Teret Teret !!

One week ago today, we were fortunate enough to attend a gathering of local Ethiopian kids and their families. Pip and Squeak were there, and so was one of our favorite Mini Casanovas.

We met a man, Tsega, who was kind enough to tell all the kids a story in Amharic. He also told it in English so that everyone could understand it.

Ethiopian storytelling is interactive, and the children were called upon to do their part.

During the telling, and apparently for every story, the storyteller begins by saying...

"TERET TERET!"

The children are to respond with “YELAM BERET!."

I do not know the literal translation of these words. Steven thought Teret meant barn. I should have asked Tsega. Anyway, it was great! Pip, and Tsega's daughter Grace, did an excellent job of participating. Is there anything more fun than watching a group of children raptly listening to a story?

*Edit to say... Teret means, "Story with a moral". Teret Terek means, "Storyteller".

Storytelling is one of my favorite all time traditions. The ability to tell a story is something that I find quite enviable. It may be why we end up sending our kids to the local Waldorf-y public school.

The story itself was an Aesop-type fable involving a donkey and a deep well. I can't find anything to link to like it, but I did find an animated Ethiopian story that you can watch and listen to, in Amharic or English. Here is the Link. The animation is really cute.


In other news, I am happy to report that Steven and I are both vertical. Here was my cure, (made by Steven)....


Hatch Green Chile Posole...Does a body good. Teret Teret!!!