo out. He pumped the water out of him and pushed the air into him once, twice, three times. But it took Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo some time to recover after this incident. And it was all because of his long name.

And from then on, all children were given short names.

Source: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel